Subaru Outback 2020–2025
6th generation (BT)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20262,471 complaints, 680 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 75% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 27 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 75% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 5 complaints (0.7%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 580
- 25%
- 2,100
- Median
- 6,000
- 75%
- 12,000
- 90%
- 28,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 460 | 67.6% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 117 | 17.2% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 39 | 5.7% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 19 | 2.8% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 17 | 2.5% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 9 | 1.3% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 5 | 0.7% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 5 | 0.7% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 200,000+ | 5 | 0.7% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 2,471 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Subaru Outback, and 680 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
75% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 27 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are visibility/wiper (28.5% of complaints, typically around 5,000 miles), the electrical system (17.2% of complaints, typically around 5,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (14.5% of complaints, typically around 3,500 miles).
11 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Visibility/wiper5,000median 4,750 miles, middle half 2,000 to 8,000
- Electrical system5,000median 5,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 9,500
- Problems owners could not categorise3,500median 3,700 miles, middle half 2,000 to 8,000
- Forward collision avoidance7,000median 7,000 miles, middle half 1,000 to 12,000
- Visibility equipment12,000median 12,066 miles, middle half 4,000 to 34,000
- Engine10,000median 9,846 miles, middle half 6,500 to 16,000
- Transmission and driveline23,000median 23,000 miles, middle half 3,000 to 45,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 705 | 28.5% | 5,000 | 2,000–8,000 |
| Electrical system | 425 | 17.2% | 5,000 | 2,000–9,500 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 359 | 14.5% | 3,500 | 2,000–8,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 224 | 9.1% | 7,000 | 1,000–12,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 112 | 4.5% | 12,000 | 4,000–34,000 |
| Engine | 100 | 4.0% | 10,000 | 6,500–16,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 87 | 3.5% | 23,000 | 3,000–45,000 |
| Lane departure | 70 | 2.8% | 9,000 | 5,000–12,000 |
| Airbag system | 55 | 2.2% | — | — |
| Throttle and speed control | 50 | 2.0% | 1,000 | 700–15,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 6,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Visibility/wiper accounts for 28.5% of complaints (705 reports, 194 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 4,750 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 8,000 miles.
A single system taking 28.5% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The electrical system accounts for 17.2% of complaints (425 reports, 153 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 5,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,999 and 9,500 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 14.5% of complaints (359 reports, 59 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 3,700 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,100 and 8,000 miles.
Forward collision avoidance accounts for 9.1% of complaints (224 reports, 23 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 7,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,000 and 12,000 miles.
Visibility equipment accounts for 4.5% of complaints (112 reports, 98 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 12,066 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,100 and 34,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 4.0% of complaints (100 reports, 25 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 9,846 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,500 and 16,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2020 model year drew the most — 1,133 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 116. The median year sits at 273.
That makes 2020 an outlier: roughly 4.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 11 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the transmission and driveline (5), the airbag system (1), visibility equipment (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 2,471 complaints filed against this generation, 112 reported a crash; 33 reported a fire; 37 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 4.5% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 75% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, visibility/wiper and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Visibility/wiper in particular shows a median failure mileage of 4,750, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Infotainment 2020–2022
Starlink 11.6-inch multimedia unit freezing, rebooting and losing the backup camera display; addressed through repeated software updates.
Fuel System 2019–2020
Denso low-pressure in-tank fuel pump impeller deformation causing rough running and stalling; large cross-manufacturer recall.
Body 2020–2025
Windshield cracking complaints persist from the previous generation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,133 | 523 |
| 2021 | 411 | 70 |
| 2022 | 552 | 46 |
| 2023 | 124 | 16 |
| 2024 | 135 | 11 |
| 2025 | 116 | 14 |
Recalls (11)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 24V227000 | 2025-02-03 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger |
| 23V755000 | 2024-01-08 | Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch |
| 23V647000 | 2023-11-20 | Power Train:driveline:driveshaft |
| 22V712000 | 2022-11-11 | Visibility:windshield |
| 22V485000 | 2022-08-24 | Power Train:driveline:chain/Belt |
| 21V955000 | 2022-08-19 | Power Train:driveline:chain/Belt |
| 22V473000 | 2022-08-01 | Engine and Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (ecu/Ecm) |
| 21V587000 | 2021-09-24 | Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump |
| 21V024000 | 2021-02-12 | Power Train:shift Linkage/Cable/Rod |
| 20V766000 | 2021-01-22 | Back Over Prevention:display Function |
| 19V664000 | 2019-10-01 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals and Linkages |
What owners reported
Purchase 2020 Subaru on 12/30/19 and as 7/15/20 the windshield had to be replaced three times do to cracking. First time it chips and crack appeared and spread the windshield. Second time, car was in the garage and came out and found a cracked across the lower part of it. Third time on july 15 driving on a secondary…
2020 · Visibility/wiper
While driving at 30 MPH the windscreen cracked for no apparent reason. An object did not hit the windscreen. I have since replaced the windscreen at safelite with an oem Subaru windscreen and recalibrated the advanced driver safety system costing more than $1,000. There have been several reports of faults in Subaru…
2020 · 7 miles · Visibility/wiper
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that a crack had formed on the right, lower passenger's side of the windshield on three separate occasions without impact. The contact had the windshield replaced twice and that the same crack had formed after each replacement. The contact stated that the…
2020 · 70 miles · Visibility equipment
I have less than 100 miles on my 2020 Subaru Outback and am having serious battery issues. I had driven the vehicle on a friday and then went to start it on the following monday and the battery was dead. I called out the Subaru starlink roadside assistance to get the battery jump-started, which they did and i let the…
2020 · 84 miles · Electrical system
Built from 680 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page