2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback electrical problems
422 of the 1,036 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 386 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database5 of the 422 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 4 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 17 · 2020: 74 · 2021: 172 · 2022: 96 · 2023: 24 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 5
Half of the 179 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 18,000 and 45,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,036 complaints in all about the 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 5 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Subaru Legacy/Outback electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Car keeps destroying cells in the battery. Car has died multiple times from sitting over night and has gone through 3 batteries in 3 years. Battery terminal has also corroded away. Car has failed to start many time. Seems to to be a battery drain issue with my car.
Repeated failure to start due to dead battery. Original battery replaced and replacement battery continued to die 2 or 3 more times. $250 electrical testing by Subaru specialty shop found nothing out of spec. Two American Automobile Association service calls found nothing out of spec.
Car seems to have an electrical issue. Battery dies several times a year. Sometimes, you can jump it, but not always
I do not know what caused the fire, but maybe the battery or something electrical. The car stalled and the. I re-started the car and no warning lights came on the dashboard. I then parked the car. Upon exiting I noticed the front driver’s hood smoking. I went into the bank was parked at and within minutes my car was in flames.
In 4 1/2 years of ownership I have had to replace the battery three times and the front window twice. My other car travels more miles over similar roads and has had no issues. The Subaru has been in the shop for window replacement and the recalibration of the safety system twice.
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications386 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- 15-308-23R Service bulletinAug 20, 2026
- This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- 15-304-22R Service bulletinAug 13, 2026
- This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
- Article Locator OtherAug 5, 2026
- Techtips newsletter locator index.
- 15-333-25R Service bulletinAug 1, 2026
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
- 16-156-25R Service bulletinJun 2, 2026
- This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. (This is an revised version of the orignal bulletin.)
The 5 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
B2A16 P05A0 B2A20 P2096 P2097 B2902 C1531 C1741
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 422 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (41% of everything owners filed about it), and 386 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 4 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 32,000 miles; half of them between 18,000 and 45,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.