2020 Subaru Outback
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 899 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 26 Outback model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 19 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMar 22, 2024
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.
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 24V227000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Jul 8, 2022
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
Campaign 22V485000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Dec 9, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 19, 2022. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 19V-855. Vehicles previously recalled under 19V-855 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall once available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-21.
Campaign 21V955000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJul 29, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Campaign 21V587000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionDec 10, 2020
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation. The August 2020 over-the-air software update may have timed out without completing the installation, corrupting the data, and causing the rearview display to shutoff intermittently. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the software and, if necessary, replace the Cockpit Control Module, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-20.
Campaign 20V766000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, pedals and linkagesSep 18, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt.
A missing or loose bolt may cause the brake pedal mounting area to deform over time, which can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal mounting bracket hardware and replace the hardware or brake pedal assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUL-97.
Campaign 19V664000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
152 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Sep 27, 2026
Unknown. Best assessment between 2:09 and 2:15 pm on the XXX pass outside of [XXX] heading west. There were wind gusts up to 27 mph. I was traveling highway speeds 75-80mph. I had been driving highway speeds since 10:30 am coming from [XXX] No warning. As in: no flutter of the hood, hood not popped, no warning lights. The hood flew open and smashed my windshield during a gust at 80mph. I believe that even though the hood was closed, the latch either failed or was not fully catching, but there is no way to know that since it is completely closed, does not rattle and there are no indicator lights. You can not see under the hood when it is closed. I have all fluids changed at dealerships. The last time the hood was opened was literally months ago. I have driven 3-6 hour highway trips since then, never an issue. The secondary latch failed immediately bending backwards about 45 degrees. It is quite soft metal. I have photos of this. The tow truck driver had to bend it backwards to get the hood to latch for towing. She did this with her index and middle finger… the secondary latch should not be that easy to bend. I believe this is a failure of components. I am very lucky to be alive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 20, 2026
9/20/26 my 2020 Subaru Outback experienced repeated electrical failures followed by loss of power-steering assistance. The underlying failed component is unknown. The vehicle is parked and available for inspection. While driving, the vehicle intermittently lurched/jerked as the center display went completely black and restarted and EyeSight repeatedly became unavailable and returned. After stopping for fuel, I attempted to restart the vehicle. It initially started and then became completely electrically unresponsive: no response from the push-button start and no accessory power. Electrical power unexpectedly returned after I opened the driver's door, and I was able to restart the vehicle. Later, while the engine was continuously running in a parking lot, the display repeatedly blacked out and restarted while EyeSight repeatedly became unavailable and returned. When I shifted into reverse, the vehicle began jerking and power-steering assistance failed. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and jerked in my hands, preventing me from properly completing the reverse maneuver. I shut the vehicle off and restarted it, which temporarily restored steering. This unpredictable steering failure put me, my two children, and other road users at serious risk. After restarting, I had to travel 65 mph on a highway to get home. Had steering assistance failed again at highway speed, I could have lost lane control or been unable to avoid other vehicles or road users, potentially causing a serious or fatal crash. The vehicle has not yet been inspected for this incident. The repair facility has been notified and I intend to have it towed because I consider it unsafe to drive. Six weeks earlier, the facility inspected the battery, terminals and cables and marked them satisfactory. Prior warnings included EyeSight becoming unavailable, the display blacking out/restarting, and vehicle lurching. I observed no separate steering warning before steering assistance failed.
Other or unspecified, Jun 30, 2026, fire
Vehicle stalled out, stopped and promptly caught fire.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 2, 2025, fire
A fire started under the hood of my car while I was driving. There were no warning lights on in my car and the temperature gauge was in the middle where it usually is. Earlier in the day, I smelled gas, but I thought it was a different car as the smell of gas went away after a car that had a lot of exhaust coming out was no longer in sight.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Oct 9, 2025
Transmission is failing. Wheel bearing bad. This is a 5 year old car with regular maintenance. No warning lights.
