NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Outback. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Some kind of debris hit windshield on passenger side above bottom corner. The glass is not chipped, but the crack started developing quickly and reached to the middle of the windshield. The windshield itself was as new @12,000 miles only. It is noticeable that the crack is widened like the windshield glass is pulling itself apart. The crack is growing in length every day and following some random path. I visited the Mile One dealership and stated the issue that windshield should not crack like this without glass being noticeable chipped and it's a major safety and quality concern. They refused to even look at and said I am on my own because Subaru does provide any warranty for their windshields.
Battery is poorly charged , as indicated by idle battery voltage below 12.1 volts, and in one case the car would not strat and I had to call road service to get the battery jumped/boosted.
Windshield cracks Third time to replace
Windshield cracked without outside impact (e.g., rock, debris). Retailer refusing to cover under warranty. Car was parked when the windshield cracked.
This is my fourth cracked windshield in less than 2 years! I’ve never cracked a windshield in ANY other car I’ve owned in the last 20 years! The windshields do not seem to be strong enough to accommodate the flex of the frame of the vehicle. I hear the car flex over rough roads or speed bumps. I’m assuming the torsion of the vehicle is weakening the glass, and any minor impact will cause the windshield to crack. I haven’t been abusing the car at all, this time around I parked the car, came back 3 hours later and the windshield was cracked, I assume from the speed bumps on the way into the park. I was calm at first, but now am outraged! I cannot afford a new windshield every six months, especially at $1,000 a piece! Please help!
My battery has been replaced three times by the dealer. Initially days after buying the vehicle and twice since then. After letting the vehicle sit for 3-7 days the battery is not able to start the vehicle. Each time I have taken it to the dealer for repair. The first time in 2020 it was just a battery replacement. Then in 2021 it was a relay and battery replacement. In 2022 it was a module and then another battery replacement. All without a comprehensive explanation from the dealer or service advisor.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outlook. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Moonroof without any warning broke out while driving on the freeway. This has happened two times within 6 months. When it breaks there is a very loud bang and glass fly's from the car, possibly hitting following vehicles. Both times we had the inside sun shade closed so the occupants of the car were not showered with glass. Happened on 7/11/22 & 1/28/23. We no longer trust driving the car and will trade it in.
Multiple battery failures. Original battery failed at ~2 years, then a new battery failed 6 months later. First failure July 2022, second failure Dec 2022
Vehicle was taken to a dealer to perform warranty work related to Subaru MSB 16-136-22R on 7/6/2022, at mileage 18,317. Owner was experiencing vibrations and noise on turns during acceleration, first noticed a month earlier, which was steadily becoming worse, causing concern about the safety or possible failure of the vehicle. Dealer confirmed this problem existed in the multiple plate transfer (MPT) clutch and attempted temporary repairs, as per the service bulletin. Repairs were unsuccessful and vehicle status was then said by the dealer to be “off-road — not drivable”. The dealer indicated the front transmission had failed. Parts were ordered at that time from Subaru to do the repair. The vehicle has been in the dealer’s possession since 7/6, waiting for parts to arrive.
The windshield started getting scratches & dings on it within 2 weeks of it being purchased for no apparent reason
The battery has had to be jumped 3 times in the last six months. And less than 29,000 miles. Took to dealership on July 5 and they said no issue and next time it happens would need to have it towed. Just worried it could happen in a remote place or in the evening.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the vehicle failed to start-up after multiple attempts. The contact had the vehicle jumpstarted and the engine resumed normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where she was informed that the failure was caused due to the vehicle not being driven enough. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that as she approached the vehicle, she noticed that the passenger’s side windshield was cracked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact notified the dealer by phone. The dealer informed the contact to notify her insurance company of the issue. The contact related the failure to a manufacturing defect. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
TWICE now, once a year ago and then again today, my car battery is completely drained. I do not leave my FAB in the car and there were no lights left on in the vehicle. A year ago, the same thing happened and they replaced the battery with another OEM battery, thereby just temporarily fixing the issue. The service manager lied to me and told me he had no knowledge of a class action lawsuit in place to address this issue. He also commented, "well you haven't had an issue for over a year".
