2020 Subaru Outback: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
895 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
895 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 149.17
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
From when we purchased this car new until the day we traded it. There were many times on the freeway at 60-65 MPH that you would need to move over a couple of lanes and went to wide open throttle and the car would simply do nothing for 1 to 2 seconds. I recently learned that in 22' Subaru had a software update to rectify this issue. Meaning there are plenty of Subaru owners who are driving around in cars that pu…
The driver’s power-seat lift motor failed intermittently, leaving the seat stuck in its lowest position. The component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The seat could not be raised high enough for my wife to obtain adequate forward visibility, making the vehicle unsafe for her to drive. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Quan…
The warning lights on our 2020 Subaru Outback have lit intermittently for the past 2 years. When bringing the vehicle into the dealer for service and oil changes, this was reported. Recently the TPMS light began to light intermittently. Tire pressure was checked and adjusted but the problem persisted. When we brought the vehicle in for service, it turned out that all tire pressure sensors needed to be replaced BUT th…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V485000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Contr | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Contro… |
| 21V955000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Contr | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. A programming error in the Transm… |
| 20V766000 | Back Over Prevention:Display Function | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia… |
| 19V664000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Lin | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing… |
| 24V227000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification: | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant De… |
| 21V587000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WR… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Visibility/Wiper (313 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 18/100, computed from 895 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Subaru Outback, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/07/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.