Other or unspecified, Jul 27, 2025
No warning, or dash lights. A/C stopped working. It’s 98 degrees outside, to me that is dangerous! Wagner Subaru said it is the actuator doors ($900 in diagnosing) they said it would cost $3600. It’s a 2020. There is no reason there should be a cost that high for that new of a car.
Other or unspecified, Jun 18, 2025
[XXX] and I were driving to Sean’s for dinner on Friday night [XXX] when the sunroof glass exploded at approximately [XXX]. [XXX] was driving on the [XXX] . We heard a loud bang and thought we were in an accident. We noticed sounds from the sunroof so I slide the cover open slightly and saw a massive hole so immediately closed it again. We pulled off and used the emergency ramp to examine the damage and take pictures. We think the glass exploded for no reason as we did not see any debris in front of us and were not under an underpass. We did not find any debris or scratches on the car indicating an external object as the culprit. I dropped my car off with Subaru Carlsbad on June 17, 2025 and am waiting for an update. My service advisor was shocked by the occurrence as she had not seen something like this. I pointed out that the glass exploded outwards and asked her to check the cabin pressure vents as we found discussion pointing to those as a potential issue when researching online. We also heard complaints that Subaru has specifically excluded this piece of glass from the warranty so I let my advisor know that I hope / expect this to be covered under warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, May 17, 2025
2020 Subaru Outback rear auto liftgate randomly automatically closes after opening. It has hit me, the owner, in the head as I was attempting to place items in the rear. It has hit various store personnel as they were attempting to load products in the rear. I have reported this to my local Subaru dealer many times over the last five years, even leaving my vehicle for several days for inspection. Their responses have been - if we don't see it, we can't help OR no problem is detected. I have reported to Subaru Consumer Advocate twice with no resolution.
Other or unspecified, May 14, 2025
Vehicle accelerated without touching gas pedal, rpm’s kept increasing even while trying to brake.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, May 8, 2025
I am on my third windshield in les than a year. The tiniest pebble will crack the windshield, or sudden changes to weather has now caused a stress crack. Seems to be poor weight distribution on the design. There is extensive customer complaints on line with the same issue. Insurance will only cover two a year. There were no warnings of this issue when the car was purchased. This is an expensive hazard to keep having issues with. They need to do a recall on a fix.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Dec 1, 2024
Defective windshields. The vehicle has been in my possession for 4 years. During these 4 years i've had 5 windshield replacements. 2 of which have been from rocks. 3 of which I have no idea what caused the damage, it seemingly happened out of nowhere while driving. This is well known (but not well dealt with) issue with Subaru vehicles with eyesight. People on multiple forums have the same issue, as do many people I know personally. Its a shame nothing has been done about this despite countless reports and complaints. This is a safety hazard.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Nov 11, 2024
Problem component: exterior mirror on driver side It was raining, I was driving, I heard what sounded like a loud explosion by my driver side window. After the initial shock, I thought a tire had blown out, but car drove ok and no tire warning light came on. It was a rural road with no shoulder, only deep stormwater ditch along the roadside, so there was no place to safely pull over in traffic to assess what may have happened. I drove about 2-3 miles before I could pull over at a safe spot.There I saw that the back side of my driver side mirror had completely disappeared. Wires were exposed. It appeared to have exploded off for no apparent reason. The body of the car was completely fine, the white exterior paint of the car was perfect, the actual housing of the mirror showed no marks, there are no dings or cracks in windows. No sign of any debris hitting the car. I reported it to Subaru general headquarters, and gave them all the info. I have an appt with local Subaru dealer this week. The mirror and housing are still on the car, minus the back, which is gone. My husband returned to the scene a few minutes later and searched for the piece that had propelled off the mirror or for any debris that could have caused the mirror to explode. There was nothing on the road, so wherever the back of the mirror went, it must have propelled far off the road. Safety issue: because an explosion like that nearly caused me to lose control of the car. And the piece that propelled off the mirror could have hit another car. Additional info. at the time of mirror exploding: my windshield wipers were on, it was a warm day so my air-conditioning was on, good chance my front dehumidifier was on. Car is equipped with heated mirrors, but heat was off.
