2020 SUBARU OUTBACK

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    glass and windshield

    359 unsafe, 8 annoyance

    367
    incidents
    Typical range: 2,000–9,500 mi

    Median 5,000 mi, based on 238 reports (45% had no usable mileage)

    • "PARKED VEHICLE, WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING FOR NO REASON, CHECKED SECURITY CAMERAS, NOTHING EXPLAINS IT."~550 mi, complaint #1666217
    • "FOUR WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE NEW VEHICLE, I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK APPEARED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IT CONTINUED TO CRACK FOR ABOUT 6 MORE INCHES. I HAVE NOW ORDERED A NEW WINDSHIELD TO REPLACE THE BROKEN ONE. TH…"~2,500 mi, complaint #1648819
    • "SPONTANEOUS CRACKING OF WINDSHIELD WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. STARTED AT BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD APPROX. MIDWAY. APPROX. 9 INCHES IN LENGTH VERTICALLY THEN CRACK WENT TO PASSENGER SIDE APPROX. 5 INCHES."~5,000 mi, complaint #1708030
    • "GOT INTO MY VEHICLE AND NOTICED A LARGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. IT HAD BEEN SITTING UNUSED PARKED IN FRONT OF OUR HOME WHEN I NOTICED THE CRACK. IT WASN'T AFTER A COLLISION OR FROM SOMETHING HITTING IT WHILE I WAS DRIVING."~9,660 mi, complaint #1693580
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer…"~38,000 mi, complaint #1759648
  2. #2

    battery and charging

    113 stranded, 57 unsafe, 3 broken, 3 annoyance

    176
    incidents
    Typical range: 2,000–9,000 mi

    Median 4,500 mi, based on 108 reports (50% had no usable mileage)

    • "CAR IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND ALL DAY. WENT TO START CAR AND BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. NO LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON."~536 mi, complaint #1697982
    • "ON THE 21ST OF DECEMBER THE BATTERY IN MY OUTBACK WENT DEAD. I TOOK IT INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY RECHARGED THE BATTERY. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR TWO DAYS LATER, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER…"~2,722 mi, complaint #1715328
    • "THE BATTERY IS NEARLY ALWAYS DEAD AT STARTUP AND I HAVE TO JUMP IT WITH A BATTERY STARTER. THE DEALER HAD SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BATTERY ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, YET I HAVE TO JUMP THE CAR IN GROCERY STORE PARKING LOTS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 5300 MILE…"~5,330 mi, complaint #1698879
    • "I'VE HAD RECURRING ISSUES WITH MY BATTERY DYING. I'VE REPORTED PREVIOUS ISSUES ON HERE TO SHOW THAT IT IS RECURRING. I DON'T DRIVE THAT OFTEN BECAUSE I'M WORKING REMOTELY RIGHT NOW BUT DROVE 90 MILES IN A SINGLE TRIP ON FRIDAY, JAN. 22. ON SATURDAY, JAN. 23 MY…"~8,509 mi, complaint #1724475
    • "BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW AND WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY TO IT NOT STARTING. THE CAR WAS SOLD TO US WITH A BAD BATTERY AND MISSING PARTS ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP. ALMOST EXACTLY A YEAR LATER OUR TRANSMISSION BLEW FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE GETTING OFF THE HI…"~222,000 mi, complaint #1740198
  3. #3

    control module

    3 stranded, 20 unsafe

    23
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "I JUST PURCHASED A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK LTD AND WHILE DRIVING THE ENTIRE INFOCENTER WENT BLANK, AND ALL SAFETY FEATURES WAS DISENGAGED. THE SCREEN REMAINED BLANK FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS BEFORE REBOOTING. I CALLED SUABRU AMERICA AND WAS INFORMNED THAT THERE IS A C…"~515 mi, complaint #1699019
    • "THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE THE AUTO START/STOP SYSTEM. IN FLORIDA THE TEMP CAN GET OVER 95 DEGREES. AFTER 10-15 SECONDS OF THE CAR BEING OFF THE CAR STARTS TO HEAT UP. MY WIFE WHO HAS BREATHING PROBLEMS STARTS HAVING PROBLEMS. I HAVE ASK THE DEALER TO PERMANEN…"~6,100 mi, complaint #1669119
    • "I WENT OUT THIS MORNING 12/26/2020 AND THE CAR WON'T START AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS PROBLEM ON 12/22/20 WHICH I HAVE REPORTED. I MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED SECURELY AND ALL LIGHTS WERE OFF. PRIOR TO THE 12/22/20 INCIDENT, I HAD 2 PREVIOUS…"~8,112 mi, complaint #1715480
    • "THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE ELECTRONICS THE DEALER HAS REPROGRAMMED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROLS 4 TIMES IN THE YEAR SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE LAST REPROGRAMMING WAS DUE TO A NHTSA RECALL. THE SYSTEM WAS BETTER FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE…"~11,850 mi, complaint #1742563
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while turning off the vehicle, the Data Communication Module (DCM) remained running, causing the battery to become drained twice. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The…"~25,000 mi, complaint #2002295
  4. #4

