2020 Subaru Outback exterior lighting problems
16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the exterior lighting on the 2020 Subaru Outback — 2% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Automatic Braking system has almost caused a rear-end collision 5 times, because it thinks a shadow is an object. We’ve brought the car to the dealership but they told us twice that they can’t replicate the problem. That doesn’t change the issue. I don’t want to wait until we have a collision and…”
filed Nov 21, 2023
“On Dec. 20, 2022, my Outback totally stopped working while sitting at a red light, causing traffic to be forced to maneuver around my car. A kind policeman put out flares until the tow truck arrived. I could not shift into park, nothing electric would work, except the radio continued to play and…”
filed Jan 17, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Exterior Lighting problems in other Outback years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 3 | 4% |
| 2024 Outback | 3 | 3% |
| 2023 Outback | 6 | 7% |
| 2022 Outback | 3 | 1% |
| 2021 Outback | 4 | 1% |
| 2019 Outback | 11 | 1% |
| 2018 Outback | 9 | 1% |
| 2017 Outback | 7 | 1% |
| 2016 Outback | 5 | 1% |
| 2015 Outback | 4 | 1% |
| 2014 Outback | 7 | 3% |
| 2013 Outback | 8 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2020 Subaru Outback
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.