Total Complaints
518 filings
SUBARU OUTBACK · model year
518 NHTSA complaints, 18 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2022SUBARUOUTBACK carries 518 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 18 crashes, 8 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2022 OUTBACK is visibility/wiper with 252 filings, followed by unknown or other (81) and electrical system (37). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2022 OUTBACK. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
518 filings
Crashes Reported
18 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 252 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 81 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 37 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 22 |
| ENGINE | 17 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING | 17 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | 15 |
| POWER TRAIN | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 7 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | 6 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING | 5 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Impreza and Outback vehicles. The incorrect paint clearcoat may have been applied, which can cause the windshield to be insufficiently bonded to the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Veh
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Outback vehicles. The engine wiring harness may have been damaged, resulting in a loose electrical connection to the engine control unit (ECU).
Hood became unlatched while driving. Significant vehicle damage to hood, windshield and roof. No other vehicles involved or bodily injuries.
the screen will just not come on or cut out and not turn on after a call or text comes in. Sometimes it says no AUX detected even though a phone is plugged in. It will randomly stop maps and randomly connect to my maps. the sound will go from being very good to being just bad.
I am writing to report what I believe is a significant ergonomic issue with my vehicle. Every time I drive the carâeven for short tripsâI experience pain on the right side and toward the back of my knee. I have owned the vehicle for several weeks and have made numerous adjustments to the seat position in an effort to resolve the issue, but the pain has persisted. After researching reviews and feedback from other owners of the same model, I believe the problem may be related to the design and placement of the center console and pedal alignment. Specifically, the center console appears to be quite large and positioned very close to the gas pedal, and/or the brake pedal seems to be shifted further to the left than expected. This positioning appears to cause my right knee to overextend when braking. Because I live in a city environment and frequently encounter stop-and-go traffic, this issue is constant and has become unmanageable. Although I truly enjoy every other aspect of this v
I am writing to report what I believe is a significant ergonomic issue with my vehicle. Every time I drive the carâeven for short tripsâI experience pain on the right side and toward the back of my knee. I have owned the vehicle for several weeks and have made numerous adjustments to the seat position in an effort to resolve the issue, but the pain has persisted. After researching reviews and feedback from other owners of the same model, I believe the problem may be related to the design and placement of the center console and pedal alignment. Specifically, the center console appears to be quite large and positioned very close to the gas pedal, and/or the brake pedal seems to be shifted further to the left than expected. This positioning appears to cause my right knee to overextend when braking. Because I live in a city environment and frequently encounter stop-and-go traffic, this issue is constant and has become unmanageable. Although I truly enjoy every other aspect of this v
- Engine failure. Yes. - At a stop light the auto-restart function failed, following this event the vehicle began making a knocking noise, we towed it to the dealership for evaluation and their diagnosis was that it needed a new engine. - Dealership stated they too heard the knocking noise in the vehicle and it is engine damage due to low oil. However, the dipstick read fine when we took it into the dealership and we did not have a low oil warning. - Inspection completed by dealership - Received no warning lights nor messages regarding symptoms of the problem prior to failure. Initial event happened on 12/26 when at a stop light following the auto-off during braking function the car did not restart automatically. Car was turned off, and restarted. Following that event the vehicle had a knocking noise that increased in volume with driving. Did not drive the car after arriving to our destination. Towed the car to the dealership where we were told it needed a new engine.
- Engine failure. Yes. - At a stop light the auto-restart function failed, following this event the vehicle began making a knocking noise, we towed it to the dealership for evaluation and their diagnosis was that it needed a new engine. - Dealership stated they too heard the knocking noise in the vehicle and it is engine damage due to low oil. However, the dipstick read fine when we took it into the dealership and we did not have a low oil warning. - Inspection completed by dealership - Received no warning lights nor messages regarding symptoms of the problem prior to failure. Initial event happened on 12/26 when at a stop light following the auto-off during braking function the car did not restart automatically. Car was turned off, and restarted. Following that event the vehicle had a knocking noise that increased in volume with driving. Did not drive the car after arriving to our destination. Towed the car to the dealership where we were told it needed a new engine.
Car infortainment system producing annoying and distracting advertisements while driving, overriding the the entire infotainment system and requiring human intervention that distracted me and almost caused an accident. No driver should have to deal with forced fucking ads while operating a vehicle, what fucked up dystopia are we living in?
