NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 897 owner complaints for the 2020 Subaru Outback.
6Safety recalls
897Owner complaints
19Complaints citing a crash
7Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: air bags, powertrain, fuel system, backover prevention and rearview camera, and 1 more. Most-reported area: visibility/wiper (313 complaints, 35%; median mileage when it happened: 5,000).
6 safety recalls for the 2020 Subaru Outback
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Air bags
Mar 22, 2024
sensor · occupant classification · front passenger
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles.
NHTSA listing: OUTBACK. Subaru campaign WRA-24.
Powertrain
Jul 8, 2022
automatic transmission · control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles.
NHTSA listing: OUTBACK. Subaru campaign WUL-97.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 897 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Outback. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Visibility/wiper313 · 35%
Median 5,000 miles at failure (175 reports)
Electrical system259 · 29%
Most named: 12v/24v/48v battery (5) · Median 4,700 miles at failure (118 reports)
Visibility70 · 8%
Most named: windshield (64) · Median 18,100 miles at failure (64 reports)
Forward collision avoidance49 · 5%
Most named: warnings (28); automatic emergency braking (26)
Engine48 · 5%
Median 7,200 miles at failure (16 reports)
Powertrain46 · 5%
Body structure21 · 2%
Most named: body (16)
Unknown or other151 · 17%
Median 4,600 miles at failure (53 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Subaru Outback recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Outback drew the most (720).
Owner complaints
2020: 897 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Complaints
2016
643
2017
917
2018
811
2019
1,034
2020
897
2021
296
2022
463
2023
89
2024
102
2025
81
2026
16
Safety recalls
2020: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Outback
Model year
Recalls
2016
4
2017
4
2018
3
2019
3
2020
6
2021
4
2022
4
2023
2
2024
0
2025
0
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Subaru Outback SUV AWD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2020 Outback problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: visibility/wiper (313), electrical system (259), visibility (70). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2020 Subaru Outback safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Subaru Outback earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Outback has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: OUTBACK.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.