2022 Subaru Outback
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 463 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 26 Outback model years with reports.
Of the 2022 reports, 10 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 6 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMar 22, 2024
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.
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
Campaign 24V227000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, park/neutral start interlock switchNov 9, 2023
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.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Campaign 23V755000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, windshieldSep 22, 2022
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 Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
An insufficiently bonded windshield can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Subaru will offer owners a vehicle exchange or repurchase, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 21, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-22.
Campaign 22V712000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, engine control module (ecu/ecm)Jul 1, 2022
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).
A loose electrical connection to the ECU may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the engine wiring harness and ECU, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-22.
Campaign 22V473000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
463 reports, newest first.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 23, 2023
I woke up in the morning and my windshield crack with no apparent damage by an outside object. It started on the left side where the black meets the clear glass. Please look into this.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 23, 2023
The windshield cracked on its own overnight (temperatures in the low 30s). The crack starts at the bottom of the window at the center and goes upward and towards the passenger side. The crack is roughly 14" long, but has extended another 2" since the initial crack started. It impairs the view for most drivers. The dealer confirmed that there was no impact mark and have submitted photos to Subaru of America. Subaru has come back with stating it was caused by 'external influence' even though there is no evidence of that. The dealer is doing their best to appeal this with Subaru.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 16, 2023
A 6" crack appeared on the front windscreen at the passenger side at the bottom right corner extending towards the center.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 12, 2023
Ive been through 2 windows already. They have cracked randomly and with no damage. It always happens in the winter when I turn my car on to pre heat before I drive it and the heat change cracks it. The OEM glass and the Safelite glass are inferior.
Other or unspecified, Jan 12, 2023
2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness - 20k Windshield crack develop -Rain and wind, but no other cars / obstructions visible, defroster on, loud bang sound, windshield shows 8” x 5” curving crack near rear view mirror. -No impact / dent / uneven indentations visible.
Power train, Jan 10, 2023
Pulled into my driveway, put the car in PARK, ran in the house for 5 seconds, car was rolling down the driveway when I came back to it. Got back in the car to leave (also checked to see that the gear shifter was in park which it was). I have several videos of this incident happening via cameras attached to my house. In the video you can see my wife (who is legally blind) jump out of the car because she didn't know what else to do.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 9, 2023
I woke up one morning to find a few cracks in my windshield that were not there the day/night before. The dealership says it was from impact, but I hadn't driven it yet that day, it was fine the night before, and I have covered parking at my apartment.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 4, 2023
Windshield obtained significant crack for seemingly for no reason (parked in driveway; no trees/debris around). Crack continued to grow to 2-3 feet while remained parked.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 3, 2023
The windshield suddenly cracked at the very edge of the windshield obscuring visibility on the passenger side. As I awaited for my appointment for a windshield replacement, the crack became longer, affecting my right-side visibility.
Other or unspecified, Jan 3, 2023
The windshield on out 2022 Subaru Outback cracked at 4200 miles. Car was traveling at 55 miles per hour and outside temperature was about 45 degrees. No other cars in sight. Nothing hit the windshield. Had been driving for about a half hour. Dealer would not replace window for no charge. Said they had never heard of this happening. However I looked on many Subaru forums and it appears to be a major problem.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 30, 2022
We are on our 3rd windshield for a 2022 Subaru Outback that currently has 7300 Miles on it. The first windshield cracked on it's own, completely unprovoked by anything. The second was actually a very small rock that hit us on the road and caused a small crack that just kept running until our field of vision was obstructed. The 3rd was a defect in the glass that caused a stress fracture, so it's possible that's what happened with the 1st one. All 3 incidents happend within a 5 week window. When I go online, there are cases and cases where these Subaru's have cracked windshields and it IS dangerous to have a massive run in the windshield when you are driving down the road. There are 100's of these complaints, it's just that no one is reporting them. Please look into this, it's NOT safe to have glass that cracks that easily.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 27, 2022, crash
Main Wiring harness / Main Electrical system malfunction, causing all dash lights to consistently be on. which in turn prevents all of the ADAS functions to no longer work. Vehicle has now been in 2 accidents which could have been prevented by these safety features. vehicle had had main harness replaced at dealers cost at dealership , and one at cost of insurance, problem remains unfixed/unfixable. vehicle is specifically 2022 Subaru outback Onxy XT.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 22, 2022
3 months after purchase, in December 2021, my windscreen cracked for no apparent reason. I replaced it 4 months later with OEM glass from dealership waiting—due to no extra money. Now, 8 months after that, it cracked again. I woke up in the morning to a long crack coming from the edge of the seal that was not there when I parked for the evening.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 17, 2022
Subarus forward looking eyesight and rear auto braking functions will stop working periodically also the stereo/infotainment system will go blank causing you to no longer access the the safety features of the car or any controls for the heating/AC system.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 12, 2022
