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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Impreza and 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Outback vehicles.
NHTSA listing: OUTBACK. Components: Electrical system: wiring; Engine and cooling: engine, engine control module (ecu/ecm). Subaru campaign WRC-22.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 463 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Outback. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Visibility/wiper255 · 55%
Electrical system51 · 11%
Most named: 12v/24v/48v battery (3)
Visibility26 · 6%
Most named: windshield (22) · Median 6,800 miles at failure (20 reports)
Forward collision avoidance23 · 5%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (17); warnings (15)
Engine21 · 5%
Powertrain18 · 4%
Lane departure systems11 · 2%
Most named: warning (6); blind spot detection (4)
Unknown or other86 · 19%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Subaru Outback recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2022 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Outback drew the most (720) and the 2022 drew 397.
Owner complaints
2022: 463 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Complaints
2016
643
2017
917
2018
811
2019
1,034
2020
897
2021
296
2022
463
2023
89
2024
102
2025
81
2026
16
Safety recalls
2022: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Recalls
2016
4
2017
4
2018
3
2019
3
2020
6
2021
4
2022
4
2023
2
2024
0
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Subaru Outback SW AWD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2022 Outback problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: visibility/wiper (255), electrical system (51), visibility (26). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2022 Subaru Outback safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2022 Subaru Outback earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Outback has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: OUTBACK.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.