Outback (BT)

The 6th-generation Outback (BT chassis, 2020-2024) reads as an unusual reliability file. Across 1,763 complaints, 11 recalls, 12 fires, and zero deaths, the NHTSA 'Other' category absorbs 976 of the displayed complaints. That is roughly 56 percent of the data. The concentration is the editorial story: this generation's complaint pattern is dominated by quality-of-ownership items (the well-documented spontaneous windshield cracking, multimedia system freezing, ADAS false alerts) rather than the powertrain failures that drive most files in this database. The mechanical platform reads cleaner than the raw complaint count suggests. The complaint volume traces to the customer-experience layer, not the drivetrain.

Both engines available on the BT Outback show the same complaint distribution. The U5 2.5L naturally-aspirated boxer-four carries 1,047 complaints at 173.8 complaints-per-year, roughly 3.8 times the Midsize SUV segment average of 45.67, with 544 in the 'Other' bucket and 271 in Electrical. The U4 2.4L turbo boxer-four (the XT trim engine, shared with the Ascent and Legacy XT) sits at 92.8 cpy on 700 complaints with the same 'Other'-heavy distribution (432 of the 700 in that category). The U4 turbo reads materially cleaner on a per-year basis and rates caution 2.3 against the U5's avoid 1.9. Transmission complaints on both engines stay low (30 on the U5, 42 on the U4) for the Lineartronic CVT, despite two recall campaigns covering software defects.

The recall stack centers on three patterns: the CVT control software, the driveshaft assembly, and the broader Subaru Outback windshield issue. Campaigns 21V955 and 22V485 covered Transmission Control Unit programming errors on 2019-2021 Legacy and Outback cars that could cause clutch engagement issues with the Lineartronic CVT. 23V755 covered driveshaft inboard joint water intrusion on 2021-2023 Outback/Legacy/Crosstrek/Forester from an insufficient weld. 23V647 covered driveshaft center support bolts loosening on 2023 Outback/Legacy/Ascent/Impreza, which could cause driveshaft disconnect. 22V712 covered an incorrect paint clearcoat application on 2022 Impreza and Outback cars that could prevent proper windshield bonding. 21V587 was Subaru's part of the broader Denso low-pressure fuel pump campaign that also covered Toyota and Lexus 2018-2020 production. The windshield complaint volume in 'Other' substantially exceeds what 22V712 covers; buyers should expect windshield replacement to be more common than the recall record suggests.

The Outback BT data argues for the 2.4L turbo XT trim if a turbocharged powertrain fits the buyer's use case. That engine reads cleaner per-year and avoids the volume penalty hitting the 2.5L. Inside the 2.5L NA lineup, a 2022-2024 build outside the CVT TCU recall window (2019-2021 Legacy/Outback covered by 21V955 + 22V485) is the strongest pick. Buyers should plan for at least one windshield replacement during a 5-year ownership window and budget the 11.6-inch infotainment screen replacement risk separately. Crossover shoppers prioritizing AWD should compare against the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, or Mazda CX-50 for cleaner ownership-experience records.