    infotainment head unit

    13 unsafe, 1 broken, 6 annoyance

    20
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=10, median 6,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "ON APPROX. 8/22/20 I RECEIVED AN EMAIL OR TEXT FROM SUBARU OR STARLINK, I DON'T REMEMBER, ABOUT A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I TRIED TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE BUT THE PROCESS WOULDN'T COMPLETE FOR SOME REASON. WITHIN A FEW HOURS I RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL SAYING TO DISREGARD…"~4,100 mi, complaint #1715494
    • "INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM REPLACED CONTROLLING COMPUTER ON APRIL 17, 2020 AND ON JULY 16, 2020 AN UPDATE WAS PERFORMED DUE TO SYSTEM GOING BLACK"~4,486 mi, complaint #1709447
    • "WHEN APPLE CARPLAY IS BEING USED, THE MULTIMEDIA DISPLAY HAS FROZEN SEVERAL TIMES AND WHEN IT FREEZES, THE RESETS ITSELF TO A BLACK SCREEN. ONCE IT RESETS TO A BLACK SCREEN, THE EYESIGHT IS DISABLED AND RAB (REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING) IS DISABLED. I HAVE HAD A…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1720472
    • "ACCORDING TO WISCONSIN'S LEMON LAW, THE VEHICLE THAT I OWN MEETS WI'S LEMON: * I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW CAR(ONLY 4 MILES WERE IN IT) * FROM DAY 2 (AFTER PURCHASING), THE CARPLAY MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING ISSUE AND NEVER SOLVED. DEFECT WITHIN A YEAR AND TH…"~7,000 mi, complaint #1712403
    • "VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM CRASHING OR GOING DARK AND BEING UNRESPONSIVE. TODAY DURING ANOTHER EPISODE THE VEHICLES ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF CRUISE AND CONT…"~15,000 mi, complaint #1736147
  5. #5

    engine stall or no start

    3 stranded, 16 unsafe

    19
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=20, median 7,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "AUTO ON-OFF FUNCTION SHUTS OFF ENGINE WHEN VEHICLE STOPS IN TRAFFIC FOR ANY REASON. THE ENGINE IS TO RESTART WHEN DRIVER STEPS ON ACCELERATOR...HOWEVER THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. MANY TIMES THE ENGINE FAILS TO START WHICH CAUSES THE DRIVER TO BELIEVE THE ACC…"~1,100 mi, complaint #1728027
    • "DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD, MADE A STOP AT A LIGHT. WHEN I GOT THE GREEN ARROW TO TURN LEFT, CAR JUST DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. WAS FORTUNATE, 4 GOOD INDIVIDUALS JUMPED OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES TO PUSH US OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND AVOID COLLISION WITH…"~3,300 mi, complaint #1695866
    • "WAS DRIVING SUBARU OUTBACK, CAME TO A RED LIGHT AND CAR STOPPED AS IT'S DESIGNED TO DO. WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN, CAR STALLED AND NEVER STARTED AGAIN LEAVING ME ON A [REDACTED ADDRESS] CALLED ROUTE 19 IN HUDSON FLORIDA."~6,000 mi, complaint #1688361
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 65 mph when multiple warning lights were illuminated and a "Stop Driving the Vehicle" message was displayed. The contact stated he was able to drive to a nearby gas station. The contact s…"~7,500 mi, complaint #1753286
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING [REDACTED ADDRESS], THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE THEN STALLED. THE CHECK ENGINE, OIL AND BATTERY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK QUICKLY. THE CONT…"~10,950 mi, complaint #1690974
  6. #6

