2020 Subaru Outback Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 259 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2020 Subaru Outback, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 4,746 miles. The words owners use most often: “battery died” (12% of reports).
- 259electrical system complaints
- 4,746median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 56%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Battery died: mentioned in 30 of 259 complaints (12%)
- Jump start: mentioned in 28 of 259 complaints (11%)
- Roadside assistance: mentioned in 16 of 259 complaints (6%)
- Completely dead: mentioned in 14 of 259 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 118 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 259 complaints, 3 mention a crash.
Subaru Outback electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outback | 6 | 33% | — |
| 2025 Outback | 13 | 16% | 6,000 |
| 2024 Outback | 16 | 15% | 2,800 |
| 2023 Outback | 17 | 19% | 4,100 |
| 2022 Outback | 52 | 11% | 25,000 |
| 2021 Outback | 75 | 25% | 2,150 |
| 2020 Outback | 259 | 29% | 4,746 |
| 2019 Outback | 364 | 35% | 13,000 |
| 2018 Outback | 267 | 33% | 16,250 |
| 2017 Outback | 391 | 43% | 31,000 |
| 2016 Outback | 309 | 48% | 40,238 |
| 2015 Outback | 127 | 25% | 30,000 |
| 2014 Outback | 32 | 15% | 47,217 |
| 2013 Outback | 23 | 8% | 40,000 |
| 2012 Outback | 37 | 13% | 70,000 |
| 2011 Outback | 67 | 10% | 60,993 |
| 2010 Outback | 33 | 9% | 90,000 |
| 2009 Outback | 23 | 22% | 107,000 |
| 2008 Outback | 34 | 15% | 80,500 |
| 2007 Outback | 20 | 16% | 116,750 |
| 2006 Outback | 42 | 15% | 100,000 |
| 2005 Outback | 28 | 10% | 110,812 |
| 2004 Outback | 8 | 9% | 36,039 |
| 2003 Outback | 7 | 8% | 13,502 |
| 2002 Outback | 4 | 3% | 115,000 |
| 2001 Outback | 3 | 2% | 72,500 |
| 2000 Outback | 8 | 4% | 117,200 |
| 1999 Outback | 8 | 7% | 91,350 |
| 1998 Outback | 6 | 5% | 100,147 |
| 1997 Outback | 4 | 5% | — |
| 1996 Outback | 1 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2020 Subaru Outback. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
In the first 2 weeks after financing vehicle it started having passenger window issues when it rained it caused window to not wat to go up or would try coming down when trying to let it up when it rained next qas battary kept killing my battery I've replaced 4 batteries in 2.5 years and then my…
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the contact was alerted by the message âEyesight Technology Failureâ, before the battery shut down, causing the steering wheel to seize, forcing the contact to come to a complete stop in the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Subaru Outbacks have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 259 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2020 Subaru Outback (29% of the 899 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Subaru Outback electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 4,746 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2020 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “battery died”, in 30 of 259 complaints, followed by “jump start” (28).
Other 2020 Subaru Outback problems
- Visibility/wiper problems (313)
- Visibility problems (70)
See all 2020 Subaru Outback problems or electrical system problems across all Outback years.