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: visibility
383 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Aug 9, 2023
Windshield developed a crack for no apparent reason on the lower passenger side. Car was parked. Only unusual circumstance is that was a hot day.
Visibility, Aug 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while in the driveway, the vehicle was started and while driving out of the driveway, the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jul 24, 2023
The windshield in my 2020 Subaru Outback has cracked spontaneously twice. I had 75K Bumper to Bumper Warranty, which the dealer would not honor the first time the window broke. He said that it was warranted for repair, not replacement. I argued until he gave me a 50% discount. My windshield broke again today. I had just pulled out onto the street and was traveling about 10MPH. No rocks or stone touched the windshield. The sound of the crack startled me. I thought that there had to be an issue. Consequently as I looked online, I have discovered this is a design flaw or something as the problem is widespread. Two cracks in year is not right and it is expensive.
Visibility, Jul 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while seated in the parked vehicle in the garage with the vehicle turned off, the contact watched as the passenger’s side windshield cracked without impact. The contact stated that the crack extended approximately two feet. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the front windshield had previously been replaced due to the same failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Visibility, Jul 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that two months after purchasing the vehicle new, the windshield cracked upon sustaining a light impact. Additionally, the contact stated that the windshield had also cracked from cold air inside the vehicle and the hot air outside the vehicle. The contact also stated that a tiny crack on the windshield would significantly expand within hours. The contact stated that the windshield had been replaced three times by the dealer, and the repair was covered by the insurance; however, the failure kept recurring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 35,500.
Visibility, Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact became aware of a crack on the center of the front windshield. The contact stated that there was no impact to the windshield to cause the crack. The vehicle was not inspected, and the windshield was not replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 47,900.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 12, 2023
I am replacing 3rd windshield since September 2022. This was definitely caused by a rock chip but had been resin repaired. With defroster blowing on a cool morning the windshield cracked across the lower portion. The replacement windshield cracked for no reason other than it was cold during a December night and was replaced in April. That windshield cracked spontaneously while driving in the rain one month after install. A Subaru dealer took photos or I have sent photos to them of all incidents for submission to my Subaru insurance. I have now met the maximum allowed for windshield replacement. All windshields were replaced at an authorized Subaru dealer.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, May 24, 2023
Over the course of the nearly three years I have owned my vehicle, the windshield has either spontaneously cracked or cracked from a very very small chip three times. Two of these occurred while I was driving, with no debris impact with the vehicle windshield. There have been several suits filed against Subaru for similar cases, including for the 2020 Outback model. This has been three times in about two and a half years, quadruple the amount for my previous vehicle. Not only is this a vision impairment while driving and a financial burden to fix, I also worry about more catastrophic failure should anything significant impact the windshield while driving. I have had the glass repaired twice, and both times the repair technicians could not understand how such a significant crack had occurred.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, May 23, 2023
While driving on I-26, a small rock made an initially small crack in the windshield. Over time, while still driving, we watched the crack expand larger and larger, spreading with multiple new arms across the entire passenger side of the windshield. After parking at home in the garage and scheduling windshield replacement for the next day, we continued to notice the crack continuing to propagate further into the driver side. The incident happened on 5/21/23 and the windshield was replaced on 5/23/23.
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, May 22, 2023
-The windshield has cracked in the same place for no apparent reason. -The cracked windshield can affect the use of the safety systems built into the windshield. -I'm not sure how this can be "reproduced" as we are talking about a broken windshield although the windshield has been fixed already once and now, the second break has occurred. -Not inspected but replaced once. It is currently broken and can be inspected again if need be. -The first one appeared in August 2022, the second in May 2023
Visibility/wiper, May 7, 2023
On May 3, 2023 (~12:30pm local time) I was driving on the highway at approximately 60mph and there was a 'pop' sound. I looked at my windshield and an L-shaped crack appeared from the base of the windshield near the wipers up to half-way on the windshield. There was no damage to the windshield to indicate a rock had hit it or the car in any way. Given the poor quality OEM windshields that Subaru has installed in past models (2015-2016) that also have had this problem, I would like to notify the NHTSA so that Subaru can be notified. When I called my dealer directly, there was not much help on the cause.