    transmission automatic

    1 stranded, 15 unsafe

    16
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the Brake Hold feature failed to automatically disengage and the vehicle was driven and a clunking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was tak…"~21,207 mi, complaint #1821950
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer to be serviced, the dealer informed the contact that the transmission was binding and making an abnormal grinding sound while driving at slow speeds and makin…"~21,869 mi, complaint #2030937
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to make a turn, the transmission was slipping while attempting to shift gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed o…"~56,700 mi, complaint #2118120
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was accelerating from a stop at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to move. There were unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle w…"~70,158 mi, complaint #2038587
  7. #7

    other

    6 unsafe, 1 broken, 6 annoyance

    13
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "THIS IS NOT AGAINST SUBARU IT IS AGAINST DOHCLO COMPANY. I PURCHASED AN AFTER MARKET SEATBELT EXTENDER. IT IS DEFECTIVE AND WILL NOT SECURE THE SEATBELT TO RESTRAINT YOU IN AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD RESULT IN EJECTION FROM THE VEHICLE DURING AN ACCIDENT. I CONTAC…"~526 mi, complaint #1695745
    • "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…"~13,000 mi, complaint #1858848
  8. #8

    engine cooling

    1 stranded, 10 unsafe

    11
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the thermo-control valve. The vehi…"~90,000 mi, complaint #2018242
  9. #9

    adas lane keeping

    1 stranded, 9 unsafe

    10
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=11, median 1,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING HOME ON I35 IN OKLAHOMA. THE ROAD WAS STRAIGHT. IT WAS NIGHTTIME. I HAD ALL THE SUBARU EYESIGHT SAFETY SYSTEMS ENABLED. BOTH HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 70MPH. LANE CENTERING WAS AMONG T…"~700 mi, complaint #1627920
    • "WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I HAD ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND LANE CENTERING TURNED ON. I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL JUTTED LEFT VERY HARD. I HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL WHEN THIS HAPPENED BUT WAS UNPREPARED FOR IT. TH…"~1,000 mi, complaint #1626573
    • "DEC 7TH. LANE CENTERING AND CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTIONS ON. WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-[REDACTED ADDRESS] MY WIFE MOVED TO THE LEFT LANE TO PASS ANOTHER CAR. AFTER PASSING THE CAR SHE HAD TO FIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL TO STAY IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. AFTER SEVER…"~1,300 mi, complaint #1630330
    • "OWNER DROVE ON TO A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE LANE DEPARTURE PREVENTION FUNCTION SENSED A WHITE LINE ON THE PAVEMENT. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO TURN LEFT, ACCELERATION AN UNCONTROLLABLE FASHION. THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB PROCEEDING INTO HEAVY SHRUBS WHICH DAMAGE…"~3,500 mi, complaint #1692734
    • "THIS 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK TOURING XT RAN WELL FOR THE FIRST 10,000 MILES. WE WERE INFORMED IT HAD A RECALL AND THIS WAS CORRECTED 1/06/2021 BY CARBOONE'S SUBARU IN UTICA, NY. AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WHEN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE AND ADAPTIVE STEERING ARE ENGAGED I…"~10,500 mi, complaint #1718610
  10. #10

    power windows and locks

    7 unsafe, 3 broken

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "WINDOW MOTORS DON'T WORK PROPERLY. GET STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION OR WHEN ROLLING DOWN WILL POP BACK UP AND DOWN BEFORE GETTING STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. I HAVE HAD ONE MOTOR ON DRIVER SIDE REPLACED AND AM NOW NEEDING THE DRIVER SIDE REPLACED AGAIN ALONG WIT…"~6,300 mi, complaint #1722873
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED OUT OF PARK INTO GEAR, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR DOORS LOCKED WHILE THE REAR HATCH UNLOCKED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITH THE REAR HATCH UNLOCKED THE…"~8,900 mi, complaint #1694113
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated on multiple occasions both the front passenger’s and driver’s side window had become stuck and would not close or open. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the window regulators and wi…"~28,000 mi, complaint #1785488
  11. #11

