# Subaru Outback 2020–2025 Pre-Purchase Checklist

Canonical: https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/subaru-outback-2020-2025/checklist/

> Printable pre-purchase inspection checklist for the 2020–2025 Subaru Outback: the generation-specific checks that separate a good one from someone else's problem.

Case file · SUBARU-OUTBACK-2020-2025 · Field document

# Subaru Outback 2020–2025 · Pre-purchase checklist

Bring this to the inspection. Every check below is specific to this generation's documented failure modes, not generic used-car advice.

[← Full case file](https://carcasefile.com/vehicles/subaru-outback-2020-2025/)

Check 01

Inspect the windshield edge-to-edge, especially near the base. On 2020–2022 cars, ask whether the class-action extended warranty (8yr/100k, ONE free replacement) has already been used on this VIN. A Subaru dealer can check.

Check 02

Check the battery date code and ask how many batteries the car has had. Repeated dead batteries are this generation's signature complaint; if you're looking at a 2021–2022, know that the drain issue on those years is the subject of an active lawsuit, not a settled one.

Check 03

Cycle the 11.6-inch touchscreen hard: CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, backup camera, volume, climate controls. Freezes, reboots, or black screens are documented faults. On 2020–2022 cars, dealer repairs are covered by Subaru's head-unit warranty extension (8 years/150,000 miles) if the unit is on the latest software.

Check 04

On 2020–2021 cars, especially XT/turbo, confirm by VIN that the CVT chain-slip recalls (NHTSA 21V-955 and 22V-485) were performed, then feel for any hesitation, slip, or shudder on the test drive.

Check 05

Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: the 2020 fuel-pump recall (21V-587), the 2021–2023 inhibitor-switch recall (23V-755), the 2020–2022 passenger-airbag sensor recall (24V-227), and the 2023 driveshaft-bolt recall (23V-647) should all show as completed.

Check 06

If the windshield has ever been replaced on an EyeSight car, ask for proof the camera was recalibrated. Shops that skip it leave the driver-assist system aiming wrong.

Check 07

Check the oil level and ask about top-offs between changes. This generation's engines burn far less oil than older Subarus, but a quart-eater is still a walk-away regardless of year.

Walk-away signals

2020 (first year: peak windshield/battery/screen complaints, plus the fuel-pump and CVT chain-slip recalls) · 2021–2022 only if battery history and windshield condition are undocumented

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