Subaru · Outback · 2022
2022 Subaru Outback: problems & reliability
NHTSA has logged 465 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls for the 2022 Subaru Outback. The most-reported problem area is the visibility & wipers (60% of complaints), followed by electrical system and engine. Make sure every open recall has been fixed by a dealer before you buy.
Common 2022 Subaru Outback problems
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Visibility & wipers problems
280 owner complaints to NHTSA (60% of all complaints for this model year) involve the visibility & wipers. One owner reported: “Vehicle is exhibiting signs of a possible design defect which causes windshields to prematurely crack, break, or shatter. My vehicle is a 22 Subaru Outback that when bought new, in the first week of ownership developed a windshield crack…”
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Electrical system problems
52 owner complaints to NHTSA (11% of all complaints for this model year) involve the electrical system, including 1 crash, 3 fires. One owner reported: “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…”
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Engine problems
23 owner complaints to NHTSA (5% of all complaints for this model year) involve the engine, including 1 crash, 3 fires. One owner reported: “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…”
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Forward collision avoidance problems
23 owner complaints to NHTSA (5% of all complaints for this model year) involve the forward collision avoidance, including 3 crashes. One owner reported: “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…”
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Transmission & powertrain problems
18 owner complaints to NHTSA (4% of all complaints for this model year) involve the transmission & powertrain, including 1 crash, 1 injury. One owner reported: “The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while reversing out of his garage, the vehicle made an abnormal sound, and while the transmission was shifted into reverse (R), the vehicle rapidly accelerated, crashing into…”
Owner complaints by area
| Area | Complaints | Share | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility & wipers | 280 | 60% | |
| Electrical system | 52 | 11% | |
| Engine | 23 | 5% | |
| Forward collision avoidance | 23 | 5% | |
| Transmission & powertrain | 18 | 4% | |
| Lane departure assist | 11 | 2% | |
| Brakes | 10 | 2% | |
| Body & structure | 7 | 2% |
465 complaints filed with NHTSA in total, reporting 10 crashes, 4 fires, 6 injuries. A complaint can involve more than one area.
2022 Subaru Outback recalls
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Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
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.
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Power train › Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch
Risk: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
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.
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Visibility › Windshield
Risk: An insufficiently bonded windshield can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
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."
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Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Engine control module (ecu/ecm)
Risk: A loose electrical connection to the ECU may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Full recall summary
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).
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. To check whether a specific car’s recalls have been repaired, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
2022 Subaru Outback crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2022 Subaru Outback SW AWD. Ratings can differ between body styles and drivetrains.
How fast will a 2022 Subaru Outback lose value?
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Specifications
- Drivetrains
- AWD
Other Subaru Outback years
About this data
Problems, complaint counts, recalls and crash-test ratings come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public databases, last checked 2026-11-03. Complaints are reports from owners and have not all been verified by NHTSA.
How we score reliability: every model year starts at 100. Points come off for the number of owner complaints (on a log scale, up to 40 points), for each safety recall (2 points each, up to 15) and for complaints involving crashes, fires, injuries or deaths (up to 15). Popular vehicles get more complaints simply because more are on the road, so compare scores between similar vehicles. More about our method.
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