Home · 2020 Subaru Outback Wilderness · Complaints

What 891 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Outback Wilderness

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (891)Crash / fire / injury (28)Visibility & wipers (383)Electrical system (257)Driver assistance (49)Engine (46)Transmission & drivetrain (45)Body & structure (21)Lane Departure (20)Airbags (18)Speed control (18)Lights (16)

3 of 891 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 3, 2020Electrical systemCrash

I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ONLY THREE MONTHS, AND THE ENGINE HAS FAILED TO START >5 TIMES, WHILE STATIONARY. I HAVE HAD TO GET SEVERAL JUMP STARTS, AND THE BATTERY WILL RUN AGAIN FOR A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS BEFORE SEEMING TO DIE AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTOSHOP AND THEY SAID THE BATTERY SEEMED FINE TO THEM, BUT THE CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE FAILURES WITH STARTING THE ENGINE. I HAVE HAD SAFETY FEATURES DYSFUNCTION WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND ONE OF THEM LED TO AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED A FEW TIMES, AND LOST HOURS FROM MY JOB.

NHTSA ODI 11352997

Aug 24, 2020Electrical systemCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON APPROACHING HIS DRIVEWAY, THE CONTACT HAD DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND COMPLETELY STOPPED HIS VEHICLE. THE STOP START FEATURE ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY AND THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE TO CHECK HIS MAILBOX. UPON RETRIEVING HIS MAIL, THE CONTACT TURNED AROUND TO ENTER HIS VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS GONE. UPON LOOKING FOR HIS VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD INDEPENDENTLY DRIVEN 280 FEET AND HAD COLLIDED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED BUT NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED DUE TO THE ACCIDENT HAPPENING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. DUE TO THE ACCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT REMAINED IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAVE YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 294.

NHTSA ODI 11350893

Oct 30, 2019Parking BrakeElectrical systemAirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INTERSECTION, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF BEND (2060 NE HWY 20, BEND, OR 97701, (541) 389-3031) WHERE IT WAS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 520.*CW*JB

NHTSA ODI 11277145

Working with the data? Download all 891 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2020 Subaru Outback Wilderness verdict →