2020 Subaru Outback problems
The 2020 Subaru Outback has 1,143 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (34%) concerns wipers, windshield & visibility. Next are electrical system (23%) and forward collision avoidance (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,143 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 34% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 37 and 11
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 6,000 miles 525 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 456 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 38 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 16 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 8 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 525 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 6,000 miles. For wipers, windshield & visibility specifically, the median reported mileage is about 6,000 miles (240 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 37 complaints mention a crash; 11 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 87% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Subaru Outback with enough data (1,117 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 6 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving in reverse the vehicle crashed into a metal dumpster causing severe damage to the rear end of the vehicle. During the incident, the audible backover prevention alert indicating that the vehicle was nearing an object did not activate causing the vehicle to be driven into the dumpster. During the incident, the front passenger sustained neck and back injuries that later required medical treatment.
On 12/6/2023, as I slowly turned right into a parking space, my car suddenly surged forward and accelerated without my input to the gas pedal. The brakes did not work, and there was no resistance from the brake pedal when I repeated to push it. The car continued to accelerate for about 80 ft as I focused on steering to avoid hitting other cars parked in the lot. The car ran over a curb, up a grassy area, and crashed into a row of trees. The airbag did not deploy.
I was sitting in my car, waiting for someone to bring out something. The car only had just over 100 miles on it, and I'd only driven it 3 times (including this one) when suddenly there was a crack sound and a large (1'-1.5') curved crack appeared on the passenger side of the windshield. I called my dealership (the car was a week in my possession the day this happened) and told them what had happened. Immediately they began telling me that I must have been hit by a rock.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the front windshield cracked without impact. The crack was approximately one foot long on the passenger’s side of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The windshield was previously repaired twice at the same dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.