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
While driving, the radio volume suddenly increases to extremely loud. Not only is this dangerous and extremely distracting for the driver, but it is potentially harmful to everyone in the vehicle. My immediate reaction when this occurs ( it happens frequently) is to focus on the radio and off of the road, regardless of whether I am driving low speed or high speed on an interstate, or even when I’m turning at an intersection. Very dangerous! There are no warnings prior to the “full blast” of volume.
We had a rock fly up and hit the windshield 7" below top center of windshield, on impact the crack was over 12" in length, now the Crack is now over 24" in length.
Windshield cracked for no reason at all. This vehicle had been parked on my driveway and had not been driven in about 3 days. There are no trees or anything near the driveway that could have fallen on the car. While the car was parked on my driveway, the car was facing away from the street. The next morning the crack had already expanded and covered most of the middle part of the windshield. Contacting a local dealer was a nightmare. The dealer person said they're not responsible for a replacement. They looked the other way saying "we just sell the cars", and suggested to take it to Subaru of America. I'm currently waiting for a response from Subaru of America.
Windshield cracked without any obvious impact. Passenger side, lower half of glass. Crack came from the edge of the glass.
Purchased a 2022 Subaru Outback in late August 2021. We been driving regularly and on Friday July the 1st, we were leaving home going to dinner, got in the car to a crack in the windshield extending from the top center edge of the windshield to the center of the windshield. No impact chip is visible, or by touch. No known rock or debris impact while I was driving. We have been very careful with my nice new car and this is extremely disappointing. Due to the holiday, we were unable to contact the dealer until Tuesday July the 5th. As of the day we contact the dealer the crack is now two thirds down the windshield on a vertical plane and beginning to spider horizontally from the center to the left and the right.
Windshield cracked completely without impact
Very tiny rock hit the windshield without much force but still caused a ding in the windshield. Glass appears to be excessively fragile.
Spontaneous windshield crack. Crack went from drivers side edge of glass horizontally across approximately 2/3 of the windshield. After approximately 2 days, the crack began to seperate, it was nearly a 1/4" wide by the time it was replaced. There was no obvious sign of an impact, I assumed there had been an impact, but am concerned of an actual defect as I am hearing reports of this spontaneous cracking becoming more common.
Windshield cracked while driving did not see anything large object hit
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, a horizontal crack formed on the middle driver’s side edge of the windshield. Within thirty minutes, the contact stated that the crack had expanded vertically and horizontally across the windshield to approximately 22-inches horizontally and 2.5-inches vertically. The contact stated that the crack obstructed her vision while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and neither offered any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 3,550.
Vehicle navigation system crashes with a black screen once or twice a day. While the system is rebooting, navigation, Eyesight and Reverse Automatic Braking are disabled. Needless to say, this is very distracting and especially bad since Eyesight is required to avoid a collision. This has happened multiple times over the 11 months that I've owned the vehicle.
Windshield failed while car sitting in driveway. No impact found on windshield. Took to a dealership where they refused to acknowledge that it was not caused by impact and would not replace. Having to spend $1000 to fix a defect on vehicle.
I walked out to my car on Monday morning June 27th and the windshield on my 2022 Outback Wilderness was cracked on passenger side. No prior Rock Impact and only 2,807 miles . Submitted a claim with the dealer. Have not heard back yet. Manager said to call him back on Friday.
My windshield simply cracked for no reason that I can tell. I parked it in garage and came out the next morning and there was a crack all the way across to middle of the car. Started on the driver side mid height of the windshield and ran horizontally to just under the eyesight cameras. I don't see where anything hit it or chipped it.
Windshield is stress cracking. I am on my 3rd windshield in about 1 year.
Windshield developed a crack of about 20” that starts at the passenger side of the vehicle and worked its way inward.
