2020 Subaru Legacy problems and recalls

47% of owner complaints on the 2020 Subaru Legacy related to the Visibility/Wiper (57 of 121).

121
Complaints
6
Recalls
1
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
1
Injuries
35.7
Severity index

Severity index 35.7 Low. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 35.7p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 91 of 103 by severity index among 2020 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 12% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2020 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Visibility/WiperVisibility/Wiper: 57 complaints (47.1%)57 47%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 26 complaints (21.5%)26 21%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 15 complaints (12.4%)15 12%VisibilityVisibility: 9 complaints (7.4%)9 7%Power TrainPower Train: 7 complaints (5.8%)7 6%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 7 complaints (5.8%)7 6%EngineEngine: 4 complaints (3.3%)4 3%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 4 complaints (3.3%)4 3%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
VISIBILITY/WIPER5747.1%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2621.5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1512.4%
VISIBILITY97.4%
POWER TRAIN75.8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE75.8%
ENGINE43.3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL43.3%

Complaints filed per year

021422020: 282021: 422022: 222023: 152024: 72025: 52026: 2 (partial year)2021422223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
202028
202142
202222
202315
20247
20255
2026 (year to date)2
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.3x those in 2020 to 2022 (27 against 92).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
20V76600010/12/2020BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTIONSubaru 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
21V95500009/12/2021POWER 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.
21V58700029/07/2021FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPSubaru 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.
19V66400018/09/2019SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGESSubaru 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.
22V48500008/07/2022POWER 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.
24V22700022/03/2024AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERSubaru 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.

Other Subaru Legacy model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 12 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.