2020 Subaru Outback Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Outback years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 900 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Outback. That ranks 3rd out of 32 Outback model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility/wiper (313 complaints, 35%), typically at around 5,000 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 7 fires, 4 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 900owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 Subaru Outback problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper problems | 313 | 35% | 5,000 | “windshield cracked” (32%) | $1,300 |
| Electrical System problems | 259 | 29% | 4,746 | “battery died” (12%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 152 | 17% | 4,600 | — | — |
| Visibility problems | 70 | 8% | 18,121 | “windshield cracked” (43%) | — |
| Engine | 49 | 5% | 7,250 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 49 | 5% | 7,108 | — | — |
| Power Train | 48 | 5% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 2% | 8,600 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 20 | 2% | 7,216 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 2% | 9,750 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 2% | 1,050 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 2% | 6,025 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 2% | 1,435 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 2% | 3,300 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 1% | 1,300 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 10 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 0% | 49,923 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 0% | 6,400 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 1,761 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 0% | 8,900 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 44,882 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 520 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 526 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Subaru Outback recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: 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.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Power train:driveline:chain/belt; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: 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.
Risk: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Power train:driveline:chain/belt; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: 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.
Risk: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: 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.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Back over prevention:display function
Problem: 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."
Risk: The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have a 2020 Subaru Outback with just over 70,000 miles on it. Well before hitting 70,000 miles, there were two occasions where a loud, unusual noise occurred while reversing out of my garage. Additionally, I occasionally hear a strange noise when shifting into Reverse from Park. I also sometimes…
Noticed minor hesitation in the reverse down our driveway Aug 2024. By Aug 2026, the transmission hesitation has turned into very noticeable shudder and slip. In reverse down the driveway, the TR580 CVT was showing premature initial failure resulting in unexpected loss of motive power control as…
Unknown. Best assessment between 2:09 and 2:15 pm on the XXX pass outside of [XXX] heading west. There were wind gusts up to 27 mph. I was traveling highway speeds 75-80mph. I had been driving highway speeds since 10:30 am coming from [XXX] No warning. As in: no flutter of the hood, hood not…
9/20/26 my 2020 Subaru Outback experienced repeated electrical failures followed by loss of power-steering assistance. The underlying failed component is unknown. The vehicle is parked and available for inspection. While driving, the vehicle intermittently lurched/jerked as the center display went…
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on various occasions upon bringing the vehicle to a stop or upon acceleration the vehicle had experienced a total loss of automotive power, and all of the warning lights would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer…
Other Subaru Outback years
← 2019 Outback · 2021 Outback →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outback | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 Outback | 82 | 0 |
| 2024 Outback | 104 | 0 |
| 2023 Outback | 89 | 2 |
| 2022 Outback | 465 | 4 |
| 2021 Outback | 298 | 4 |
| 2020 | 900 | 6 |
| 2019 Outback | 1,036 | 3 |
| 2018 Outback | 814 | 3 |
| 2017 Outback | 918 | 4 |
| 2016 Outback | 643 | 4 |
| 2015 Outback | 510 | 5 |
| 2014 Outback | 208 | 10 |
| 2013 Outback | 297 | 12 |
| 2012 Outback | 293 | 16 |
| 2011 Outback | 652 | 16 |
| 2010 Outback | 360 | 18 |
| 2009 Outback | 106 | 13 |
| 2008 Outback | 226 | 8 |
| 2007 Outback | 129 | 8 |
| 2006 Outback | 277 | 7 |
| 2005 Outback | 273 | 9 |
| 2004 Outback | 90 | 10 |
| 2003 Outback | 93 | 14 |
| 2002 Outback | 143 | 4 |
| 2001 Outback | 171 | 3 |
| 2000 Outback | 207 | 1 |
| 1999 Outback | 111 | 1 |
| 1998 Outback | 127 | 2 |
| 1997 Outback | 79 | 4 |
| 1996 Outback | 46 | 2 |
| 1995 Outback | 2 | 1 |
See all Subaru Outback problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Subaru Outback?
Owners most often report visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, visibility/wiper, accounts for 313 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Subaru Outback?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 Subaru Outback a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Outback model years, the 2020 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.