Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11709629

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2022 SUBARU OUTBACK

Manufacturer

Subaru of America, Inc.

Components

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES

Dates

Incident: 11/15/2025
Filed: 01/08/2026

Owner complaint summary

I am writing to report what I believe is a significant ergonomic issue with my vehicle. Every time I drive the car—even for short trips—I experience pain on the right side and toward the back of my knee. I have owned the vehicle for several weeks and have made numerous adjustments to the seat position in an effort to resolve the issue, but the pain has persisted. After researching reviews and feedback from other owners of the same model, I believe the problem may be related to the design and placement of the center console and pedal alignment. Specifically, the center console appears to be quite large and positioned very close to the gas pedal, and/or the brake pedal seems to be shifted further to the left than expected. This positioning appears to cause my right knee to overextend when braking. Because I live in a city environment and frequently encounter stop-and-go traffic, this issue is constant and has become unmanageable. Although I truly enjoy every other aspect of this vehicle, the ongoing pain makes it impossible for me to continue driving it comfortably or safely. As a result, I will be trading in the vehicle for a different model, despite my overall satisfaction with its other features. I wanted to formally document this concern in case it is helpful for future design considerations or evaluations, particularly if other drivers are experiencing similar discomfort. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11709629). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11709629. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.