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2020 Subaru Outback

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
57 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns6
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA896
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA29 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021202020192018

The 2020 Subaru Outback is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Outback AWD, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 896 complaints, most often about the visibility/wiper. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Outback AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl263329$2,150
Outback AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo233026$2,400

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41569, 41570.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Subaru Outback is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (6)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

WRA-24
118,723 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskAn air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V227000reported Mar 22, 2024Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Power Train

WRK-22
182 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskAn improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V485000reported Jul 8, 2022Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Power Train

WRK-21
198,255 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskAn improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 Su
NHTSA campaign 21V955000reported Dec 9, 2021Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

WRG-21
175,968 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskFuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V587000reported Jul 29, 2021Subaru of America, Inc.
○minor

Back Over Prevention

WRH-20
7,741 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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."RiskThe intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.FixSubaru 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V766000reported Dec 10, 2020Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WUL-97
3,467 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskA 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.FixSubaru 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V664000reported Sep 18, 2019Subaru of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
896complaints filed

19 involved a crash · 7 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2019: 16 · 2020: 244 · 2021: 284 · 2022: 176 · 2023: 74 · 2024: 59 · 2025: 27 · 2026: 16

Most-cited components

Visibility/Wiper313
Electrical System260
Unspecified150
Forward Collision Avoidance73
Visibility71
Engine48

What owners describe

“In the last month, twice within 30 seconds of starting the car, the head unit has done a complete reboot, which meant that I had no rear-view camera as I was backing out of a parking space. Since the car was already in motion, it was very distracting as it took about a minute for the unit to reboot. This seems to indic…”Jun 14, 2021 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Battery failed. 12 months, 5000 miles Battery Information: 620 AMPS LN2 20HR 62 AH 82110AN00A”Jun 13, 2021 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Our 2020 Subaru Outback has less than 14,000 miles. In the last month the battery has failed 4 times. The last time we had Subaru tow come out and give it a charge. It seemed to work but when we took it out upon returning it failed again. We again had Subaru come out and charge it and we drove it to the dealer. The dea…”Jun 13, 2021 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Outback model years

A

2027 Subaru Outback

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Subaru Outback

0 recalls · 14 complaints

A

2025 Subaru Outback

0 recalls · 77 complaints

A

2024 Subaru Outback

0 recalls · 98 complaints

B

2023 Subaru Outback

2 recalls · 89 complaints

D

2022 Subaru Outback

4 recalls · 462 complaints

D

2021 Subaru Outback

4 recalls · 296 complaints

C

2019 Subaru Outback

3 recalls · 1,033 complaints

C

2018 Subaru Outback

3 recalls · 808 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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