IllustrationA spontaneous crack appeared in the windshield running from the passenger side to the middle of the car. There are no impact points, nothing hit the car, it is a clean line. The car was parked in my garage overnight, woke up to find a linear crack starting from the edge of the passenger side to the middle of the windshield.
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.
10 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports
Visibility/wiper complaints
255 reportsThe windshield was hit by a rock chip, and a tiny divot formed. Within minutes, it had spider-webbed out with cracks stretching 12-18" in multiple directions. I've never seen such a tiny divot propagate so rapidly - I've had the car < 14 days. From the sound of the impact, I would have expected the windshield to shrug off the h…
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The windshield was hit by a rock chip, and a tiny divot formed. Within minutes, it had spider-webbed out with cracks stretching 12-18" in multiple directions. I've never seen such a tiny divot propagate so rapidly - I've had the car < 14 days. From the sound of the impact, I would have expected the windshield to shrug off the hit with no damage. The ongoing propagation makes me seriously consider whether the windshield is actually safe - the entire thing seems like it's under internal stress that could result in a catastrophic failure from minor impacts. The dealer/manufacturer have not inspected the problem, but I'll bring it to them ASAP.
Bought this new car this April. After using it in local for only one month with 1000 miles, windshield developed a 20 ~ 30 inch crack from the passenger side. Went to the dealer to argue. I told them no rock strike and the root reason is faulty glass. The dealer didn't provide any help and gave me a wrong phone number. In over 2…
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Bought this new car this April. After using it in local for only one month with 1000 miles, windshield developed a 20 ~ 30 inch crack from the passenger side. Went to the dealer to argue. I told them no rock strike and the root reason is faulty glass. The dealer didn't provide any help and gave me a wrong phone number. In over 20 years of driving different cars, we haven't had windshield issue.
Windshield developed a 14-16 inch crack from the passenger side. No rock strike or other known damage occurred, crack seems to be due to faulty glass. Temperature was moderate at the time (55 to 60 degrees).
Windshield suddenly cracked for no apparent reason. Vehicle was parked and crack extends almost halfway across the windshield on the driver side. No signs of damage being caused by an object hitting the windshield. This will interfere with the safety and emergency braking system cameras located at the top of the windshield.
In my many years of driving quite a number of different cars, I've never had a car's windshield perform so poorly. In only 10k miles of just daily commuting my windshield has accumulated 8 chips. Luckily the windshield hasn't cracked yet, but I fear its only a matter of time. It seems just the smallest impact WILL chip the winds…
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In my many years of driving quite a number of different cars, I've never had a car's windshield perform so poorly. In only 10k miles of just daily commuting my windshield has accumulated 8 chips. Luckily the windshield hasn't cracked yet, but I fear its only a matter of time. It seems just the smallest impact WILL chip the windshield if not crack it. This seems to be an ongoing problem with the Carlex OEM windshields Subaru continues to use and is a clear safety concern to their customers as well as a costly fix if Subaru doesn't cover the cost.
I bought a 2022 Subaru Outback and have had it for 3 months. It wav very hot yesterday and I took it through a car wash. When it came out of the car wash the windshield was cracked. It has several spider cracks coming down from the roof. Each of the 3 cracks were about 4 inches long. By the time i drove home the cracks are …
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I bought a 2022 Subaru Outback and have had it for 3 months. It wav very hot yesterday and I took it through a car wash. When it came out of the car wash the windshield was cracked. It has several spider cracks coming down from the roof. Each of the 3 cracks were about 4 inches long. By the time i drove home the cracks are now 12 inches. This is very disheartening.
Spontaneous crack of the windshield
Windshield cracked on its own while parked inside home garage.
While a relative was driving my 2 week old 2022 subaru outback, he had a minor impact from a very small rock that left no visible damage. The next day, a large crack had appeared in the middle of the driver’s side from the edge to the rear view mirror. I could not get an appointment to get it replaced until next saturday and o…
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While a relative was driving my 2 week old 2022 subaru outback, he had a minor impact from a very small rock that left no visible damage. The next day, a large crack had appeared in the middle of the driver’s side from the edge to the rear view mirror. I could not get an appointment to get it replaced until next saturday and over the last 3 days the crack has grown significantly, including a piece that is cracked all the way around. I am worried about catastrophic failure on even a short gentle drive to work. It is extremely disappointing to think that this might be an ongoing problem with the car. In 36 years of driving many different cars nothing like this has ever happened.
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.