2017 Subaru Outback Electrical System Problems
NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How electrical system ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 917 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2017 Subaru Outback overview page.
What owners report
“THE ATTACHED INVOICES ARE A RESULT OF NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE OWNING THE OUTBACK. EACH TIME I WOULD GO FOR SERVICE…”NHTSA complaint 11220645 — filed 06/17/2019
“ONCE THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK, THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND CAN'T BE REMOVED. THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE THE KEY…”NHTSA complaint 11208057 — filed 05/16/2019
“NAVIGATION SCREEN CAN NOT SEE IN DAY TIME AND IGNITION KEY WILL NOT REMOVE SOMETIME WHEN PARK.”NHTSA complaint 11193264 — filed 04/02/2019
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2017 Subaru Outback have electrical system problems?
Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2017 Subaru Outback: 381 of 917 complaints on file (41.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2017 Subaru Outback have in total?
917 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 32 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 25 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