    adas collision warning

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON APPROACHING HIS DRIVEWAY, THE CONTACT HAD DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND COMPLETELY STOPPED HIS VEHICLE. THE STOP START FEATURE ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY AND THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE T…"complaint #1686817
    • "On multiple occasions my car has come to a complete stop, due to the automatic emergency breaking, when the car in front of me was in no way near my car or when there was nothing near my car at all. After almost having 2 accidents in the last 2 weeks due to th…"complaint #1751750
    • "The Automatic Emergency Braking System engaged while driving at 20 MPH in my community's private roads. After it came to a screeching halt, I had to put the car in Park and then in Drive so I could proceed the half mile to my house. If this had happened while…"complaint #1774422
    • "The EyeSight system will randomly not load at times and need to be reset for Rear Automatic Braking and other EyeSight safety features to become available. This usually only occurs within 30 seconds of engine startup but always occurs when plugging in a phone…"complaint #1784851
    • "The car randomly breaks when it’s in motion in reverse. This has happened multiple times."complaint #1797360
  12. #12

    lighting exterior

    7 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO BRIGHT, OR ANGLED TOO HIGH. I'M CONSTANTLY HAVING OTHER VEHICLES "FLASH" ME AT NIGHT THINKING I HAVE HIGH BEAMS ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED WORTH PEOPLE I KNOW TELLING ME AND STRANGERS. BOTH ON HIGHWAY AND CITY STREETS."~2,700 mi, complaint #1630920
    • "THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS CAR ARE TOO BRIGHT OR NOT ADJUSTED CORRECTLY. I HAVE BEEN HIGH BEAMED ON MANY OCCASIONS. 9 TIMES ONE EVENING, 13 TIMES ANOTHER EVENING, AND 17 TIMES ON ANOTHER EVENING. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT FOR THE OTHER DIVERS A…"~5,550 mi, complaint #1629249
    • "THE LOW BEAM'S ANGLE ON THE SELF-LEVELING HEADLIGHT UNITS IS TOO FLAT BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC (EVERY OTHER CAR AND THIRD TRUCK FLASHES THEIR HIGH BEAMS AT ME). THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HANDSFREE BLUETOOTH PROTOCOL IS INADEQUATE AS INCOMING CALL VOLUME I…"~10,000 mi, complaint #1652303
    • "HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED TOO HIGH - THEY ARE SIMILAR TO HIGH BEAMS ON OTHER CARS. WHENEVER I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT - ESPECIALLY WHEN OUTSIDE THE CITY, ALMOST EVERY CAR PASSING ME FLASHES BRIGHT LIGHT BECAUSE THEY THINK I HAVE MY HIGH BEAMS ON. THEY ARE POINTED TOO H…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1701702
  13. #13

    airbag system

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "ON DECEMBER 18,2020 I WAS CROSSING AN INTERSECTION. I WAS TRAVELING MAYBE 5-10 MILES AN HOUR THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT. AN AUTOMOBILE STRUCK ME PERPENDICULAR AT 30-40 MPH. THE IMPACT WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY TAKEN BY THE DRIVERS DOOR. THE SPEED WAS ACCORDING TO THE D…"~5,500 mi, complaint #1745193
    • "The contact owned a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, a truck pulled into the roadway and struck the contact's vehicle however none of the airbags deploying. In addition, the lane keep assist system did not chime. No one was injured…"~12,000 mi, complaint #1759238
  14. #14

    software or update

    6 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "EVER SINCE THE RECALL FOR THE COCKPIT CONTROL SYSTEM SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED ON MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK TOURING ON MARCH 1, 2021 THE CONSOLE RANDOMLY REBOOTS. IT HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS. ON A RECENT TRIP ON THURSDAY MARCH 25, 2021 THE CONSOLE REBOOTED 3 TI…"~12,000 mi, complaint #1736832
  15. #15

    unintended acceleration

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "ON TUESDAY 9 FEBRUARY, 2021 I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM PICKING MY TWO CHILDREN UP FROM SCHOOL (AGE 4 AND 6). AS I APPROACHED THE DRIVE WAY THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY TO ALLOW ME TO TURN INTO THE DRIVEWAY, BUT SUDDENLY THE BRAKES STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND THE…"~1,000 mi, complaint #1727562
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parked in the driveway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated into their home. No air bags had deployed. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed.…"~54,400 mi, complaint #1886639
  16. #16

    engine internal

    6 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owned a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop at a red light, an abnormally loud noise was heard coming from the vehicle, and then black smoke came from underneath the driver's side hood. Additionally, a fuel…"~44,882 mi, complaint #1909538
  17. #17

    brake hydraulics

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35 TO 40MPH APPROACHING A STOPPED INTERSECTION (RED LIGHT) I TRIED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE BY BRAKING AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE BRAKE PETAL. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND MOVED IT TO THE LEFT AT THE SAME LEVEL IN AN EFFORT TO FIND T…"~1,869 mi, complaint #1686284
  18. #18

