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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 →

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.

19 crash reports7 fire reports4 injury reports

What owners actually said

896 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2021
Visibility/wiper

Purchased new and front windshield spontaneously cracked in multiple directions overnight. No impact evidence at the center of the crack. Noticed online that many Outback owners are reporting this same problem. Not sure if it’s a defective windshield or body flex which caused windshield to flex and crack. I expect the windshield…

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Purchased new and front windshield spontaneously cracked in multiple directions overnight. No impact evidence at the center of the crack. Noticed online that many Outback owners are reporting this same problem. Not sure if it’s a defective windshield or body flex which caused windshield to flex and crack. I expect the windshield to be replaced by Subaru at no charge.

NHTSA ODI #11426282

12,000 miles · Jul 23, 2021
Air BagsCrash

The contact owned a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, a truck pulled into the roadway and struck the contact's vehicle however none of the airbags deploying. In addition, the lane keep assist system did not chime. No one was injured and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local mecha…

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The contact owned a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, a truck pulled into the roadway and struck the contact's vehicle however none of the airbags deploying. In addition, the lane keep assist system did not chime. No one was injured and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed as destroyed. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

NHTSA ODI #11426197

17,800 miles · Jul 21, 2021
Visibility

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the front windshield cracked without impact, from the passenger’s side going toward the middle and of the windshield. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not n…

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The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the front windshield cracked without impact, from the passenger’s side going toward the middle and of the windshield. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,800.

NHTSA ODI #11425837

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2021
Electrical SystemPower Train

I bought my Subaru Outback in July 2020, it’s barely one year but I already had two major problems happened to the vehicle. 1. The transmission was broken, it’s confirmed by the dealership and they were able to replace the whole transmission system for me. But this concerns me a lot, from safety perspective, if I wasn’t able to …

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I bought my Subaru Outback in July 2020, it’s barely one year but I already had two major problems happened to the vehicle. 1. The transmission was broken, it’s confirmed by the dealership and they were able to replace the whole transmission system for me. But this concerns me a lot, from safety perspective, if I wasn’t able to identify the issue in early stage it could cause malfunction while I’m driving and I always have my daughters in my car. 2. It’s a barely one year car but my battery drained twice. I have to call road side assistant to jump start. I always make sure to shut all my lights and I don’t understand why this keep happening. There was one night I have to drive to the grocery store and my battery died within that 20 minutes while I’m in the store. I was waiting for road side assistant for 45 minutes while it’s getting dark and my kids are home by themselves.

NHTSA ODI #11425767

Mileage unknown · Jul 18, 2021
Fuel/propulsion System

We are getting about 24.5 mpg highway on a car that was advertised at 33 mpg highway. We traded in a 2015 outback that did consistently get 32 mpg on the type of driving we do. (mostly Highway). I have taken the car to the dealer where we purchased the vehicle several times but they say the computer shows no problem. They can…

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We are getting about 24.5 mpg highway on a car that was advertised at 33 mpg highway. We traded in a 2015 outback that did consistently get 32 mpg on the type of driving we do. (mostly Highway). I have taken the car to the dealer where we purchased the vehicle several times but they say the computer shows no problem. They cannot conceive that the sensors or the computer might be in error. This 30%reduction in gas mileage will cost us about $600/year. We are winter Texans and drive to Alaska every summer and there is the danger of running out of gas on some of the long stretches on the Alaska highway.