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stopped in the middle of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact engaged the hazard lights; the police arrived on the scene and helped to move the vehicle safely to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a faulty fuel pump. The fuel pump was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.
Apply getting in my car on June 20th I noticed a 8" Crack starting at the edge of the windshield on the right side about a quarter of the way up from the bottom pfrom the bottom. This is since propagated significantly. The interesting thing is that I just replaced the windshield 4 months ago for a failure that was remarkably similar no associated rock strikeThe crack starting at the right edge.This clearly suggests a design or manufacturing flaw. Note that the 1st one was repaired through the insurance company.. I'm taking it now to the dealer.
The car experienced an unexplained spontaneous front windshield crack. It started small on the drivers side near the wiper and has continued to spread. No foreign body or rock has hit the windshield. I took the vehicle to O'Steen's Subaru in Valdosta and they refused to repair it.
Windshield was cracked and spread across the windshield. I wasn’t aware that it was broken until my sister got in the car and asked me if I knew it was broken! I don’t know when it happened or the mileage.
I bought my 2020 Subaru Outback in March of 2020. Since then I have had many instances of the battery dying. In one instance (May of 2021), it died and after jumping they had to repair something to the electrical system. On another occasion it was dying multiple times (jumped it and drove it 3 consecutive times only for it to die 12 hours later each time in December 2020) I had the vehicle towed to Subaru only for them to say they couldn't find anything wrong. I just got back from the dealership after my check engine light came on and they said I need a new battery. They were charging over $900 to swap the battery.
Windshied spontaneously cracked
•Driver’s window failing to properly and completing retract. This has been particularly troublesome in the bitter cold of Northern Minnesota. On each visit to Subaru I have requested that the window be repaired. All efforts have been unsuccessful. •Battery failure without cause or prior warning signs. On previous visits the Service Center failed to address and resolve the battery problem that I brought. In my most recent visit they referred me to a Legal Settlement action which prevents them from further addressing the battery issue. I brought the vehicle in twice for repair/replacement of the battery. Not resolved. •Eyesight Driver Assist malfunction. Upon presenting the issue, the Service Manager suggested that the cause was sunlight hitting the sensors and he did not work on the issue. Even when I noted that the problem happened in the evening as well as during the daytime, no response. •Check Engine Warning Indicator signifying any number of important malfunctions while also causing Cruise Control, Eyesight, RAB, and other critical, electronic systems to deactivate. More importantly, the Subaru Service Center informed me that there is a life-threatening risk associated with the underlying cause of this Check Engine light appearing, and, consequently, they would not permit me to drive the car from the Service Center until necessary repairs and part replacements were made. I have been waiting over two months for the automobile to be repaired and returned to me. I had previously brought the vehicle in specifically for this issue. At that time the Service Center failed to correct the problem and suggested it would disappear on its own (the warning light would turn off after a number of ignition starts). When I requested that they clearly understand the problem and fix the lighlight warning, the manager refused to continue to work on the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Battery died and will not hold a charge. Air bags were not engaged due to the elctrical system being impacted. Battery was charged and left overnight and the battery was fully drained in the morning and the car would not start. Battery was charged again and driven to the Subaru Dealer. The dealer fully charged the battery and left it over night and the same thing happened the next morning. The battery was drained and the car would not start. The dealer replaced the battery with a new battery and performed a software update. Next morning the battery was fully drained and the car would not start. The dealer as of today does not have a solution after have the car for 3 days. The dealer has told me they have all the diagnostic tests they can think of and nothing is showing up as being wrong or that identifies what is draining the battery. I believe the Control Area Network (CAN) is failing and is not going into deep sleep mode when the car is shut off and is causing the battery to drain. Until the defect in the CAN software is fixed the battery will continue to drain.
