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.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 4, 2022
My windshield cracked from top center, with no impacts, it happened on a cold snowy evening, just cracked……
Visibility/wiper, Apr 3, 2022
Driving at speed on 75 S in Dallas and noticed a line crawling up my windshield from the seal near the hood. Didn't hear anything hit the glass. The line keeps getting bigger. It will become harder to see and I fear the glass with shatter at some point. Just had the car inspected a few weeks previous.
Electrical system, Apr 2, 2022
My 2020 Subaru Outback has had starting issues since shortly after I purchased the car on 1/31/2020. If I do not drive the car for more than two or three days the car will not start without a jump. On one occasion the battery was completely drained so that the fob key would not even unlock the car. Not long after I purchased the car I spoke to a mechanic at the Subaru dealership regarding the battery drain issue. He offered me no solutions except to say that there are many computers in the Subaru Outback and together they draw a lot of current. I do not know if I received a defective battery or if there is some electrical defect causing excessive battery drain when the car is off.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 31, 2022
0N03/31/22 2 CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVERS DIES OF THE VEHICLE. ONE WAS 9 INCHES IN LENGTH THE OTHER WAS 12 INCHES IN LENGTH. BOTH STARTED AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WENT UPWARD. ON 0330/22 THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR AN IL CHANGE AND OVERALL INSPECTION. NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND. VEHICLE WAS HOUSED IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT. CRACKS WERE FOUND THE NEXT MORNING. NO EVIDENCE ANYTHING HAD IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD OVERNIGHT. CONTACTED INSURANCE COMPANY FOR CLAIM FOR REPLACEMENT AND RECALIBRATION OF EYE VISION SAFETY FEATURE. THERE IS A CURRENT LAWSUIT PENDING AGAINST SUBARU FOR WINDSHIELD CRACKS THE COVERS THIS MAKE,MODEL AND YEAR
Visibility/wiper, Mar 30, 2022
The front lights are extremely bright for other drivers on the road. It is so bad that I took it into the dealership/service department to get them checked out. I was told that there is no issue with the lights and other drivers are not use to the led lights being installed into newer vehicles. I can see three blocks in front of me as far up into the trees. I rarely drive at night, because I am constantly getting hi beamed by other drivers. I noticed on other public forums that it is an issue with the lights and other models as well.
Exterior lighting, Mar 29, 2022
Headlights do not have a true low beam. When low beam is selected it partially blocks the top of the high beam. OK if on a dead flat road. On one that undulates at all at some point cars coming the other way are blinded by the full brightness of the headlight. Often because of this oncoming cars are flashing their high beams at me thinking that I haven't dimmed mine. If a driver is blinded by the high beam brightness it could cause an accident. Or it could cause a road rage incident by someone offended by my high beam. In my state the Police have fined drivers for not dimming their lights. Selecting low beam creates a very obvious horizontal cut off of the high beam. But a bounce or by meeting another vehicle while I going up a grade will shine the full high beam in their face.
Power train, Electrical system, Mar 26, 2022
Date: March 25, 2022 - While driving to work, the car shut off. The RAB and eye technology features were disabled. The car indicted the battery was drained. The same day I got the car towed to the dealer. I stayed with the vehicle to find out what was wrong. After a two hour inspection, the Bay Ridge Dealer/Mechanics in Brooklyn, New York indicated that I left something on that drained the battery. I said sir "I did not." He said well the battery is ok and there is no indication that anything is wrong. The next day (March 26,2022) when I was about to start the car - the car couldn't start. I had to get it towed to the dealer and am left without a car.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 21, 2022
Unknown - noticed crack in windshield randomly over the weekend. No known damage to vehicle.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 18, 2022
Head unit shuts off while driving with no warning, and no clear cause. All safety features shut off including Eyesight and rear brake assist (shows as off in instrumental panel). It has happened multiple times in the past several months ( at least seven times) Head unit then appears to restart while underway, as if I had just entered and started the vehicle. Contacted dealer who said “the radio sometimes shuts off”. I explained that it was the entire head unit and safety features. It was simply left with them saying they have know of it happening, but no action or follow up was recommended. Time of incident is an estimate. Electronics seem to be slow to start when vehicle is first started. Was not able to get photos while driving.
Other or unspecified, Mar 17, 2022
Windshield crack from a rock chip expanded across entire windshield. Another rock chip 5 months later caused another 8” crack.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 16, 2022
The windshield cracked for no reason. I was driving around 50mph and didn’t notice anything hitting it.
