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Selling a junk Subaru Outback

Any Outback sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Subaru Outback

NHTSA has 12,007 owner complaints on file for the Subaru Outback, model years 1995 to 2022, the 34th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are electrical system (2,246, 19%), visibility and wipers (2,046, 17%), other (1,372, 11%). 648 complaints involved a crash, 137 a fire, and 324 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 41,000 miles. The 2019 model year has the most complaints (1,292). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is electrical system, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car that doesn't run: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Subaru Outback by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19953Brakes201—
199657Engine and cooling1922—
199794Engine and cooling724103,995
1998165Engine and cooling132291,271
1999150Transmission and drivetrain222187,000
2000247Transmission and drivetrain229278,524
2001207Brakes186075,242
2002172Brakes140575,000
2003116Air bags711576,000
2004108Air bags1661168,006
2005354Suspension206987,000
2006405Speed control124796,000
2007182Air bags172885,000
2008281Air bags125880,000
2009143Air bags241377,550
2010469Transmission and drivetrain2061881,173
2011858Transmission and drivetrain36111688,000
2012369Transmission and drivetrain19111690,000
2013409Engine3671251,000
2014276Air bags2631037,953
2015650Visibility and wipers367530,000
2016775Electrical system396436,000
20171,107Electrical system565432,000
2018998Visibility and wipers486317,468
20191,292Visibility and wipers523312,000
20201,140Visibility and wipers371167,000
2021416Visibility and wipers22246,750
2022564Visibility and wipers188416,000

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Subaru Outback recalls

NHTSA lists 71 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (20), transmission and drivetrain (10), visibility and wipers (6). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 24V227000, Mar 2024): Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front pas…
  • 2021 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 23V755000, Nov 2023): Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
  • 2022 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 22V712000, Sep 2022): Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Impreza and Outback vehicles. The incorrect paint clearcoat may have been applied, which can cause the windshield to be insufficiently bonded to the vehicle. As …
  • 2020 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 22V485000, Jul 2022): Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely …
  • 2022 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 22V473000, Jul 2022): Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Outback vehicles. The engine wiring harness may have been damaged, resulting in a loose electrical connection to the engine control unit (ECU).

What a Subaru Outback is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Outback on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Subaru Outback worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Outback gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Subaru Outback that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Subaru Outback?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Subaru Outback numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.