Page 19 of 19 · complaints 901–904 of 904

2020 Subaru Outback complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2020 record →

Unknown or Other1 injured
Filed Nov 25, 2019150 milesMD

I EXPERIENCED TWO INCIDENTS WITH THE LIFT GATE ON MY 2020 OUTBACK LIMITED XT WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. THEY BOTH HAPPENED ON 11/23/2019. FIRST INCIDENT: THE CAR WAS IN AN INDOOR PARKING GARAGE, BACKED UP TO THE WALL WITH ABOUT 4 FT OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE CLOSED LIFT GATE AND THE WALL. I HAD JUST PUT MY 2-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON INTO HIS STROLLER, AND WE WERE BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE CAR AND THE WALL. AS I WAS WHEELING THE STROLLER AWAY FROM THE CAR, THE LIFT GATE AUTOMATICALLY OPENED AND PINNED THE STROLLER AGAINST THE WALL! I WAS NOT TOUCHING THE KEY FOB IN ANY WAY. THE GATE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY SENSE THE OBSTRUCTION, AND IT CONTINUED TO FORCE ITSELF AGAINST THE STROLLER. I HAD TO PUSH FORCEFULLY AGAINST THE LIFT GATE IN ORDER TO FREE MY GRANDSON AND ME. SECOND INCIDENT: AFTER RETURNING TO THE CAR WHICH WAS PARKED AS DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE LIFT GATE FORCEFULLY HIT MY WIFE ON THE HEAD! I HAD RAISED THE GATE, AND AFTER THE GATE WAS ALL THE WAY UP, MY WIFE BENT DOWN TO PUT AN ITEM IN. THE LIFT GATE CAME DOWN ON HER HEAD. SHE WAS IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN! IT HAS BEEN ABOUT 24 HOURS SINCE THIS OCCURRED, AND SHE IS STILL EXPERIENCING HEADACHE, NAUSEA AND BLURRED VISION. WE ARE NOW SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION. LATER THAT AFTERNOON I EXPERIMENTED WITH THE GATE, AND IT MALFUNCTIONED THE SAME WAY (2ND INCIDENT) 2 MORE TIMES! AFTER IT WENT UP ALL THE WAY, THE GATE IMMEDIATELY CAME DOWN AUTOMATICALLY! (WITHOUT THE KEY FOB BEING PHYSICALLY CONTACTED IN ANY WAY)

Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 22, 20192,000 milesMN

ALL FOUR FRONT VENTS IN DASH BOARD RATTLE WHEN GOING ABOUT 40 MPH ON SLIGHTLY ROUGH SURFACE. ALSO LOUD SOUND THAT SOUNDS LIKE POPCORN POPPING ON PASSENGER SIDE THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER CORNER OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD OR DASH BOARD. THE POPCORN SOUND STARTS WHEN DRIVING AT 65 TO 70 MPH.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Nov 7, 2019600 milesMN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING. MILLER HILL SUBARU (4710 MILLER TRUNK HWY, DULUTH, MN 55811, (218) 722-5337) WAS CONTACTED AND SCHEDULED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 600.

Parking BrakeCrash
Filed Oct 30, 2019520 milesOR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INTERSECTION, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF BEND (2060 NE HWY 20, BEND, OR 97701, (541) 389-3031) WHERE IT WAS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 520.*CW*JB

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2020 Subaru Outback → · Every Outback year → · How the figures are calculated →