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.
Other or unspecified, Jan 12, 2023
Windhsield cracked for the 2nd time. First, original windshield cracked in 2022 and replaced with OEM part. Now, 1/12/23, windshield again cracked w/o any reason.
Electrical system, Jan 9, 2023
My car has a defective battery or a paracytic leak that the manufacturer (Subaru) acknowledges but selectively addresses. The problem is described at subarubatterysettlement.com. I have had to return my 2020 Subaru Outback to the dealer five or six times with a dead battery that has trouble recharging and maintaining a charge. Each time this occurs, I have to have the car towed to the nearest dealer for extensive (like days) testing. Under some magic circumstance, the battery is either returned-recharged or replaced. I have had to return my car with a dead battery to my dealer four or five times. Each time it is the same. "yes, your car battery is warranted (first for 3 years, now for 10 years)," but the reliability of the car's battery is never resolved. Again the catch is I cannot replace the battery myself without voiding a 10-year warranty on the engine, but to keep the contract, I must have my car taken to my Subaru dealer for them to test it to make sure that the car battery is dead...or something. This is a safety problem because the car often doesn't have the cranking amps to start. And the vehicle is designed to shut the engine off at a stop and auto start when your foot is taken off the brake. This means my car could arbitrarily die at an intersection. I have disabled the auto-start feature but I cannot leave my car at the airport for fear that when I return I will have to have it towed to my Subaru dealer for testing.
Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Jan 5, 2023
Multiple issues are with the electric system. The power windows will stop working up or down, the headunit/defroster/safety features will all lose power while driving before starting up again, the rear gate will sometimes not function. Some issues have occurred where some of the added safety features don't seem to always function as well. In the last month both passenger side windows have cracked. The front is cracked vertically and the rear is cracked horizontally, nearly the length of the window. Living in Alaska, cold weather is not foreign and all care is taken to ensure the integrity of the glass is preserved. I am not sure how/why these windows cracked, it was during a period of cold around December 14, 2022. I did a little Googling and this doesn't seem to be a totally unheard of problem. Losing your window definitely compromises safety, as well as the fact that if it is -40F and you lose a window.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 3, 2023
The problems I have had or currently have with my vehicle are as follows: 1. On or about November 17, 2022, multiple dash lights, including the check engine light, came on while idling in a parking lot. I turned the engine off for a few minutes and when I restarted the car the lights didn't come back on. I took no further action at that time 2. On November 17, 2022, when starting the engine for the first time that day, numerous lights came on on the dash. The engine was idling and there appeared to be some braking/stuttering not initiated by the driver of the car when it was being driven. The car was returned to our home garage after being driven approximately 1/10 of a mile and another vehicle was driven that day. The Subaru dealer advised to drive the vehicle to his shop in Miami. We took it to Subaru on November 20 and they fixed it that day. The technician said that “The technician completely placed the sensor and told us that the car was fixed. 3. On November 29, 2022, many dash lights, including the check engine light, came on when starting the vehicle for the first time during the day. The engine was more or less idling. The car was driven and the lights eventually went out on their own while running errands. We took the interior to the Subaru dealer. They said the battery would need to be replaced and adjustments made and we returned the Outback to the Subaru dealer on November 29, 2022 for maintenance. They changed the battery and the star/stop and returned the car 3 days later 4. You were driving on the interstate when you started to brake accidentally. This occurred on southbound I-95 just north of boca raton with 2 children in the car as passengers. All the dash lights came on including the check engine light. Less than 10 seconds later, the car began to brake against the driver's will. The interior slowed to 20 mph in less than 100 yards. The vehicle continued to resist my attempts to accelerate.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after coming outside to start the vehicle, it was discovered that the front glass windshield had cracked. The crack was located on the passenger side of the front windshield and extended between 11 to 15 inches long. The cause of the crack was not determined. The contact indicated that no object had made contact with the windshield to cause the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 19,000.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Dec 28, 2022
