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.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 6, 2021
Without warning or repeatable cause the "infotainment" system will reboot causing the Bluetooth, LKAS, forward watching camera, emergency braking, and RAB to also stop working and reboot. This problem has occurred numerous times over the past several months. It happens without any predictability and I have not been able to find a common factor that triggers it. In May it happened once on a 4 hour drive west, but on the return trip it happened 4 times in a 2 hour window. The problem did not occur again until the first week of June and happened multiple times over a 3 day period. The software for the car has been recalled and reinstalled twice and the problem still occurs without warning or explanation. I have reported the issue in mid-August to Subaru's customer service and was told "a software update" was 2 weeks away. I do not believe this report from their customer service because no other documentation was provided other than a call back. I followed-up with a call back and an email to Subaru asking for more details for which I have not gotten an answer. The incidence of it happening on Aug 20, 2021 occurred as I was entering into traffic from Baggage Road to Hwy 220 South in Rockingham County, NC. The system rebooted as I was entering traffic and created a distraction at a crucial moment I was crossing 4 lanes to turn left to proceed south on Hwy 220. Presently the system's issues seem to be limited to a reboot of Bluetooth, radio and all safety related systems. If the system had triggered a shutdown of the car or if the safety systems had caused the car to stop I would have been in the middle of a US Highway with traffic approaching from both directions at 60+mph. I am disappointed by Subaru for not addressing this issue with a formal company statement and promises of an update have not materialized.
Air bags, Sep 6, 2021
The airbag light came on in my 2020 Subaru Outback in May 2021. I’ve had the vehicle to Reliable Subaru service department four times for repair and each time they were unable to repair the airbag system. The front passenger seat reacts like someone is in the seat even when it is empty. The problem is if a child is in the seat, the airbag will deploy most likely in an impact. The car is available for inspection at anytime.
Electrical system, Sep 3, 2021
The battery has drained 6 times: there are no lights on or doors open, etc. I have been stranded, alone. The car has under 8000 miles. It doesn't matter what distance I drive. The first time was the day after a 200 mike trip, daytime. Next morning, dead battery. Other times, it was a trip to the store, 15 Mike's, when I came out after an hour, battery was dead. There is no pattern, I cannot rely on this car.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 2, 2021
Windshield developed crack from lower edge 10 inches long with no indication of any damage.
Lane departure, Sep 1, 2021
When passing semi’s on highway they are not detected by the blind spot detection (the light on the mirror does not turn on). It does not pick up the semi even when I am only halfway passed the semi. The blind spot detection does work when passing cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles on the highway. I reported this issue to the dealer (CleoBay Subaru, Killeen,TX). They tested the vehicle and told me they did not experience any issues. I immediately left the dealership and went out on the highway and still experienced the same issue. I believe this is a significant safety issue. Thank you for you time
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Aug 31, 2021
Windshield has a Crack line from the center bottom edge of the Windshield going up towards the center to the right then left as it expands. It was parked and appeared the next morning with no sign of impact.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 31, 2021
Rearview mirror broke off of the windshield during normal use. At no time did I pull on the rearview mirror with excessive force.
Electrical system, Aug 31, 2021
Auto is mainly garaged since purchase 1-1/2 years ago. Battery went totally dead and car became inoperable in 2020 after non-use for approx. 4 weeks, requiring lengthy re-charge. Subaru checkup showed no malfunction, according to company. This month (Aug, 2021) battery again went totally dead, this time after non-use for approx. just 2-3 weeks, again requiring lengthy re-charge. This renders auto unusable for any form of travel when car must sit unused, perhaps in a garage or parking area, without possibility to periodically run car to maintain battery charge.
Visibility, Aug 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle, she noticed a crack on the front windshield from the driver's side to the center of the windshield. The contact stated that nothing had struck the windshield to cause the crack to form on the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
Other or unspecified, Aug 23, 2021
I went to drive on August 20, 2021 and I haven’t driven since August 15, 2021. When I went to drive my car on the 20th I noticed a huge crack in my windshield with no place of impact that something hit the windshield. There was no crack on the windshield on the 15th. Every time I drive it, it keeps growing.
Electrical system, Aug 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the battery failed. The contact stated that after the vehicle was driven for over one hour, the contact parked the vehicle turned the engine off. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up due to the battery failure. The contact stated that the battery failure was experienced several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 15,700.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 18, 2021
On 04/09/2020 the windshield spontaneously cracked across the lower right side while sitting in our garage. There was a very small etch that could have been caused by a small rock however we were never aware of a rock hitting the windshield. The first indication was the large crack after sitting in the garage over night. This windshield was replaced with new. On 07/26/2021 the windshield spontaneously cracked again, while driving, starting at the lower center and then immediately spreading across to the left side. There was no indication of a rock hitting the windshield though there is a small etch at the crack start point. I have had several windshields hit by rock which always only left at most a small crack at the hit point and never broke across the whole windshield like these two incidents. Both incidents resulted in distorted vision making driving dangerous.
