RideTruth

Subaru Outback Years to Avoid: Recalls and Complaints Compared

By Sam Rhodes · Published

The 2019 Outback has the most NHTSA complaints, 1,033, yet among the three top-complaint years, the 2020 carries the most recall campaigns, 6.

Of the 2018 through 2027 Subaru Outback model years, the 2019 has the most NHTSA complaints, 1,033, ahead of the 2020's 896 and the 2018's 807; of those three, the 2020 has the most recall campaigns on file, 6.

Key facts

  • The 2020 Subaru Outback has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on file, the most of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 model years, as of September 23, 2026.
  • The 2019 Outback has 1,033 NHTSA complaints, the most of the 2018-2027 model years; the 2020 is next at 896 and the 2018 at 807.
  • The 2018 and 2019 Outback each have 3 recall campaigns on file; the 2020 has 6.
  • Owners have filed 3,779 NHTSA complaints total across the 2018-2027 Outback model years, as of September 23, 2026.
A blue 2020 Subaru Outback, seen from the driver's side, at the end of an NHTSA frontal crash test, its front end crushed against the barrier.
Crash-test image: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation. · Public domain (US government)

The 2019 Subaru Outback has 1,033 NHTSA complaints, the most of the 2018-2027 model years in RideTruth's catalog, while the 2020 has the most recall campaigns of the three highest-complaint years, 6. Subaru does not publish a ranked list of which model years to avoid, so what follows is NHTSA's own recall and complaint counts, not a verdict. Recall campaigns are compared here only for the three years with the most complaints; complaint counts cover the full 2018-2027 range.

Which of the top three complaint years has the most recalls?

Of the three Outback years with the most complaints on file, the 2020 has the most recall campaigns: 6, against 3 each for 2018 and 2019.

Model year Recall campaigns
2018 3
2019 3
2020 6

These are campaigns filed against a model year, not a guarantee any single Outback needs the work; a VIN check at NHTSA's recall lookup settles it for one car.

Where does the 2019 sit among ten years of Outback complaints?

Across the ten Outback model years on file, 2018 through 2027, the 2019 tops the count at 1,033 as of September 23, 2026, with the 2020 at 896 and the 2018 at 807.

Model year NHTSA complaints
2018 807
2019 1,033
2020 896
2021 294
2022 462
2023 89
2024 102
2025 80
2026 16
2027 0
Column chart of NHTSA complaints for the 2018 to 2027 Subaru Outback. The 2019 has the most at 1,033, the 2020 has 896, and the 2018 has 807.

Owners have filed 3,779 complaints total across these ten model years. These are raw owner reports, not confirmed defects, with no adjustment for sales or years in service.

A dark gray 2021 Subaru Outback, seen from the driver's side, at the end of an NHTSA frontal crash test, its front end crushed against the barrier.
Crash-test image: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation. · Public domain (US government)

Do the years with the most recalls match the years with the most complaints?

Not exactly. Of the three, the 2020 has the most recall campaigns, 6, but it is second in complaints, behind the 2019. The 2019, which leads in complaints with 1,033, has only 3 recall campaigns, tied with the 2018 for the fewest of the three years compared here. A recall and a complaint measure two different things. A recall is a manufacturer-filed campaign for a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard. A complaint is whatever an owner chose to report, on any system, confirmed or not.

What do the 2020 Outback's six recall campaigns cover?

Timeline of the 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on file for the 2020 Subaru Outback, from a September 2019 brake-pedal recall to a March 2024 airbag-sensor recall.
Campaign Filed Component
19V664000 Sep 18, 2019 Brake pedals and linkage
20V766000 Dec 10, 2020 Backup-camera display
21V587000 Jul 29, 2021 Fuel pump delivery
21V955000 Dec 9, 2021 Automatic transmission control module
22V485000 Jul 8, 2022 Automatic transmission control module
24V227000 Mar 22, 2024 Front-passenger airbag occupant-classification sensor

The six campaigns, filed between September 2019 and March 2024, name five components: brake pedals and linkage, the backup-camera display, the fuel pump, the automatic-transmission control module (two campaigns), and a front-passenger airbag occupant-classification sensor. The component labels in this data don't say why the transmission control module drew two campaigns.

If a 2020 Outback is already in your driveway, add it to your garage and RideTruth will check it against new NHTSA recall campaigns that list it.

Data as of . Sources: NHTSA complaints data, NHTSA recalls.

Common questions

Which of the top-complaint Outback years has the most recalls?

The 2020 carries 6 NHTSA recall campaigns, more than the 2018 and 2019, which have 3 each. These are the three Outback model years with the most complaints on file, which is why RideTruth compared their recalls here.

Which Subaru Outback model year has the most complaints?

NHTSA has 1,033 complaints on file for the 2019 Outback, more than any other model year from 2018 through 2027. The 2020 follows at 896, then the 2018 at 807.

What do the 2020 Subaru Outback's recall campaigns cover?

Five components across six campaigns: brake pedals and linkage, the backup-camera display, the fuel pump, the automatic-transmission control module (two campaigns), and a front-passenger airbag occupant-classification sensor. A VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows which of the six reach a given car.