    starter

    4 stranded, 1 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "CAR WON'T START. FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS AT 4000 MILES. CHANGED POSITION OF SHIFT LEVER TO N AND P UNTIL ABLE TO GET STARTED. WENT TO DEALER TO HAVE BATTERY CHECKED BUT THEY SAID IT WAS OK. NOW AT 6000 MILES COMPLETELY DEAD IN GARAGE. CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRI…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1709175
    • "WE JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR. USED, LESS THAN 7K MILES. I HAVEN'T EVEN MADE A PAYMENT YET. MY WIFE CALLED ME FROM THE TURN LANE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION WITH HUNDREDS OF CARS SPEEDING PAST. SHE WAS DRIVING AND STOPPED TO TURN LEFT AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN SHE WENT…"~7,000 mi, complaint #1740485
    • "ON TUESDAY 12/22/20 AT APPROX 3 PM I GOT IN MY CAR TO RUN AN ERRAND AND IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD MOVED IT THE EVENING BEFORE FROM THE STREET TO THE DRIVEWAY. I DID NOT OPEN ANYTHING BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND LOCKED IT WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE. I HAD NOT U…"~7,900 mi, complaint #1715479
  19. #19

    trunk or liftgate

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "WHILE INTERACTING WITH THE REAR OF THE CAR WHILE IT WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF, I HAD ACCIDENTLY TRIGGERED THE "HANDS-FREE POWER REAR GATE" FEATURE AND THE GATE BEGAN TO OPEN. RATHER THAN WAIT FOR THE TAIL GATE TO FULLY OPEN, I GENTLY PUSHED THE REAR TAIL GATE AG…"~8,200 mi, complaint #1706832
  20. #20

    backup camera

    3 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "POOR REAR CAMERA VISIBILITY, LEADING ME TO NEARLY HIT GAS PUMPS"~2,500 mi, complaint #1632390
  21. #21

    key fob and immobilizer

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS FAILED TO OPEN WITH THE KEY FOB. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED. THE CONTACT CALLED DON MILLER SUBARU WEST ([REDACTED ADDRESS], MADISON, WI 53719; [REDACTED PHONE])…"~2,000 mi, complaint #1725012
  22. #22

    mirror

    3 unsafe, 1 broken

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side mirror had started to detach from the vehicle without an impact to the vehicle, and the mirror had become inoperable. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neit…"~68,000 mi, complaint #2055728
  23. #23

    transmission cvt

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that he received a recall letter from the manufacturer. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing a softwa…"~23,000 mi, complaint #1794718
  24. #24

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE AROUND 50-70 IT WILL HESITATE AND ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO STOP. NO WARNING LIGHTS COME ON HAVE TAKING BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO DO THIS. THE VEHICLE IS NOT COLD WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT CAN BE AFTER I'VE BEEN DRIVING F…"~950 mi, complaint #1659483
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while enter a freeway the speed suddenly reduced to approximately 15 MPH. The vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle lurched forward and would not immediately stop while depres…"~23,000 mi, complaint #1773158
  25. #25

    adas blind spot

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "When passing semi’s on highway they are not detected by the blind spot detection (the light on the mirror does not turn on). It does not pick up the semi even when I am only halfway passed the semi. The blind spot detection does work when passing cars, motorc…"complaint #1766181
    • "Purchased the vehicle new and from the beginning the passenger side blind spot detection has been inconsistent in alerting for vehicles in or approaching the blind spot. Had it checked when new and on 11/2/21 and the dealer reported it was operating according…"complaint #1776980
    • "Blind spot warning does not turn on when there is actually a vehicle truly in the blind spot. Visibility in new cars via windows is blocked and insufficient, and the blind spot warning does not activate at the right time. Drivers could easily cut someone off w…"complaint #1837508
  26. #26

    engine oil consumption

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I just purchased a Outback XT with the 2.4l turbo engine. After more researching with owning the car I discovered these cars with this engine can have a oil pan leak due to the bad RTV sealant applied to the lower oil pan from the factory. I went outside to…"complaint #1884517
    • "At one year and 7,358 an engine oil leak had to be repaired, and still seepage and monitor is recommended. Then at three years and 28,175 the coolant bypass valve failed and was repaired. Both problems were covered by warrently, but as I live 60 miles from t…"complaint #1913353
    • "Vehicle: 2020 Subaru Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring XT (2.4L Turbo FA24) Component: Engine Lubrication / Oil Pan Sealant I am reporting a manufacturing defect involving the engine oil pan seal on the 2020 Subaru Outback 2.4L Turbo. Upon inspection of fluid accu…"complaint #2191938
  27. #27