Electrical system, Structure, Aug 16, 2021
The Outback had a complete loss of power, cause still not identified. In the process of attempting to get to my portable power unit I discovered a significant safety concern that could result in the death of any rear seat passengers.If there is no electrical power there is NO MEANS OF UNLOCKING THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS. The mechanical door handles do NOT work. I checked the child safety locks and they were not engaged. In the event of an accident/ front end collision that damaged the battery the occupants of the rear seats are trapped. If they needed to vacate the car for any reason they could not. Parents can not get to their children. Please investigate and make Subaru modify the back doos so the mechanical handle will operate when there is nor electrical power.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Aug 14, 2021
A Small rock hit my windshield and the windshield instantly cracked. Subaru said the windshield was not covered under standard warranty and recommended a local glass company. The windshield was replaced with another Subaru windshield that cracked 3 days later while the car was parked inside my closed garage. The second windshield never got hit by anything - it just cracked for no reason. The glass company said it was a stress fracture. The initial fracture was right across my line of sight, making it difficult to see. The fracture continued to spread and new cracks were developing. I now have a third windshield on a car that is one year old.
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 13, 2021
Car has twice stalled out when driving slowly in hot weather. When trying to restart vehicle the engine turned over just fine, but wouldn’t restart until much later after the car had a chance to cool down completely. Possible vapor lock or faulty fuel pump.
Other or unspecified, Aug 11, 2021
My 2020 Outback has suddenly stalled three times. Two of the three times was at about 55 mph. The check engine light came on each time and eventually cleared itself, before I could take the car to a Subaru service Department. I did take the car to a Subaru service Department and each time they said there was no current problem and didn't make a repair. I called Subaru of America several times.
Forward collision avoidance, Back over prevention, Aug 10, 2021
While driving the car the car's computer/radio/navigation system will randomly shut down. This has been occurring since approx 6500 miles. When this occurs all of the safety systems/HVAC/Rear Camera/Radio/Navigation systems all will fail with the associated warning lights. The car now has approx 9000 miles, this appears to be random occurrences about every 200-250 miles. Dealer states that they are aware of the problem and was told to contact back late June/early July that SOA was going to release a software fix. Well time has passed and nothing has occurred. When driving this car and the failure occurs all of the safety systems are totally inoperable thus the computerized safety systems are not functional. So, far I have been able to maintain full control of the car. The time for the systems to comeback online is highly variable and sometimes I have to stop, and turn the car off for approximately 10 minutes to have the systems return to being functional. For example, the automated cruise control if in operation will fail to operate, the backup camera will be inoperable, the side space warning will fail, lane assist will fail, and so on for all of the safety systems that this particular car has will all fail. Fortunately, I have been able to safely find a safe place to stop, but what happens when this failure occurs and there is not a place to stop/pull over to rest the car/computer. I can't be the only owner/driver that is having this problem(s) they are all interrelated when the master computer shuts down all of the other systems then follow. It is only a matter of time that a potential crash with associated injury and or loss of life can potentially occur. Dealer is unable to replicate and therefore unable to repair/replace parts. Once this failure can be rectified/corrected this is a wonderful car. At this point, I am unable to determine the cause nor am I able to prevent these failures.
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.
Electrical system, Aug 6, 2021
The car only has 7500 miles on it, the battery has gone dead 3x, with the third time not possible to jump start. I had to have it towed to Subaru dealer, they replaced battery with another Subaru battery. From what I have read this one will likely go dead also.there has to be a better solution.
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.
Other or unspecified, Aug 3, 2021
I was trying to open the trunk with the button in the car, it didn’t work, so I pulled the car forward thinking it was the problem, but it wasn’t. I got out of the left the door open and attempted to open it, but it would not. With the keys in my hand, I shut the driver’s side door, and attempted to push the button on the back, but that still didn’t work, even using the key fob. I went back to the driver’s side, only to find that the doors somehow became locked with the car on and the keys in my hands. The doors would not unlock even though I touched the driver’s front and the passenger’s front doors. Using the key fob did not work. Luckily this car has the key in the fob and that’s what I had to use to enter the car. Actually, this is two incidents in one, the trunk would not open and the doors locked with the car running and the keys in my hand. The trunk oddly just spontaneously started to work again after the analogue key was used on the door. Of note, the monitor and Apple CarPlay had been on the fritz all morning and continued. I’m not sure if the electronics caused a problem with trunk opening and the car doors locking while the car was running.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 1, 2021
The head unit (Entertainment Center) of my car will re-boot several times while driving. This re-boot process will also disable Eyesight, speed control, lane departure warning, and other safety systems on my car while driving. These safety systems will not re-enable without pulling over, turning off the car, then turning the car back on again.
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.