2022 SUBARU OUTBACK Electrical System Problems

I experienced two serious electrical failures within a few days that caused the vehicle to stall without warning. At Nov 29, 2025, after parking for about 20 minutes, the car would not start. Symptoms included: • Very weak clicking from the starter • Dashboard flickering and dimming • Unable to shift out of Park without manual override • Jump-start did not work even though power was delivered The vehicle was towed to the Subaru dealer. The dealer reported: • Battery “low but fine after charging” • Alternator “normal” • Starter “normal” • No warning codes On Dec 2, 2025 the vehicle had been released without repairs. Only a few minutes after leaving the dealer, the car stalled in live traffic during an Auto Stop/Start event. Symptoms: • Immediate loss of all electrical power • All warning lights flashing erratically • Hazard lights did NOT illuminate externally • Gear shifter locked again • Vehicle would not restart on battery • Subaru roadside assistance jump-started the vehicle With Auto Stop/Start disabled, it was barely drivable and returned to the dealer. This appears to be a serious electrical or charging-system failure, possibly involving: • intermittent alternator failure • voltage collapse during Auto Stop/Start • BCM or power distribution fault The vehicle can stall unpredictably in traffic without warning, creating a significant risk of collision.This is not normal battery discharge — the battery was fully charged at the dealer minutes before the second failure. I am filing this complaint because this issue is dangerous and the dealer cannot reproduce or diagnose it. A formal investigation or recall may be necessary.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2022 Subaru Outback. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 19,821, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 79,653.

Mileage: 79,653

Last year, my car would not start up again after the start stop feature activated in an intersection. This is after leaving the dealer who told me the car was fine. I’ve since replaced the battery. It still is sluggish to start at times. It is especially bad starting when start stop is activated. I turn the feature off every time I start the car. I’m worried every time I take a long trip I will get stranded. The dealer cannot find anything wrong with it they say. The automatic braking system is also horrible. It goes on prematurely and I’m sure damages the car.

2ND time car won't start. First time was 6m ago, pulled battery, tested, bad, replaced battery. Getting ready to charge battery, if bad, will tow to subaru dealership. Last time, subaru tested, said nothing wrong. if your car won't start, how do you function. Went on line and you can't believe how many people suffer with this. Seems like the same drain on the system, from starlink, lights, not shutting down like there supposed too.

The touchscreen shuts down and makes the safety features shut off. This use to happen a few times per quarter, but now is happening a few times per month. Happens always while driving which causes the adaptive cruise to shut off, causing deceleration, the eyesight shuts off, the controls on the keyboard are not available. It takes a minute or two for the screen to reboot and safety features to re-engage, this causes distraction and possible safety hazard. Additionally, the speakers randomly will blast so loud it startles and distracts everyone in the car. This seems to happen randomly, can be at start up, or after sound system has been in use. Additionally, the power windows occasionally will not go back up. Thry reverse partway through raising. Then we have to wait a few seconds and try again. Please make Subaru issue a recall and remedy for-the control screen issue. It is the most dangerous problem we’ve listed here.

The car has been to the dealership five times for electrical/computer issues. First the main dash UI computer screen would occassionally lock up and freeze shutting all safety systems off. (cruise control, lane holding, blind spot warning, etc.) Then the battery failure issues started - basically four times the car when parked and sitting overnight for approximately one week - will not start and the battery is completely dead. This is a know Subaru issue with earlier models and even involved a class action lawsuit. Subaru has not fixed the issue in newer model cars and continues to deny it is an issue. This is gross negligence by continuing to make unsafe cars with the same flaw and nof fixing the issue.

Automatic auto off-on began to fail and car didn't start well. I began to disable the automatic auto on off while driving because it began to sound like it would stall out while stopped at a traffic light . Then I forgot to disable the automatic auto off on and car stalled out while stopped at a traffic light. I took it to dealer, Rafferty Subaru, they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Then a few days later check engine light and other icons started flashing on dashboard. I took it to dealer, they said the gas cap was off. For the next week the automatic auto off on sounded like it would fail so I disabled it, the car didn't start normally every morning, and it began to feel like it didn't shift correctly as I accelerated or slowed down. About one day later it suddenly lurched to almost a stop while driving, check engine light was flashing, other icons on dashboard were flashing, the Park Brake icon started flashing. The engine continued to run but I couldn't go more than 2 mph. I put it in park and it started to smell like something was burning so I turned it off. I had to have it towed to the dealer, Rafferty Subaru.

The vehicle has a power drain that occurs randomly. I purchased the vehicle used in Jan 2023. The car is driven daily at least 40-50 miles. The first occurrence it would not start in 11/23, jump started and it was fine for 3 months. The second time it would not start I checked the battery and it was completely drained. Jump started and I have had no problems yet. No accessories or lights were left on. I have a monitor on the OCB port and it shows the battery voltage on a 24 hour scale. I can see it drops down to a low level for a short time every 4-5 hours and then returns to normal. I don’t want to lose the battery in the middle of nowhere.