1.) Our windshield has had to be repaired 3 times in the last six months. Anything that comes in contact with the windshield will cause a massive crack that takes up the entire windshield and marks the car unusable to drive 2) The can is unable to be driven during normal conditions as anything can cause the windshield to break. 3) It has happened 3 times in the last 6 months 4.) The first time we had it replaced, it was completed at the dealership. The next 2 were through our insurance company vendor that ensures the windshield is installed properly. 5.) No. Upon the last time, we researched and found that Subaru has outstanding lawsuits for faulty windshields pending and it looks as if nothing has changed.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 1, 2022
The entire electronics system resets while driving, all driving metrics, speed, eye-sight/collision detection shows reboot screen, and infotainment system goes blank for several seconds. It would appear that none of this vehicles safety systems or speed indicators are online for several seconds up to 20 at times. I have tried to catch this on camera, but since I am the sole driver of this vehicle, I am rarely in a position to safely operate my phone. It has been going on since I purchased the vehicle, but I am seeing more and more posts with other drivers and the same issue.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 29, 2022
My windshield cracked from the driver side to almost half of the whole thing without any impact being seen outside or inside at all. This is scary and can be a safety hazard. It can happen even when driving. I saw a lot of people complaining and experienced the same thing about the Subaru Outback's windshield and other models, which is scary. My car is only seven months old, and this is happening already. Some people have changed their windshield five times already. I bought the car because it's supposed to be safe and reliable, but now I don't feel safe with my windshield.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 25, 2022
Faulty windshield that cracked overnight possibly due to weather. The Subaru McKenna dealer service manager says it is due to impact yet there is no clear indicator of an impact on the windshield, I took photos of the crack before they inspected it. Even some Subaru employees were telling me it’s not a crack made from impact and that they admitted Subaru makes faulty windshields. Yes, my vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I am looking to have it seen by my insurance to see if they agree with the Subaru dealer’s assessment of the damage. The safety issue is the possibility of the windshield spiderwebbing and decreasing all visibility of the road at any moment. No indicator of any windshield failures except the dealer recommending a separate windshield warranty which I wish they pushed more on it and were honest about the tendency of Subaru windshields to be faulty so I could have gotten that warranty. Or I wish too that I found out about Subaru’s class action lawsuit regarding the Outback models 2017-2020 regarding their windshields and how they have to pay $2.5 million because of their manufacturing defects. I have a 2022 Outback model but I feel that they windshield is still being made with poor craftmanship. My car is only a year old. And it literally cracked overnight. Perfectly fine one day and the next morning it split straight across the middle of the windshield.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 23, 2022
On multiple occasions my car has braked on its own when there was no reason to. It has happened on at least four (4) different times and has been taken to Subaru of Kennesaw to be looked at. Unfortunately the dealership has been unable to duplicate the problem. When I took my car back to the dealership on September 28, 2022 for this I contacted Subaru of America and they had an Engineer, [XXX] come and get the data off the Event Data Recorder in the vehicle. The engineer verbally said they have pictures from each time my car braked on its own and advised there was nothing in front of me. He said it is an eyesight issue but they cannot adjust the eyesight and they cannot fix the problem. The car just brakes without warning the engineer said this can happen if the eyesight sees a mailbox, cars to the right or left of me, trees, curbs and even a change in color in the roadway. This has continued to happen and now Subaru of America will not take my calls nor will they respond to my emails. I have asked for a copy of the pictures, a letter stating their findings and a letter stating my car is safe to drive but they will not issue this to me. This has been going on since April 2022. I am afraid I am going to be in accident one day when the car brakes on its own if someone is behind me and not paying attention. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Visibility/wiper, Nov 22, 2022
Less than a year old. Front Windshield cracked on the passenger side near the defrost vent.
Power train, Nov 21, 2022
The transmission in this NEW vehicle began making a high-pitch whining noise shortly after i bought it. After 3500 miles, I took it to the Subaru Dealer where i purchased the car. After 10 days of troubleshooting, they determined it requires a transmission replacement. There are multiple other owners that have experienced the SAME issue (some who have been told by their dealers that it is ‘just a noise’), info available via Subaru Forum. While i did not experience a transmission failure while driving — if i had, this could be a serious safety issue, and there appears to be no acknowledgement by Subaru that their Outback vehicle / transmissions may have a significant manufacturing defect. I am still in the process of determining what the repair / replacement plan is with the Dealer and Subaru of America.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 14, 2022
The windshield started to have a stress crack when we were driving on a highway at a high altitude. There was no impact and no impact noise, the windshield suddenly cracked around 6 inches and then progressed from there. It started around the middle passenger side and progressed to the middle of the windshield.
Other or unspecified, Nov 3, 2022
I walked out to my car in garage and there was a crack from the driver's side corner over 50 percent across the windshield. only 3k miles and NOT hit by a rock etc. windshield to be replaced and while waiting driving home w loud explosion...other side of glass has a huge break with no rocks or cars around.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 31, 2022
Windshield cracked lower left to center while not moving parked in a garage. Went into the garage with no crack and was cracked the following morning. Nothing hit the windshield. Temperatures were neither high nor low.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Oct 26, 2022
My outback was parked in my locked garage over night temp got below 40 degrees that night. Got into the outback and noticed a large crack in the center of windshield that started at lower end of windshield. Called dealership and made an appointment saw service manager and took his pen to show me where he thought a stone had chipped windshield but I just saw the crack no chip. I explained there was never any incident of stone hitting windshield. He stated he would notify Subaru manufacturer of my concern of breakage. Since appointment windshield has continued to crack still waiting to hear back from dealership.