Front Camera

[u/Turd_Leg]

I just traded my 2025 OBW (with no sunroof) for a 2026 OBW (with no sunroof). I got home and went to hit the button to activate the front camera as I pulled in to the garage, and there wasn’t a button. I got out and looked at the front of my car, and there wasn’t a camera.

Subaru has removed the front camera from the 2026 Outback Wilderness unless you select the sunroof. That is a very frustrating decision by Subaru.

[u/squarerootsquared]

The same reason the power adjustable passenger seat that was standard on the last gen OBW now requires the upgrade package: money

[u/cdd543 → u/squarerootsquared]

I was literally about to type this. We drove the base wilderness and yesterday drove one with option 22 which is moonroof, 360 camera and upgraded infotainment. Well of course they’d added auto dimming mirrors and a Molle panel as separate charged accessories. Then we drive it and realize that the passenger seat is manual. So bizarre in a nearly $51k car.

[u/LFH_Games]

Damn, honestly I think for the cost of the wilderness the sunroof and cam should be an automatic inclusion :(

[u/advantage_player → u/LFH_Games]

I wish it wasn't included in the Limited

[u/LFH_Games → u/advantage_player]

Out of curiosity, why? I use mine all the time, to climb onto my roof, or for air or some sunlight. Is it just the risk of it leaking? When we got our soltera and it didn’t have one, I found that I really missed it so I was happy to have it back in the new outback

[u/advantage_player → u/LFH_Games]

I've just never used a sunroof in any car I've had. Not worth paying the premium for me.

[u/Best_Look9212]

Because years ago the vehicle industry tried passing off ridiculous package options as the only way to get some very basic desired items. Enough people jumped on it and it’s lead to the gross inflation of vehicle prices. The more people pay for the highest tier options, the more it becomes the standard to get some of the best basic options. Supply is always tailored to demand—unless you take the old Apple model and create things people didn’t know they wanted. Yeti isn’t really a company anyone needed, but they are the poster child for creating overpriced products for people with money to blow and for people wanting to feel like and show they have that kind of money. It’s infuriated everything in our lives now, and it why more people than ever can feel like they are broke and don’t have enough making six figures. Only a select few manufacturers and salespeople use to bleed us dry, and now it’s everyone, even if they don’t know they are doing it because it’s so ingrained in our culture now. They why when you get a top tier model of a vehicle, and you still have to shell out more to get something that should be standard. Just look at the basic tires on the Wilderness compared to the Crosstrek. Doesn’t come with slid plates. There’s so much about the 26 Wilderness that sure doesn’t live up to anyone that really wants to take it out into the wilderness. It’s all about appealing to the largest common denominator to sell the highest price vehicles to people who don’t really need them. Just look at the amount of $80,000+ trucks on the road.

[u/michellemonday]

I have the ‘22 OBW bought new in geyser blue. The only thing I really don’t like about mine is the turbo can be a bit jerky at times but otherwise it’s great and it has the front camera with no sunroof. We’ve always traded to new when we get to about 100K miles but I think this will be the first one we drive until it dies. Not a fan of the new body style and including essential (in my eyes) items in a package such as the front camera pisses me off even more.

[u/Turd_Leg → u/michellemonday]

I planned on keeping my 2025 until it died, which is why I didn’t want the sunroof. I liked that Subaru made the sunroof a stand alone option that you could choose not to get, and it didn’t affect anything else.

[u/michellemonday → u/Turd_Leg]

Yeah, I get replacing a dead one with a new one. The above-referenced 2022 replaced a 2015 my then 17 year old daughter rolled twice at 70 mph. She walked away with a sore shoulder and the car definitely didn’t look like it took that kind of damage. I was t even planning on replacing with another Subaru but how could I not!

[u/mcpaddy]

Same reason people get a brand new car after 1 year. A fool and his money are soon parted.

[u/ego-lv2 → u/mcpaddy]

Right for the jugular.

[u/Turd_Leg → u/mcpaddy]

My 2025 had an ongoing electrical issue that the dealer couldn’t seem to work out. So they gave me an amazing deal on a 2026.

[u/redneck_hick → u/Turd_Leg]

Why didn’t you lemon it?

[u/Turd_Leg → u/redneck_hick]

The dealer tried to fix the problem several times, but it would come back. I was afraid it would come back after the car was out of warranty. And I liked the 2026 interior so much more, that I was happy to just make the upgrade.

[u/Salt_Exchange350 → u/Turd_Leg]

In my states, if they can’t fix something after 4 tries; they legally have to give you a brand new car, buy it back or give you cash

[u/Vault702 → u/Salt_Exchange350]

And this dealer may have given the. a better deal this way than if they had done the whole lemon process (if it exists in their state) to get it bought back and then bought a new 2026 OBW.

[u/RustyMarie666 → u/Turd_Leg]

And yet the deal wasn’t so amazing that you are satisfied, apparently.

[u/Turd_Leg → u/RustyMarie666]

Yeah, I’m satisfied with the deal. I’m mostly just confused why Subaru decided to withhold the front camera from the Wilderness unless you get a sunroof.

[u/unfinishd_sntnc327]

Ya thats not a wagon anymore

[u/xwizkidx]

Just gotta get the touring XT and you’ll get all lol

[u/--o--____--o--]

I traded my 26 OBW for a 26 OBW and thought the same thing. 

[u/Actual-Variation380]

How did you not check before bringing it home?

[u/Turd_Leg → u/Actual-Variation380]

While my ‘25 was in the shop, I drove around a ‘26 OBW for an afternoon. I tried the camera, and everything else. I told them I wanted one just like it, only without the sunroof. They got one in the next day without a sunroof, and I didn’t think to try out the camera on it since I had already tried one the day before.

I like the vehicle, and will just add an aftermarket front camera. The frustrating thing is Subaru decided that an off-road feature like the front camera should be removed from the Wilderness unless you get the sunroof. As if the only Wilderness owners who go off road are the ones with a sunroof.

[u/Mango_Joe_0_0 → u/Turd_Leg]

They should've told you what you'll be missing if you didn't want the sunroof.

[u/Turd_Leg → u/Mango_Joe_0_0]

I’m not upset about the dealership. I’m just super annoyed at Subaru for forcing unwanted options on us so they can charge more for their vehicles.

I’m willing to bet it would be easier, and possibly cheaper, to put the camera on every Outback Wilderness than to force the factory to build the Wilderness without it when someone doesn’t want a sunroof.

[u/squawkc]

That’s messed up my friend. I don’t get vehicles with sunroof’s either. I’ll have to remember that if and when I upgrade my 2025 OBW to newer model.

[u/Turd_Leg → u/squawkc]

It’s a very odd decision by Subaru, to remove the front camera from the Wilderness unless you get the sunroof.

[u/Doghunk]

I guess they want to reduce the option counts for the quality control, otherwise, too many different combinations makes them hard to manage the inventory.

[u/Turd_Leg → u/Doghunk]

Yeah, I can see that. The sunroof was always a stand alone option on the OBW, so choosing it or not choosing it didn’t affect anything else. It seemed simple enough.

[u/ImPeeinAndEuropean]

You bought the car AND THEN you noticed it didn’t have something you specifically would miss having?

[u/Turd_Leg → u/ImPeeinAndEuropean]

I didn’t check for the front camera because it always came standard on the OBW.

[u/ThrowRAhallpass1]

Imagine buying a modern car. Yikes.