    fuel pump

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stopped in the middle of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact engaged the hazard lights; the police arrived on the…"~11,000 mi, complaint #1823683
  28. #28

    seat mechanism

    2 unsafe, 1 broken

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The driver’s side (front left) power seat adjust motor has lost the inside end cap of the worm drive control assembly. Only the outside left rail will move. Subaru will not sell the part to repair, they only will supply the entire lower seat assembly for $100…"complaint #1990778
    • "The drivers seat is loose, rocking back and forth significantly to the point it very noticeable while driving. The dealer states that this is due to the bottom seat frame being worn out. There are only 41,000 miles on the car, about 37,000 when I first noticed…"complaint #2016427
    • "The driver’s power-seat lift motor failed intermittently, leaving the seat stuck in its lowest position. The component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The seat could not be raised high enough for my wife to obtain adequate fo…"complaint #2228087
  29. #29

    sunroof

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED. THE NEAREST CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS APPEARED TO BE A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY, IN FRONT OF ME. I NEVER SAW ANYTHING BOUNCING IN FRONT OF ME/TOWARDS ME. IT LITERALLY SOUNDED LIKE SOMEONE SHOT AT THE CA…"~11,800 mi, complaint #1735161
    • "SUNROOF GLASS EXPLODED OUT WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. HAPPENED AT 7 A.M. 5/10/2021 IN MECHANICSVILLE VA. NOTHING HIT THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS ABOUT 63 DEGREES OUTSIDE. I HAVEN'T USED THE SUNROOF IN WEEKS. IT MADE NO SINCE. I GOOGLED AND SAW WHERE THIS H…"~16,000 mi, complaint #1746291
  30. #30

    noise or vibration unspecified

    2 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "ALL FOUR FRONT VENTS IN DASH BOARD RATTLE WHEN GOING ABOUT 40 MPH ON SLIGHTLY ROUGH SURFACE. ALSO LOUD SOUND THAT SOUNDS LIKE POPCORN POPPING ON PASSENGER SIDE THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER CORNER OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD OR DASH BOARD. THE POPCOR…"~2,000 mi, complaint #1622946
    • "THE LEFT-MOST DASH VENT RATTLES INTERMITTENTLY, MOST OFTEN ON ROUGH ROAD SURFACE. VEHICLE PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2019, AND RATTLE STARTED IN APRIL 2020. MY LOCAL DEALER REPLACED THE VENT, BUT THE RATTLE CONTINUES AND APPEARS TO COME FROM BEHIND THE VENT. BECAUS…"~2,300 mi, complaint #1698462
  31. #31

    stability and traction control

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "THE CAR HAS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE STABILITY AND THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. TRANSMISSION ALSO NEEDS REPLACEMENT. PROBLEMS HAPPEN AT HIGH SPEED ON FREEWAYS. DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS YOUTUBE FOOTAGE AS FOLLOWS: HTTPS://WWW.Y…"~1,322 mi, complaint #1656935
  32. #32

    suspension arms and bushings

    2 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHEN GOING OVER SMALL BUMPS THERE IS A CRACKING SOUND IN THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION OR BRAKE AREA, IT DOES NOT HAPPEN WHEN GOING AT HIGH SPEEDS JUST SMALL BUMPS AND BRAKING."~8,300 mi, complaint #1680500
  33. #33

    wheel bearing

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle had 45,000 miles on it when right rear wheel bearing failed. It was covered under 5 year/60,000 mile warranty and was repaired today by a certified Subaru dealer and I no longer have the bad part for inspection. Safety risks would be anything that occu…"complaint #2058159
    • "Transmission is failing. Wheel bearing bad. This is a 5 year old car with regular maintenance. No warning lights."complaint #2137745
  34. #34

    wiper and washer

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "CRACK IN FRONT OF MY EYES DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10, NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AT THE TIME"complaint #1721428
    • "Heated windshield area where the windshield wipers are shorted out and caused the windshield to crack"complaint #1967978
  35. #35

    wiring harness

    1 stranded, 1 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Parked car, engine fan stated (very fast) and did not stop running until battery died. Could not start the car. One other Outback 2020 owner told me she had the same problem. Jumped battery. Subraru could not find any reason for the fan to go on and drain th…"complaint #1782481
    • "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 4…"complaint #2234590
  36. #36

