2012 Subaru Outback electrical system problems

37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2012 Subaru Outback — 13% of all complaints for this model year.

Electrical System complaints

13%

share of all complaints

70,000 mi

median reported incident mileage

1 / 5

crash / fire reports

What owners report

“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 89,000. It was later discovered, when the title arrived, that the mileage on the title was 134,000.”
filed Mar 2, 2026
“The contact's girlfriend owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while starting. In addition, the contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated…”
filed Mar 4, 2025

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

This bulletin announces the new procedure and Warranty Fail Code for FirstTime air conditioning (A/C) performance concerns possibly resulting from an undetected A/C refrigerant leak.
10-105-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2026
This bulletin contains information to help when attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully
15-219-18R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2026