2022 SUBARU OUTBACK

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    glass and windshield

    305 unsafe, 1 broken, 4 annoyance

    310
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=21, median 7,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, a crack suddenly occurred in the lower center of the front windshield. After parking the vehicle, the crack extended to approximately 18 inches in length. The c…"~3,000 mi, complaint #1794547
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle overnight, the next morning it was discovered that the front windshield had developed a ten-inch-long crack. The contact indicated that no object had struck the windshiel…"~6,500 mi, complaint #1807124
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the defroster activated, within two hours, the contact observed that the front windshield had cracked just above the defroster vents. The vehicle was taken to…"~14,000 mi, complaint #1963825
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield had cracked after an impact. The vehicle was taken to Safelite Auto Glass, where the windshield was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, whe…"~16,000 mi, complaint #2013535
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, he observed a noise coming from the front window. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown component in the A/C needed to be…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1960654
  2. #2

    battery and charging

    11 stranded, 13 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    25
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she entered the vehicle to start the vehicle; however, the engine failed to turn over. An unknown electrical system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was tow…"~9,322 mi, complaint #1887225
    • "The contact owned a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 30 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound emanating from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle suddenly lost all electrical power. She was able to coast to the shoulde…"~23,000 mi, complaint #1941164
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, there was a smoke odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed smoke coming from the battery. No wa…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1957321
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the message "EyeSight Disabling" was displayed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle then lost motive power and was unable to…"~58,000 mi, complaint #2229029
  3. #3

    infotainment head unit

    9 unsafe, 5 annoyance

    14
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated after starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment system inadvertently reset or went blank, causing the Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) System to become inoperable. The R…"~45,000 mi, complaint #2185111
  4. #4

    engine stall or no start

    2 stranded, 10 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine started sputtering with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started losing motive power. The accelerator pedal…"~17,000 mi, complaint #1939969
    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to drive off from a stop light, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and unknown messages were displayed, and the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. During the fai…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1950049
  5. #5

    adas collision warning

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "In 3 months of owning this vehicle, the Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) system has spontaneously triggered with no cause at least a handful of times (multiple incidents). I am driving with no danger or risk of collision and the vehicle will slam on the brakes and…"complaint #1805161
    • "Vehicle navigation system crashes with a black screen once or twice a day. While the system is rebooting, navigation, Eyesight and Reverse Automatic Braking are disabled. Needless to say, this is very distracting and especially bad since Eyesight is required t…"complaint #1822153
    • "On a reoccurring basis, my Subaru will randomly slam on the breaks, detecting an object that isn't there. Dealership has done nothing, and Subaru of America has ignored my complaints "complaint #1846443
    • "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 probl…"complaint #1855419
    • "Several months ago Subaru updated the software in the above mentioned systems. Ever since the systems have become overly sensitive to the point of locking breaks up on the highway, at highway speed, for no obstruction. This has taken me from highway speed to a…"complaint #2011287
  6. #6

    transmission automatic

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission, and the vehicle was jerking while driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer an…"~45,000 mi, complaint #2197776
  7. #7

    airbag system

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My wife was driving and was involved in traffic accident when the airbags deployed. She is a small person and has the driver's seat pulled all the way forward so she operate the vehicle. I was concern about her seating so close the steering wheel and the airb…"complaint #1817027
    • "When I sit in the front passenger seat, the airbag sensor icon sometimes says off and sometimes says on--even during the same trip. and even if I have not changed positions. This means I am at risk of bodily injury when the system does not recognize that I am…"complaint #2014643
    • "My Subaru Outback 2022 experienced a failure of the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sensors, resulting in the airbag warning light turning on and the airbags being disabled. The nature of the defect, the diagnostic trouble codes, and the location of the f…"complaint #2118716
    • "I have multiple malfunction codes on my car. without any incident in the car I have 4 separate codes of airbag ECU malfunction (3) and airbag ECU power supply voltage. B1149 Airbag ECU Power Supply Voltage History B1195 Airbag ECU Malfunction Current B1196 A…"complaint #2183465
    • "I am reporting a critical safety failure involving an improperly installed (wrong year) passenger-side airbag in my 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness, which was negligently missed for nearly two years by multiple Subaru service departments. This is a pervasive li…"complaint #2191238
  8. #8

    other

    3 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "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 tha…"~79,653 mi, complaint #2133899
  9. #9

