We bought our 2020 Outback used in May 2022. I have had to get a jump three times in the past two weeks. I am traveling alone and not only had it involved me being late for work, but my safety as well.
2020 Subaru Outback
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Outback years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Subaru Outback are substantially higher than the model-year median of 207.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Outback years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
443 reports with mileage · 453 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 313 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 258 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
258 reportsMy battery has been replaced three times by the dealer. Initially days after buying the vehicle and twice since then. After letting the vehicle sit for 3-7 days the battery is not able to start the vehicle. Each time I have taken it to the dealer for repair. The first time in 2020 it was just a battery replacement. Then in 20…
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My battery has been replaced three times by the dealer. Initially days after buying the vehicle and twice since then. After letting the vehicle sit for 3-7 days the battery is not able to start the vehicle. Each time I have taken it to the dealer for repair. The first time in 2020 it was just a battery replacement. Then in 2021 it was a relay and battery replacement. In 2022 it was a module and then another battery replacement. All without a comprehensive explanation from the dealer or service advisor.
Electrical system freezes/reboots spontaneously during operation; electrical system fails to power off after engine stops; electrical system stays on and drains battery, leading to car not starting; car has refused to start while away from the house due to battery drain from electrical system; car will sometimes start with all s…
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Electrical system freezes/reboots spontaneously during operation; electrical system fails to power off after engine stops; electrical system stays on and drains battery, leading to car not starting; car has refused to start while away from the house due to battery drain from electrical system; car will sometimes start with all systems disabled (RAB, eyesight, cruise, etc.) due to electrical issue; car has current Virginia state inspection through December 2022; car was inspected by Sheehy Subaru in Fredericksburg, VA and "software update" was pushed 17 May 2022; problems persist even after software update on 17 May 2022.
The battery has had to be jumped 3 times in the last six months. And less than 29,000 miles. Took to dealership on July 5 and they said no issue and next time it happens would need to have it towed. Just worried it could happen in a remote place or in the evening.
TWICE now, once a year ago and then again today, my car battery is completely drained. I do not leave my FAB in the car and there were no lights left on in the vehicle. A year ago, the same thing happened and they replaced the battery with another OEM battery, thereby just temporarily fixing the issue. The service manager lied t…
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TWICE now, once a year ago and then again today, my car battery is completely drained. I do not leave my FAB in the car and there were no lights left on in the vehicle. A year ago, the same thing happened and they replaced the battery with another OEM battery, thereby just temporarily fixing the issue. The service manager lied to me and told me he had no knowledge of a class action lawsuit in place to address this issue. He also commented, "well you haven't had an issue for over a year".
I bought my 2020 Subaru Outback in March of 2020. Since then I have had many instances of the battery dying. In one instance (May of 2021), it died and after jumping they had to repair something to the electrical system. On another occasion it was dying multiple times (jumped it and drove it 3 consecutive times only for it to di…
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I bought my 2020 Subaru Outback in March of 2020. Since then I have had many instances of the battery dying. In one instance (May of 2021), it died and after jumping they had to repair something to the electrical system. On another occasion it was dying multiple times (jumped it and drove it 3 consecutive times only for it to die 12 hours later each time in December 2020) I had the vehicle towed to Subaru only for them to say they couldn't find anything wrong. I just got back from the dealership after my check engine light came on and they said I need a new battery. They were charging over $900 to swap the battery.
1.car accelerated on its own—very scary. (Took the car to Cochran Subaru of Monroeville, but they said nothing was found wrong.) 2. The very next day, the real door would not latch and car would not lock. I reported these two issues to 1-800-SUBARU3. My case # is: 220610-163479 3. we did a “software” update bc we received a reca…
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1.car accelerated on its own—very scary. (Took the car to Cochran Subaru of Monroeville, but they said nothing was found wrong.) 2. The very next day, the real door would not latch and car would not lock. I reported these two issues to 1-800-SUBARU3. My case # is: 220610-163479 3. we did a “software” update bc we received a recall notice—it was completed at Cochran Subaru of Monroeville sometime in the fall of 2021, in March of 2022 while on vacation in Fla, the radio BLARED on its own, then stopped working altogether for a week or so—then just started working again.
Battery died and will not hold a charge. Air bags were not engaged due to the elctrical system being impacted. Battery was charged and left overnight and the battery was fully drained in the morning and the car would not start. Battery was charged again and driven to the Subaru Dealer. The dealer fully charged the battery an…
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Battery died and will not hold a charge. Air bags were not engaged due to the elctrical system being impacted. Battery was charged and left overnight and the battery was fully drained in the morning and the car would not start. Battery was charged again and driven to the Subaru Dealer. The dealer fully charged the battery and left it over night and the same thing happened the next morning. The battery was drained and the car would not start. The dealer replaced the battery with a new battery and performed a software update. Next morning the battery was fully drained and the car would not start. The dealer as of today does not have a solution after have the car for 3 days. The dealer has told me they have all the diagnostic tests they can think of and nothing is showing up as being wrong or that identifies what is draining the battery. I believe the Control Area Network (CAN) is failing and is not going into deep sleep mode when the car is shut off and is causing the battery to drain. Until the defect in the CAN software is fixed the battery will continue to drain.
Starlink Head System/software malfunctions while driving. This shuts down all safety systems, back up camera, radio. Heating system cannot be controlled while shut down. System restarts automatically after a few minutes but settings, etc may need to be restored. This creates a distraction that could lead to a collision or lo…
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Starlink Head System/software malfunctions while driving. This shuts down all safety systems, back up camera, radio. Heating system cannot be controlled while shut down. System restarts automatically after a few minutes but settings, etc may need to be restored. This creates a distraction that could lead to a collision or loss of vehicle control. Investigation reveals that many have this problem with the 11.6" Starlink display. A recall should be initiated for repair/replacement of problem components. Note that two software updates have been completed at the dealer to correct this problem to no avail.
Battery died multiple times 7-8 times within last 1 year Car stopped in the middle of the road while waiting a a crossing. The cars coming behind bumped into each other. The emergency lights also died. The problem has been reproduced multiple times and I have taken the vehicle to ‘Premier Subaru Fremont’ at Fremont , CA locat…
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Battery died multiple times 7-8 times within last 1 year Car stopped in the middle of the road while waiting a a crossing. The cars coming behind bumped into each other. The emergency lights also died. The problem has been reproduced multiple times and I have taken the vehicle to ‘Premier Subaru Fremont’ at Fremont , CA location. I have battery failed even after the fix. I do not get any warning lamps or indication that battery is at low level and that I need to stop the car at safe location before the issue happens. It’s very dangerous and the car is completely unreliable.
Official recalls
624V227000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Mar 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
22V485000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
21V955000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
21V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Jul 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
20V766000 · Back Over Prevention:display Function
Dec 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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.
Remedy: 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.
19V664000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages
Sep 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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