UsedScore

2022 Subaru Outback: Too new to judge

The 2022 Subaru Outback has been on the road for 59 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 463 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.6× the rate other Outback years drew in their first 59 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (60% of complaints, median 7,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.6×
partial: first 59 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
463
in 59 months so far
Recalls
4
campaigns
6th generation, 2020–2025 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2021 Subaru Outback Limited

Photo: 2021 Subaru Outback Limited · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Visibility60% · 280 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  2. Electrical11% · 51 complaints · median 25,000 miles
  3. Driver assistance6% · 27 complaints
  4. Engine5% · 22 complaints · median 23,000 miles
  5. Powertrain4% · 18 complaints · median 14,000 miles
  6. Air bags1% · 6 complaints
  7. Brakes2% · 11 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion1% · 6 complaints
  9. Speed control1% · 4 complaints
  10. Steering1% · 4 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Driver assistance

Owners describe the Outback's driver-assist and safety-camera systems intermittently failing, freezing, or acting unpredictably, sometimes braking or steering without cause. Many say dealers struggled to diagnose or permanently fix the problem, leaving the safety features unreliable.

Warning signs:
Owners report warning icons, beeps, blank or frozen touchscreens, sudden hard braking or steering inputs, and loss of cruise, lane-keep, or collision-warning functions.
What shops did:
Dealers sometimes performed software updates, replaced wiring harnesses or EyeSight components, or could not duplicate or resolve the issue.

Electrical

Many owners of this Outback describe the battery unexpectedly dying or draining, sometimes leaving them stranded or unable to start the car after it sat for a while. Several also report the center touchscreen freezing or rebooting, which some say disabled safety features like EyeSight until it reset.

Warning signs:
Owners report dashboard warning lights, flickering or dimming displays, clicking from the starter, or a blank/frozen infotainment screen before the vehicle stalled or failed to start.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced the battery, performed software or firmware updates, or in many cases could not duplicate or find the cause of the problem.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 40,000 miles, among 13 complaints that give it

“Rab system not working, no foward or reverse cameras work. No climate control access, no radio, no GPS, can't access any touch screen controls”

“Battery is draining without cause. It's required two jumpstarts in one week.”

Visibility

Many owners of this Outback report windshields cracking with little or no apparent cause, sometimes while parked or after a very minor rock chip, and the cracks often spread quickly across the glass. Getting a windshield replaced sometimes required multiple attempts, camera recalibration, and disputes over warranty coverage, with several owners noting the crack recurred.

Warning signs:
Some owners report hearing a pop or cracking sound, or noticing a small chip or star that quickly spread into a large crack, sometimes into the driver's line of sight.
What shops did:
Dealers or glass shops typically replaced the windshield, often requiring recalibration of the forward camera system, though many owners report cracks recurring afterward and some report warranty coverage was denied.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, among 20 complaints that give it

“a crack suddenly occurred in the lower center of the front windshield”

“a small chip that within a minute formed into close to a dozen foot long cracks compromising my view”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 24V227000March 2024118,723 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V755000November 202395,830 vehicles

    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.

    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.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 22V712000September 202242 vehicles

    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 Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."

    Risk: An insufficiently bonded windshield can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Fix: Subaru will offer owners a vehicle exchange or repurchase, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 22V473000July 202215 vehicles

    Engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ECU/ECM) · Electrical system: wiring

    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).

    Risk: A loose electrical connection to the ECU may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the engine wiring harness and ECU, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Subaru sent NHTSA 397 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2022 Outback. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 15-261-20R · August 2026This bulletin announces reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4 Denso CP1 Audio and Navigation head units utilized in the…
  • SubaruNet Announcement (C · August 2026This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
  • 15-308-23R · August 2026This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to…
  • 15-304-22R · August 2026This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns.
  • Article Locator · August 2026Techtips newsletter locator index.
  • 15-333-25R · August 2026This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
  • 09-123-24R · July 2026This bulletin announces the design change made to the high-pressure fuel pump developed to prevent DTC P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure – Too Low Bank 1).
  • 09-81-21R · July 2026This bulletin announces design changes made to the fuel injector in response to the DTCs listed.

All 2022 Outback bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2022 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2022 Subaru Outback has been on the road for 59 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 463 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.6× the rate other Outback years drew in their first 59 months, per vehicle sold. Ratings compare Outback years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2022 Outback problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (60%), the electrical system (11%) and driver-assistance features and cameras (6%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2022 Subaru Outback been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2022 Subaru Outback, the most recent in March 2024 (air bags). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Subaru. The 2022 Subaru Outback on NHTSA.gov · How we rate