2013 Subaru Outback Steering Problems
- 30
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 30 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- steering wheel · 10 records
- highway speeds · 6 records
- side side · 6 records
- constant correction · 6 records
- left right · 5 records
- requiring constant · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 24 |
| 60–100k mi | 2 |
| 30–60k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
My orb was working full time than just quit with wheels straight, but would work with quarter turn and now won't work at all
ODI 11170059
Steering · Unknown Or Other
Steering wheel visible vibrates at 70+ mph on the highway despite multiple realignments and mechanic visits to various dealers. Car sometimes fights driver to veer left/right. It is difficult to drive (sometimes even exhausting). Has been an ongoing issue for last 5 years, progressively getting worse. Car has never been involved in an accident and has been maintained properly.
ODI 11124364
Steering
Our 2013 subaru outback was two years old when the tilt steering feature would not stay locked into place. The steering column for the tilt steering would not stay locked and the steering wheel would drop while the car was in motion. The car was taken to the dealership for repair where we were told that internal locking mechanism had broken and the entire steering column needed to be replaced. Which it was replaced…
ODI 11084529
Steering
We purchased this vehicle 2-7-16 used with 28,000 miles.when driving on the highway over 50 vehicle wandered all over the road we constantly had to correct the steering to keep between the white lines.dealer said this was the way rack and pinion stealing worked.after doing some investigation on your web site this seems to affect many of these vehicles.seems that subaru has denied any problems with the 3013…
ODI 10839229
Service Brakes · Steering · Traction Control System
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru outback. While driving approximately 30 mph in inclement weather, the vehicle began to slide while driving downhill. The contact attempted to control the steering, but it would not move. The vehicle did not respond and struck a delineator post, slid in the opposite direction towards a concrete wall, and suddenly stopped. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The…
Crash reported
ODI 10795169
Steering
Steering on this vehicle is so heavy that it causes orthopedic problems. The steering drag tension is set so high that it is difficult to control the vehicle at highway speeds, and difficult to maneuver the vehicle into parking places at low speeds. Parallel parking is painful. I had other people drive it to eliminate my subjective view of this, and every person thought it was hard to drive. Subaru thinks this is…
ODI 10731640
Steering
Steering was making a noise (as if steering wheel was turned all of the way to one side) with only slight movement but it worked. This noise occurred with every turn. After running an errand with approximately 5 miles of use, i returned to the parked car and backed out of parking to find that the steering wheel was turning but the wheels were not! I had the vehicle towed to dealership. Note: a recall of the steering…
ODI 10723646
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru outback. The contact stated that the steering wheel was extremely unstable and needed constant adjustment. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, but performed a four wheel alignment and increased the tire pressure. The failure recurred. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v194000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified.…
ODI 10606970
Steering
2013 subaru outback 3.6r w/sap i am experiencing a heavy steering issue. Where the return to center does not happen unless i manually steer it back to center. Steering is so heavy that after 3000 miles. (purchased in june 2013), both of my wrists are in pain, my right elbow is in pain, and my right hand feels like it has carpal tunnel syndrome. Constant corrections are needed to keep tracking straight. I increased…
1 injury
ODI 10545155
Steering
I have owned over 20+ cars ranging from 4runners, s2000, to lancer evo. My 2013 outback is by far the hardest car to steer on the highway. It wanders to both directions at highway speeds and its difficult to correct it back to center. Some owners have been accused of driving drunk in a outback, subaru needs to fix this before loosing your most loyal owners! Many 2012 2013 outback owners have been calling this issue…
ODI 10546717
Steering
The new outback is exhibiting lane wandering as others described in good detail. Other vehicles i've driven go in a (more-or-less) straight line with minimal effort and minimal corrections. The ob is all over the road, able to stay in the lane with a lot of effort and correction. There is a big flaw in the steering (maybe not all but a lot of them) and it is a safety issue. Is it going to take a major accident…
ODI 10550469
Steering · Suspension
While driving at speeds over 40 it is very difficult to keep the car centered in a lane. The dealer checked and corrected the alignment with little or no improvement. The service rep did admit that outbacks do wander. Email sent to subaru has apparently been ignored. This is an unsafe condition in our crowded interstates. *tr