    adas lane keeping

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I have videos. I have been having major issues with a lot of aspects of the car. However, the most concerning is the obstacle detection going off randomly when there is NOTHING in front of the car, and the other major issue is that the lane assist feature keep…"complaint #1824100
    • "SafeLite is Unable to calibrate vehicle EyeSight after non-OEM windshield replacement. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There have bee…"complaint #1827286
    • "My EyeSight device stopped working correctly when I had the interior cleaned and the front windshield was spray cleaned. "Obstacle Detected" warnings started popping up and slowing down the car. Per the dealership, this was caused by the backsplash from the…"complaint #2027554
    • "While day driving on a clearly marked interstate in slightly hazy weather from fires, the car suddenly, unprompted, steered to the left without any warning or any indicators going off. This caused the car traveling at highway speed to crash into a barrier wall…"complaint #2227216
  10. #10

    brake hydraulics

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Since I drove 1 mile out of the dealers lot I knew there were something wrong with the brakes Brakes don't feel right when I go to start the car I hear a thump sound than a pedal that has play in it before engaging it does the same while coasting and than appl…"complaint #1793244
    • "While driving the light turned red and everyone started breaking. My car failed to brake and slow down so I turned to the right, hit 2 signed, missed an office building. and stopped the car in a Ford Dealership's lot. When the car went to get fixed, I asked th…"complaint #1901133
    • "On 5/18/2023, I was driving down RT. 30 in Paoli, PA going East. Cars infront of me stopped for the red light. I pushed down on the brakes and the car was not slowing down and not responding. Instead of hitting the car in front of me, I veered to the right & g…"complaint #1901700
    • "My brakes failed as I was pulling up to a curb as I attempted to break to put my car into park my breaks failed to engage. My vehicle is also equipped with emergency braking system that did not engage my vehicle crashed into and through a 7/11 while I was brea…"complaint #1980540
  11. #11

    control module

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that whenever the weather was below 15 degrees, the vehicle would fail to start up as needed. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the co…"~9,000 mi, complaint #1801685
  12. #12

    engine internal

    1 stranded, 3 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated he had taken the vehicle to the dealer for standard maintenance. When parked, the contact noticed that smoke was coming from underneath the vehicle. A loud popping noise occurred then a fire started u…"~4,260 mi, complaint #1888828
  13. #13

    unintended acceleration

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would independently accelerate without warning. The contact would be forced to place the vehicle into neutral to stop the acceleration. The contact stated tha…"~700 mi, complaint #1769778
  14. #14

    engine oil consumption

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, there was an abnormal oil-burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that there was an oi…"~53,400 mi, complaint #2201624
  15. #15

    brake pads and rotors

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The front rotor warp excessively causing the brake pedal and the entire car to shake uncontrollably. The entire front brake assemblies were replaced at Subaru of Coconut Creek. Our safety was definitely at risk as it was very hard to brake going downhill with…"complaint #2073940
    • "Brake Rotor and Pad issues at 10k, 20k, 30k, and 44k. Severe damage to the Brake Rotor with bad gauging present. OEM parts replaced with aftermarket Duragold Rotors and Pads. Subaru dealership did not properly resolve issues"complaint #2109351
  16. #16

    lighting exterior

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "During night driving, with normal headlights on (not high beams), I am frequently flashed by high beams of oncoming vehicles, sometimes for long time intervals. One truck driver that I was following intentionally shined a bright light at his side view mirror w…"complaint #1790578
    • "Low beam headlights are aimed too high from the factory. I have asked the dealer to adjust them, but there are only two options for aiming and the lower position only casts light about 20 feet in front of the vehicle. During nighttime driving my car is consist…"complaint #1959529
  17. #17

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I discovered substantial seat belt fraying on the rear center seatbelt on my Outback Wilderness, mileage less than 3,600, on May 12, 2022. Photos will be attached. One fray is 1/4" x 1/4", is 30" from the tip end of the connector tongue, and has separated…"complaint #1818671
    • "No component failed or malfunction. It is working as designed but it is a serious safety concern that can not be addressed except by purposely bypassing the safety system or systems. For whatever reason Subaru added rear seat belt chime alarms to the rear se…"complaint #1831917
  18. #18

    sunroof

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Driving on a Thursday morning, 62 degrees outside, and my sunroof exploded. I live in northwest Kansas. No trees, no variation in temperature. "complaint #1903007
    • "Sunroof shattered while driving 45mph on a city street. It was not hit by anything we could see, nor was there any debris flying in the air. We pulled over and took a photo. I called the dealership who said to call Subaru USA to start a case, but of course the…"complaint #2074042
  19. #19