Other or unspecified, Jul 31, 2024
This recall for Subaru outbacks has been in effect since March but there is no remedy available yet. I would like to have my car repaired as soon as possible because of safety concerns. Is there a timeline for when a remedy will be available?
Other or unspecified, Jul 25, 2024
The Thermal control valve went out in May while I was traveling though Texas, I took it to a dealership right away to see what the issue was and was told once again it was the thermal control valve. When it goes out you have the check engine light come on, the eyesite, and cameras all stop working along with all The warning lights staying on. They replaced it and I was told I should most likely get a refund for when I had the part first replace in July 2021. Which at that time my car was only 7 months old. I was told I would get a reimbursement for that part. However ever since Subaru warranty sent me an approval for reimbursement of this service ( letter dated May 21, 2024 for $1071. 00 that should happen in 30 -45 days, they are now stalling and stating it will be 90 days for checks to be mailed out. This is a faulty part they knew it 3 years ago and failed to handle, now more and more vehicle owners are having the issue, so they will replace the part ONLY if you have any issues. This is fraud on the part of Subaru to their customers.
Other or unspecified, Jun 18, 2024
Spontaneous windshield cracking
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 28, 2024
As my husband & I were traveling to Augusta, GA on Memorial Day weekend with our niece, we approached the [XXX] outside Chattanooga, Tennessee in heavy traffic and heavy rain on Saturday [XXX] 2024 at approximately [XXX] When we stopped for a small accident ahead of us, the “auto stop-start engine” feature stopped the car engine as normal. However, almost instantly, all of the electronics in the car appeared to fail and the car would not restart. The dashboard indicated that Eyesight and RAB were disabled and to "check the owner's manual." Normal traffic quickly resumed around us, but we were stranded in the #2 lane with several close calls of a rear-end collision--not to mention the cars at risk swerving to avoid us. My husband is a retired firefighter & our niece is a nurse in Los Angeles. Frankly, we were terrified! We were stranded on the interstate in the #2 lane for about 20 minutes before being pushed into the "gore zone" between [XXX] & [XXX] by a TDOT truck. We spent about 40 minutes in the gore zone where we were nearly hit twice by cars driving across the zone. We were finally towed to Crown Subaru in Chattanooga, TN and arrived there about 11:40 a.m. The general manager of the dealership, Keith Aviles, told us there was a sudden, massive failure of a battery cell controlling the electronics of the car, and the battery was replaced. We never had any indication or evidence prior to this incident that there were issues with the battery. Also, we have never received a notice from Subaru about battery problems. However, we are now aware that Subaru settled a class action lawsuit to avoid a recall of these batteries. I have notified six friends who own Subarus. Three have had issues with their batteries, but were also unaware of the class action lawsuit. This is absolutely shocking for a vehicle manufacturer that touts safety to sell vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, May 13, 2024
The windshield has cracked every year since I purchased the vehicle in May 2020. I fortunately bought the insurance but that only covers the windshield once a year. The windshield cracks within a month or two of replacing every single year. The cracks generally start from the edge of the windshield and there is no indication that it was hit be a rock as the start of the crack is clean. There have been two incidents where I heard a pop prior to the start of the crack. I am currently on my fourth windshield.
