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
899 reports, newest first.
Power train, Jun 27, 2022
Have been experiencing issues with the transmission for 6 months. Still have not been provided a remedy to correct the issue.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the coolant needed to be replenished frequently. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where a pressure test was performed however, the mechanic did not discover failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 22, 2022
Apply getting in my car on June 20th I noticed a 8" Crack starting at the edge of the windshield on the right side about a quarter of the way up from the bottom pfrom the bottom. This is since propagated significantly. The interesting thing is that I just replaced the windshield 4 months ago for a failure that was remarkably similar no associated rock strikeThe crack starting at the right edge.This clearly suggests a design or manufacturing flaw. Note that the 1st one was repaired through the insurance company.. I'm taking it now to the dealer.
Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 19, 2022
I was driving in a residential neighborhood at low speed, about 20 mph. I slowed down because I needed to park at the curb, and also I was approaching a large speed bump. This was one of the wide, flat ones. I pulled over to the right curb a couple of car lengths before the speed bump, preparing to park. I went over the bump, accelerating a tiny bit to get over the bump. I was going maybe 10 miles an hour. As I came down off the bump, or shortly after that, the accelerator pedal moved down away from my foot. I felt the pedal move down and away so that my foot was no longer touching it. At the same time, the engine speed surged (I heard it rev), and the car lurched forward for a second or two. I put my foot on the brake and also saw the obstacle detection on the instrument panel and saw the red lights and heard the beeping, and the car stopped moving. I don’t know whether I braked first or the car did. I was still about 2 car lengths away from a parked car in front of me when my vehicle stopped. I took my vehicle to a dealership the next day. They performed diagnostics but were unable to find anything wrong with it.
Power train, Jun 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Jun 14, 2022
I bought my 2020 Subaru Outback in March of 2020. Since then I have had many instances of the battery dying. In one instance (May of 2021), it died and after jumping they had to repair something to the electrical system. On another occasion it was dying multiple times (jumped it and drove it 3 consecutive times only for it to die 12 hours later each time in December 2020) I had the vehicle towed to Subaru only for them to say they couldn't find anything wrong. I just got back from the dealership after my check engine light came on and they said I need a new battery. They were charging over $900 to swap the battery.
Power train, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 13, 2022
Two issues. Main cabin computer reboots randomly. This causes other safety systems, Eyesight, to stop working until the device boots back up. This is 2020 and "fix" / update for cockpit control module wasn't available until Feb. 2021.Thsi did not fix the problem. Dealership updated cockpit control module again in Dec 2021 and yet again in Jan. 2022. This issue is still ongoing and I've learned yet another software fix came in April 2022. Issue #2 - Open recall for CVT Chain guide breakage dated Dec 15, 2021. Over six months and no fix. Transmission is getting worse and poses a potential safety issue.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 11, 2022
1.car accelerated on its own—very scary. (Took the car to Cochran Subaru of Monroeville, but they said nothing was found wrong.) 2. The very next day, the real door would not latch and car would not lock. I reported these two issues to 1-800-SUBARU3. My case # is: 220610-163479 3. we did a “software” update bc we received a recall notice—it was completed at Cochran Subaru of Monroeville sometime in the fall of 2021, in March of 2022 while on vacation in Fla, the radio BLARED on its own, then stopped working altogether for a week or so—then just started working again.
Power train, Jun 10, 2022
In January 2022 I received a recall notice on my 2020 Subaru Outback. I immediately contacted the nearest Subaru service facility (which happens to be about 30 miles away in Ft Myers, FL). I spoke w/someone in the service dept., and was advised that they, the svc. dept., have not received parts yet, but expect them in a few weeks. I waited about 8 weeks before calling them again, with the same results. Now, I treat Vehicle Recalls like a doctor's advisory. I take it to mean what it says and that it's IMPORTANT. Now, here we are in June 2022, and still NOTHING from Subaru of America, nor the Ft. Myers service department. Is it still a Vehicle Recall(?), must be because I've heard nothing to the contrary. And, if I've heard 'nothing to the contrary', why hasn't the US Dept. of Transportation followed up w/Subaru of America. SIX MONTHS is a pretty long time waiting to avoid an accident!
Electrical system, Jun 9, 2022
Battery died and will not hold a charge. Air bags were not engaged due to the elctrical system being impacted. Battery was charged and left overnight and the battery was fully drained in the morning and the car would not start. Battery was charged again and driven to the Subaru Dealer. The dealer fully charged the battery and left it over night and the same thing happened the next morning. The battery was drained and the car would not start. The dealer replaced the battery with a new battery and performed a software update. Next morning the battery was fully drained and the car would not start. The dealer as of today does not have a solution after have the car for 3 days. The dealer has told me they have all the diagnostic tests they can think of and nothing is showing up as being wrong or that identifies what is draining the battery. I believe the Control Area Network (CAN) is failing and is not going into deep sleep mode when the car is shut off and is causing the battery to drain. Until the defect in the CAN software is fixed the battery will continue to drain.