Windshield chips and cracks easily- I have had my car for less than 4k miles- I had one small chip near top of windshield, and within 2 weeks time it has spread almost all the way down and through the windshield. In that time I have had 2 other small chips to the glass and as of now they have not spread in the heat but I will be watching closely. The crack effects my ability to see road clearly and is worrisome that any rock on the road has the ability to cause not only damage to the vehicle, but could cause an accident. In speaking with a coworker who has similar make and model to me, they have the same issues since buying their car in the last year.
-Windshield has spontaneous crack with no indication of any dent or chips due to object hitting. The vehicle is extremely new, picked up a month ago. -The windshield crack is getting bigger and likely will be a hazard for the driver and passenger of the vehicle. -Dealer is saying this is not covered under warranty. Dealer is saying go to insurance and they will replace at zero cost. -This will probably be my first and last Subaru. There are many posts online with other Outback owners reporting this issue.
Windshield spontaneously cracked while car was parked- I had just gotten in the car and waiting for my passenger to enter when it cracked from the driver's side edge to center of glass. Upon inspection, no crater or damage was visible or palpable.
The windshield cracked after only having the car for 10 days
Windshield spontaneously cracked with no damage occurring to it. Subaru claims they do not cover window repair under warranty.
Windshield cracked after 1,200 miles. I do not recall any rock hit and do not see any hit point.
Large crack (roughly 18in) appeared overnight on passenger side windshield. No known cause as it was parked in a garage when crack appeared overnight.
Main Wiring harness / Main Electrical system malfunction, causing all dash lights to consistently be on. which in turn prevents all of the ADAS functions to no longer work. Vehicle has now been in 2 accidents which could have been prevented by these safety features. vehicle had had main harness replaced at dealers cost at dealership , and one at cost of insurance, problem remains unfixed/unfixable. vehicle is specifically 2022 Subaru outback Onxy XT.
My wife who is a small statured woman was leaving parking lot of church onto a narrow 2 lane street. As she made a left turn, the right front tire climbed the curb and dropped back onto the street. The car suddenly accelerated to top speed and crushed into a tree about 50 yards down the street. Airbags deployed causing bone breaks in left cavalcule, fractured ribs and T12. The driver is short and must sit almost against the steering wheel to drive. Without much effort to stretch her toes, she is unable to push the accelerator to the floor. she said she tried to push on the brake with no results. Eyewitnesses said they watch as she was leaving, they noted the car "jumping the curb" and said the car suddenly accelerated to a very high speed and crashed into a tree. There were no distinctive marks to show any stopping action.
My wife was driving and was involved in traffic accident when the airbags deployed. She is a small person and has the driver's seat pulled all the way forward so she operate the vehicle. I was concern about her seating so close the steering wheel and the airbag, but told by the dealer personnel that airbags where mandatory and any tampering voids warranty, etc. She was in an accident and the airbag deployed, she suffered substantial injuries to her upper body including fractures of the clavicule, breastbone, numerous ribs and her T12. Doctors said it was almost miraculous she survived. The is significant data available on the impact of airbags. The forces expended and the bodily damages that can occur. It must be known the a body so close to the activation of the airbag could have fatal consequence but so little has been made public about this danger. We've heard about devices exploding and causing injuries and fatalities but from sitting so close to the steering wheel. And a simple fix, if the seat is fully forward, the airbag is deactivated or test to find a place where it would not be a dangerous weapon. To be injured severely or even killed by safety equipment is the height of stupidity especially when it worked as designed.
Windshield large cracking in less than 3 months of ownership. Crack began initially about a week ago, around 4-6" in length, and has grown substantially to over 20" in the time I have waited for a replacement. Local subaru dealership has looked at the crack and taken photos. No replacement is available yet. Crack size is currently around 22" total length, and spreading daily with temperature fluctuations.
I came out to my car in the morning to go to work and there was a huge S-shaped crack in the windshield radiating from the base of the window from under the plastic. Nothing hit it and there is no visible strike. It continues to grow. It is smooth single, long crack about a foot or more long. Very strange and appears like a manufacturer defect as the car only has 2,196 miles.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the front windshield cracked without impact. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front windshield to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure for a second time. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer and had the front windshield replaced a second time. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure for a third time. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer and had the front windshield replaced for a third time. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Windshield cracked in first 50 miles.
