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
Visibility/wiper, Aug 14, 2021
Was driving on freeway and heard a pop and windshield developed a hairline crack from bottom and extended up as we continue driving. Not even a chip but immediately a crack. Windshield is too brittle.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 7, 2021
My vehicle is about 15 months old. It has lots of tiny chips in the windshield. No cracks yet, but I've read about many other Subaru Outback owners with this problem.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 5, 2021
While driving along the freeway, I heard a "pop" and noticed a crack along the windshield. It was along the passenger side, about 10"-12" above the dashboard, and went all the way to the passenger side edge of the windshield. There was a vehicle ahead of me, maybe 1/4 mile ahead. As I kept driving, it grew a little more towards the middle of the windshield. This is the third time this has happened to this vehicle, as the previous owner had to get the windshield replaced twice in the past 6 months.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 30, 2021
Windshield cracked after a slight impact to the glass from something off the road. Car was purchased new in April 2020, first windshield was replaced in February 2021 and second windshield was replaced in July 2021. Three windshields in 15 months
Visibility/wiper, Jul 28, 2021
Windhshield spontaneously broke in linear pattern, approximately 2ft in length, across passenger side, without spidering/inpact. Car was parked in open sun parking lot for apprimately 5 hours. Taken to Safelite autoglass for repair when they stated that they see 2-3 newer subaru’s a day for similar issues.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 26, 2021
Driving north on the interstate with no other vehicles on the road. Windshield spontaneously cracked from passenger side defrost to middle of windshield. Took the car into the dealer, and they claimed a rock hit it because they could run their fingernail into the crack. I strongly disagree with Subaru’s maintenance division as I was there when it happened and there is no chip or star shaped damage from an impact of any object. The crack quickly spread across the entire length of the windshield.
Visibility, Jul 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. Dealer agree to replace the windshield..
Visibility/wiper, Jul 24, 2021
Purchased new and front windshield spontaneously cracked in multiple directions overnight. No impact evidence at the center of the crack. Noticed online that many Outback owners are reporting this same problem. Not sure if it’s a defective windshield or body flex which caused windshield to flex and crack. I expect the windshield to be replaced by Subaru at no charge.
Visibility, Jul 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the front windshield cracked without impact, from the passenger’s side going toward the middle and of the windshield. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,800.
Visibility, Electrical system, Jul 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a minor ding on the windshield. The ding was a small pebble that hit the windshield which caused a crack to form from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side of the windshield. The crack obstructed his vision while driving. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the windshield was replaced out of pocket. Eight months later, the same failure occurred again while driving, at the exact spot on the replacement windshield. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied knowing any information about failures with windshields in similar vehicles. The contact also stated that several electrical failures had occurred in the vehicle such as the infotainment screen and eyesight system not operating as designed. The contact made an appointment with the same dealer however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Visibility, Jul 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that she awoke and noticed that the windshield of the vehicle had cracked overnight, from the exterior edge inward. The contact stated there were no chips around the crack that could have caused the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 30,300.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 11, 2021
Today, 7/11/2021 my 3rd OEM Subaru windshield cracked spontaneously, while driving. All windshields were replaced at Beardmore Subaru, in Belleville, NE using Subaru replacement windshields. In all instances the windshield has cracked spontaneously without impact on either the passenger side or at the bottom of the windshield, near the middle. The cracks continue to propagate quickly while driving or when parked overnight, until the crack terminates on the side opposite the crack. This spontaneous cracking, is a safety hazard in that it not only compromises the integrity of the glass, but also can affect the Subaru EyeSight safety vision system, by impairing camera view thru the windshield if a crack propagates through the cameras field of view. This new instance means that in less than 10,000 miles I have had 4 windshields in this car. I have never had this occur on any vehicle I have owned previously, nor to our 2017 Outback. This appears to be a defect in Subaru OEM glass or the specifications Subaru has engineered for the 2020 and up Outback global platform.