Purchased my 2022 Outback Premium March 2022. In less than a year, the Star Link Console was restarting at least once a day. Then it began restarting more frequently. The Subaru Dealership updated the software and the restarts slowed to maybe once every few weeks instead of the 3 to 4 times in 30 minutes. Then the restarts began again. The Subaru Dealership updated the software a 2nd time in less than 9 months. Then the restart began more frequently; again. The 3rd service visit to the Subaru Dealership upgraded the firmware to a newer version. In less than 6 months, the screen is rebooting with more frequency and Eye Sight is causing Subaru to email and text notices of an issue. This is now February 2024, my 4th visit for the same issue. Although, this time is worse. The screen is restarting every 2 to 3 minutes, but the screen won't stay when it shows the logo and the screen is completely black. Now, the electronic driver's controls screen and the Star Link screen ae malfunctioning. It doesn't matter if the vehicle is travelling (any speed) or idle when it restarts or goes completely black. Once the car was turned off for about 1 hour after reaching my destination. I returned to my Outback, started the ignition and it took more than 2 miles for both the black screen to boot up and show any information. Several codes and symbols showed up, but then the screens rebooted again. My 2022 Outback has been at the Subaru Dealership for nearly 7 days and service is informing me that Corporate has to collect digital information to confirm replacement of the Star Link Consoles.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, he observed a noise coming from the front window. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown component in the A/C needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact observed a crack in the middle of the windshield. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure six times and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 25,000.

Mileage: 25,000

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, there was a smoke odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed smoke coming from the battery. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

Mileage: 40,000

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to drive off from a stop light, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and unknown messages were displayed, and the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. During the failure, an audible alarm was activated and the message "Shift to Park and Restart" was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. No cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Mileage: 40,000

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.

Mileage: 23,000

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 had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

Mileage: 17,000

The relatively new car (2022) stalls out randomly at intersections and red lights. This is a major safety issue as we have had the car totally shut down in the middle of 2 busy intersections. We had to dial 911 and have the police come to assist. We brought the car to the dealer and they did not find a problem but it continued to happen. There were no warning lights or messages - stalling happened randomly. May be related to the gas saver engine stop feature when at a complete stop.

Repeated dead battery with no known cause

I've experienced problems with the center Infotainment screen about 2 months after purchasing a 2022 Outback Wilderness edition. It seems to happen when I use Apple CarPlay (as this is the only way I listen to music and must plug in my phone using the USB to start CarPlay). The Infotainment screen has a long lag time to respond to clicks on the center screen, will freeze, and crash the system suddenly. The most extreme effect of this is that when the Infotainment screen crashes/freezes, the EyeSight safety features of the car such as Lane Keeping Assistance, Blind Spot Warning, Forward Crash Warning also stop working. I'll see all of the dashboard signals and notifications on the dashboard screen indicating the features are disabled. Additionally, I'm unable to control the AC when the screen crash happens. This happens while the vehicle is in operation and the vehicle user manual doesn't provide any troubleshoot options. Sometimes the screen will remain on after I've turned the car off. I can only hope the screen will shut off and restart after I've completely shut the car off to "fix this". There have been many times I've had to keep driving without the Eyesight safety features or AC when the screen crashes. I've tried to update the Infotainment screen myself with the supposedly "over the air" updates Subaru offers. It says my system is up to date even though I've found online Subaru service bulletins saying there are new software versions released. At my first six month dealer service, I asked about released updates and the service manager denied the newest updates can be installed on my car (which is STILL less than a year old). I brought my vehicle to another subaru dealership with this issue and they said they are aware of it. The service manager also said that the software update only fixes about 20% of vehicles that have this issue and a full replacement of the center screen unit is likely needed. Why has the NHTSA not directed Subaru to issue a recall?

8/1/23 - the Electronic center console display as well as the display behind the steering wheel continually fails. The center console controls all electronics such as defroster, heater, and of the advance safety features. The display behind the steering wheel controls the odometer, speed etc. The inability to control any vehicle functions is a huge safety risk. For example, the defroster can not be accessed not controlled. If you had an immediate need for this, you would have to stop driving immediately. No advanced safety features can be accessed, you have no idea of your speed, the list goes on. We have brought the car in twice and had a software update but the problem persists. We left the car for a week and were told it was fine but the next day the issue persisted. The display screen will come and go which is completely unacceptable from a safety standpoint. The Subaru forums seem to indicate this is a widespread problem that Subaru has yet to address or come up with a viable solution. We have the records to back up all of these assertions as well as video of the failures of the display screen once returned to us.