Other or unspecified, May 10, 2024
This vehicle is equipped with a driver monitoring system. This system will flash warnings and activate audible alarms directing the driver to keep his/her eyes on the road. At times this system malfunctions and blares warning after warning non-stop to keep eyes on the road when in fact the driver is absolutely looking straight ahead giving the road and traffic full attention. This erroneous non-stop alarm is distracting to the driver and will continue non-stop. Mostly the alarm can be ended by stopping the vehicle and shutting it off and then restarting the vehicle. The distracting nature to the driver is not the only issue. Is that false driver attention alarm being recorded to some black box to be recovered by any investigator, law enforcement or otherwise? If I should be in an accident while the vehicle erroneously has recorded that the driver was not attentive, then in fact I was, how could I prove otherwise? After all, the computer said otherwise. Once, the alarm begins, there is no way to safely stop the vehicle on the interstate, rush hour beltways and such. There is no way to safely stop the vehicle and turn off the ignition. My vehicle electronic system has been updated several times under the warranty period, yet this erroneous distracting safety alarm persists on an intermittent basis. I never know when. it is going to happen. There is reference in the manual to turning the system off, however I question whether just the alarm is turned off and the false data is till being recorded for anyone to find and place me in jeopardy should an accident occur. This is a known problem discussed in multiple forums and discussion groups. This has been and intermittent problem since 2020.
Other or unspecified, May 5, 2024
Spontaneous crack in windshield with no other signs of chips or damage. Car was sitting in the driveway when it occurred.
Suspension, Other or unspecified, May 3, 2024
This was December2023Clicking noise when turning. "Rear swaybar bushing replaced (have gap in them when loaded)" also replaced 2 front Axle/CV Boots. Said they were worn. Additionally today, 5/3/2024 got in my car and there is a crack in my windshield that occurred overnight. Crack comes from bottom corning on drivers side up about 12 inches.
Other or unspecified, Mar 20, 2024
Later today I am getting my 4th windshield, maybe my 5th, I don’t remember. There is something wrong With these windshields. Nothing more than a small pebble has hit the windshield to cause the cracks and honestly that was only one incident. All the rest happened for no apparent reason. Again, my fourth or fifth windshield. This is ridiculous.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 22, 2024
The automatic lifting of the rear trunk opens as it should, but then will start to close on you out of no where without pushing the close button. It is terrifying because it doesn’t sense a body there. The screen in the center console also will become inaccessible and black out making it impossible to use the touch screen. The usb ports/ connecting to iPhone will disconnect making Bluetooth unavailable. Extremely difficult when needing gps or on the freeway
Other or unspecified, Feb 19, 2024
Rear hatch opens while driving. It will not lock nor will it auto close. The dealer, Pine Belt Subaru, Lakewood, NJ, tried to fix it, but it happened again one week later. A very dangerous situation. A complete replacement of the hatch's lock may solve the problem .
Other or unspecified, Jan 29, 2024
- Driver and Passenger window stuck down (won't close) in extreme cold temperatures - I feel my safety is at risk because I had to drive my car miles in frigid temperatures with my window stuck open. - My dealership acknowledged the problem, but were not able to reproduce it as it was 59 degrees when I took it in. - My vehicle was not inspected by anyone other than the dealer - I had no warning of the problem I have a 2020 Subaru Outback Limited. Since I bought the car, there have been multiple incidents where the driver or passenger window got stuck open after being rolled down on very cold days. Several years ago ,shortly after I bought it, my Subaru dealer explained to me this was happening because Subaru changed the rubber content in the window gaskets to a harder rubber. Then, when there is dirt on the insides of the gasket, the gasket drags on the window and the actuator opens the window because it thinks it detected it was closing on something it was not supposed to close on. The fix to be able to close my window was to take a screwdriver and a T-shirt or thin towel to clean the insides of the gasket that touches the window. Subaru knows about this problem. As this is a safety hazard and dangerous in cold weather, I do not understand why there has not been a recall. I took my car to the dealer today. I was told that it should not happen again if I keep the gaskets clean. As a Subaru is supposed to be made for offroading and extreme weather conditions, I would think that something as basic as being able to open and CLOSE a window is not too much to ask. Do you really expect me to clean the inside of window gaskets to keep my windows from sticking? That is just trying to normalize a problem that should not be not be normalized. My passenger window got stuck a couple of weeks ago and I had to drive home 7 miles with it open when it was 0 degrees out. I tried to clean the gaskets using a screwdriver and a rag, but it would not work. Please recall!!!
Other or unspecified, Jan 28, 2024
I sent a complaint yesterday, I would like to add this to the complaint [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)