NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Subaru Outback. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
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 and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. The VIN was not available.
The vehicle's front windshield has cracked twice in nearly the exact same manner, location, and type of damage. In both cases, a presumably very small piece of debris that I couldn't see and could barely hear hit the windshield and instantly cracked the windshield. The windshield cracked in the same manner (one large lateral crack about 8" towards the center and 6" all the way through the right side edge of the windshield). Both instances left a very small pock mark where the crack originated. The first instance occurred in May 2022 (I had owned the car for one week); the second instance occurred December 2023. The incidents were not inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. I have photos of both windshields. I still have the second cracked windshield installed, but plan to replace it soon since it is unsafe to drive with.
I’ve had 4 windshield replacements as a result of cracks that have appeared at random. The dealership has replaced windshield but there is clearly a defect in windshield design and could effect my airbags and other safety measures were an accident to occur.
Large crack in windshield extending to lower edge of passenger side without any inciting event with a rock chip or otherwise. Temp was 64 degrees and occurred while parked in the driveway. This is second occurrence. This same event also occurred in May of this year and Subaru covered under warranty as there was no damage. Safelight now is advertising to fix these Subaru windshields with eyesight as it is so common to crack without damage. Need a recall and thicker windshield.
While driving small pebble fell on windshield causing approx. 1mm chipp. Within minutes that chipp turned into 9-10" crack from bottom center into passenger side. Never had a windshield so sensitive. I have 2014 Forester with few similar windshield chipps but they stay the same, do not cause cracks. It looks to me that Outback windshield does not hold up against normal use.
Purchased the 2022 outback in April and very shortly after, had a cracked windshield right in the middle of the driver's line of sight. There was no noticeable sign of impact on the windshield. Replaced with a "deal" from the dealer at $1000. Not even 4k miles later, another Crack that's spread on the passenger side, in the middle of the windshield. Dealer says $1500 to replace (insurance is a $1000 deductible). Again. No noticeable sign of impact causing the Crack. Looking to now replace this new vehicle as our household cannot afford to replace these windshields every few thousand miles.
This car has only 6030 miles on it and is less than 2 years old. I came out of the grocery store and the windshield was cracked. There was no ding or something that hit it. The crack just was suddenly there and started underneath the rubber lining around the windshield at the bottom. The crack has grown to 1/3rd the entire size of the windsheid...all by itself. This is a $1200 windshield to replace. I understand this is a big problem with Subaru windshield on 2022 model Outbacks and CrossTrek
Noticed that there’s a crack on the windshield at the passenger side. There is no evident of impact.
Windshield cracked for no reason. Vehicle was parked under the carport. It's a crack about 8" long starting from the drivers side windshield post.
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 failure, an audible alarm was activated and the message "Shift to Park and Restart" was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. No cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The windshield on my 2022 Subaru Outback has cracked twice with a year's time without impact! The first crack in February 2023 was detected after the car was parked overnight. The crack extended from the edge of the windshield on the drivers side and into the field of vision by approx. 24". The dealer said it was an impact however no impact of any kind occurred. I reported it to Corproate Subaru offices (Case#230120-1800472), who agreed to replace the windshield and the associated eyesight camera equipment, most likely because there are many incidences of this happening with their vehicles. The most recent re-occurrence of the windshield cracking without impact happened in early Dec. 2023. Again, no impact occurred and the crack was found after the vehicle was parked for about an hour after I attended a gallery opening. This time the dealer once again performed the same test performed in February (by using a pen that notes an indentation the size of a pinhead). Once again the crack starts from the edge of the windshield and extends through the line of vision by about 24" which creates a severe safety issue, especially when driving at night. Although the Subaru Corporate office replaced the first incident of this, they are now saying with the new case I opened (Case 231204-1901299) that they won't replace the most recent incident, even when it is exactly the same as the first! It seems as though Subaru won't own up to the fact that their windshields are faulty and have a propensity for stress fractures which is a serious safety issue.
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 was taken to the local dealer on two separate occasions, but no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 13,927.
Less than 3 months ago I reported 11543521. Now, the very first rock to hit this new OEM replacement windshield caused a 7-8 inch crack to form in the middle and start to propagate. There are still less than 8000 miles on the car.
Windshield cracked without any impact. The crack started on the drivers side right on the edge of the windshield.
stayed in Bangor Maine cold night frost on windshield, turned on defrost within several minute my wife noticed two small cracks at the bottom of the windshield ,within several minutes the progress up wards for about 5bin and joined together and continued to about 10 on and started across to the drivers side ,the crack is about b14 in long at this time ,wet to a subaru dealer they tried to convince it was a rock, I pointed out the crack was at the bottom of the window and ,said he could nothing.Went to a nation repair window business they confirmed it was not a rock, their opinion there is a flaw in the glass.There was no prior symptom to this taking place
The vehicle has a power drain that occurs randomly. I purchased the vehicle used in Jan 2023. The car is driven daily at least 40-50 miles. The first occurrence it would not start in 11/23, jump started and it was fine for 3 months. The second time it would not start I checked the battery and it was completely drained. Jump started and I have had no problems yet. No accessories or lights were left on. I have a monitor on the OCB port and it shows the battery voltage on a 24 hour scale. I can see it drops down to a low level for a short time every 4-5 hours and then returns to normal. I don’t want to lose the battery in the middle of nowhere.