NHTSA ODI #11425376

Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2021
Electrical System

My 2020 Subaru Outback has had to be towed to service a battery that failed to start the car even after is was jumped by AAA and driven for 20 miles. Subaru assured me that the battery was simply not properly charged and the car was returned. Then a couple of months later I left my car unproven in my driveway while I was out of…

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My 2020 Subaru Outback has had to be towed to service a battery that failed to start the car even after is was jumped by AAA and driven for 20 miles. Subaru assured me that the battery was simply not properly charged and the car was returned. Then a couple of months later I left my car unproven in my driveway while I was out of town for 2 weeks and my car would not start. I again had it towed to my Subaru dealership where Subaru ran the same test and told me that they replaced a bad battery. They also told me that when they jump started the car in their shop they discovered that the interior dome light had been left on while I was out of town. The later is inconsistent with my experience as I loaded my Subaru Forester sitting right beside my Outback in the dark before leaving town. Had the dome light been left on, I would have noticed the light as I packed my car. In addition their test of this battery later showed this battery to need to be replaced. My safety concern is I cannot trust this car to start. Had I driven my 2020 Outback to the airport for a 14 day trip rather than my 2020 Forester, I would have found myself on the 4th level of the terminal parking lot with a dead battery upon my return. This is the second time that I have had to have this car towed to the Subaru dealership to have the battery serviced under warranty. I cannot simply purchase and install a 3rd party battery under warranty.

NHTSA ODI #11425059

2,000 miles · Jul 15, 2021
Electrical SystemVisibility

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a minor ding on the windshield. The ding was a small pebble that hit the windshield which caused a crack to form from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side of the windshield. The crack obstructed his vision while driving. …

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The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a minor ding on the windshield. The ding was a small pebble that hit the windshield which caused a crack to form from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side of the windshield. The crack obstructed his vision while driving. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the windshield was replaced out of pocket. Eight months later, the same failure occurred again while driving, at the exact spot on the replacement windshield. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied knowing any information about failures with windshields in similar vehicles. The contact also stated that several electrical failures had occurred in the vehicle such as the infotainment screen and eyesight system not operating as designed. The contact made an appointment with the same dealer however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

NHTSA ODI #11424936

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2021
Electrical System

With in the first few months of ownership it would not start. I used roadside assistance to get a jump. A couple of moths later same thing. Same driver from road side assistance jump started me and stated, " all I have been doing lately is jumping Subarus". It soon died again, the dealership tested battery and found it defective…

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With in the first few months of ownership it would not start. I used roadside assistance to get a jump. A couple of moths later same thing. Same driver from road side assistance jump started me and stated, " all I have been doing lately is jumping Subarus". It soon died again, the dealership tested battery and found it defective and had to wait for a new "stronger" battery. 4 days later I get it back. It was still under warranty.

NHTSA ODI #11424671

30,300 miles · Jul 13, 2021
Visibility

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that she awoke and noticed that the windshield of the vehicle had cracked overnight, from the exterior edge inward. The contact stated there were no chips around the crack that could have caused the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was …

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The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that she awoke and noticed that the windshield of the vehicle had cracked overnight, from the exterior edge inward. The contact stated there were no chips around the crack that could have caused the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 30,300.

NHTSA ODI #11424565

Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2021
Visibility/wiper

Today, 7/11/2021 my 3rd OEM Subaru windshield cracked spontaneously, while driving. All windshields were replaced at Beardmore Subaru, in Belleville, NE using Subaru replacement windshields. In all instances the windshield has cracked spontaneously without impact on either the passenger side or at the bottom of the windshield…

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Today, 7/11/2021 my 3rd OEM Subaru windshield cracked spontaneously, while driving. All windshields were replaced at Beardmore Subaru, in Belleville, NE using Subaru replacement windshields. In all instances the windshield has cracked spontaneously without impact on either the passenger side or at the bottom of the windshield, near the middle. The cracks continue to propagate quickly while driving or when parked overnight, until the crack terminates on the side opposite the crack. This spontaneous cracking, is a safety hazard in that it not only compromises the integrity of the glass, but also can affect the Subaru EyeSight safety vision system, by impairing camera view thru the windshield if a crack propagates through the cameras field of view. This new instance means that in less than 10,000 miles I have had 4 windshields in this car. I have never had this occur on any vehicle I have owned previously, nor to our 2017 Outback. This appears to be a defect in Subaru OEM glass or the specifications Subaru has engineered for the 2020 and up Outback global platform.

NHTSA ODI #11424309

Official recalls

6

24V227000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Outback problems