2023 Subaru Outback Transmission Problems
4 owner-reported transmission complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Transmission Recalls (2)
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
Fix: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
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.
Fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Owner Complaints (4)
Your car suddenly accelerated on its own without you pressing the gas pedal, and you couldn't stop it even when you tried braking. The car went into a ditch and hit a tree, causing severe damage to the front right side and deploying all airbags. You experienced sprains, bruises, and a slight concussion from the crash. This issue may involve the fuel system, brake system, or powertrain control, and will require a thorough diagnostic inspection by a qualified mechanic or the manufacturer to identify the root cause.
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Your car jerks and seems to stall when coming to a stop at stop signs, though dealerships say this is normal. Your adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking system frequently brake unexpectedly, fail to detect vehicles ahead, miss large objects in front of you, and randomly turn themselves off. The forward collision avoidance system appears to have reliability issues that may require recalibration, software updates, or replacement of the radar and camera sensors.
Parts you may need:
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The car will begin to jolt/shake when coming to a stop. It has been found to be the torque converter. We are at a loss. 10,000 miles and the car has major issues. Just bought the car 28 days ago with just about 6700 miles. We’ve put about 3,400 miles on the car and experience the issue almost every time we drive the car. Due to the safety issues about the torque converter we no longer want this car in fear of what may happen.
Going down a steep incline shortly after staring car after it had been sitting about 3 hours after about 2500 feet the car had no power maximum speed was about 25MPH and could not accelerate. There was a wide edge that I was able to pull off on with about a 300 drop off on right side of car. After pulling off on edge. stopped turned engine off, sat about 20 seconds, restarted engine, checked to see that engine increased in RPM's when accelerator was engaged, RPM's increased Drove next 4 days through Appalachian Mountains with no further problem. as engaged, then proceeded down incline about a mile and a half with no problem.