Power train, Jun 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 4, 2022
The front windshield cracked in the lower middle section of the windshield. There was no apparent strike from an object while driving (the driver saw no objects strike and the sound did not sound like a typical object strike). The crack appeared suddenly and stretched about 2+ inches to the bottom of the windshield up approximately 2-3 more inches and then horizontal toward the middle of the windshield about 2 inches. Shortly after (within 1 hour) the crack extended another 2ish inches horizontal toward the middle of the windshield. The crakc shows a star like pattern, with six arms radiating off from the center with the two vertical arms on top and bottom extending out as described above. There is also no obvious chip from outside the windshield that would indicate an object strike.
Power train, Jun 2, 2022
02 June 2022 Complaint submitted by current 2020 Subaru Outback XT owners to Subaru of America for slow to no action taken relating to NHTSA Recall ID 21V-955 & Subaru Safety Recall WRK-21 Recall notice received on 14 Feb. 2022. Recall involves failure of a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) component which could lead to a complete loss of vehicle motive power. Owners question if vehicle is safe to operate and fault Subaru of America for a complete lack of priority and urgency to correct this issue! Numerous calls to the dealer (Subaru of Wichita) were made but the dealership claims to know nothing about when this problem will be addressed. Please help!
Power train, Jun 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Jun 2, 2022
Starlink Head System/software malfunctions while driving. This shuts down all safety systems, back up camera, radio. Heating system cannot be controlled while shut down. System restarts automatically after a few minutes but settings, etc may need to be restored. This creates a distraction that could lead to a collision or loss of vehicle control. Investigation reveals that many have this problem with the 11.6" Starlink display. A recall should be initiated for repair/replacement of problem components. Note that two software updates have been completed at the dealer to correct this problem to no avail.
Visibility/wiper, May 27, 2022
In mid 10/2021 while I was driving, my front windshield cracked with no apparent reason. The crack appeared on the passenger side, at the side edge of the windshield. As stated the crack appeared with no apparent reason as there was no imppact of any object to the windshield. No police report was made. I did not make a claim with my insurance. The winshield was replaced and eyesight syste,m was recalibrated at the Subaru dealership in Skokie IL.
Visibility/wiper, May 27, 2022
At the beginning of 05/2020 while I was driving, for no apparent reason, my front windshield cracked. The crack began from the upper edge of the windshield in the area of rear view mirror. As stated, the crack started with no apparent reason as there was no impact of any object to the windshield at the time the crack first occurred. No police report was made. I made an insurance claim to replace the windshield and to recalibrate the eyesight system. The windshield was replaced at Subaru dealership in Skokie IL, on 05/30/2020.
Visibility, May 24, 2022
Windshield cracked without being hit, and continues to spider out from original spot. It is available for inspection upon request. The glass continues to crack and spider, causing difficulty seeing for driver. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealer. The vehicle had not been inspected. There is no warning or message of the problem prior to the failure. 5/21 is when the problem first appeared.
Visibility, May 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and returning, she discovered a 4-inch crack on the passenger’s side front windshield. The contact indicated that no object struck the windshield to cause the windshield to crack. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Visibility/wiper, May 23, 2022
My windshield spontaneously cracked while driving through town and I feel I have a defective windshield. It started very small that evening, and the next morning it was cracked out in two different placed from that, I was not even able to contact the dealership in that timeframe as it occurred during after hours and had already cracked out before open business hours the next morning. When I contacted the dealership that day, I received no help, stating that my warranty does not cover cracks over "dollar bill size" even with my added "windshield protection" coverage. I have since read that this has been a known issue for several years as the windshields on these models are reportedly thinner than normal so that the "eyesight" technology can function appropriately, and it concerns me that this spontaneous cracking is a safety issue yet no recalls have been made. I am afraid to drive my car further as the crack enlarges day by day. I am still waiting to get this sorted out to get it replaced.
Electrical system, May 23, 2022
Battery died multiple times 7-8 times within last 1 year Car stopped in the middle of the road while waiting a a crossing. The cars coming behind bumped into each other. The emergency lights also died. The problem has been reproduced multiple times and I have taken the vehicle to ‘Premier Subaru Fremont’ at Fremont , CA location. I have battery failed even after the fix. I do not get any warning lamps or indication that battery is at low level and that I need to stop the car at safe location before the issue happens. It’s very dangerous and the car is completely unreliable.
Visibility/wiper, May 20, 2022
Parked car windshield cracked for no reason
Visibility, May 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield had fractured on the passenger’s side bottom. The crack was approximately 16-inches from the passenger’s side A-pillar. The fracture migrated towards the driver’s side and extended into a starburst design, obstructing the driver’s visibility. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 339,055.
Service brakes, May 20, 2022
2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED BRAKING. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A 1UP BIKE RACK FOR THE VEHICLE, BUT IT INTERFERED WITH THE REAR SONAR SENSORS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND BIKE RACK MANUFACTURER WORK TOGETHER TO DETERMINE A FIX.
Other or unspecified, May 18, 2022
I am on second battery for my 2020 Outback and it now won't hold a charge. It drains overnight / without use. I can assure you that I am not leaving any lights on.