ODI 10617662
Steering · Suspension
The steering of my new subaru outback seems to wander on the road. It is a challenge to keep this brand new vehicle between the lines or in a particular lane of the road. Vehicle wanders / drifts to left and / or right, will not track straight and does this when ever driving but is more noticeable above speeds of 35 mph. The driver has to make constant corrections while driving the vehicle straight, this causes…
ODI 10525285
Steering · Suspension
Wonders from side to side. Took back to dealer they check alignment. Said everything was in spects. There was no charge this time for alignment but would not do it again for free. We purchased extended warranty at time of purchase. What a waste! My daughter and son-in-law borrowed it last summer. Put 8000 miles on it driving across country. Had a terrible time keeping it on the road. They where going to buy a…
ODI 10700978
Steering
My 2013 subaru outback 2.5i wanders at highway speeds. Constant corrections are required as it will not track in a straight line even when their are no outside influences (ex: wind). Small corrections add up to over correction requiring more correction. Staying in lane can be a challenge. *tr
ODI 10515272
Steering
The vehicle does not track well at highway speeds. It wanders side to side in the lane of travel requiring constant correction to stay in the center of the lane. On smooth road surfaces, the wandering is relatively mild. However, i became alarmed while crossing a bridge with a grated deck. The vehicle swerved side to side dramatically requiring significant steering correction and immediate reduction in speed to…
ODI 10512522
Steering
Vehicle "wanders" constantly at speeds from 30 mph to 70 mph. I would imagine at higher speeds as well. Constant correction is needed to keep vehicle in proper lane. When even the slightest correction is made, it over-corrects. It doesn't seem possible to not over-correct. The vehicle will wander to the right and no matter how gentle the correction, it over-corrects and wanders to the left then back to the right and…
ODI 10516135
Steering
Vehicle drifts at highway speeds, regardless of how diligent you are it will start drifting off, and requires constant correction. *tr
ODI 10501289
Steering
This new vehicle has steering that tends to wander from side to side while driving on various types of roads. On urban interstate travel it is necessary to be very vigilant when driving in the lanes as the car will often head for the edge of the lane without warning. This tendency is balanced between both left and right, and does not seem to be predictable. Took the vehicle to the dealer and the head mechanic drove…
ODI 10493832
Steering
From the day we bought it, the car wanders left and right, noticeably at speeds above 40 mph, requiring constant steering wheel corrections in both directions.
ODI 11181792
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru outback. The contact stated that the steering wheel drifted to the left and had to be constantly turned to the right in order to keep the vehicle in its appropriate lane. The failure occurred while driving 65 mph and also at local speeds. The dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the steering wheel was operating as designed and the alignment was normal. The dealer did not…
ODI 10631556
Steering
Car does not track straight during highway driving. Car veers to one side or the other needing constant correcting. When you do make a correction it normally over corrects. This is incredibly dangerous! I thought it was just me but my husband has also had the same problem and i see many complaints on the internet. Subaru must be made to fix this. This is an expensive car. *tr
ODI 10508172
Steering
Dangerous! The vehicle does not track well at highway speeds. It wanders side to side in the lane of travel requiring constant correction to stay in the center of the lane. On smooth road surfaces, the wandering is still very noticeable. High crosswinds experienced driving in the plains or crossing bridges with a grated decks makes the vehicle a challenge to control the wandering and staying within my lane. I took…
ODI 10519927
Steering
Shortly after i purchased vehicle i noticed difficulty keeping it centered in lane. Continuously having to correct steering and hard steering. I drive on interstate often and i have checked tires continuously and no difference in the handling of the outback. On first service i told the service rep about it and said they would check it out, i believe they checked the alignment, when picked up the vehicle and was told…
ODI 10557292
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru outback. The contact stated the he purchased the vehicle 2012. He noticed his steering wheel would drift while driving. The contact took his vehicle to a subaru dealership for a diagnosis and the dealer stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The problem persisted after the diagnostic test was performed. The contact located recall nhtsa campaign number: 13v194000…
ODI 10562931