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • " The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 1 to 2 mph on two occasions into a parking spot, the vehicle hesitated then accelerated and crashed into a pole. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were n…"~700 mi, complaint #1874263
  20. #20

    adas blind spot

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "(ADAS) R WAVE RADAR SENSOR/BLIND SPOT WARNING SENSOR. NO WARNING FOR THE STATIONARY OBJECT (TREE) BEHIND MY VEHICLE CAUSING A COLLISION. A REPORT WILL BE MADE TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP ONCE THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED BY THE COLLISION CENTER. INSURANCE ADJUSTERS HA…"complaint #1768705
  21. #21

    alignment and pull

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "After 20 years of driving experience that's probably the first car where I feel unsafe. Once in my life I had such experience which I have every day right now. It was hydroplaning on the very wet road. In another words it feels like driving under strong side w…"complaint #1777442
  22. #22

    door latch and hinge

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Hood became unlatched while driving. Significant vehicle damage to hood, windshield and roof. No other vehicles involved or bodily injuries."complaint #2176784
  23. #23

    engine cooling

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Thermal control valve became inoperable at less than 40,000 miles. Engine shut down and began to overheat. Part is known to easily fail by Subaru. Has been examined by dealership. All warning lights came on at once, and cruise control and Eyesight were disabl…"complaint #1978517
  24. #24

    evap system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "This has happened many times since my vehicle ownership in May. Today for example I am on the highway cruising along (cruise control set) and alarms start going off, the vehicle lurches as it self-disables safety features one by one - Cruise control shuts off…"complaint #1873806
  25. #25

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Was just driving when I noticed my car was sounding louder than usual. Then when I stared it after running some errands it sounds like a bad engine nock. So I took it in for an oil change and they told me it was a cracked exhaust manifold. Also told me it fine…"complaint #2019731
  26. #26

    fuel tank and lines

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I experienced a fuel leak while driving my car. It was leaking from the fuel lines in the engine bay. My fuel gauge was showing low and I had just refueled several days before. I didn't know it had a leak in the line. When I tried to put more gas in, the fuel…"complaint #1984221
  27. #27

    instrument cluster

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Fuel gauge reading incorrectly. Shows full tank and it is not full. Also mpg and mileage range indicators fluctuate, sometimes wildly "complaint #1941139
  28. #28

    interior trim

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Plastic trim on my front driver side door is falling off. The plastic that is clipped and taped at the bottom of the door. "complaint #1840839
  29. #29

    key fob and immobilizer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I parked my 22 Subaru Outback in my enclosed garage about 11:00 AM. I was in and out of the garage at least five times between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM and in a room next to the garage the rest of the time. At 6:00 PM I went into my backyard. Upon returning inside…"complaint #2228669
  30. #30

    paint and clearcoat

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My car has defective clear coat paint. Subaru recalled some units with defective paint because it resulted in improper windshield installation but not mine. "complaint #2005406
  31. #31

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle on a slightly inclined driveway, the vehicle erroneously rolled backwards. The failure occurred on several occasions and the parking brake was not activated. The vehicle…"~13,927 mi, complaint #2047860
  32. #32

    software or update

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The 2022 Subaru Outback has a "feature" called AUTO START STOP. This is intended as a fuel saving feature. In the car's Setup Menu, you have the choice to turn this feature off. However, this feature MUST be turned off EACH and EVERY TIME you start the car.…"complaint #1766949
  33. #33

    suspension arms and bushings

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "During normal vehicle operation, the castle nut came off the control arm causing it to disengage from the wheel. It is currently with the dealer for inspection and service. They still have not confirmed if this and the associated damage will be covered under t…"complaint #2241595
  34. #34

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On 03Feb24, immediately following a 4-wheel alignment of my 2022 Subaru Outback Limited, my vehicle’s suspension feels unstable over patched potholes or rough/broken pavement. I can best describe the condition as similar to the movements felt while hydroplanin…"complaint #1984057
  35. #35

    throttle and pedal

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The gas pedal and brake pedal are not adjustable due to them being digitally programmed. The position of the brake is higher than the gas pedal, which causes stress on my knee, ankle, and hip joints and has caused me significant pain so I can't drive. The gas…"complaint #1825970
  36. #36

    tire failure

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The Outback Wilderness comes stock with Yokohama Geolandar A/T 225/65R17. There was 13,300 miles on it from factory new tires. At interstate speed of about 75mph, the tread appears to have fully separated from the sidewalls. The tread was closely inspected for…"complaint #1876119
  37. #37

    trunk or liftgate

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "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…"complaint #2148957
  38. #38

    wheel bearing

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I have a meticulously maintained 2022 Subaru Outback LTD that has now had 3 out of 4 OEM installed wheel bearings replaced due to failure with less and/or near to 40,000 miles on the vehicle. The power train has a warranty until 2027, however, I felt that thi…"complaint #2210340
  39. #39

    wiper and washer

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Small crack appeared and then became huge"complaint #1893614
  40. #40

    wiring harness

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "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 fe…"complaint #1861572

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for SUBARU OUTBACK directly.