2020 Subaru Outback problems and recalls
Owners have filed 896 complaints on the 2020 Subaru Outback, and NHTSA has issued 6 recalls. The most cited component is the Visibility/Wiper (313 complaints).
896
Complaints
6
Recalls
19
Crash reports
7
Fire reports
4
Injuries
21.2
Severity index
Severity index 21.2 Low. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.
Ranked 103 of 103 by severity index among 2020 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 0% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2020 ranking.
Components cited in complaints
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 313 | 34.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 258 | 28.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 150 | 16.7% |
| VISIBILITY | 70 | 7.8% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 49 | 5.5% |
| ENGINE | 48 | 5.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 46 | 5.1% |
| STRUCTURE | 21 | 2.3% |
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 244 |
| 2021 | 284 |
| 2022 | 176 |
| 2023 | 74 |
| 2024 | 59 |
| 2025 | 27 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 16 |
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.2x those in 2020 to 2022 (160 against 704).
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V766000 | 10/12/2020 | BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION | 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 |
| 21V955000 | 09/12/2021 | 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. |
| 21V587000 | 29/07/2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 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. |
| 19V664000 | 18/09/2019 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | 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. |
| 22V485000 | 08/07/2022 | 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. |
| 24V227000 | 22/03/2024 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER | 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. |
Other Subaru Outback model years
Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 14 years side by side.
- 2012sev 62.5
- 2013sev 79.0
- 2014sev 93.8
- 2015sev 48.4
- 2016sev 36.5
- 2017sev 40.0
- 2018sev 38.0
- 2019sev 27.6
- 2021sev 34.1
- 2022sev 30.8
- 2023sev 65.1
- 2025sev 55.1
- 2026sev 64.6
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-22. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.