I purchased this 2007 Subaru Outback for my daughter after checking Subaru's official recalls website. That site listed Takata recall WQR-53 as completed [XXX]. My independent Subaru-certified mechanic diagnosed code 72 on the passenger airbag circuit and referred me to Don K Subaru in Whitefish, noting that the master technician there had trained him on the recall procedure. Don K installed Subaru test harness P on that circuit. Code 72 cleared, and the technician's written conclusion was that the inflator needs replaced. I opened case [XXX] with Subaru Customer Advocacy. Across two emails, their representative Tyler gave two different completion dates: [XXX], then [XXX]. He later admitted the first date was only the recall's effective date. Subaru's public website still displays [XXX]. I have asked twice, in writing, for the part number of the inflator that was installed and whether it was an interim Takata unit or the final non-Takata remedy. Subaru has not answered. A safety-critical airbag inflator throwing a failure code after a recall repair is not something I can accept as closed. I'm filing this complaint because Subaru's own records cannot agree on when or how the remedy was performed on this vehicle, and because the information the public relies on to judge airbag safety is wrong. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The worst 2007 Subaru Outback problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags47
- Electrical20
- Engine18
- Acceleration17
- Suspension14
- Transmission9
- Brakes8
- Lights7
- Fuel system6
- Steering6
- Body5
- Driver assistance5
- Wheels3
- Seat belts2
- Seats2
- Tires2
- Visibility2
- Locks1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2007 Subaru Outback
Airbag light 18Adaptive cruise 14Check engine light 10No deployment 6
Trouble codes owners of the 2007 Subaru Outback mention
P2138 5
Recalls 8
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
Recall number 20V001000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
Recall number 20V002000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
Recall number 20V003000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
- Risk
- The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
Recall number 19V297000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
- Risk
- If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
Recall number 16V738000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V‑399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V‑763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed the federal safety agency of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
Recall number 15V323000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
- Risk
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V‑110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
Recall number 14V311000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.
- Risk
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.
Recall number 13V110000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2007 Subaru Outback 212
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This is an update announcement regarding the TechShare & NorthStar Integration
- This announcement provides information on the connected services platform for Subaru EVs.
- This bulletin provides a step-by-step diagnostic procedure for resolving Remote Engine Start (RES)...
- This Service Information Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but...
- This announcement provides information on DCM replacememts due to a parasitic draw.
- This announcement provides information on an outage affecting the Subaru Select Monitor 5 application.
- This Service Information Bulletin announces the availability of ThreeBond 1216J (SOA868V9640) designed for...
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a...
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
2007 Subaru Outback fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 17-20 | 24-26 | 20-22 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 17 | 23 | 20 |
What 2007 Subaru Outback owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V003000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer declined to repair the vehicle due to possible damage to the dashboard while replacing the air bags. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
Lost brakes. Corroded brake lines. Recall was completed for this very issue. Fix was ineffective.
2007 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5i automatic. Had recall campaign 14V311 completed in 2018 for brake lines. According to Subaru brake lines were rustproofed and/or replaced. 9 June 2024 I start vehicle and place it into drive in doing so applying brake pedal to allow selection of transmission range. Pedal goes to floor without feedback pressure. No brakes. I check rear of car to find large amounts of brake fluid covering rear passenger wheel well area. Brake line has failed at rear junction as described in recall. Recall was not curative and did not address safety fault. 73k miles.
Both front driver and passenger side CV Boots have failed prematurely on several occasions well before the expected life and mileage expectancy for these parts (they have been replaced on four separate occasions). The CV boots hold grease in to provide lubrication to the axels. Safety was at risk as lack of lubrication increased chances of axel and associated component damage (braking and steering) at higher driving speeds. Subaru dealer has verified on each of the four separate occasions that the CV boots failed prematurely. The car has never seen any off road or rough condition driving conditions. The vehicle has always been meticulously maintained and all preventive maintenance requirements complete ahead of or on schedule and any recommended repairs by authorized mechanics are addressed immediately. Was urged by Subaru Dealer to contact Subaru of America (SOA) about the CV boots again failing prematurely. Previously, SOA was contacted and acknowledged parts should not have failed in the timeframes as it had. This time with even less mileage and time in service, Subaru is refusing to address the problem and replace the Subaru OEM parts at their expense.
