Subaru Outback 2020–2025Common problems, reliability & repair costs

Symptoms: Cracks that appear from small chips — or seemingly from nothing — and spread across the glass, often starting near the base of the windshield. CarComplaints lists a cracked windshield as the #1 reported 2020 Outback problem (average reported repair ~$900 at 8,000 miles; ~$1,400 on 2022 cars).

Fix: Windshield replacement, plus EyeSight camera recalibration on every car (all 6th-gen Outbacks have EyeSight). The Powell v. Subaru class settlement (approved April 2025) gave 2020–2022 Outbacks an extended warranty of 8 years/100,000 miles covering ONE windshield replacement — check whether it's been used before you buy. Cash-reimbursement claims closed January 31, 2025. Separately, some 2022 cars were recalled (NHTSA 22V-712) because a bad primer/clearcoat interaction meant the windshield itself could detach — different defect, same part of the car.

Sources: CarComplaints — 2020 Outback (windshield = #1 problem), Top Class Actions — Subaru windshield settlement (Powell v. Subaru, 2020–2022 Outback), ClassAction.org — Subaru cracked windshield lawsuits, NHTSA — 2022 Outback recalls (22V-712 windshield bonding)

Symptoms: Battery goes flat after the car sits a few days, needs repeated jump-starts or charges, or dies outright within the first year or two — CarComplaints' top 2021 Outback problems are 'battery dies' (avg. 17,000 miles) and 'battery requires repeated charges' (avg. 7,000 miles). Root cause alleged in litigation: control modules that never fully enter sleep mode after shutdown.

Fix: A new battery (many owners upsize to an AGM in the factory Group 25 size) treats the symptom; a parasitic-draw test finds whether something is staying awake. Two separate legal actions cover this generation: the In re Subaru Battery Drain settlement (approved January 2023) included 2015–2020 Outbacks — so only the 2020 model year of this generation, and its claim window has closed — while a new class action, Taylor v. Subaru (filed May 2026), names 2021–2022 Outbacks and is active as of this writing.

Sources: Top Class Actions — Subaru battery drain settlement (2015–2020 Outback), ClassAction.org — Taylor v. Subaru battery-drain lawsuit (2021–2022 Outback), CarComplaints — 2021 Outback (battery = top problems)

Symptoms: The big vertical touchscreen freezes or goes black, reboots on its own, drops CarPlay/Android Auto or Bluetooth, loses audio, or responds to touches you didn't make. Because climate controls live in the screen, a dead unit takes real functions with it. A failed over-the-air update also caused the rearview camera display to cut out on some 2020 cars — that one became a recall (NHTSA 20V-766).

Fix: Reprogramming first; if the unit is on current software and still faulting, a one-time head-unit replacement. In January 2025 Subaru extended warranty coverage on the CP1 head unit in 2020–2022 Outbacks to 8 years or 150,000 miles for exactly these failures (black/blank screen, loss of audio, repeated rebooting, CarPlay/Bluetooth/navigation/touchscreen faults), with reimbursement for owners who already paid. A 2023 class action over these systems (Cilluffo v. Subaru) ended in early 2025 without a class-wide settlement after the parties resolved the named plaintiffs' claims.

Sources: Subaru of America — head-unit warranty extension announcement, Jan 28 2025 (NHTSA copy), ClassAction.org — Cilluffo v. Subaru Starlink lawsuit (2019–2023 models), NHTSA — 2020 Outback recalls (20V-766 rearview display)

Symptoms: A transmission-control programming error could engage the clutch before the drive chain was fully clamped, letting the chain slip — and in the worst case break, causing sudden loss of drive power. Owners reported judder, hesitation, or slipping before failure; many cars showed nothing before the recall reflash.

Fix: Two recalls: NHTSA 21V-955 (Subaru WRK-21, late 2021) covering 2020 Legacy/Outback turbo models, expanded by 22V-485 (WRK-22, 2022) to additional 2020–2021 cars. The fix is a free TCU reprogram, inspection of chain-slip data and the chain guide, and a free CVT replacement if damage is found; Subaru's TSB 16-139-22R additionally extended CVT coverage to 10 years/100,000 miles (one replacement) on cars that had the recall done. Then in June 2025 Subaru extended the CVT warranty on ALL 2020 Outback turbo (FA24/TR690) models to 10 years/100,000 miles. Note what's NOT covered: 2.5L cars and 2021–2025 model years got no blanket CVT extension.

Sources: Subaru of America — CVT warranty extension announcement, June 30 2025 (NHTSA copy), OEMDTC — WRK-21 CVT warranty extension / TSB 16-139-22R (2020 Outback turbo), RepairPal — recall 22V-485 (2020–2021 Legacy/Outback chain slip)

Symptoms: Hard starting, rough running, or an engine that stalls and won't restart — caused by a Denso fuel-pump impeller that can crack, swell with fuel, deform, and jam the pump. The same supplier defect drove recalls across many brands.

Fix: Covered by recall: NHTSA 21V-587 (July 2021) recalled 2020 Outbacks (among other Subarus) to replace the low-pressure fuel pump free of charge. On any 2020 car, run the VIN and confirm this one is done — a stall at highway speed is not a maybe-later item.

Sources: NHTSA — 2020 Outback recalls (21V-587 fuel pump), Torque News — Subaru pulled into expanded Denso fuel-pump recall

Tools: 10mm wrench or socket, Battery terminal brush, Memory saver (optional — keeps seat/radio settings)

1. With the car off, disconnect the negative terminal first, then the positive, then remove the hold-down bracket.
2. Lift out the old battery and clean both terminal clamps with the brush.
3. Install the new battery — factory size is BCI Group 25; many owners fit a Group 25 AGM specifically because of this generation's drain history.
4. Reconnect positive first, then negative, and snug the hold-down.
5. If this is your second or third battery, have a shop run a parasitic-draw test — a fresh battery won't fix a module that never sleeps, and on 2021–2022 cars keep your receipts while the Taylor lawsuit is pending.

Tools: None (hands only for both filters)

1. Open the glovebox, squeeze the sides to release the stops, and swing it down to expose the cabin filter door.
2. Slide out the old cabin filter and insert the new one with the airflow arrow pointing the right way.
3. For the engine filter, unclip the airbox lid in the engine bay, swap the panel filter, and re-clip.
4. Seat the airbox lid fully — a bad seal lets unfiltered air past the sensors.

Tools: None

1. Buy the right sizes: 26-inch driver, 18-inch passenger, 16-inch rear on 2020–2024 cars.
2. Lift the wiper arm, press the release tab on the old blade, and slide it off the hook.
3. Click the new blade on until the tab locks, and lower the arm gently — a snapping arm can chip this generation's famously fragile windshield.
4. Repeat for the passenger and rear blades, then test with washer fluid.