Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
3960–25K
3025–50K
1250–75K
275–100K
1100–150K
2150K+
443 reports with mileage · 453 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Visibility/wiper. Review the 313 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 258 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Visibility. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports7 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
896 reports
3,000 miles · Oct 30, 2020
Unknown Or Other
WE PURCHASED OUR 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK IN OCTOBER 2019 AND WITHIN A A FEW MONTHS (FEB 2020) WE CAME BACK TO OUR PARKED CAR WITH A CRACKED STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD THAT STARTED FROM THE WIPERS. WE GOT OUR WINDSHIELD REPLACED, FAST FORWARD TO OCTOBER 2020 AND WE'RE REPLACING OUR WINDSHIELD AGAIN FROM DRIVING ON A ROLL …
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WE PURCHASED OUR 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK IN OCTOBER 2019 AND WITHIN A A FEW MONTHS (FEB 2020) WE CAME BACK TO OUR PARKED CAR WITH A CRACKED STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD THAT STARTED FROM THE WIPERS. WE GOT OUR WINDSHIELD REPLACED, FAST FORWARD TO OCTOBER 2020 AND WE'RE REPLACING OUR WINDSHIELD AGAIN FROM DRIVING ON A ROLL RODE. THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT ON THESE WINDSHIELDS. WE CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS ON THESE NEW CARS.
NHTSA ODI #11372411
11,500 miles · Oct 29, 2020
Visibility/wiper
I WENT OUT TO MY GARAGE AND FOUND A 8 INCH CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. THERE IS NO APPARENT IMPACT POINT TO THE CRACK. THE DAY BEFORE, I WENT GROCERY SHOPPING AND PARKED IT IN THE GARAGE WHEN I GOT HOME. THERE WAS NO CRACK. THE CAR IS 5 MONTHS OLD. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER FOR HELP, AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF…
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I WENT OUT TO MY GARAGE AND FOUND A 8 INCH CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. THERE IS NO APPARENT IMPACT POINT TO THE CRACK. THE DAY BEFORE, I WENT GROCERY SHOPPING AND PARKED IT IN THE GARAGE WHEN I GOT HOME. THERE WAS NO CRACK. THE CAR IS 5 MONTHS OLD. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER FOR HELP, AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF A WINDSHIELD PROBLEM.
NHTSA ODI #11372297
10,000 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Visibility/wiper
WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 76 IN AKRON OHIO, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED.WE HEARD A LOUD SOUND--LIKE A GUN SHOT--BUT NO EVIDENCE OF THE WINDOW BEING HIT BY A PROJECTILE. THE CRACK RUNS FROM BELOW THE WIPER BLADE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 19 INCHES TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WA…
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WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 76 IN AKRON OHIO, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED.WE HEARD A LOUD SOUND--LIKE A GUN SHOT--BUT NO EVIDENCE OF THE WINDOW BEING HIT BY A PROJECTILE. THE CRACK RUNS FROM BELOW THE WIPER BLADE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 19 INCHES TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION ZONE AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DOWNLOAD TO THE SITE.
NHTSA ODI #11366492
8,000 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Visibility/wiper
I PURCHASED 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK LAST YEAR DECEMBER. IT IS JUST LESS THAN A YEAR. RECENTLY, WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING FREEWAY TO WORK. I TRIED TO FIND WHY IT WAS HAPPENED BUT I COULD NOT FIND APPARENT REASON. SUBARU DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY.
NHTSA ODI #11366472
2,000 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Electrical System
BATTERY FAILED WITHIN 1 MONTH OF NEW CAR PURCHASE. TECHNICIAN INITIALLY SAID IT WAS DUE TO REAR DOME LIGHT BEING LEFT ON (DID NOT THINK THIS WAS THE CASE). AFTER REPEATEDLY RETURNING TO THE CAR IN THE MORNINGS TO FIND DRAINED BATTERY, HAD TO PURCHASE BACK UP JUMPING DEVICE TO ENSURE I'D BE ABLE TO USE VEHICLE DAILY. THE CAR WAS …
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BATTERY FAILED WITHIN 1 MONTH OF NEW CAR PURCHASE. TECHNICIAN INITIALLY SAID IT WAS DUE TO REAR DOME LIGHT BEING LEFT ON (DID NOT THINK THIS WAS THE CASE). AFTER REPEATEDLY RETURNING TO THE CAR IN THE MORNINGS TO FIND DRAINED BATTERY, HAD TO PURCHASE BACK UP JUMPING DEVICE TO ENSURE I'D BE ABLE TO USE VEHICLE DAILY. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 MORE TIMES (WITHIN WEEKS OF THE INITIAL PROBLEM) AFTER NEEDING TO JUMP THE CAR TO START IT. NO ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND BATTERY WAS DEEMED TO BE "OK" PER THEIR TEST. THEN ONE MORNING WHILE STARTING THE CAR, THE DASH LIGHTS STARTED ALL TO FLASH, AN AUDIBLE CLICKING NOISE AND HATCH MOTOR COULD BE HEARD TRYING TO OPEN AND REMAINED STUCK IN THAT MODE UNTIL THE BATTERY DIED (CAR NEVER STARTED). CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR 3RD TIME IN A MONTH AND BATTERY WAS DEEMED "TO BE DEFECTIVE" FROM THE FACTORY AND WAS REPLACED IN THIS 2 MONTH OLD CAR. NO OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO EXPLAIN WHAT REPEATEDLY DRAINED THE BATTERY.