Visibility, Jul 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the garage, the next day it was discovered that the front windshield had developed a crack that extended approximately two and a half feet long. The contact indicated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the crack. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was 7,600.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 1, 2021
2020 Subaru Outback purchased in January 2020 has had to have windshield replaced twice. I have owned dozens of vehicles and never had to replace a windshield more than once even on vehicles I owned for 10 - 15 years. The windshields clearly are defective as evidenced by the many complaints regarding windshields for multiple Subaru models over several years.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 28, 2021
Windshield cracked without any incident. The crack is approximately 12 inches long and located on the drivers side of the vehicle. With no incident causing this crack, I am concerned that this crack may cause severe injuries and is an obvious safety concern.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 27, 2021
On 4/01/2021 the windshield cracked while the car was parked inside my garage for some unknown reason. I scheduled and paid for a new windshield and eyesight calibration, which was installed by dealer (Briggs Subaru Topeka, Ks). Windshield cracked again two months later on 6/23/2021 for an unknown reason. The crack occurred while I was parked at work. There is no sign of a rock chip or other object cracking the windshield. I scheduled my car for an inspection on 7/01/2021 at the same dealership.
Visibility, Jun 25, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while sitting in the vehicle parked at a doctor’s office, the driver noticed that the front windshield started to crack from the driver’s side and extended to the middle of windshield. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle but was unable to provide the diagnostic cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 20,800.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 21, 2021
I was driving down the interstate with no cars around and my outback windshield cracked. I was far enough away from cars and I didn’t see anything hit the window. I heard a loud pop. A soft but quick pop, not like the sound of a rock hitting but different. Then I drove on down the road and saw a large crack forming from the bottom of the passenger side of the window. And there’s no dimple anywhere in the crack.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 20, 2021
The front windshield cracked unexpectedly today while driving. There were no visible rock chips where the crack emanated from but I have noticed other chips in the glass. I only have 15,000 miles on this vehicle. There was a loud pop and a large crack appeared on my windshield.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 15, 2021
Went to drive vehicle and found windshield cracked down the middle from top to bottom. No chips and no prior damage of any kind to windshield. Windshield spontaneously cracked for no reason whatsoever.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 12, 2021
The front windshield of our 2020 Subaru Outback spontaneously cracked, impairing the ability to see outside. I drove the car yesterday with my wife in the passenger side (June 11, 2021), returning about 1500, and parked the car. We went out today, at about 1400 to go on an errand, not having driven the car since the previous day, and found a crack in the windshield. Compared to other cracks we've experienced in other cars, there is no impact area (and we didn't hear one when driving the previous day). See picture attached. There are no other drivers of this car in our home.
Visibility, Jun 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked for three days when she noticed that the windshield was cracked. The contact stated that the windshield had cracked without impact. The local dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,460.
Visibility, Jun 7, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, the windshield cracked without impact. The crack grew to approximately 20 inches. The windshield had been cracked on five separate occasions. A week prior to the latest crack developing, the windshield had been replaced for the same failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 5, 2021
Windshield cracked while sitting in driveway, nothing hit the windshield.
Visibility/wiper, May 29, 2021
I purchased a 2020 Subaru Outback XT in March 2020 (approximately 14 months of driving at the time of this submission). The vehicle currently has almost 15k miles on it. I recently had my fourth (4th!) windshield installed. The first replacement windshield was installed after a pebble the size of a grain of rice (I saw kicked up by a truck in front of me) hit the windshield and caused a large lateral crack the propagated. The vehicle had approximately 1500 miles at the point. The first replacement (OEM) cracked after hitting another pebble on the highway. I did not see the size this time because it was on the part of the windshield obstructed by the side posts on the outside of the windshield. The crack propagated horizontally across the entire windshield. This occurred at approximately 8K miles. The second replacement (aftermarket made to OEM specs) cracked after hitting a bug! A picture taken immediately after bug impact is attached below. The crack propagated in a Y-formation and needed replacement. Although cicadas have recently begun coming out, this was not an overly large bug. It was approximately the size of a lightning bug, as I saw it hit. I also drive a VW Golf with 50k miles (over 5 years) and have never had a windshield issue.