2020 Subaru Outback: problems, recalls and what it’s worth

Known problems on the 2020 Subaru Outback

No generation-wide weak spot is flagged in GarageIntel’s research for this year and model. A specific car can still have its own problems, so get it inspected.

2020 Subaru Outback recalls

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2020 Subaru Outback. Repairs are free at a dealer for the brand, and a dealer can confirm by VIN which were already done.

• Airbags

  An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

  Details 24V227000

  Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. 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.

  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.

• Transmission & drivetrain

  An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.

  Details 22V485000

  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.

  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.

• Fuel system

  Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Details 21V587000

  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 low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

  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.

• Transmission & drivetrain

  An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.

  Details 21V955000

  Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.

  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.

• Driver-assist systems

  The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.

  Details 20V766000

  Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation. 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."

  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.

• Brakes

  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.

  Details 19V664000

  Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt.

  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.

2020 Subaru Outback safety investigations and free repairs

No open safety investigations.

Free repairs to ask about (warranty extensions):

• Glass: (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the Front Windshield used in the above listed models and model years from three (3) years / 36,000 miles to eight (8) years / 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).
• Warranty extension: This is an update for owner notification for Safety recall WRA-24 to replace the ODS sensor replacement.
• Warranty extension: This bulletin announces the extended warranty coverage for the Thermo Control valve (TCV) used the the models listed.
• Transmission: CVT Assembly (WRK-21) Warranty Extension.
• Battery: Battery Drain Class Action Settlement- Warranty Extension Training.

A dealer for the brand can check these by VIN.

Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.

2020 Subaru Outback safety and fuel

From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.

What owners complain about

897 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is a lot.

Other Subaru Outback years

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024