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2020 Subaru Outback Recalls & Complaints

6

open safety recalls on record

Critical

1,132 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.11 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical21V587000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

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

Remedy & full details

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

Serious20V766000

Back Over Prevention:Display Function

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

Remedy & full details

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 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."

Serious21V955000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)

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

Remedy & full details

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. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.

Serious19V664000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages

missing or loose bolt may cause the brake pedal mounting area to deform over time, which can reduce braking performance and raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt.

Serious22V485000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)

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

Remedy & full details

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.

Serious24V227000

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger

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

Remedy & full details

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. 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.

Complaint volume

1,132 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

37Crashes
11Fires
5Injuries
0Deaths

Across 1,132 complaints. Severity Index 0.11.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Visibility/Wiper313 · 28%Electrical System251 · 22%Unknown Or Other150 · 13%Visibility · Windshield64 · 6%Engine47 · 4%Power Train43 · 4%Forward Collision Avoidan…28Forward Collision Avoidan…26
  1. Visibility/Wiper — 313 reports
  2. Electrical System — 251 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 150 reports
  4. Visibility:Windshield — 64 reports
  5. Engine — 47 reports
  6. Power Train — 43 reports
  7. Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings — 28 reports
  8. Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking — 26 reports
  9. Air Bags — 18 reports
  10. Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control — 18 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (2) · 1997 (4) · 1998 (2) · 1999 (1) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (5) · 2003 (15) · 2004 (11) · 2005 (9) · 2006 (7) · 2007 (8) · 2008 (8) · 2009 (13) · 2010 (18) · 2011 (16) · 2012 (16) · 2013 (12) · 2014 (10) · 2015 (5) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (3) · 2019 (3) · 2020 · 2021 (4) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (2) · 2024 · 2025 · 2026

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.