1.car accelerated on its own—very scary. (Took the car to Cochran Subaru of Monroeville, but they said nothing was found wrong.) 2. The very next day, the real door would not latch and car would not lock. I reported these two issues to 1-800-SUBARU3. My case # is: 220610-163479 3. we did a “software” update bc we received a recall notice—it was completed at Cochran Subaru of Monroeville sometime in the fall of 2021, in March of 2022 while on vacation in Fla, the radio BLARED on its own, then stopped working altogether for a week or so—then just started working again.
The front windshield cracked in the lower middle section of the windshield. There was no apparent strike from an object while driving (the driver saw no objects strike and the sound did not sound like a typical object strike). The crack appeared suddenly and stretched about 2+ inches to the bottom of the windshield up approximately 2-3 more inches and then horizontal toward the middle of the windshield about 2 inches. Shortly after (within 1 hour) the crack extended another 2ish inches horizontal toward the middle of the windshield. The crakc shows a star like pattern, with six arms radiating off from the center with the two vertical arms on top and bottom extending out as described above. There is also no obvious chip from outside the windshield that would indicate an object strike.
Starlink Head System/software malfunctions while driving. This shuts down all safety systems, back up camera, radio. Heating system cannot be controlled while shut down. System restarts automatically after a few minutes but settings, etc may need to be restored. This creates a distraction that could lead to a collision or loss of vehicle control. Investigation reveals that many have this problem with the 11.6" Starlink display. A recall should be initiated for repair/replacement of problem components. Note that two software updates have been completed at the dealer to correct this problem to no avail.
My windshield spontaneously cracked while driving through town and I feel I have a defective windshield. It started very small that evening, and the next morning it was cracked out in two different placed from that, I was not even able to contact the dealership in that timeframe as it occurred during after hours and had already cracked out before open business hours the next morning. When I contacted the dealership that day, I received no help, stating that my warranty does not cover cracks over "dollar bill size" even with my added "windshield protection" coverage. I have since read that this has been a known issue for several years as the windshields on these models are reportedly thinner than normal so that the "eyesight" technology can function appropriately, and it concerns me that this spontaneous cracking is a safety issue yet no recalls have been made. I am afraid to drive my car further as the crack enlarges day by day. I am still waiting to get this sorted out to get it replaced.
Battery died multiple times 7-8 times within last 1 year Car stopped in the middle of the road while waiting a a crossing. The cars coming behind bumped into each other. The emergency lights also died. The problem has been reproduced multiple times and I have taken the vehicle to ‘Premier Subaru Fremont’ at Fremont , CA location. I have battery failed even after the fix. I do not get any warning lamps or indication that battery is at low level and that I need to stop the car at safe location before the issue happens. It’s very dangerous and the car is completely unreliable.
Windshield cracked without being hit, and continues to spider out from original spot. It is available for inspection upon request. The glass continues to crack and spider, causing difficulty seeing for driver. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealer. The vehicle had not been inspected. There is no warning or message of the problem prior to the failure. 5/21 is when the problem first appeared.
2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED BRAKING. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A 1UP BIKE RACK FOR THE VEHICLE, BUT IT INTERFERED WITH THE REAR SONAR SENSORS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND BIKE RACK MANUFACTURER WORK TOGETHER TO DETERMINE A FIX.
Parked car windshield cracked for no reason
I am on second battery for my 2020 Outback and it now won't hold a charge. It drains overnight / without use. I can assure you that I am not leaving any lights on.
Three times for no apparent reason the battery has drained completely after car was sitting fir a day. Subaru replaced the battery after 2nd time but now it is happening again with new battery.
2020 outback with just over 2,000 miles. Batteries (two) have completely fails twice. Six times we have had to jump these batteries. My wife had to be given a ride home from the “Y” once. I am now on my 3rd battery. Dealer says there is nothing wrong with this car. They say I need to disconnect battery if car is not to be used for a length of time. This is unacceptable, however, there seems to no no recourse.
