2012 Subaru Outback brakes problems

Related recalls

• Recall 18V626000Sep 13, 201827,175 vehicles
  PARKING BRAKE

  Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.

  Risk: A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTV-81.

• Recall 11V562000Nov 29, 201132,685 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

  Subaru is recalling certain model year 2012 impreza sedans and wagons (except wrx/sti models), manufactured from april 21, 2011, through november 15, 2011, and legacy and outback vehicles manufactured from october 17, 2011, through november 23, 2011. These vehicles may be equipped with a brake master cylinder that could malfunction and cause an increase in the amount of brake pedal travel distance required to slow or stop the vehicle.

  Risk: The driver might misjudge the amount of brake pedal travel required to achieve the desired stopping distance. This could occur unexpectedly and without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 17, 2026VABrakes

   Brakes failed completely due to excessive rust / corrosion on brake line junction area. Brake pedal suddenly went to floor and fluid leaked out near right rear quarter of vehicle in-front of right rear tire.

   NHTSA complaint #11757539 · source
2. Filed Sep 21, 2025NVBrakes

   The brake pedal suddenly went almost to the floor while attempting to stop. Researching I found there was a recall. NHTSA Recall No. 11V-562. My car was not apparently among the ones being recalled, yet this problem is exactly as described in the bulletin. The component in question is the master brake cylinder. It is available for inspection. It happened on Sat Sept 20 2025 returning from a trip approximately. 300 miles away. the symptom persists. There were no warning…

   NHTSA complaint #11688694 · source
3. Filed Aug 26, 2025NJBrakes

   I took my Outback to my local highly respectable mechanic on August 20, 2025 as I needed the oil changed and the concern I had about having to add brake fluid twice in the past 4 months. He inspected my car immediately and he refused to let me drive it out of his shop as there is a dangerous brake line leaking issue that could result in brake failure. He told me that my Outback is not the first that he had to repair this “Subaru manufacturing defect”. I had to get it…

   NHTSA complaint #11683186 · source
4. Filed May 19, 2024OHBrakes

   Rear four way brake junction is completely corroded and leaking fluid causing a complete loss of braking. This appears to be the exact same issue as referenced in this recall [XXX] ) that affects previous model years. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

   NHTSA complaint #11589508 · source
5. Filed Jun 17, 2023OHBrakes

   The rear brake lines sprung a leak in a well-known trouble spot with Subarus. The junction area underneath the passengers rear seat is where brake fluid is leaking from. I was driving under normal conditions, went and depressed the break and the pedal went to the floor. The cars brakes were not performing and upon inspection I found the leak. I researched this issue and found that Subaru did acknowledge this issue and other outback model years through recall and technical…

   NHTSA complaint #11527494 · source
6. Filed Apr 6, 2023150,000 miFLBrakes

   The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and went down to the floorboard, increasing the stopping distance. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence despite the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the four-way brake connector was corroded and had started leaking brake fluid. The manufacturer was notified of…

   NHTSA complaint #11515816 · source
7. Filed Jul 21, 2022PABrakes

   My Subaru Outback, at roughly 110,000 miles, displayed a dash indicator suggesting low brake fluid. After investigating, I found a brake line junction under the car, below the rear passenger seat. This 4-line junction is hidden behind a plastic cover that does have a removable inspection window. The junction's 4-lines are all corroded and at least one is leaking. After finding the issue and researching fixes online, I have discovered that this is a previously-reported…

   NHTSA complaint #11475052 · source
8. Filed Feb 23, 2022NHCrashTowedBrakes

   The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Outback. The contact stated she starting the vehicle and there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine. The contact stated while reserving, she was depressing on the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle, causing her to rear into 2 vehicles. The contact was not aware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact stated she continued to depress the brake pedal for almost 10-20 feet from where she started until it stop the…

   NHTSA complaint #11453573 · source
9. Filed Feb 8, 2022NYBrakes

   Our low mileage car which we bought new and is under 10 years old experienced a complete brake failure in our driveway. The brake warning light did then come on. The brake pedal went to the floor when pressed. This event immediately followed a trip with a considerable passenger and luggage load on steep hills where complete brake loss would have been catastrophic and endangered us and the public. The dealer is familiar with the problem (rust-through of brake lines in a…

   NHTSA complaint #11451033 · source
10. Filed Aug 30, 2021MABrakes

    Brakes failed on the highway and it appears to be the brake lines as outlined in a Subaru Brake Line Recall. Of course I own a 2012 Outback which was not covered and now have a very expensive repair bill. Subaru and the NHTSA annouced that the recalled models include the model year 2008 to 2011 Impreza, 2008 to 2014 WRX and STI and 2009 to 2013 Forester crossover SUV. All affected cars are currently or were formerly registered in the snowy states, where salt is applied to…

    NHTSA complaint #11431050 · source
11. Filed Aug 11, 2021PABrakes

    I was driving to work and applied the brakes to slow the vehicle while descending a hill and the pedal went almost down to the floor before the brakes took hold. I got the vehicle under control and proceeded toward the stop sign. I attempted to applied the brakes again and the vehicle went nearly through the intersection before I could get the car stopped. This happened at two more stop signs before I was able to pull into a parking spot at work. After the first stop sign…

    NHTSA complaint #11428657 · source
12. Filed Apr 12, 2021112,000 miVTCrash1 injuredTowedBrakes

    Tl* the contact owns a 2012 subaru outback. The contact stated that while their son was driving approximately 10 mph, when the driver attempted to apply the brake pedal however the brakes failed. The driver had to drop the vehicle into first gear then crashed into the curb where it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the driver received a chest injury however there was no medical attention needed. The rear passengers all of which were…

    NHTSA complaint #11407579 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology