Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2022 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 he had taken the vehicle to the dealer for standard maintenance. When parked, the contact noticed that smoke was coming from underneath the vehicle. A loud popping noise occurred then a fire started underneath the hood of the vehicle. The fire quickly spread. The fire department extinguished the fire. There was no damage. There were no injuries and medical attention was not needed. A fire/police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and is with insurance waiting for the condition of the vehicle to be determined. The vehicle had not been officially diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,260.
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 owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the message "EyeSight Disabling" was displayed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle then lost motive power and was unable to restart. The contact called 911, and two bystanders assisted in pushing the vehicle to a Jiffy Lube. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, there was an abnormal oil-burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that there was an oil leak coming from the lower oil pan. There was oil dripping onto the exhaust system, creating a potential fire hazard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,400.
Driving on the highway, engine started making a rattling noise, then began to labor and eventually stopped being able to accelerate at all. Oil pressure warning light came on around the time the acceleration gave out altogether. We pulled over to the side of the highway and got out of the car, seeing steam/white smoke coming out of the front of the car. The smoke increased and after several minutes, the front of the car caught on fire.
The initial incident occurred on July 31, 2021. I used the push button start to start the car, put the vehicle in reverse, and the vehicle proceeded to roll uncontrolled down my driveway, which is on a slope. I had no power steering or power brakes. I was able to safely stop the vehicle with no incident other than damage to the plastic over the right rear taillight. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it, and everything seemed operational. It seemed that the car's engine had not turned on, only the electrical system. The same issue happened repeatedly over the next few days. In observing what was happening, I have noticed that the push button ignition requires a significant press in order for the vehicle to start correctly - quite different from my experience with our previous two push-button start vehicles. In the "Getting Started Guide, Outback 2022", p. …
On January 28, 2023 at approximately 1930 hours, vehicle battery was dead after being in a parking garage for a week. Vehicle was jump started and being driven on a highway for about 10 miles at highway speeds. At a location on the NYC Harlem River Drive, traffic came to a stop for a minute or so. The 'Auto Start Stop System' stopped the motor as designed. When traffic started to move again, the motor would not restart and the battery was dead. We were disabled in the left lane of an unlit high speed, high volume highway in the dark with our emergency flashers rapidly going dim. After about 45 minutes and numerous near serious collision misses, a tow truck arrived to tow us off of the highway. The system that failed was the 'Auto Start Stop System' and the vehicle is available for inspection. …
This is in response to your boilerplate letter of May 25, 2024. That correspondence stated that my 2022 Subaru Outback's inspection of May 21, 2024, did not reveal any manufacturing defect that caused the unanticipated acceleration of my vehicle on April 26, 2024. That inspection was conducted by a third-party engineering firm. In amplification of this, the following is provided: My vehicle on 26 April 2024, at approximately at 0845 AM experienced unanticipated acceleration, in my garage where it had been parked overnight. It was a cool morning. This occurred without any direct body movement from me, whatsoever. The fast forward motion I directly experienced in my vehicle was like if one put their gas pedal to the floor. The vehicle crashed about five feet into a garage shelf with me simultaneously providing braking. …
On May 19th 2026 around noon time, while we (me and my wife passenger) were driving my 2022 Subaru Outback Touring (2.5L, non-turbo) in active congested traffic on our way to airport, the engine shut off as expected by the Auto Start-Stop system when I came to a stop. When I released the brake pedal to proceed, the engine failed to automatically restart. The vehicle became immobilized in a live traffic lane, creating a serious safety hazard with traffic backed up behind me and oncoming vehicles unable to predict my situation. No warning lights or alerts preceded the failure. After shifting to Park and pressing the ignition button multiple times, the engine eventually restarted. There was no prior history of stalling, no check engine light, and the battery and vehicle have been maintained per Subaru's schedule. …
Related recalls
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).
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.
Engine complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2022 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2022 Subaru Outback, 5% of the model year's 465 complaints. The component named most often is engine › oil/lubrication (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2022 Subaru Outback engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-473 (engine control module (ecu/ecm), Jul 1, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2022 Subaru Outback engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles, and 60% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.