Small object hit the top of the windshield and created a star 20 minutes later it spread to a 17 inch crack
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 shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. A short time later, the contact's wife observed white smoke rising from the engine compartment, and within 15 minutes, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Local emergency services were called and were able to extinguish the fire. A fire and police report were filed, and no injuries were reported. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, awaiting inspection. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.
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 was depressed, and the engine revved and responded as needed. The contact stated that the power steering and power brakes failed while attempting to pull over to the side of the road. The contact continued to rev the engine which appeared to stabilize the instrument cluster view; however, the power steering and brakes were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted into park(P) but while attempting to shift into drive(D), the gear shifter failed to move. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for approximately one hour and when the vehicle restarted, all functionality had returned. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Fuel gauge reading incorrectly. Shows full tank and it is not full. Also mpg and mileage range indicators fluctuate, sometimes wildly
Windshield spontaneously cracked while we were starting the car in a parking lot. No movement and no impact points along the crack. Initiated at the bottom of windshield exactly at the center point and worked up toward the middle. Dealers (West Houston Subaru, followed by Gillman Subaru) could not point out an impact point along the crack but indicated this was not a dealer problem.
Windshield crack originating from under wiper area after a cold day. No known rock impact. Found a super small spot around the size of a period under the wiper blade. Second broken windshield in 18 months. These windshields do not seem very durable
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while pulling into a bumpy parking space, the vehicle shuddered violently, unintendedly accelerated, and crashed into a stone wall. As a result, the hood of the vehicle was bent and the bumpers were damaged. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The contact was able to drive to an unknown dealer, where the vehicle was inspected, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would follow up in two business days. The failure mileage was 13,947.
The relatively new car (2022) stalls out randomly at intersections and red lights. This is a major safety issue as we have had the car totally shut down in the middle of 2 busy intersections. We had to dial 911 and have the police come to assist. We brought the car to the dealer and they did not find a problem but it continued to happen. There were no warning lights or messages - stalling happened randomly. May be related to the gas saver engine stop feature when at a complete stop.
A month ago I was sitting in my car in a parking lot when the windshield on the passenger side cracked about 1 foot in an "S" shape. There were no other cars, rocks, etc. around and you cannot see or feel an impact point on the crack or anywhere on the windshield. The crack has spread over the last week and formed a "T" split in line with the rearview mirror.
While parked for about two hours, the vehicle windshield cracked from the drivers side edge across the middle of the drivers field of view approximately 15-18 inches. There are no signs of any impact to the windshield to cause such a crack.
Lower oil pan leaks due to poor QA/QC at the factory so I’m told. And possibly the upper oil pan leaking to. Researched forums and it’s a requiring problem. So is the problem big enough for a recall? One issue is that the dealership didn’t notice it during last inspection and service. Or is the dealership being told to remain silent ? Never less the end user suffers with worrying about if it’s going to happen again and cause bigger issues. Please check forums on this issue. Thank you
In the past 10 months, the windshield on my vehicle spontaneously cracked twice while I was driving (December 2022 and October 2023). In both instances there was no perceptible impact; a crack suddenly appeared on the left (driver's side) edge of the windshield, about 1/3 of the way from the bottom, and spread across my field of vision. This is a safety issue because it affect the driver's ability to see the roadway. It might also affect the strength and integrity of the windshield itself should it actually be hit by road debris or other objects. The vehicle was inspected by the Subaru service center both times when it was repaired. Again, if there was impact in either of the incidents, it was imperceptible, and certainly should not have caused any damage to windshield, let alone the extensive cracking that occurred.
Driving 70mph on an interstate and the windshield spontaneously popped, creating a long, large crack on the left side of the windshield.
Windshield spontaneously cracked while parked overnight in garage. Crack originated on passenger side in the middle of windshield starting at the end of the panel and running to middle of windshield horizontally. No chip, damage, impact happened. It literally cracked on its own overnight. Husband is a window engineer and said either the glass is not sustainable for the span of the windshield or the seal is faulty and it dislodged/shifted the glass causing a pressure crack. Subaru has no recalls but this is a common problem according to this website and hopefully someone can address this because it’s a safety issue and happens without impact or damage.
Windshield pressure cracked from passenger side to middle. Horizontal crack, no chip/impact damage. Was parked at night and woke up to crack in the morning. No visible chips or damage to create crack. Literally cracked on its own.
2022 Outback with 24,000 miles, was parked in the garage all weekend and found an 18 inch crack in the drivers side windshield starting on the left edge. This windshield was replaced 5 months ago due for the same reason. Nothing hit the windshield while driving. Both cracks appeared while the car was parked in a ramp or garage.
When in a parking lot the windshield started cracking from bottom up and formed a T. Crack is about 12 inches long in front windshield. There are no signs of a rock or anything else that hit the windshield.