Electrical system, Latches/locks/linkages, Mar 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery would drain with the engine off. The contact had to jump start the vehicle to resume normal operation. The contact also stated that the tailgate would independently open while driving due to a defective latch. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they could not determine the cause of the battery failure; however, the tailgate latch was replaced. Despite the visit to the dealer, the failures persisted. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and offered to provide a cash incentive towards another vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 9, 2022
While driving on the highway, there must have been some road debris that hit the windshield and caused a long crack to form on the right lower quadrant of the windshield. Due to the development of the crack, the integrity of the windshield is lowered in the event another foreign object strikes it. Searching Outback windshield crack on Google or any other search engine will produce many reports in which other owners are experiencing the same issue. There is a subreddit titled subaruoutback in which there are over 50 reports from other Outback owners experiencing crack development for the first time in all their years of driving. I will be getting my windshield replaced by Safelite as to not place my passengers at risk. There have been previous lawsuits regarding Outback and Legacy models regarding defective windshield, which have since settled, although the year models are from 2015-2016, it would be interesting if they continue to persist for newer models such as 2020, 2021, 2022 since there are still many complaints and cracked windshields being reported. In the event that investigation proves that there are still windshield defective issues, hopefully Subaru can be encouraged to further research and provide safe windshield replacements for all parties involved.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 9, 2022
Cracked windshield for no apparent reason. Rapidly spreading.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 5, 2022
The windshield developed a spontaneous crack on its top middle, around the the rear view mirror. The crack was noticed when I came entered the car as it was parked in my driveway. The crack is approximately 10 inches long. There is no obvious cause for the crack--- no chips or dings on the windshield; mild temperatures, not running the AC or heat. The crack appears to have occurred while the vehicle was stationary. The crack somewhat impedes visibility and reduces the integrity of the windshield, reducing overall safety of the vehicle. Vehicle had routine 18,000 mile maintenance/inspection at the Subaru dealer approximately 1 week prior with no abnormal findings reported. The Subaru dealer has refused to replace the windshield. I am the first owner of this vehicle, and have had it for approx. 16 months.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 5, 2022
I went to my car and saw a 6”+ crack on it. The car was parked in a parking lot.
Visibility, Mar 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, she heard an abnormal noise and noticed a small crack on the driver’s side windshield. The contact stated that the following day while approaching the vehicle, the crack had expanded across the windshield horizontally to the passenger’s side. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the windshield to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated on another occasion she noticed a medium crack on the driver’s side windshield. The contact stated that the crack had expanded horizontally across to the passenger’s side. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Mar 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery was drained very quickly, which caused the contact to frequently recharge the battery. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 720. The consumer stated the vehicle failed to start on two separate occasions.
Other or unspecified, Mar 1, 2022
Our windshield has easily chipped and cracked repeatedly. We are having our windshield replaced for the 3rd time since November 2021, and it is March 1, 2023, this does not include the two times we have had chips repaired. Each time was due to a small piece of gravel or rock hitting our windshield while driving. Twice was at 20 MPH passing someone at the same speed. Anything that hits our windshield causes a crack or fracture. It is more expensive because we have the eye assist package. We are terrified of something larger hitting our windshield and potentially going directly through it injuring someone in the car.
Electrical system, Feb 28, 2022
For the third time in a week I have went out to the garage to find the lift gate up and the battery dead. I talked to the dealers service dept. and they said the fob button had to have been pushed which opened the lift gate and the open lift gate drained the battery. Their recommendation was to make sure the fob button doesn’t get accidentally pushed. I have never had any vehicle with this problem before. Doing an internet search I found that a number of Outback and Ascent owners have had this same problem and it was recommended that it be reported here.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 27, 2022
Heard a pop, Spontaneous crack to the windshield
Other or unspecified, Feb 27, 2022
Windshield cracked while parked in a line waiting to go through a carwash. Nothing was above the car that could have dropped on the windshield to cause it to crack. I heard a "crack" looked up and could see the crack starting from the edge of the driver's side window - within minutes it was approx 8 - 10 long. Thankfully no safety for me or others but depending upon where the crack was it could (and if it keeps growing will) impair visibility for driving. Not inspected - this occured less than 1 hour ago. No warning sign that it was going to happen. This is my 2nd windshield on this car that just randomly cracked. Last time it started middle of the window, bottom under the hood of the car and went straight up.
Other or unspecified, Feb 24, 2022
In the last 11 months, we have had to replace the front windshield four times due to significant cracks that occurred after a rock hit the windshield (3 times) and one time following a hailstone hit. The cracks do not show up immediately, but about two hours after the incident. The "Eyesight" safety features don't work when this happens. Our driving is in town or on a freeway. We DO NOT do off-road driving or driving on gravel/dirt roads. The windshields have been replaced with Subaru factory windshields and re-calibrated each time. The auto glass repair shop we use believes this cracking problem is a design issue as the glass is steeply angled and the thickness of the glass is thinner. This is our fourth Subaru and we have never had this issue. In the past, a rock hit would just bounce off the windshield or leave a small "star burst" nick that could be filled. I emailed Subaru of America and asked them what, if anything, they were doing to address this issue. I have not received a response to my email, sent over a week ago.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2022
Windshield was hit by two rocks leaving dime sized stars at the base of the windshield. They were low and not in sightline. Have had many cars with same damage on windshield with no issues and driven for years without any change in the glass. When I got home I parked car in garage. The next afternoon when I looked at the windshield, the small stars had cracked in 4 different directions, to a size larger than a basketball. Now I'm forced to replace a windshield that on any other car would be fine.
Service brakes, Back over prevention, Feb 23, 2022
The car randomly breaks when it’s in motion in reverse. This has happened multiple times.