2018 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 52owner reports
- 14,836median miles
- $176median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 11, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
330 of the 812 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 52 of those describe stalling.
Tick what matches of 52 reports
Stalling on other Outback years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (22 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the electrical system cover the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
All 3 recalls on the 2018 Subaru Outback, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
5 of the 52 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $170 to $2,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 4,450 and 30,000 miles, from the 35 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Car stalled in a busy intersection. No warning lights occurred when this happened Diagnosed as a faulty fuel pump”
Filed Apr 3, 2023
“Vehicle was parked with engine idling (waiting for passengers), engine accelerated to very high revs without any operator action. Driver shutdown engine. Driver checked to be sure nothing could have hit the accelerator, nothing found. Restarted the vehicle, could not reproduce the problem. About 2 miles down the road a RED exclamation symbol appeared on dash panel and shut off after 5 to 10 seconds.”
Filed Dec 14, 2022
“Battery is draining over time. Vehicle is now on 3rd battery in 3 years! Dealer replaced original battery during 2nd year and claimed it under warranty. Now that battery has failed and a different brand of battery has been installed (Dec 2021). Unknown cause of battery drain.”
Filed Dec 6, 2021
“The Battery dies within a year of being installed, this has left me stranded waiting for help on multiple occasions as well as made me late for work. I have had the battery replaced 2 times within 3 years of ownership.”
Filed Aug 29, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 52 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Windshield cracks or distorts 264 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 170 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 159 reports