Repeated dead battery with no known cause
The very first rock to ever hit the windshield landed around 9pm (6000 miles total on the car). The next day driving around 10am in the rain a 30" crack formed, that eventually spread from one side of the windshield to the middle.
I own a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness Trim. I had my car parked in my garage on Aug -23 night without any damage and when I checked next day Aug-24 around noon I noticed windshield had a large 1.5 foot crack on the passenger side.
See attached document for complaint
This is the second time I've had a large crack appear from the edge of the windshield with no obvious damage.
Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. 6-8" crack near the bottom and extending up the middle of the windshield. This is the 2nd crack in less than 10 months.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the next morning it was discovered that the front windshield glass had developed a crack on the driver's side, extending approximately 7-inches. The contact stated that the windshield had not been impacted by an object to cause the crack. The vehicle was taken to the local service center and the windshield was replaced. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 20,000.
I drove to work; did not hear or see any rocks hit the windshield. Parked in a carefully chosen spot - not near any roads or work areas; not near a tree - and the windshield was cracked. No apparent reason. A single line crack coming out from the middle of the driver's side of the windshield, stopping in the middle of the windshield just past the mirror. It is right at the sight line. I have filed with my insurance company. Police refused to take report as they said it didn't appear to be that someone had maliciously hit it. Car is garaged at home. 19,000 miles. I see that this appears to be a common problem with Subarus - topic on reddit and other places.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield inadvertently cracked from the passenger’s side and extended to the center of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the windshield and windshield seal needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that photos were taken of the windshield and the camera also needed to be recalibrated. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Windshield cracked on passenger side of vehicle without any impact to glass, extreme temperature change, or pressure change. Crack continues to grow, doubling in length in a matter of minutes.
Case Number: # 230715-1900405 The car was just sitting in the garage, I got up the next day and saw a huge crack starting from the passenger side of the windshield for no reason. My 2022 outback is a year old, there is no origin of the crack, no chip! It seems to be a clean crack as if someone cut it! We are legitimately concerned about the cause and how easily this crack appeared on the windshield without being hit and is expanding too! We trusted Subaru with its safety excellency but this crack is a huge safety concern for us and it really doesn’t seem like it appeared because of a chip or anything. Dealership says it could be because of banging the door or cold hot climate changes, does this mean we need to change windshield every season or every time someone bangs the door? It’s been just above a year we got this car and we certainly didn’t get expect to see a crack this huge without any reason for it!
The original windshield cracked a month into ownership of the vehicle. I took it to a Subaru dealership and paid out of pocket to have them install a new OEM windshield. A year later, the windshield cracked again starting from the top edge, and was not caused by a rock or other object. The vehicle was parked when the crack formed.
Our 2022 Subaru Outback windshield has been replaced on 2 occasions & repaired on 1 occasion due to cracking caused by unknown impacts. It has now cracked again while passing a vehicle on the interstate. The vehicle had just 16250 miles at the time of this occurrence. Sadly, we have had more windshield changes than oil changes at this point. Thankfully, we haven't experienced any issues regarding warning lamps or malfunctions of the safety systems as the cracks have not propagated into the cameras line of sight, but we're only one incident away from that possibility. Hopefully this won't result in a safety system malfunction.
Observed 3 cracks on the Subaru outback - Touring Windshield and instances as below: First Crack observed on 1st of July 11 am Second crack on 4th of July around at 4:15 PM Third crack on 4th of July at 8 PM Case opened with Subaru of America with case num: Case # 230707-1700738 5th July i had visited a Subaru dealer in Missoula,Montana but it was no help. 10th July visited Eastside Subaru and shared the photos for further diagnosis. now they are asking me to take one more appointment with the dealer removing the tape and taking the photos again. As the eye sight protection is the key in safety of Subaru driver and passengers this will lead to dangerous situation. There are no warning lamps or symptoms observed before the incident
8/1/23 - the Electronic center console display as well as the display behind the steering wheel continually fails. The center console controls all electronics such as defroster, heater, and of the advance safety features. The display behind the steering wheel controls the odometer, speed etc. The inability to control any vehicle functions is a huge safety risk. For example, the defroster can not be accessed not controlled. If you had an immediate need for this, you would have to stop driving immediately. No advanced safety features can be accessed, you have no idea of your speed, the list goes on. We have brought the car in twice and had a software update but the problem persists. We left the car for a week and were told it was fine but the next day the issue persisted. The display screen will come and go which is completely unacceptable from a safety standpoint. The Subaru forums seem to indicate this is a widespread problem that Subaru has yet to address or come up with a viable solution. We have the records to back up all of these assertions as well as video of the failures of the display screen once returned to us.
Windshield cracked with rock impact April 2023. Crack spread immediately across the entire windshield. Replacement was done May 30, 2023. 3 weeks after replacement, the new windshield cracked with no evidence of impact.Car was parked and not moving at the time crack occured. Crack spread immediately accross the entire windshield. Replacement of 2nd windshield was done June 3, 2023.
Sirius radio ads showing up while driving interfering with media console and acting as a distraction hazard. Intentional design flaw. The ad specifically shows up while the car is in motion, not when parked. I have explicitly non-consented these ads due to their hazard and they persist.