Windshield defective issues. The windshield in my subaru outback cracked twice in a 6-month period. Both incidents occurred while driving between 40-55 mph in San Diego. The first time (July 2022) the windshield cracked for no apparent reason. I took the car to the Subaru dealership for a windshield replacement. The second time (12/25/22) it appears that a small pebble hit the windshield on the bottom side of the windshield. I am really not even sure a pebble hit the windshield, I just heard the windshield crack. Subaru has been notified of this second incident and I am waiting for an appointment to replace the cracked windshield. This is appears to be a defect on the windshield. I've never had this issue with any other car. Its troubling to know that the windshield on my car can cracked so easily and it worries me for the safety of my family. Please investigate all the other complains that have been submitted related to subaru's windshield cracking.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Dec 28, 2022
the car brake, with the foot on the gas all the lights came on and it stopped on the street (traffic being stuck) it's a car safety problem it can cause a serious accident if I end up on I-95, if something happens to me they will be responsible for it I have everything the records and photos of everything that happened to the car Check . what happens to that car with the same failures over and over again in 2 months 3 time on the dealer with the same problem I buy this car on October 2022 and over and over again the same problem
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 15, 2022
On Saturday 12/10/2022 at approximately 5PM, I was driving my 2020 Subaru Outback on the left lane of a highway in South Miami at a speed of 65+ miles per hour when the vehicle lost all power. The vehicle’s Eye Sight" system alerted me to "Keep your eyes on the road”, then all of the instrumentation on the dashboard lit up. I was able to maneuver my vehicle through traffic to the relative safety of the right shoulder of the highway. I tried to restart the engine and that was a futile effort. The electrical failure in the vehicle also impacted the hazard lights and now my car was engulfed in darkness on the highway, making a bad situation even worse. I contacted Subaru Starlink and they promised a tow truck within in an hour but later revised the estimate to 11PM. Meanwhile there are 4 women occupants in my vehicle and all are in our 60's. Subaru could not and would not provide us safe transportation off the highway at that time of night due to "liability issues". In the end, I was able to secure my own tow truck and transported my car to a Subaru dealership and transported myself and my passengers to safety. The Subaru dealer informed me that my experience is a known issue with Subaru and that the root cause is a defective valve. This valve is on back order and its availability is impacted by supply chain issues. My car remains at the dealership and I have been provided with a loaner vehicle in the interim. There is no ETA on the repair or when I will have my car back.
Back over prevention, Dec 12, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving in reverse the vehicle crashed into a metal dumpster causing severe damage to the rear end of the vehicle. During the incident, the audible backover prevention alert indicating that the vehicle was nearing an object did not activate causing the vehicle to be driven into the dumpster. During the incident, the front passenger sustained neck and back injuries that later required medical treatment. No police report was taken and the vehicle was driven from the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Dec 10, 2022
Electrical problems cause frequent battery replacement and for the battery to drain at an alarming rate. The car has to be jump-started to be used, and the car battery will drain immediately as soon as the drive is over( even if it's hours). There is/was a class action lawsuit against Subaru of America, as the action says that Subaru failed to recall the vehicles and fix the problem. I'm paying a note on a 28k car that I can't get out of the driveway without jump-starting the car, and if I stop to run in a store when I return, the vehicle will not start. It's completely unsafe and ridiculous. I've taken this to the dealership (Ken Fowler of Ukiah, CA) and other mechanics, and no one has known about this issue or been able to fix it. Someone, please help.
Other or unspecified, Dec 8, 2022
Windshied cracks from small rock chip am having to replace my secound windshield in less than 7 mounths time because it cracks with in a few minutes after inpact from small rock chip the safety issue would be the glass from the crack could inpair vision. I had the first one replaced by the dealerwith dealer supplied glass.
Visibility, Dec 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front windshield cracked several times without impact. While driving bird droppings struck the front windshield and the windshield cracked on impact. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the windshield glass. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer four times and the glass was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 2, 2022
The windshield has a crack. There is mo evidence any object striking the windshield. The crack starts at the top just to left of the rear view mirror and then loos down to the left like a fishhook.
Other or unspecified, Nov 29, 2022
This vehicle is equipped with an auto start/stop system. It is automatically enabled every time the car is turned on. While it can be turned off, it must be turned off manually every time the automobile is started. It is (candidly) both easy to forget to disable and also a nuisance to disable with every start. The incident occurred during fresh snow fall with ice coat, temperature around 24F. I was stopped at a traffic light and the auto stop turned the engine off. As I slowly started to accelerate with a green light, the auto on "kicked on" resulting in loss of control and the car fish tailing.
