2020 Subaru Outback driver assistance & safety tech problems

Related recalls

• Recall 20V766000Dec 10, 20207,741 vehicles
  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 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."

  Risk: 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.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 26, 2025VADriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   Gas cap was not secured overnight. The next day every ADAS function both safety and convenience was disabled and their lights were on. Users guide said car should recover after a few miles of driving. 100 miles and multiple restarts later it did not. It was taken to the dealer where they cleared the error for free. Poor design that a loose gas cap could cause a collision due to lack of ADAS. Dealer said it is a known condition with all Subaru models.

   NHTSA complaint #11689824 · source
2. Filed Sep 11, 2025MIBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   I was driving to a medical appointment in Ann Arbor Mi, and was in the area where [XXX] has a few big turns in the road .... like at ... [XXX] .All of he sudden the car started to accelerate a little on the turn so I attempted to brake the vehicle and I could not feel the brake pedal. I slowly moved into the right lane and frantically trying to slow the car down. I still could not feel the brake pedal and I believe when I hit the speed control off is when it slowed down and…

   NHTSA complaint #11686503 · source
3. Filed May 23, 202561,000 miMIAirbagsDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V227000 (AIR BAGS); 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 contact stated that on a separate occasion, while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a distorted image, compromising the back-over prevention…

   NHTSA complaint #11662773 · source
4. Filed Jan 4, 2025AZCrashTowedDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   The Subaru front camera incorrectly detected a hazard. The automatic braking system engaged and locked the steering. I skidded off the pavement, causing damage to the car. At the time of the accident, the blind sight warning lights flashed on the dash signaling that they were disabled. I was going very slow in a driveway. No personal damage just property damage and damage to the car. I have let the insurance company know about the issue and the collision center. I have had…

   NHTSA complaint #11634070 · source
5. Filed Nov 26, 2024VADriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   After completing an OTA software update the screen would not load and entered continuous buffering disabling all environmental and safety functions.

   NHTSA complaint #11627582 · source
6. Filed Aug 9, 2024NHDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   After an automatic software download update, the RAB off light came on. The RAB light comes on when the car is put in Reverse and provides the option to turn that function off. After the update, the RAB icon is no longer displayed. It is the only system so far that I noticed that malfunctioned after the software update

   NHTSA complaint #11607657 · source
7. Filed Jul 17, 2024MIDriver Assistance & Safety TechTransmission & Drivetrain

   On [XXX], I was driving east on [XXX] on the North side of Toledo Ohio close to the intersection with [XXX] . The "Check Engine" warning came on, all the vehicle "Eyesight" functions were automatically turned off, and Pre collision braking and Pre collision throttle control features were activated. There was no danger of a collision at this time, but all of this left me stranded in the middle of this busy four lane highway. I was able to literally crawl to the shoulder of…

   NHTSA complaint #11602880 · source
8. Filed Jun 4, 2024WYDriver Assistance & Safety TechVisibility & Wipers

   A small horizontal crack recently appeared on my Outback's front windshield while it was sitting in a garage overnight. The crack started from the passenger side and has now crept over to the middle of the windshield. Previous to this incident, the car had been sitting unused for over a month, so there was no opportunity for rocks or other debris from the road to cause the crack. This is the second time that the windshield has developed a crack out of thin air. I have…

   NHTSA complaint #11592368 · source
9. Filed Dec 14, 2023OHDriver Assistance & Safety TechEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Thermo Control Valve assembly has failed resulting in loss of use for the following: Rear Automatic Brake, Eye Sight lane keeping, loss of heat in cabin and failure of coolant to circulate within engine possibly leading to engine failure, loss of cruise control and check engine light coming on. Reference TSB [XXX] . Without cabin heat vehicle is not useable in current cold temperatures (Currently 22 degrees Fahrenheit in Ohio on December 14, 2023). Dealer has confirmed part…

   NHTSA complaint #11560096 · source
10. Filed Dec 14, 2023PADriver Assistance & Safety TechEngine

    A well-known failure of the Thermal Control Valve (TCV) occurred, which disabled many or most of the safety features on the car in addition to crippling the heat output in the cabin. Additionally, depending on which way the valve sticks, it could overheat the car and ruin the engine, or worse. Car is under 4 years old and repair estimate is nearly $1900. There is a technical safety bulletin [XXX] that outlines a redesigned TCV. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF…

    NHTSA complaint #11560041 · source
11. Filed Nov 22, 2023MNBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

    On November 21th, 2023, we were driving on a 30 mph street at 8:00 pm with no traffic and our automatic emergency braking system deployed on our 2020 Outback, we jolted to a stop for no apparent reason. This could have been dangerous if a car was behind us. Just had our oil changed with free inspection at Miller Hill Subaru 1 week prior. First incident. Will have the dealership inspect ASAP. The "Auto Start /Stop No Activity Detected" indicator message light came on…

    NHTSA complaint #11556399 · source
12. Filed Nov 15, 2023NCDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical System

    Per Subaru there is something wrong with the Cockpit Control Module (CCM) that is causing a constant / parasitic draw on the battery. This results in the battery being dead within 4 hours, leaving us constantly stranded. Because the CCM also controls the electrical system, many of the safety features (auto breaking, lane departure, etc) turn off randomly. This is the diagnosis from our local Subaru dealership: COCKPIT CONTROL MODULE IS DRAWING 2 AMPS. WITH COCKPIT UNPLUGGED…

    NHTSA complaint #11555354 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology