A tiny crack started at the top of the window butnothing impacted. Thenit slowlyintwo weeks crackeddown quickly on the windshield of the driver from passenger side. Again no rockhit itor anything else.It appeared quickly and spread. Our extra warranty shield protection doesnt coveritbutit seems almost like a factory defect.
2022 Subaru Outback
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Outback years
Owner complaints for the 2022 Subaru Outback are substantially higher than the model-year median of 207.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Outback years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 39 of 463 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 255 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
463 reportsMy car has defective clear coat paint. Subaru recalled some units with defective paint because it resulted in improper windshield installation but not mine.
Second windshield cracked with no impact. This I’d the second time within a year that this has happened to me. Like last time the crack isn’t on the outermost layer, and if you run your finger along the crack it feels completely smooth. This is quite frankly unacceptable with how expensive these windshields are to replace.
I have replaced the windshield for a second time resulting from a (non-impact) stress fracture coming from the passenger side A Pillar. It seems to be exactly the same spot as previous. The crack is large enough to put a credit card in at the start then wanders in varying directions with a finer crack. This time an aftermarket g…
Read full complaint
I have replaced the windshield for a second time resulting from a (non-impact) stress fracture coming from the passenger side A Pillar. It seems to be exactly the same spot as previous. The crack is large enough to put a credit card in at the start then wanders in varying directions with a finer crack. This time an aftermarket glass was available which I was told is thicker and more durable that the OEM glass. I am told Subaru has extremely thin OEM glass which they are having industry problems with. If it has any significance there is a dent in the passenger door jam B-Pillar which was there from new and painted over. It seems to be a result of manufacturing robotics possibly. I do not know if this is a clue to two windshields stress cracking.
Windshield glass broke spontaneously and randomly with no impact associated with the crack. The crack extends all the way across the windshield.
Went out to driveway and started car. Heard a ping. a few minutes later the windshield started to crack from drivers side bottom corner upward across the field of vision. At first it was about a foot long but spread to about 3 feet. No sign of impact.
This is in response to your boilerplate letter of May 25, 2024. That correspondence stated that my 2022 Subaru Outback’s inspection of May 21, 2024, did not reveal any manufacturing defect that caused the unanticipated acceleration of my vehicle on April 26, 2024. That inspection was conducted by a third-party engineering firm…
Read full complaint
This is in response to your boilerplate letter of May 25, 2024. That correspondence stated that my 2022 Subaru Outback’s inspection of May 21, 2024, did not reveal any manufacturing defect that caused the unanticipated acceleration of my vehicle on April 26, 2024. That inspection was conducted by a third-party engineering firm. In amplification of this, the following is provided: • My vehicle on 26 April 2024, at approximately at 0845 AM experienced unanticipated acceleration, in my garage where it had been parked overnight. It was a cool morning. This occurred without any direct body movement from me, whatsoever. The fast forward motion I directly experienced in my vehicle was like if one put their gas pedal to the floor. The vehicle crashed about five feet into a garage shelf with me simultaneously providing braking. This directly caused about $3,000 worth of damage to the vehicle, and I will probably incur higher insurance cost because of this. •Environmental factors have been a contributing factor in unanticipated acceleration in the past. •Time to extract the data from the EDR in my vehicle took almost one month for SOA to complete the inspection (accident occurred on April 26 and the vehicle inspection took place on May 21). •Starlink, Subaru’s automatic collision notification system, did not activate on 26 April 2024, the day of the accident. •“As a rule of thumb, if the crash is sufficient to cause the air bags to deploy the EDR data are usually captured.” From the National Highway Transportation Safety Board’s website under, “EDR Q & A). My vehicle’s air bags did not deploy, and another key word is “usually”. •On May 16, 2024, five days before the inspection was completed on my vehicle I wrote the CEO a letter. Part of that letter is quoted, verbatim, for your review: “It is now my understanding, according to SOA, that what happened to me is referred to as unanticipated acceleration. Being a Subaru owner for over ten years, such in inc
On may 13, 2024 windshield on the Outback I own sustained a stress crack and the satellite and Subaru retailer confirmed it is a stress crack. Upon my research I noticed I’m not the only one there are hundreds of other people who have faced same safety problem and Subaru Customer Advocate department doesn’t do anything about it.…
Read full complaint
On may 13, 2024 windshield on the Outback I own sustained a stress crack and the satellite and Subaru retailer confirmed it is a stress crack. Upon my research I noticed I’m not the only one there are hundreds of other people who have faced same safety problem and Subaru Customer Advocate department doesn’t do anything about it.
Windshield cracked on passenger side starting below the lower interface to the plenum. Crack was not caused by impact by debris nor a collision.
I washed my car the night before and put it in the garage where it usually is parked at night. Upon getting in to start it and go to work noticed a 6inch crack start from the lower center part of the windshield. There was no impact as it was literally sitting inside my garage all night long. It looks like it stars from below …
Read full complaint
I washed my car the night before and put it in the garage where it usually is parked at night. Upon getting in to start it and go to work noticed a 6inch crack start from the lower center part of the windshield. There was no impact as it was literally sitting inside my garage all night long. It looks like it stars from below the trim.
Official recalls
424V227000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Mar 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
23V755000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/neutral Start Interlock Switch
Nov 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
22V712000 · Visibility:windshield
Sep 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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
22V473000 · Electrical System:wiring; 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).
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
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).
Consequence: 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.
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).
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration