NHTSA has received 896 owner complaints about the 2020 Subaru Outback, or 134.2 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 3.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #80 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Subaru models its rate is 240% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 153% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-10-30 and 2026-08-19. Median delay from incident to filing: 3 days.
896Complaints
134.2Complaints per year on the road
3.19Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls
2.9%Share involving a crash or fire
21Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 134.6 complaints per year, about the same. The following model year (2021) drew 52.2 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 544 complaints, 856% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (42.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (27.0%) and Interior & equipment (11.2%). Body & structure complaints are 4.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Body & structure reports, owners most often mention “windshield”, “crack”, “rock”, “impact” and “side”. 26 reports (2.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 17 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (34% of incidents). In the last 12 months 21 new complaints were filed, versus 33 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year. 35% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles3.19
vs. other Subaru models3.4
vs. other 2020 models3.55
vs. other Midsize SUVs2.53
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (544)9.56
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Car fire, originating under the hood. Unknown if vehicle is available for inspection. Last reported by Insurance company to be at IAA; [XXX]; PH#: [XXX].
Engine · 2026-07-10 · ODI 11749535 · Fire
I was parking my car slowly until it suddenly accelerated. I hit a wall and car got totaled.
Electrical · 2026-03-19 · ODI 11725434 · Crash
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on various occasions upon bringing the vehicle to a stop or upon acceleration the vehicle had experienced a total loss of automotive power, and all of the warning lights would remain illuminated.
Engine · 2026-08-19 · ODI 11757956
In the first 2 weeks after financing vehicle it started having passenger window issues when it rained it caused window to not wat to go up or would try coming down when trying to let it up when it rained next qas battary kept killing my battery I've replaced…
Electrical · 2026-08-11 · ODI 11756314
From when we purchased this car new until the day we traded it. There were many times on the freeway at 60-65 MPH that you would need to move over a couple of lanes and went to wide open throttle and the car would simply do nothing for 1 to 2 seconds.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-05 · ODI 11754978
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER Campaign 24V227000 · 2024-03-22
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) Campaign 22V485000 · 2022-07-08
Summary: 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.
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) Campaign 21V955000 · 2021-12-09
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION Campaign 20V766000 · 2020-12-10
Summary: 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."
Risk: 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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES Campaign 19V664000 · 2019-09-18
Summary: 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.
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.
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.
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Subaru Outback?
896 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Outback, or about 134.2 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Subaru Outback?
The most common category is Body & structure, accounting for 42.1% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Subaru Outback have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2020 Subaru Outback still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 21 new complaints were filed, versus 33 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
How does the 2020 Subaru Outback compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 896 owner complaints about the 2020 Subaru Outback, or 134.2 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 3.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #80 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Subaru models its rate is 240% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 153% higher.