2020 Subaru Outback problems and complaints
Owners have filed 897 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Outback. The most-reported areas: Visibility/Wiper (313), Electrical System (259), Unknown Or Other (151).
Key takeaways
- 897 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 | 151 | 17% |
| Visibility | 70 | 8% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 49 | 5% |
| Engine | 48 | 5% |
| Power Train | 46 | 5% |
| Structure | 21 | 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%.
| 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.
Steering,electrical System,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-09-20
9/20/26 my 2020 Subaru Outback experienced repeated electrical failures followed by loss of power-steering assistance. The underlying failed component is unknown. The vehicle is parked and available for inspection. While driving, the vehicle intermittently lurched/jerked as the center display went completely black and ...
Engine - filed 2026-08-19
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. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it diagnosed a...
Electrical System - filed 2026-08-11
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 batteries in 2.5 years and then my rear gate door would som...
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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.