Multiple occasions of dead battery or stalling in an intersection have occurred since the car was 6 months old, with mileage of only 3,000 miles. Dead battery accompanied by electrical malfunctions such as loss of nav system, climate control system, and driving safety systems. Battery failure in cold weather in Michigan winter resulting in long waits for tow truck. Loss of heat in very cold temps on a road trip.

1. Vehicle doesn’t start when sitting just for a couple of days. Battery isn’t dead as lights, radio, etc work. The vehicle will start if jumped. Happened last year and was in and out of the dealership 3 times with this issue. They replaced the battery, but issue still persisted. They ended up doing a “software update “ which seemed to fix the issue. But just a year later I’m having a very similar issue with the vehicle not starting. This vehicle only has 14,000 miles on it. Do their batteries only last 1 year/ 7l miles? 2. The information screen freezes quite a bit we’re you’re not able to control the radio, air/heat etc. there seems to be electrical issues with this vehicle.

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.

Mileage: 4,260

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, she entered the vehicle to start the vehicle; however, the engine failed to turn over. An unknown electrical system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery tray and battery holder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,322.

Mileage: 9,322

battery failure

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. I have 40 years of investigating and reconstructing fatal and serious motor vehicle collisions and this defect put the safety of the motoring public at a serious risk. It is unknown if the problem has been reproduced and the component has not been inspected by the manufacturer. There was not any warning indicators or other symptoms of the problem. To the contrary, the vehicle operator had the false assumption that all systems were operating properly. This defect presents a high risk of serious injury to highway users.

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.

Subarus forward looking eyesight and rear auto braking functions will stop working periodically also the stereo/infotainment system will go blank causing you to no longer access the the safety features of the car or any controls for the heating/AC system.

Battery is draining without cause. It's required two jumpstarts in one week.

Rab system not working, no foward or reverse cameras work. No climate control access, no radio, no GPS, can't access any touch screen controls

On or about April 28, 2022, while traveling on route 95 North (an interstate highway) utilizing the Factory GPS system which is in the center console, the entire console went blank. I immediately grew concerned the vehicle steering or acceleration was about to fail and pulled over on the shoulder of the interstate. I turned off the vehicle and restarted it, yet the screen remained blank, which meant I could not control the heat, defroster, air conditioning, GPS, radio, the USB ports, the telephone connections, and etcetera; all were inoperable. As I continued to drive the screen remained blank or blacked out. I pulled into a rest area and waited 20 minutes with the vehicle turned off, and when I restarted the vehicle, it operated normally. On April 29, 2022, vehicle mileage 10,389, I took my 2022 Outback to Subaru, while at the dealership the dealership diagnosed the problem as follows: a new center console Cockpit Control Unit Assembly-Navigation and Display Assembly was ordered. I was told the dealership would contact me when the part arrived. I did not hear from the dealership and on June 27, 2022, vehicle mileage 16,282, I returned to Subaru for the third (3rd) time, and I informed them the problem with the center console continued. I was advised that additional testing was needed. According to the service records a miscellaneous check for the latest software was completed, issue was not resolved, the console failed to accept the updates and a new console was ordered. No warning lamps, codes or errors were noticed, the screen goes blank and the driver wonders what will occur next. In this model, 2022 Outback XT Limited, the screen is over 12 inches tall and is the predominant electrical system in the vehicle. The problem was replicated by the dealership on 5 service visits, it is available for inspection, although the concern occurs daily it is intermitent. After 6 visits the problem has not been repaired/rectified.

The car was not used for two weeks (parked at home garage). When we came back from our trip, the battery died. Everything (lights etc.) had been turned off. The tow service came to jump started my car, and I drove to the dealership. I took it to the dealership, they inspected the car, recharged the battery, sent me home. The service person suggested I put in a battery tender to keep car outback charged while being away for a while. The car was purchased in late May 2022. If we had driven the car to park at airport while we were on vacation, we would have been stranded at the parking lot. A safety hazard! Apparently the dead battery issue with Subaru Outback is an known issue.

Battery drained, car would not start. First occurrence with new car at 831 miles, battery diagnosed as defective and replaced by manufacturer. Second occurrence at 4620 miles after sitting unused 8 days at airport parking, battery drained and most "check engine" lights on after jump-starting. EyeSight and most safety features disabled until checked and reset by manufacturer. Manufacturer quote "CAUSE: Problem due to vehicle sitting for more than a week low battery voltage concern. Recharged battery and it passes test. 100009 No problem found." Maintenance rep said car is working to specs. However a periodic dead battery to seniors who do not drive daily but desperately need a reliable car in case of sudden emergencies is cause for a safety concern.

