The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 4 official safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Subaru Outback in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Powertrain & Transmission, Air Bags & Restraints, Body & Structure.
Key Recall Findings
- • Official Recall Campaigns: 4 campaigns on file with NHTSA
- • Primary Affected Subsystems: Powertrain & Transmission, Air Bags & Restraints, Body & Structure
- • Official Remedy: Detailed per campaign in official NHTSA records below
- • Most Recent NHTSA Report: March 22, 2024
VIN-Specific Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). A campaign listing on this model-year page does not establish that every vehicle or trim is affected. Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is needed.
Vehicle Subsystem 3 campaigns
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA records also contain 12 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records also contain 16 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Body & Structure
NHTSA records also contain 7 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Domain Mapping Methodology: A single NHTSA recall campaign may involve more than one vehicle subsystem (such as electrical wiring affecting fuel delivery), so domain totals can exceed the total number of unique recall campaigns. Complaint and recall counts are grouped by broad vehicle system; component co-occurrence does not establish that an individual owner complaint is related to a specific recall campaign.
NHTSA Campaign #24V227000 Air Bags & Restraints
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
NHTSA Report Date: March 22, 2024
Safety Defect Summary: 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 passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
Safety Risk / Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #23V755000 Body & StructurePowertrain & Transmission
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
NHTSA Report Date: November 9, 2023
Safety Defect Summary: 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.
Safety Risk / Consequence: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #22V485000 Powertrain & Transmission
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
NHTSA Report Date: July 8, 2022
Safety Defect Summary: 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 clamped.
Safety Risk / Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY
1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #21V024000 Powertrain & Transmission
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD
NHTSA Report Date: January 26, 2021
Safety Defect Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.
Safety Risk / Consequence: A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, if necessary, tighten the nut, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-21.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Source Data Notice: Campaign summaries, safety consequences, and remedy descriptions are direct text extracts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation.
Historical Reporting Note: Recall campaign counts are shown by model year and should not be interpreted as a vehicle reliability score. Campaigns may cover multiple model years, and newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time for new safety campaigns to be issued.
Safety recall campaigns on this page are associated with this make, model, and model year in NHTSA federal records. A campaign may apply only to certain vehicles based on production date, equipment, manufacturing details, or other campaign-specific criteria.
AutoUtility cannot determine whether a particular VIN is affected or whether a recall remedy has already been completed.
For vehicle-specific recall status, check the 17-digit VIN using NHTSA's official recall lookup or contact an authorized dealer. Campaign-specific remedy information shown above is reproduced from official NHTSA recall records.
Official NHTSA Safety Resources:
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)