How many recalls does the 2004 Subaru Outback have?

The 2004 Subaru Outback has 10 NHTSA safety recall campaigns on record.

How do I check if my 2004 Subaru Outback has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2004 Subaru Outback?

Of 108 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is air bags.

2004 Subaru Outback Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2004 Subaru Outback has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,580,644 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 108 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 20V001000 2020-01-02 258,813 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana,…

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer…

AIR BAGS 20V003000 2020-01-02 111,562 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine,…

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at…

AIR BAGS 20V002000 2020-01-02 127,547 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois,…

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

AIR BAGS 16V358000 2016-05-25 302,127 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana,…

Consequence

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for…

AIR BAGS 16V361000 2016-05-25 62,940 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode…

Consequence

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-16. Note: This recall covers vehicles that were not previously…

AIR BAGS 16V359000 2016-05-25 146,010 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,…

Consequence

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-16. Note: This notice is…

AIR BAGS 15V323000 2015-05-28 432,016 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru…

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab…

AIR BAGS 14V763000 2014-12-01 4,175 affected

Defect

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback vehicles, and 2003-2005 Baja vehicles sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin…

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerÂ’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQP-51. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-471. This recall has been partially…

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 04V128000 2004-03-16 127,580 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER SEDANS, WAGONS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COULD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AND LODGE ON THE CONTROL LEVER TAB WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION AND WILL REMAIN IN…

Consequence

IF THIS OCCURS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER TAB ON THE THROTTLE SHAFT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 03V303000 2003-08-20 7,874 affected

Defect

CERTAIN PASSENGER OR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY HAVE A LOOSE OR OUT OF POSITION FUEL FILLER HOSE CLAMP.

Consequence

THIS COULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND TIGHTEN THE CLAMP ON THE FUEL FILLER HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 27, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

SUSPENSION

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Total complaints108

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Autozone sold me (via warranty exchange) aftermarket brake pads that supposedly were the same part #d929 as the brake pads autozone had previously sold me and was replacing under warranty. However, the brake pads that they provided to me today as warranty replacements were too large for the brake…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2020-10-17

“Purchased this car listed in iaa website as having $68,000.00 miles, this week my mechanic told me that the car had $220,000.00 miles. I just checked carfax unfortunately that is a odometer rollback.”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2018-05-24

“Excessive underbody front end rust as per body shop bumper replacement.”

SUSPENSION · reported 2018-02-21

“Takata recall. Not able to get access to replacement airbag. On waitlists at 2 local subaru dealers.”

AIR BAGS · reported 2017-10-30

“The car will be operating properly at speed on local roads (30mph or so) when, without warning, the engine will go to a fast idle and the gas peddle loses all effectiveness. Stopping the car and restarting it has fixed the problem the three times it has happened. The dealer replaced the…”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 2017-06-17

“2004 suburban outback. Consumer writes in regards to takata passenger side front airbag. *ld the consumer stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time completing the recall repair. *js”

AIR BAGS · reported 2017-06-01

“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 subaru outback. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v361000 (air bags). The part to the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2016-10-17

“Takata recall. Received notification from subaru months ago and have they have still not contacted me to repair this problem. Since I was advised not to allow a passenger in front passenger seat, it makes it very difficult to use my vehicle.”

AIR BAGS · reported 2016-10-02