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2020 Subaru Outback Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026

251Electrical System complaints
28.2%Of all 891 complaints
#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

VISIBILITY/WIPER313 · 35.1%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM251 · 28.2%
Unspecified / other150 · 16.8%
ENGINE46 · 5.2%

Share of the 891 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2020 Subaru Outback overview page.

What owners report

“AFTER OWNING MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK FOR JUST OVER A MONTH WITH 1700 MILES ON IT I'VE HAD TO JUMP START MY CAR NOW 6…”NHTSA complaint 11340515 — filed 07/20/2020
“WE BOUGHT THIS CAR. 06/25/2020 AND IN THE FIRST FOUR DAYS THE CAR NEEDED TO BE JUMPED THREE TIMES . THE DEALERSHIP HAD US BRING…”NHTSA complaint 11340513 — filed 07/20/2020
“AFTER NOT BEING USED FOR 10 DAYS THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DRAINED ON JULY 3, 2020. TOWED TO THE DEALER ON JULY 5 PROBLEM COULD…”NHTSA complaint 11340129 — filed 07/18/2020

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

320196420209720215420221820231020244202512026

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Subaru Outback have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2020 Subaru Outback: 251 of 891 complaints on file (28.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2020 Subaru Outback have in total?

891 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 19 involved a crash, 7 involved a fire, 4 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.