1998 Subaru Outback air bags problems
11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 1998 Subaru Outback — 9% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My child care provider was involved in a single car accident. She was driving approximately 40 mph in wet/rainy conditions when she lost control of the car and hit a tree. This impact caused the car to spin and hit a second tree. The car was totaled and sustained damage to the front end, the…”
filed May 27, 2006
“The front airbags on my 1998 subaru outback sport went out at 76,000 miles without ever deploying or any other indicators. The light on the dash was the only sign that the bags were no longer working. The dealer said two modules went out. The one in the steering wheel will be over $300 to replace…”
filed Jan 4, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Air Bags problems in other Outback years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 5 | 7% |
| 2024 Outback | 6 | 6% |
| 2023 Outback | 2 | 2% |
| 2022 Outback | 6 | 1% |
| 2021 Outback | 16 | 5% |
| 2020 Outback | 18 | 2% |
| 2019 Outback | 13 | 1% |
| 2018 Outback | 8 | 1% |
| 2017 Outback | 16 | 2% |
| 2016 Outback | 10 | 2% |
| 2015 Outback | 14 | 3% |
| 2014 Outback | 38 | 18% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Subaru Outback
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.