Driving down the freeway, snowy conditions, going roughly 50 mph in a straight line, no curves or turns in sight, hit a very small hump in the road and suddenly I found myself sideways from what seems like a rear steer situation, i corrected as best i could and luckily i was in the only section of the road that didn't have a wall, ended up backwards in a shallow ditch. No immediate damage noted, I was able to drive away, but confidence with driving in snowy and icy conditions has been severely diminished (been driving in snow and ice for 20+ years). My previous vehicle, 1988 chevy s10 was WAY more reliable in the snow that this thing. I have since felt this car try and "kick out" while going well under the speed limit but in slightly icy conditions. The only reason I can think that this hasnt happened again is due to myself being aware of the isssue, new struts and brand new $600 dollar tires i recently purchased. This is a huge issue, and Subaru needs to own up to it, I know i'm not the only one who's experienced this.
A couple of months ago I noticed the airbag lamp stayed on after starting my car. After I had parked and later restarted the car, the airbag light went off as normal. A month or so later the airbag light again stayed on after starting the car. I also noticed that the passenger airbag indicator (on or off) didn’t seem to be working. It didn’t say “on” or “off”. It only said “Passenger”. I took it to the dealer and they diagnosed it and said I needed a new overhead lamp assembly that would cost $400 installed. They said it would take several days (it took over 2 weeks) to get the part. In the meantime, they could not tell me whether the airbag system would function properly in an accident. The part was ordered and I kept driving the car, hoping the airbag light wouldn’t stay on which was very stressful. The repair was finally made today and appears to be functioning properly. After some online research, I found out that this is a known issue with these cars. There is a soldered connection inside the overhead lamp assembly that was either improperly or insufficiently soldered or used defective solder. People have videos posted online of them taking the assembly apart and re-soldering the connection which appears to resolve the issue. I wasn’t comfortable doing that since properly functioning airbags are a critical safety component. I believe that Subaru either knows about this or should know. I would bet they have fixed this issue on newer vehicles. But lots of these vehicles still on the road.
All rear lights, rear hatch lock, brake lights all failed due to wiring going from the body to the hatch getting cut from the action of opening and closing the hatch door. This seems to be a pretty common thing with at least the 2005-2007 models years.
The Airbag light on my dash was lighting intermittently. I called Kendall Subaru here in Fairbanks, AK and was told I shouldn't drive the car as such a light indicated a problem with my airbags and that even a low level bump could set them off or that they might not function at all in a major accident. I scheduled an appointment to have this problem diagnosed. They told me there was a fault in the wiring and that I'd have to have the passenger seat indicator replaced. I have done some online research and found that there are several instances of faulty soldering in the wiring for the indicator. This would seem to me to be a reason for Subaru to issue a safety recall as a pot hole hit could set this thing off or people could get killed because the airbag didn't deploy! Kendall told me that they didn't have the part in stock. It would be in in 7-10 days. That was a month ago. I have noticed that since my vehicle was in for diagnosis, that the light has only come on whe the car is started, like it's supposed to!
The contact owns a 2007 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went over a bump in the roadway and went sideways. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was diagnosed that the rear stabilizer bar had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Compare the 2007 Subaru Outback
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2007 Subaru Outback
Is the 2007 Subaru Outback reliable?
Owners have filed 130 complaints about the 2007 Subaru Outback, fewer than a typical Outback model year.
What is the 2007 Subaru Outback year score?
The 2007 Subaru Outback scores 77 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Subaru Outback: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2007 Subaru Outback?
Airbags, with 47 complaints, typically around 106,500 miles. Next is electrical (20).
How many recalls does the 2007 Subaru Outback have?
8 recalls, covering air bags, electrical system and service brakes, hydraulic.
What gas mileage does the 2007 Subaru Outback get?
Official estimates for the 2007 Subaru Outback range from 20 to 22 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl, 4WD) gets 17-20 city and 24-26 highway.
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