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "No warning, or dash lights. A/C stopped working. It’s 98 degrees outside, to me that is dangerous! Wagner Subaru said it is the actuator doors ($900 in diagnosing) they said it would cost $3600. It’s a 2020. There is no reason there should be a cost that high…"complaint #2114490
  37. #37

    adas adaptive cruise

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "ACC eye sight is intermittent. It normally fails within 5 minutes of operations and just turning the car on."complaint #2020598
  38. #38

    alignment and pull

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "We bought a 2020 Outback used with 12k miles from local Honda dealership July 2021. At 18k miles we took it in for service and were told there was gross misalignment and all the tires were worn down and needed to be replaced. The Subaru dealership made it soun…"complaint #1788811
  39. #39

    brake booster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INTERSECTION, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEH…"~520 mi, complaint #1616873
  40. #40

    door latch and hinge

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Rear hatch opens while driving. It will not lock nor will it auto close. The dealer, Pine Belt Subaru, Lakewood, NJ, tried to fix it, but it happened again one week later. A very dangerous situation. A complete replacement of the hatch's lock may solve the…"complaint #1968625
  41. #41

    ev drive unit or inverter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Eyesight System inadvertently deactivated, causing the power steering to fail and the vehicle to go into Limp Mode. The contact turned off and restarted…"~121,000 mi, complaint #1854492
  42. #42

    fuel tank and lines

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Only one issue was witnessed, that being when a fuel dispenser's auto shutoff clicked, fuel would shoot out and run down the side of the vehicle."complaint #2055223
  43. #43

    heater core and blower

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Thermo control valve broken. Leaves no heat to cabin. "complaint #1944531
  44. #44

    interior trim

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the trim on the front driver’s side door started to detach from vehicle. Several days later, the front passenger’s side door also experienced the failure. The vehicl…"~14,000 mi, complaint #1875662
  45. #45

    parking sensors

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED BRAKING. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A 1UP BIKE RACK FOR THE VEHICLE, BUT IT INTERFERED WITH THE REAR SONAR SENSORS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND BIKE RACK MANUFACTURER WORK…"complaint #1813733
  46. #46

    steering electric assist

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THE STEERING CEASED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ALSO EXPERIENCED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, WITH T…"~2,300 mi, complaint #1643822
  47. #47

    steering rack mechanical

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING. MILLER HILL SUBARU ([REDACTED…"~600 mi, complaint #1618914
  48. #48

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the driver was driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle was maneuvering to the right lane however, the vehicle flipped over landing on the roof. The air bags did deploy. The contact ment…"~31,000 mi, complaint #1779270
  49. #49

    tire failure

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "IT IS NOT ABOUT AN ACCIDENT. I DISCOVERED A CRACK ON THE SIDE OF THE REAR RIGHT TIRE. IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECTIVE TIRE SINCE I DIDN'T DROVE ON ANY OBSTACLE. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR BLOW, LOOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE, ACCIDENT, INJURY, OR DEADLY A…"~8,800 mi, complaint #1716934
  50. #50

    tpms

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "TPMS showed one tire with low pressure alert, checked and corrected all 4 tires. Drove vehicle for over 30 miles and all 4 tires showed same pressure but one tire continued to show a false alert. This is the 2nd time this has happened, the TPMS shows false ala…"complaint #1774805
  51. #51

    transfer case awd

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle was taken to a dealer to perform warranty work related to Subaru MSB 16-136-22R on 7/6/2022, at mileage 18,317. Owner was experiencing vibrations and noise on turns during acceleration, first noticed a month earlier, which was steadily becoming worse,…"complaint #1848492

Recall-sized clusters

These are large batches of near-identical complaints (recall notifications, service campaigns), kept separate from the ranking above so they don't drown out individually-reported problems.

Not matched to any cluster below: every campaign NHTSA has on file for this exact make/model/year is 19V664000, 20V766000, 21V587000, 21V955000, 22V485000, 24V227000. This is a vehicle-wide list, not an attribution - see below for which clusters have a real, complainant-cited match.

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for SUBARU OUTBACK directly.