Battery dies or runs so low the vehicle won’t start, if a door/hatchback is left open just a short time with the engine turned off. Or if the key fob is in the cab more than a few minutes with the engine off, or the accessory function is used more than a few minutes with the engine off. I bought the car on July 21st 2022. On July 26st 2022 I was driving it on a Jeep road and pulled over and stopped for 10-15 minutes, car/engine turned off. When I returned the car wouldn’t start. I tried to start it repeatedly. It appeared to be a low battery. I may have left the door ajar but don’t believe so. I did sit in the car a few minutes with the engine off. My phone was plugged in to the car and I used it for a few minutes. I possibly could have left the key fob in the car but don’t think so. About 15 minutes later, after exiting the vehicle, I got back in and it started. I researched online and found this has been a problem with Subaru Outbacks. Lawsuits have been filed. I called the dealership and talked to the salesman and he said he had no idea why my car hadn’t started. Which I find hard to believe. If this had happened a few miles further out in the desert and I was gone from the car longer and the battery completely failed it would have been a life threatening situation. It was a 100 degree day and phone reception was spotty. I’m 67 and had water but a 6 mile walk back to civilization wouldn’t have been easy. I’ve read that many Outback owners carry a jump-start device-battery. I’ll get one, they’re cheap. But still the dealerships and Subaru should inform/warn customers of this issue BEFORE they buy or leave the premises. I wouldn’t have bought the car if I knew. Subaru’s are marketed as outdoor friendly and this model, the Wilderness, supposedly designed just fit that. How many people are being stranded in dangerous situations? Leaving the hatchback open while camping as they unload the car engine off-dead battery. I’ve heardrumors online of a software fix

1. Front Windshield cracks easily instead of chipping. Appears to be under pressure in a strange way and it cracks then starts to delaminate. I had 2 windshields replaced within 30 days. Water also starts to enter the crack and it impacts the wiper blades when in use. 2. Center Info-Tainment system in underpowered to the degree that touch response is laggy to the degree to be dangerous. With all the climate controls, radio, gps, and other controls now on the touch screen this slowness is dangerous to the point that should warrant a recall. I've had a system update done and this did not fix the slow touch response. It appears to be underpowered hardware.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that whenever the weather was below 15 degrees, the vehicle would fail to start up as needed. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that an unknown sensor needed to be replaced however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.

Mileage: 9,000

We have a Brand New 2022 Subaru Outback premium We parked it in our indoor garage for 1 week. We left no lights on, etc. We came back and could not start the car. The dashboard lit up, a lot of flashing icons, the radio and lights came on. We called service they charged battery fully, we drove car for over an hour. Parked in garage. Today, next morning, same thing Had it towed to local dealer. They said would replace battery, no charge (of course) I checked on line and saw an article about this issue affecting Many Subaru owners, that Subaru is well aware, and has not solved the issue. So people have to replace battery fairly often. I can not rely on this car. I am going to join the Class Action Lawsuit now.

Battery completely died on a nearly brand new car overnight, after being parked for less than 48h at temperatures around 5°F. Took it to a dealer who claims that the LED dome light was left on, draining the battery. However, the dome light is an LED light rated at about 100mA @ 13V, and the battery is rated over 100 Amp-hours (de-rated to 45% at ~0°F, so a single dome light by itself should take around ~450 hours to drain a fully-charged battery. It seems like even brand new Subaru Outback 2022s are affected by major parasitic drain battery issues.

Car is suffering from "Parasitic Drain". Car is brand new with only a little over 200miles on it. Dealer has had to tow in the car twice already. Battery has been replaced. Car has so far been DOA 3 times in Driveway with a weeks' time.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would independently accelerate without warning. The contact would be forced to place the vehicle into neutral to stop the acceleration. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and recently became more frequent. The contact also stated that an abnormal grinding noise would emit from the vehicle when the vehicle would independently accelerate. The contact called the dealer and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer kept the vehicle for almost two weeks and was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 700. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 700

2022 Subaru Outback is new as of June 2021. 2 times I have had to get a jump start. No light were left on and doors and hatchback closed

Vehicle was purhased in early June 2021. Vehicle was being operated on State Highway Route 55 at Milepost 46.7, in Elk Township, Gloucester County. Traffic was heavy, with southbound transient traffic traveling to New Jersey Shore points. Vehicle simultaneously lost power and began to display several error/warning messages on dashboard at approximately 13:52 hours. Vehicle was pulled to the right shoulder of the roadway and I began to smell something burning. As I removed personal effects from vehicle I exited and saw smoke coming from the passenger's side wheel well. I walked back approximately 100 feet and called 911, by time a dispatcher came answered, the engine compartment of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. No modifications of any kind were done to the vehicle since its purchase. I was the sole occupant of the vehicle and not injured. The vehicle is fully insured and payments are current. It's mileage at the time of the incident are 3,042. That information along with the error messages were provided through the Subaru Starlink App.