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, Apr 10, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parked in the driveway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated into their home. No air bags had deployed. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The home had been damaged. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who was not able to identify the cause of the failure at that time, however, they were going to run more diagnostic tests and inspections. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,400.
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
Engine, Apr 1, 2023
I just purchased a Outback XT with the 2.4l turbo engine. After more researching with owning the car I discovered these cars with this engine can have a oil pan leak due to the bad RTV sealant applied to the lower oil pan from the factory. I went outside to go look under my car to see if this issue is occurring to mine. To discovery my car has a small oil leak from the rear of the oil pan. it has 31k miles. Further research shows the WRX whom has the same engine also has an issue with RTV falling apart within the oil pan and having the oil pick up tube sucking up the gasket in small pieces. These pieces are then and can get stuck at the top of the tube where a small screen is and can STARVE the engine from oil! MULTIPLE pictures of various shops have shown this LITERALLY. This is a big issue and is common for these engines to have this from the factory many YouTube, forums, blogs are saying this! Search " '22 WRX RTV oil pan pick up tube issue" , "Subaru 2.4l Turbo oil pan leak" , "Subaru 2.4l Oil peak up with RTV" This MUST BE CORRECTED it can cause SEVERE engine failure. THIS NEEDS to be RECALLED IMEDIATELY!
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.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 25, 2023
When we started vehicle, a wide array of systems shut down including cruise, Eye Sight, lane detection, auto high bean, adaptive light cornering - essentially anything “automated” or assisted - along with the heating. The car ran at a higher RPM at idle - 2000 vs a usual 700-800 - and rough shifted at speed. Again, as if the automatic transmission lost its sync. The water temp gauge was also off. Have since learned this was the “thermo control valve” and somewhat of a known fault on Outbacks of this year. We were lucky to reach home from the long trip we were on and to the dealership. At the dealership, the service team did not admit this was wide spread. Nor did they tell us there is an updated part from Subaru available. They intend to install the OEM part, which concerns us that in another 40-50k we will face the same $2k problem. We are unlucky that we just went over 60k miles, so this will not be covered under Subaru’s 60k drivetrain warranty. That Subaru is covering a cooling system problem under the guise of being drive train tells me they know they have something to keep quiet.
Electrical system, Feb 25, 2023
On Friday Feb 24, 2023 our Subaru suffered a complete loss of electrial power leaving us stranded in very cold weaher here in northeastern Ohio. We were finally able to get one door open only to find nothing else in the car would work. We contacted Subaru roadside assistance and they dispached a Lift car & a tow truck to our location. The tow truck driver determined the battery had a complete failure. He told us this was a very common problem they see on the Subaru cars. He was successful in getting the car started via jumper box. Later in the day we received a follow up call from Subaru roadside assistance to confirm our safety. I asked if this battery failure on new Subaru vehicles was common he said more than 90% of the rodaside assistance calls are related to this issue of early battery failure. As I called my dealer to schedule an appointment on this issue I was told Subaru has placed strict inspection rules before replacement is allowed. Does it take a genius to know a car with 8000 miles should not experience a complete battery failure. My previous experience with Subaru is that they only respond to correct an issue when forced. Had this failure occured under different circumstances it could have been more dangerous.
Structure, Feb 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the trim on the front driver’s side door started to detach from vehicle. Several days later, the front passenger’s side door also experienced the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the trim on both doors were reattached; however, the failure returned on the front driver’s side door. The contact reached out to the manufacturer online and completed a survey. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Steering, Feb 23, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that their daughter was driving approximately 35 mph when the dashboard displayed that an electronic power steering failure had occurred. The driver then lost control of the vehicle and ended up going over a curb hitting some rocks on the landscaping. The air bags did not deploy due to only the undercarriage being the only part that hit the curb and rocks on the landscaping. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. A police report was filed. As a result, the transmission as well as other parts of the vehicle to be damaged. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The dealer diagnosed that the steering gearbox needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000.
Electrical system, Feb 14, 2023
Multiple battery failures. Original battery failed at ~2 years, then a new battery failed 6 months later. First failure July 2022, second failure Dec 2022
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.
Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2023
I bought the Subaru Outback new Jan. 31, 2020. In those 3 years, I have had 3 windshield cracks from flying rocks resulting in 2-3 ft. long cracks extending across the windshield. The latest one happened Jan. 31, 2023, and the previous cracked windshield was replaced less than six weeks earlier on Dec. 22, 2022. While the first two incidents occurred on an interstate at high speed, the most recent incident occurred while sitting in stop-and-go, in-town driving at less than 15 MPH. Auto insurance will only cover one windshield claim per year. Subaru of Jacksonville (FL) and Subaru of America deny any known defects. The only other person I know who owns a newer Outback has experienced one windshield crack, and has owned the vehicle for less than 2 years. The auto glass company which performed the latest replacement told me last week that they get the most windshield damage claims from Outbacks, Mercedes and Range Rover. The most recent installer also said this is a problem with Outbacks and further said that the windshield containing the safety features are made of thinner glass than conventional windshields, and if I didn't want it to happen again, I would have to choose a thicker conventional windshield and lose the built-in safety features.
Engine, Jan 31, 2023
Check engine light came on with error code p26a5 which seems to be known issue with the Thermo Control Valve.
Other or unspecified, Jan 30, 2023
Moonroof without any warning broke out while driving on the freeway. This has happened two times within 6 months. When it breaks there is a very loud bang and glass fly's from the car, possibly hitting following vehicles. Both times we had the inside sun shade closed so the occupants of the car were not showered with glass. Happened on 7/11/22 & 1/28/23. We no longer trust driving the car and will trade it in.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 27, 2023, crash
I pulled into my driveway, came to a stop and planned to back up a short distance to be nearer the front walkway. Before I could shift into reverse the car started to accelerate forward. I slammed my foot onto the brakes which had no effect on the acceleration. The car stopped when the lower bumper hit and ran up onto a large boulder on the edge of the driveway. The car was partially wedged on the top of the boulder but I was able to back it off the boulder, park and turn off the car. I have scheduled an appointment with the service department on February 1st, at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle in June 2020. Of note, I had a routine oil change and service check at this dealership on January 16 with no engine problems noted.
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.
Other or unspecified, Jan 18, 2023
I have had to replace my battery three times. Car drains battery without being used and I have had to be jumped on multiple occasions. The car is a 2020 and this seems unusual.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Jan 17, 2023
On Dec. 20, 2022, my Outback totally stopped working while sitting at a red light, causing traffic to be forced to maneuver around my car. A kind policeman put out flares until the tow truck arrived. I could not shift into park, nothing electric would work, except the radio continued to play and the flashers worked until it all died. I could not turn the radio off and the seat would not adjust. The electronic screen flashed on and off until it went totally black, after about an hour. This vehicle only has about 21,000 miles on it and was under warranty until 3 weeks prior to the incident. Every time I took it to the dealership, I explained that the electronics had glitches. They always said it was fixed but it never was right. The TomTom navigation system was totally unreliable from day one; the screen went blank and the radio would not work at all, as well as all the screen functions, without warning. The screen would read out that I should keep my hands on the wheel, although both hands were on the wheel. Over and over it had problems which were not resolved.
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
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jan 12, 2023
For one, my windshield cracked out of nowhere, I didn’t know that windshields were having issues at the time, so I had to replace it on my own without contacting the dealership. Other issues include the front windows not going up all the way from time to time. The info system crashes and shuts down from time to time too, which leads to the Eyesight to shutdown temporarily too. And from time to time, the hatch buttons lag where I have to push on the buttons multiple times to get it to close
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jan 12, 2023
•Driver’s window failing to properly and completing retract. This has been particularly troublesome in the bitter cold of Northern Minnesota. On each visit to Subaru I have requested that the window be repaired. All efforts have been unsuccessful. •Battery failure without cause or prior warning signs. On previous visits the Service Center failed to address and resolve the battery problem that I brought. In my most recent visit they referred me to a Legal Settlement action which prevents them from further addressing the battery issue. I brought the vehicle in twice for repair/replacement of the battery. Not resolved. •Eyesight Driver Assist malfunction. Upon presenting the issue, the Service Manager suggested that the cause was sunlight hitting the sensors and he did not work on the issue. Even when I noted that the problem happened in the evening as well as during the daytime, no response. •Check Engine Warning Indicator signifying any number of important malfunctions while also causing Cruise Control, Eyesight, RAB, and other critical, electronic systems to deactivate. More importantly, the Subaru Service Center informed me that there is a life-threatening risk associated with the underlying cause of this Check Engine light appearing, and, consequently, they would not permit me to drive the car from the Service Center until necessary repairs and part replacements were made. I have been waiting over two months for the automobile to be repaired and returned to me. I had previously brought the vehicle in specifically for this issue. At that time the Service Center failed to correct the problem and suggested it would disappear on its own (the warning light would turn off after a number of ignition starts). When I requested that they clearly understand the problem and fix the lighlight warning, the manager refused to continue to work on the vehicle.