Electrical system, Nov 26, 2022
Battery drained / dead after left sitting for 4 days. Read about a class action lawsuit for this issue. Left me stranded and had to call roadside assistance
Visibility/wiper, Nov 19, 2022
The front windshield/ window cracked while parked in driveway,
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Eyesight System inadvertently deactivated, causing the power steering to fail and the vehicle to go into Limp Mode. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle to correct the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 17, 2022
We have had our 2020 Subaru outback for almost 2 years. Within these years, we have had 3 cracked windshields. The first time a rock hit the windshield causing a crack that moved quickly. The second time, we got a small ding from a rock. It did not cause the windshield to crack. However, I barely touched it with my fingertip and the ding turned into a crack that went halfway across our windshield. This last time, there was no apparent cause. We never heard anything hit the windshield, it just cracked. We have less than 29,000 miles on this car. I have never had a vehicle needing a windshield replaced this often if ever!!!!
Electrical system, Nov 15, 2022
I approached a stop light and barked. The car stalled and wouldn't restart. The interior lights on the console started to flash and car was dead. I was traveling southbound on Rt 1 in Delaware. I was in the center lane (3 lanes). there was a a lot of traffic and despite my hazard lights being on several people slammed their brakes nearly hitting me. I called 911 and the DE state police came to stop traffic and push my car out of the road. It was terrifying. The battery/electric system has been glitchy. When looking online at my Subaru service records, none of this has been listed there despite visiting Subaru for it and an episode where they had to tow my car because it wouldn't take a jump. This is a new car, and was purchased to have safe and reliable transport. The police report can be verified by calling [XXX] (Delaware State police) the incident number is [XXX] Officer [XXX]. I have a video of the lights flashing but site won't accept upload. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Electrical system, Nov 14, 2022
Battery died and wouldn't take a charge, car was towed to Subaru dealer and I was told I must have done something wrong that car was fine and battery took a charge from the dealer and was in good health. The tow truck driver was unable to jump the car. I was unable to ride with the tow truck driver because of covid. The car continues to have battery issues and the electrical system has hiccups from time to time where I can't get the door to look or the car doesn't recognize that I have shut it off. In the past 2 weeks the battery has died in the time it takes to unload groceries from the car. I drive a lot by myself and have been stranded when stopping for gas. I am taking the car to the dealer this Friday. I had to find out about the class action suit on Google! I was told this was unique to me.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 12, 2022
The vehicle does not start at unforeseen times. Battery has been replaced. Safety is a risk if car would not start in unsafe location. Dealership has been unable to fix problem or find drain on battery or electrical problems. Car has had to be towed to dealership and jump started by a professional many times in order to drive to dealership.
Other or unspecified, Nov 11, 2022
The front windshield has cracked twice now with no point of impact. This week marks the second of these spontaneous cracks in 6 weeks. Both times, the crack appeared first thing in the morning after not being driven all night.
Other or unspecified, Oct 27, 2022
My windshield has developed a crack for no apparent reason. The crack starts at the top of the windshield near the rear view mirror, goes straight down for about 6", then travels horizontally, creating an 'L' shape. Total length is approximately 12". The vehicle has not been involved in an accident, nor was it struck by a stone or other road debris. The crack just showed up.
Power train, Oct 19, 2022
Vehicle was taken to a dealer to perform warranty work related to Subaru MSB 16-136-22R on 7/6/2022, at mileage 18,317. Owner was experiencing vibrations and noise on turns during acceleration, first noticed a month earlier, which was steadily becoming worse, causing concern about the safety or possible failure of the vehicle. Dealer confirmed this problem existed in the multiple plate transfer (MPT) clutch and attempted temporary repairs, as per the service bulletin. Repairs were unsuccessful and vehicle status was then said by the dealer to be “off-road — not drivable”. The dealer indicated the front transmission had failed. Parts were ordered at that time from Subaru to do the repair. The vehicle has been in the dealer’s possession since 7/6, waiting for parts to arrive.
Steering, Electrical system, Oct 15, 2022
I was stopped at a light in a 3 Lane St. It was approximately 930 at night. The auto start stop feature had turned off the engine and when I removed my foot from the brake to begin moving forward the entire electrical system shut off. I tried switching into park and restarting the car but the car locked the steering wheel at this point and killed all of the lights inside and outside of the vehicle. This meant that I was in a car in the middle lane of traffic with no lights and I was not able to turn on the flashers either. I had to use the emergency neutral setting in order to unlock the steering wheel and roll the car to safety. While we were rolling the car I attempted to turn on the vehicle again and it began running. This is the second time that the car shut off when i released my foot from the brake. The first time I was able to shift into park and restart the car.