2020 Subaru Outback problems and complaints
Owners have filed 906 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Outback. The most-reported areas: Visibility/Wiper (313), Electrical System (259), Unknown Or Other (153).
Key takeaways
- 906 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 19 involve a crash, 7 a fire, 4 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 313 | 35% |
| Electrical System | 259 | 29% |
| Unknown Or Other | 153 | 17% |
| Visibility | 70 | 8% |
| Power Train | 51 | 6% |
| Engine | 50 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 49 | 5% |
| Structure | 22 | 2% |
| Lane Departure | 20 | 2% |
| Air Bags | 18 | 2% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2020 Subaru Outback
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
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| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Subaru Outback SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-11-03
Hendrick Honda Cars of McKinney sold me a 2020 Subaru Outback with severely mismatched tires, completely failing to identify the issue despite passing the vehicle through three separate pre-sale and/or safety inspections. Subaru strictly requires identical tire tread depths across all four wheels on its symmetrical All...
Engine - filed 2026-10-30
Subaru dealer service tech reporting upper oil pan leak. The repair requires engine removal to gain access to the upper oil pan, which is a very costly repair. My concern, does the leaking oil get onto the hot exhaust system create a fire risk.
Power Train - filed 2026-10-29
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rear differential assembly completely failed, disabling the vehicle's all-wheel-drive capability. The component was replaced by Shingle Springs Subaru, so the original failed part is no longer available for physica...
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More for the 2020 Subaru Outback
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.