2020 Subaru Outback Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 2020 Subaru Outback, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 18,121 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (43% of reports).
- 70visibility complaints
- 18,121median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 76%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.
- Windshield cracked: mentioned in 30 of 70 complaints (43%)
- Driver side: mentioned in 22 of 70 complaints (31%)
- Without impact: mentioned in 20 of 70 complaints (29%)
- Obstructed vision: mentioned in 8 of 70 complaints (11%)
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 64 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 70 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Subaru Outback visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 1 | 1% | 2,000 |
| 2024 Outback | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Outback | 3 | 3% | 2,350 |
| 2022 Outback | 26 | 6% | 6,750 |
| 2021 Outback | 10 | 3% | 4,500 |
| 2020 Outback | 70 | 8% | 18,121 |
| 2019 Outback | 63 | 6% | 26,000 |
| 2018 Outback | 41 | 5% | 34,900 |
| 2017 Outback | 30 | 3% | 49,500 |
| 2016 Outback | 8 | 1% | 22,828 |
| 2015 Outback | 14 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 2014 Outback | 2 | 1% | 89,904 |
| 2013 Outback | 3 | 1% | 116,000 |
| 2012 Outback | 4 | 1% | 16,891 |
| 2011 Outback | 5 | 1% | 6,642 |
| 2010 Outback | 3 | 1% | 78,000 |
| 2009 Outback | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2007 Outback | 1 | 1% | 15,000 |
| 2006 Outback | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2005 Outback | 2 | 1% | 60,800 |
| 2004 Outback | 5 | 6% | 45,348 |
| 2003 Outback | 3 | 3% | 38,000 |
| 2002 Outback | 6 | 4% | 33,500 |
| 2001 Outback | 3 | 2% | 74,500 |
| 2000 Outback | 6 | 3% | — |
| 1999 Outback | 4 | 4% | — |
| 1998 Outback | 7 | 6% | 35,000 |
| 1997 Outback | 7 | 9% | — |
| 1996 Outback | 1 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility 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.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the front passengerâs side mirror had started to detach from the vehicle without an impact to the vehicle, and the mirror had become inoperable. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer…
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the contact became aware that there was a 12-inch-long crack on the windshield starting from the driverâs side of the windshield. The contact stated that there was no impact to the windshield…
Rearview mirror fell off windshield with very little use. The mirror broke off a piece of the windshield, causing damage and requiring complete replacement of the windshield.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Subaru Outbacks have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 70 owner complaints about visibility for the 2020 Subaru Outback (8% of the 900 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 visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 18,121 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 2020 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 30 of 70 complaints, followed by “driver side” (22).
Other 2020 Subaru Outback problems
See all 2020 Subaru Outback problems or visibility problems across all Outback years.