NHTSA ODI #11366425
16,000 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Visibility/wiper
FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE OEM AND OEM REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS CRACKED STARTING FROM THE EDGE AND QUICKLY PROPAGATED. NO FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS WAS NOTED HITTING THE WINDSHIELD TO CAUSE A CRACK.
NHTSA ODI #11366366
2,000 miles · Oct 25, 2020
Visibility/wiper
THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE IN MOTION - IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING TINY MIGHT'VE HIT THE CAR BUT I WAS GOING SLOWLY AT LESS THAN 40MPH AND IT WAS NOT ANYTHING LARGE. THERE WAS A TINY SPOT BUT THIS QUICKLY CRACKED INTO A LARGE LINE ONLY A FEW MINUTES LATER.
NHTSA ODI #11366335
20,000 miles · Oct 23, 2020
Exterior Lighting
HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED TOO HIGH - THEY ARE SIMILAR TO HIGH BEAMS ON OTHER CARS. WHENEVER I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT - ESPECIALLY WHEN OUTSIDE THE CITY, ALMOST EVERY CAR PASSING ME FLASHES BRIGHT LIGHT BECAUSE THEY THINK I HAVE MY HIGH BEAMS ON. THEY ARE POINTED TOO HIGH OFF THE GROUND AND CAUSE GLARE FOR OTHER DRIVERS (WHICH I ALSO EXP…
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HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED TOO HIGH - THEY ARE SIMILAR TO HIGH BEAMS ON OTHER CARS. WHENEVER I AM DRIVING AT NIGHT - ESPECIALLY WHEN OUTSIDE THE CITY, ALMOST EVERY CAR PASSING ME FLASHES BRIGHT LIGHT BECAUSE THEY THINK I HAVE MY HIGH BEAMS ON. THEY ARE POINTED TOO HIGH OFF THE GROUND AND CAUSE GLARE FOR OTHER DRIVERS (WHICH I ALSO EXPERIENCED WHEN MY WIFE WAS FOLLOWING ME IN THE SUBARU WHILE I DROVE OUR OTHER CAR. IT IS REALLY OBNOXIOUS AND DOES NOT SEEM SAFE TO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST LIGHTS TO POINT DOWN TOWARDS THE ROAD.
NHTSA ODI #11365927
7,500 miles · Oct 20, 2020
Electrical System
BATTER IS DEAD AFTER 10 MONTHS, 7500 MILES. SEEMS AS IF THERE IS SOMETHING FAULTY WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT IS PULLING POWER OFF OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. I'VE GONE OUT TO THE CAR 5 TIMES NOW OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO A DEAD BATTERY. PROGRESSIVELY IT'S GOTTEN WORSE WITH TWO OF THE TIMES BEING JUST THIS WEEK. …
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BATTER IS DEAD AFTER 10 MONTHS, 7500 MILES. SEEMS AS IF THERE IS SOMETHING FAULTY WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT IS PULLING POWER OFF OF THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. I'VE GONE OUT TO THE CAR 5 TIMES NOW OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO A DEAD BATTERY. PROGRESSIVELY IT'S GOTTEN WORSE WITH TWO OF THE TIMES BEING JUST THIS WEEK. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT I'M READING ABOUT PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS AS WELL. SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE AN ELECTRICAL BUG THAT THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSING YEAR OVER YEAR.
NHTSA ODI #11365328
Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2020
Exterior Lighting
LOW BEAMS NEED TO BE ADJUSTED, AS THEY ARE TOO BRIGHT FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I GET FLASHED AT NIGHT MULTIPLE TIMES, EVEN BY TRUCKERS WHO SIT HIGHER IN THEIR VEHICLES. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE IT IMPAIRS THE VISION OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AS WELL AS HAD DRIVERS HAVE ROAD RAGE TOWARDS ME, BY THEM SHINING THEIR HIGH BEAMS AT …
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LOW BEAMS NEED TO BE ADJUSTED, AS THEY ARE TOO BRIGHT FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I GET FLASHED AT NIGHT MULTIPLE TIMES, EVEN BY TRUCKERS WHO SIT HIGHER IN THEIR VEHICLES. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE IT IMPAIRS THE VISION OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AS WELL AS HAD DRIVERS HAVE ROAD RAGE TOWARDS ME, BY THEM SHINING THEIR HIGH BEAMS AT ME.
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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 2020-2021 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:driveline:chain/belt
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Consequence: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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, 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.
Remedy: 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 Outback and Legacy vehicles. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A 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.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
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