2018 Subaru Outback: What to check before buying

Windshields crack with no visible impact, or a tiny pebble leaves a crack that spreads across the driver's view within minutes or overnight. Some cracks appear while the car sits in a garage. Replacement glass often cracks again, and several households report a third or fourth windshield. Early failures show up between 5,000 and 12,000 miles. Replacement is costly because the EyeSight cameras look through the glass and need recalibration afterward. One report is crash-related.

The windshield cracks without impact, most often while the car is parked overnight or in a garage. Cracks usually run from the top or bottom edge toward the middle. Many owners say a replacement windshield cracked again within weeks or months. Most failures fall between 29,000 and 52,470 miles, though reports range up to 85,000. Dealers and the manufacturer often give no help, and one dealer said the warranty covered only minor cracks.

Batteries go dead with little or no warning, often after short trips or a few days parked. Many cars are on a second or third battery, with original batteries failing as early as 17,120 miles, and dealer replacements often fail to stop the drain. Some cars lose power while driving or limp home at low speed. In a separate pattern, the driver side mirror smokes from a short in the approach light module. That blows a fuse and knocks out tire pressure monitoring and remote locking. Of these reports, 3 are fire-related.

The car suddenly darts or pulls to one side, as if hit by a wind gust or hydroplaning, most often above 45 mph. This often starts in the first 13,000 miles, sometimes within the first few hundred. Some cases involve lane assist steering toward another lane. Turning lane assist off, or getting an alignment, usually does not fix it, and dealers often cannot reproduce it. Other reports describe knocking or rumbling while turning, and a wheel that sticks in sharp turns. One crash followed a steering lockup while reversing.

The miles-to-empty display overstates range, and the engine dies from fuel starvation with 12 to 70 miles still showing. Stalls happen in traffic, in turn lanes and on highways at speed. Several owners mention a recall, but they also describe slow owner notification and a month-long wait for the replacement part. Other reports include a ruptured fuel supply line spraying gasoline under the hood at under 2900 miles, brief hesitation when pulling out from a stop, and one sudden acceleration crash.

The car surges forward at low speed while the driver is braking, usually when pulling into a parking space or garage. Cars hit walls, poles and buildings, and dealers usually cannot reproduce the problem. This category has 6 crash-related reports and 2 injuries. Other complaints involve EyeSight braking hard while the driver is accelerating, adaptive cruise stopping too close to the car ahead, and X-Mode switching off on a steep downhill.

Stalling while driving is a repeat complaint, and the car usually restarts after coasting to a stop. One dealer tied this to low fuel and advised keeping the tank above half full. Cam tower seal oil leaks are described as common between 60 and 90 thousand miles, with repairs over $3000. Other reports cover unexplained coolant loss with a burning smell on the 2.5L, exhaust fumes entering the cabin from the flex joint, and oil burning. One fire destroyed a car, and one report describes a sudden acceleration crash.

The brake pedal sinks to the floor or the car fails to stop, sometimes with no warning light. Of these reports, 4 are crash-related, including rollovers, with 2 injuries. One car showed an ABS module failure code at about 44,000 miles. Several reports overlap with sudden acceleration while braking. Other complaints describe a parking brake jammed by debris and corroded rotors. Two filings were withdrawn: one owner found a floor mat covering both pedals, and another filed in error.

In several serious crashes, including head-on, highway-speed and rear-end impacts, the bags do not deploy. These reports account for 5 crash-related filings and 11 injuries, some severe. In other cases, the passenger bag switches itself off with an adult seated there on drives longer than 25 minutes. One driver bag fired while the car was backing slowly with no impact. A seat wiring harness damaged by seat travel can also set a fault.