2016 Subaru Outback steering problems
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 2016 Subaru Outback — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“SUBJECT: Formal Safety Defect Complaint: 2016 Subaru Outback – Manufacturing Nondisclosure of Latent "Day 1" Design Flaw Causing Ignition Key Entrapment, Uncommanded Steering Column Lockout, and Severe Family Safety Risk I am writing to formally report a severe, unaddressed safety defect and a…”
filed Jun 9, 2026
“The steering warning light came on and my steering wheel stiffened. Luckily I was able to make it home, but when I went back to crank it. The light was still on and it would only move forward of backwards; because I wasn't able at all to turn the steering wheel.”
filed Jan 22, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a…Campaign 16V292000 · May 11, 2016
Steering problems in other Outback years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 5 | 7% |
| 2024 Outback | 5 | 5% |
| 2023 Outback | 2 | 2% |
| 2022 Outback | 3 | 1% |
| 2021 Outback | 5 | 2% |
| 2020 Outback | 12 | 1% |
| 2019 Outback | 35 | 3% |
| 2018 Outback | 35 | 4% |
| 2017 Outback | 23 | 3% |
| 2015 Outback | 13 | 3% |
| 2014 Outback | 17 | 8% |
| 2013 Outback | 34 | 11% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 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.