2018 Subaru Outback steering problems
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 2018 Subaru Outback — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“While the lane keeping assistance is on the car will follow the exit lane beside the lane I’m in and jerk over into it. There has been a car beside me when has happened but I caught the steering wheel before a crash. Also if a car is turning in front of me sometimes, not always, the brakes will jam…”
filed Nov 4, 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle briefly lost Electric Power Steering assist before returning to normal functionality. The failure had since become a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the…”
filed Sep 1, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
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% |
| 2017 Outback | 23 | 3% |
| 2016 Outback | 24 | 4% |
| 2015 Outback | 13 | 3% |
| 2014 Outback | 17 | 8% |
| 2013 Outback | 34 | 11% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 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.