I experienced two serious electrical failures within a few days that caused the vehicle to stall without warning. At Nov 29, 2025, after parking for about 20 minutes, the car would not start. Symptoms included: ⢠Very weak clicking from the starter ⢠Dashboard flickering and dimming ⢠Unable to shift out of Park without manual override ⢠Jump-start did not work even though power was delivered The vehicle was towed to the Subaru dealer. The dealer reported: ⢠Battery âlow but fine after chargingâ ⢠Alternator ânormalâ ⢠Starter ânormalâ ⢠No warning codes On Dec 2, 2025 the vehicle had been released without repairs. Only a few minutes after leaving the dealer, the car stalled in live traffic during an Auto Stop/Start event. Symptoms: ⢠Immediate loss of all electrical power ⢠All warning lights flashing erratically ⢠Hazard lights did NOT illuminate externally ⢠Gear shifter locked again ⢠Vehicle would not restart on battery ⢠Su
I opened the trunk door went to retrieve my groceries and the trunk door came down with extreme force on the top of my head without warning hitting me in the head causing a concussion. The window sensors on the driver and passenger doors also were acting off prior. Not every time but I would try to close the window and it would go up half way and then come back down.
Driving on the highway, engine started making a rattling noise, then began to labor and eventually stopped being able to accelerate at all. Oil pressure warning light came on around the time the acceleration gave out altogether. We pulled over to the side of the highway and got out of the car, seeing steam/white smoke coming out of the front of the car. The smoke increased and after several minutes, the front of the car caught on fire.
Driving on the highway, engine started making a rattling noise, then began to labor and eventually stopped being able to accelerate at all. Oil pressure warning light came on around the time the acceleration gave out altogether. We pulled over to the side of the highway and got out of the car, seeing steam/white smoke coming out of the front of the car. The smoke increased and after several minutes, the front of the car caught on fire.
On September 27, 2025 at approximately 1:15 PM, I was traveling southbound on Minnesota 371 just north of Nisswa, Minnesota. I was towing a pontoon boat trailer with no boat on it. I was traveling in the right lane as I approached the County 29 / Wilderness Road intersection. 371 at this point curves gently to the left. A vehicle in front of me was in the right turn lane to turn west on County 29. A motorcycle with passenger was overtaking me on the left. The automatic emergency braking system incorrectly triggered for a few seconds as I approached the turning vehicle. You can see the indication of the triggering in the heads up display LEDS in the lower left of the video, starting at 13:15:42 and continuing for a few seconds. I could feel the trailer fishtail on the back of the car. My primary safety concern was the overtaking motorcyclist in the left lane. I also wonder what would have happened would I have had a fully loaded trailer, as opposed to an empty boat trailer, on
Windshield spontaneously cracked while parked in driveway. Have nest cam footage of crack.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2022 Subaru Outback. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 19,821, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 79,653.
Mileage: 79,653
Lower oil pan leaks oil. Started leaking oil right after warranty expired. This is a known issue for Subaru cars with the 2.4 turbo engine. Seats ripped right after warranty expired.
Lower oil pan leaks oil. Started leaking oil right after warranty expired. This is a known issue for Subaru cars with the 2.4 turbo engine. Seats ripped right after warranty expired.
A crack on my windshield has appeared overnight out of nowhere, with no indication of impact or external damage. The car was parked in a private driveway facing the house, not the road. It started from the bottom edge of the windshield under the cowling and has made its way to the center of the windshield, and has since spidered out, moving both east & west on the windshield. I took the 2022 Outback Wilderness to Hania Subaru in Orange Park, Jacksonville, FL, where they said the extended warranty would not cover the replacement because it only covers cracks that start on the east or west sides of the windshield. Hania Subaru sent photos to Subaru of America stating that they would not replace the glass. SOA said they would donate a $1000 gift towards the replacement of the windshield only if it was replaced through a Subaru dealership, which Subaru Hania quoted $2067.61, which is $900 more than the going rate in the area, so with the $1000 gift from SOA, I would be paying more than the
We had had no issues at all with our 2022 Subaru Outback until June 2025. Mileage at the time of the incident was approximately 52,000. We were driving one evening in June and all of a sudden the engine stopped and we could not drive it. It only produced a knocking sound when we attempted to turn the engine on. We had the car towed to the dealership and after taking the engine apart, they reported that an intake valve broke, flew and split one of the pistons causing the motor to seize up. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the engine failure. Regular oil changes had been performed on the car. This issue came completely out of left field as we had previously had no engine issues.
We had had no issues at all with our 2022 Subaru Outback until June 2025. Mileage at the time of the incident was approximately 52,000. We were driving one evening in June and all of a sudden the engine stopped and we could not drive it. It only produced a knocking sound when we attempted to turn the engine on. We had the car towed to the dealership and after taking the engine apart, they reported that an intake valve broke, flew and split one of the pistons causing the motor to seize up. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the engine failure. Regular oil changes had been performed on the car. This issue came completely out of left field as we had previously had no engine issues.
I have an 2022 Outback that has 29000 miles and have had 2 windshield replacements. And now on my third, from rock chips. I bought the extended warranty and they are denying my claim. I canât imagine what the lifetime costs will be for this vehicle. They have offered an extended warranty because of the problem and are not honoring that either.
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
Front suspension control arm failure
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
FUEL LINE LEAK
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.