For the third time this Spring, my 2020 Subaru Outback has failed to start. It appears that something within the electrical system of the car is draining the battery. Each time I have been unable to start the car the car has sat unused for 3-4 days. Fortunately I have not been stranded ... yet. I have had to call road service each time. The car has only 23000 miles on it and the car has been garaged most of the time when not in use. I have sought more information about this defect online and see that I am not alone in experiencing this problem.
Cracked for no apparent reason on Monday 5/9/2022
The moon roof glass exploded and shattered while driving the car on a highway under the speed limit. The car is available for inspection though a repair has been initiated. Multiple pictures and a video were taken. If the inside shade cover had not been closed, shattered glass fragments would have cut the driver and passengers possibly impeding the driver’s vision and causing a crash. The problem shattered moon roof was confirmed by the dealer and a repair shop. No one would confirm what caused the moon roof glass to explode.The dealer’s service department and the repair shop inspected the problem. There was no warning. The glass just exploded with a very loud bang like a gun went off inside or near the care.
A crack developed in the windshield spontaneously with no outside forces causing it. It is available for inspection. This is the SECOND time this has happened to this vehicle since we have purchased it. The windshield was replaced in May, 2021 because of the SAME ISSUE. These spontaneous cracks can put our safety and the safety of others at risk by obscuring vision. This just happened (May 1, 2022) and it has not been inspected yet by a dealer or insurance representative.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and returning, she discovered a 4-inch crack on the passenger’s side front windshield. The contact indicated that no object struck the windshield to cause the windshield to crack. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 40,000.
That main concern I have is the windshield. My windshield has been replaced once already and it seems no matter what speed or road we are traveling if anything hits the windshield it cracks. I am not talking a chip or little crack either I am talking tiny rock 45 mph crack halfway through the entire windshield. It can’t be that safe of safety glass if a pea gravel smashes it at 45mph. First time it happened we were traveling through a blizzard at 30 mph rock crack the entire windshield….. the Subaru windshield is super expensive and can only be put in at specific places.
I noticed a crack in my front windshield for no reason, it looked like it had come up from under the hood on the drivers side and bent over to the passenger side. I had not hit any construction debris etc. within 4 days of a full replacement my front windshield was shattered again! When the car was just sitting in the driveway. This crack spread out into three “legs” and got large and I had barely driven the car. I’ve owned lots of cars and I’ve never ever had a cracked windshield before- let alone two within 8 days!
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact on the windshield that could have caused the crack. The contact took the vehicle to a windshield repair shop. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the windshield was fractured on the lower passenger side and had since migrated towards the middle of the windshield. The fracture measured approximately 8-inches long. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
Transmission broke while vehicle was in motion. I was unable to move the vehicle any further and drifted to a complete stop in the middle of the roadway.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while entering the vehicle she noticed that the front windshield was cracked and pitted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk and then stalled. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred that same day. The contact veered to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to her residence; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Engine Control Module (ECM) was malfunctioning. The dealer reset the warning lights; however, the failure had recurred more increasingly. The vehicle was then towed to a second dealer, Subaru of Pembroke Pines (16100 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027) where the fuel pump and high-pressure fuel pump were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer then replaced the Engine Control Module (ECM). The vehicle was not fixed and remained at the dealer since July 12, 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and followed up with the dealer. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 9,846.
Car is 2 years old. Battery has died twice already. Dealership cannot find any issue other than dead battery. Dealer told me that dead batteries in short timeframes is a known issue with this car. Batteries draining for no apparent reason is a safety risk as it indicates a larger problem, namely a possible parasitic drain on the battery and/or faulty electrical components. Dealer cannot replicate the issue in the few days they have had the car for repair. There was no warning of a battery failure. Car was driven earlier in the day with no issue. Tried to start it about 4 hours later and it was dead. Jump started it to take it to dealer for repair a few days later. Opened an incident report with Subaru of America on 5/2/22.