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 25, 2023
A crack has spontaneously appeared at the base of my windshield after no apparent damage. The crack is spreading across my windshield and will affect my adaptive cruse control and automatic emergency breaking if it interferes with the Subaru eye-sight system at the top of my windshield. I have not taken the vehicle in for service but I did see this was an issue that lead to recalls on previous outback models but not currently a recall for the 2020 Subaru Outback. I do not have any current warning lamps or messages.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 24, 2023
I'm currently on my third windshield for this vehicle. The first windshield was replaced by Subaru due to a random crack that developed on the passenger side and traveled to the driver side. No visible damage caused this to occur. The second windshield was hit by a tiny stone driving down city streets. 3 days later the same type of crack, like the first windshield, developed and moved from from passenger to driver side. We'll see how long this third windshield lasts. I've had numerous cars without this problem. Stone chips were easily repaired without major cracking occurring. There is something very odd about how fragile the windshields on Subaru vehicles are. This is not a cheap replacement due to their driver assist technology. Subaru will not replace this once they see and sign of a stone impact.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 18, 2023
Purchased my 2020 Outback only about two months ago. Just this last week two separate cracks started from the edge of the window on the left and lower sides. Cracks appeared out of nowhere while parked with no contact from rocks or other debris. Over the course of the last few days has spread so much that it obstructs my vision while driving. This is a common problem with this model and is a safety hazard that needs to be recalled/fixed. Have an appointment with my dealer to see if this qualifies as a manufacturer defect. However the fact is this will most likely happen again if it’s the same glass being used.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 16, 2023
While driving in light rain, with no visible strike, a crack appeared on the passenger side windshield; starting below the wiper and extending upwards in an arc towards the center. This is the 3rd time a crack of significance has appeared. Coincidentally, this crack appeared less than 2 weeks after having the windshield replaced by a Subaru dealership.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 10, 2023
The windshield has developed a crack spontaneously and is spreading across the entire windshield. It started near the bottom of the window near the wipers and moving it's way up towards the top and spidered out towards the driver's side now. It continues to grow while I wait for an appointment to get it replaced.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 5, 2023
Windshield spotaneous cracking: Going to work in the morning, absolutely nothing wrong 8:05-8:15am .parked car in parking lot. industrial warehouse. No people traffic, clear weather 30-45 degrees. Then as soon as i get in the car for my break. 11:15-11:30. I notice a very long crack that appears to originate UNDERNEATH the plastic window trim at the base of the windshield. Multiple pictures and videos have been taken. ABSOLUTELY no impacts of anything. I come to discover shortly after researching THERE is a lawsuit on the this outback windshield for random large cracks. NEED recall!
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Apr 2, 2023
Cracked windshield, very very small pebble hit the driver corner near the pillar, I heard a little “tick” followed by seeing a massive crack form. The crack has now gone straight across to the middle and is making its way up to obstruct the “eyesight” camera
Visibility/wiper, Mar 6, 2023
Received a couple of rock chips on the windshield while driving on the highway. Two days later, two large cracks appeared (one on the driver’s side, one on the passenger side). Both cracks are longer than six inches.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 3, 2023
On March 2, 2023, I discovered a big crack in my windshield. The crack was not there in the morning. The crack was discovered at 2pm that afternoon. The crack started under the lower windshield trim and part way up windshield on the passenger side. The crack has a raise when you run your fingertip over it. The windshield was not struck by a rock. The crack randomly appeared while sitting in the parking lot at my work.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 12, 2023
On Friday February 10, 2023 I came out of work and saw a 12 inch crack in my front windshield. When I left for work there wasn’t any crack. There is a very small pit in the windshield how or when it happened I do not know. February 11, 2023 the crack is now about 20 inches. I can’t believe how fast it is cracking.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 24, 2023
Windshield developed excessive pitting at 16,500 miles with little highway driving. When driving into any light source there are thousands of tiny pits that light up across the entire windshield. Needed to get it replaced because of the distraction.
Visibility, Jan 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, a small pebble impacted the front windshield and caused two small cracks. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 19, 2023
A crack appeared on the front windshield. The crack starts at the side of the window. The crack has tripled in size in one day.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 12, 2023
24000 miles, parked in covered garage for three days. on the fourth day I noticed a crack in the passenger side window. I had read YEARS AGO about a windshield problem. I did some internet research and read about many who had similar experiences and multiple experiences of the same problem. I was told it is out of warranty coverage. I will take it to a Subaru dealership to have it evaluated. If it is not covered, I will have to pay my deductible and I did nothing to cause the problem. I hope you can look into this problem