Windshield was struck by a very small pebble. The windshield cracked at the point of impact, and spread into over a foot long crack.
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.
A 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.
I drove to work, parked my car and 10 hours later came out and there was a crack in the windshield. Nothing hit my window on the drive to work. I park my car in a gated lot with cameras. It is a smooth cut from the edge of the window and goes across just past the halfway mark. I immediately drove to the dealership and made them aware. The crack is exactly in my line of sight which makes the sun refract directly into my eyes when it is sunny.
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).
MY 2022 OUTBACK HAS LESS THAN 3,000 MILES ON IT. ALWAYS GARAGED. I PARKED IT OUTSIDE OVER THE NOON HOUR, CAME OUT AND THE WINDSHIELD HAD A 6" CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE; CRACKED FROM THE EDGE MIDWAY UP. THERE ARE NO ROCK CHIPS OR IMPACT DAMAGE. I CALLED SUBARU ADVISORY LINE AND ADVISED THEM OF PROBLEM THEY SAID TO CONTACT DEALER TO GET INSPECTED FOR MFG DEFECTS. I HAVE REACHED OUT THE DEALER FOR APPT. RESOLUTION IS IN PROGRESS. THIS IS MY #8 SUBARU AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS BEFORE.
Front Windshield has a straight line crack running down from the top to the middle. I just got the car for 3 months with 2k miles. It was parked in my garage overnight and this morning I found a straight line crack about a 2 feet wide across the windshield. I know there's a class action lawsuit and this issue is very common. I hope we can win this fight. This is unacceptable.
Windshield spontaneously cracked on lower right side. Crack spread within minutes across entire windshield. This happened in May 2022 in fairly decent temperatures in the upper 60’s
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, a small rock struck the windshield and immediately caused a crack. The windshield was replaced by the insurance company and the dealer. The contact stated that while driving a cracking sound was heard and the windshield cracked with glass pieces falling off. The contact stated that no injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that a rock had struck the windshield causing the damage. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she was informed that she should contact NHTSA as there was an issue with the OEM windshields. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,800.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, a horizontal crack developed on the middle edge of the passenger’s side windshield. The contact stated that the crack formed without impact and slowly spread towards the middle of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack obstructed her vision while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Seems the Windshield on the Subaru Wilderness Outback cracks with the slightest rock hit. Inquiry on an online Subaru Wilderness forum, it seems the cracking of these windshields occur quite frequently. Thought Subaru resolved in the class action around their 2015-2016 models. Apparently not.
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 now 12 inches. This is very disheartening.
Spontaneous crack of the windshield
I discovered substantial seat belt fraying on the rear center seatbelt on my Outback Wilderness, mileage less than 3,600, on May 12, 2022. Photos will be attached. One fray is 1/4" x 1/4", is 30" from the tip end of the connector tongue, and has separated the belt. The second fray is 1/4" x 11/4" and is 34" from the tip end of the connector tongue. Both frays are on the same side or edge of the belt. Other than the frays, the belt was in new condition. I believe the belt to have been furnished in a defective condition or there is a defect in the retracting apparatus. There is no external cause of the fraying that I could determine. The belt has been replaced by the dealer, Adventure Subaru, of Fayetteville, Arkansas. A separate complaint will be submitted related to a 2019 Ascent we own that had three belts replaced with nearly identical fraying patterns.
Vehicle has 10,800 miles and this is the third broken windshield. The smallest road debris results in failure of the Carlex factory equipped windshield. I have never replaced a windshield in 35 years of driving many vehicles, this 2022 Subaru Outback appears to break continually. It is a costly repair.
Small chip in windshield turned into larger crack, spreading across windshield by the morning.
On a hot day, 90F my window cracked after i turned on the AC unit. Next day it cracked even further.