Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2022 Subaru Outback has 465 owner complaints, the most, 255, concerning windows, mirrors and wipers. Combined fuel economy is 24 to 29 mpg on gasoline, with a 5-year fuel cost of $11,200 to $13,530 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 stars. It has 4 recall campaigns covering air bags, transmission and drivetrain, windows, mirrors and wipers, and others, which may apply to this car.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
24–29 mpgcombined; city 22–26, highway 26–33; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,200–$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $10,010–$12,090 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2022 Outback. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 465 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Outback. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Visibility/wiper
255
0
0
0
Unknown or other
87
0
1
0
Electrical system
52
1
3
0
Visibility
26
0
0
0
Engine
23
1
3
0
Forward collision avoidance
23
3
0
0
Power train
18
1
0
1
Lane departure
11
1
0
2
Service brakes
10
2
0
0
Structure
7
0
0
1
Air bags
6
2
0
2
Fuel/propulsion system
6
1
1
1
11 more parts
Steering
4
0
0
2
Vehicle speed control
4
3
0
1
Exterior lighting
3
0
0
0
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Suspension
3
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2022 Outback over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
Risk: 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.
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).
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 405 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2022 Outback, the latest on Oct 5, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (247), equipment (105), engine (52), power train (46), engine and engine cooling (36).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2022 Outback.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Outback All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S8)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 33 / 29
Outback All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AV-S8)
Regular Gasoline
23 / 30 / 26
Outback Wilderness All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AV-S8)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 26 / 24
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data