NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 906 owner complaints for the 2020 Subaru Outback.
Recalled components: air bags, powertrain, fuel system, backover prevention and rearview camera, and 1 more. Most-described problem: a cracked or shattered windshield (386 complaints, 43%). Most-reported area: visibility/wiper (313 complaints, 35%; median mileage when it happened: 5,000).
One of the Outback years to avoid
The 2020 drew 720 owner complaints in its first three years, against 311 for a typical Outback year: 2.3 times as many.
Years to avoid: 2020; best years: 2021 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles.
NHTSA listing: OUTBACK. Subaru campaign WRA-24.
Powertrain
Jul 8, 2022
automatic transmission · control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
Risk: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
Risk: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles.
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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 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."
Risk: The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation.
The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles.
NHTSA listing: OUTBACK. Subaru campaign WUL-97.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2020 Subaru Outback.
What owners report
Owners have filed 906 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Outback. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Cracked or shattered windshield386 · 43%
Median 5,900 miles at failure, from 235 reports with mileage
Dead battery or battery drain130 · 14%
Median 5,000 miles at failure, from 66 reports with mileage
Won't start67 · 7%
Median 4,100 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
Stalling or shutting off32 · 4%
Infotainment or touchscreen failures22 · 2%
Check engine light16 · 2%
Driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages15 · 2%
Median 5,000 miles at failure, from 175 reports with mileage
Electrical system259 · 29%
Most named: 12v/24v/48v battery (5) · Median 4,700 miles at failure, from 118 reports with mileage
Visibility70 · 8%
Most named: windshield (64) · Median 18,100 miles at failure, from 64 reports with mileage
Powertrain51 · 6%
Engine50 · 6%
Median 7,200 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Forward collision avoidance49 · 5%
Most named: warnings (28); automatic emergency braking (26)
Body structure22 · 2%
Most named: body (17)
Unknown or other153 · 17%
Median 4,600 miles at failure, from 53 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Subaru Outback recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Outback drew the most (720).
Owner complaints
2020: 906 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Complaints
2010
360
2011
653
2012
295
2013
297
2014
208
2015
510
2016
644
2017
921
2018
816
2019
1,036
2020
906
2021
300
2022
467
2023
89
2024
106
2025
84
2026
21
Safety recalls
2020: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Recalls
2010
18
2011
16
2012
16
2013
12
2014
10
2015
5
2016
4
2017
4
2018
3
2019
3
2020
6
2021
4
2022
4
2023
2
2024
0
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 906 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Outback, the problems described most are a cracked or shattered windshield (386), a dead battery or battery drain (130), and the engine not starting (67). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2020 Subaru Outback safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Subaru Outback earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2020 Subaru Outback?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2020 Subaru Outback.
How do I check if my Outback has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: OUTBACK.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.