2020 SUBARU OUTBACK Power Train Problems

I'm writing to request assistance with my recall. This recall was first reported to the local dealership over one year ago. They have had me take the car back 4 times for inspection. Since that time as the problem has proceeded to get worse, which will now cost even more to repair, and increase the likelihood of the transmission damaging other parts of the drivetrain. Now I just received notification that they will not perform the recall as my vehicle doesn’t qualify. It has the problem of transmission slipping which is what the recall is for. I saw the pictures they took that looked exactly like the problem specified. I do not have $7000 dollars plus to fix the transmission. I can’t sell the car because the VIN will show the recall (which I’m sure they will try to just remove). All they have done is waste my time for...

On December 28, 2025, my 2020 Subaru Outback lost the ability to engage any gear (Drive, Reverse, or otherwise) while maneuvering at low speed to make a U-turn. The vehicle became inoperable immediately and was towed to the dealer. The dealer confirmed via text and written estimate that there was no external damage, the failure was internal to the CVT transmission, and the transmission requires replacement. This vehicle has approximately 90,023 miles. The failure occurred under the mileage and age range covered by Subaru CVT warranty extensions for similar vehicles. Subaru of America reviewed the case and denied coverage, citing VIN exclusion and prior service gaps that predated my ownership. The vehicle is currently inoperable and presents a safety risk due to loss of propulsion. I am reporting this to NHTSA because it may indicate a systemic defect in CVT transmissions on this model year Outback.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while attempting to make a turn, the transmission was slipping while attempting to shift gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,700. The VIN was not available.

The car shifted (transmission) into neutral when cruising down the interstate at 62 MPH and stayed in neutral until the ignition was turned off. With no brake light cars were not worn and was nearly hit from behind. 2 weeks earlier the same happened on a city street. There was a previous transmission recall WRK-21Chain Slippage Recall on this vehicle that apparently didn't correct the problem.

Vehicle had 45,000 miles on it when right rear wheel bearing failed. It was covered under 5 year/60,000 mile warranty and was repaired today by a certified Subaru dealer and I no longer have the bad part for inspection. Safety risks would be anything that occurs from a bad wheel bearing like wobble, seizing, overheating, and more damage to other drivetrain components. You could hear the wheel bearing noise at 20 mph constant while driving, only getting louder with increased speed. No warning lights were present on the dash. I feel like at 45,000 miles, a wheel bearing should not be failing.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while his wife was accelerating from a stop at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to move. There were unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The dealer confirmed the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 70,158.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer to be serviced, the dealer informed the contact that the transmission was binding and making an abnormal grinding sound while driving at slow speeds and making turns. The dealer performed the TCM software update and replaced the transmission clutch kit under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train); however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the recall repair had failed to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the transmission clutch pack was replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Schumacher Subaru (3021 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33409), where the transmission clutch pack was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the second dealer, where the transmission clutch pack was replaced. The contact stated...

On [XXX], I was driving east on [XXX] on the North side of Toledo Ohio close to the intersection with [XXX] . The "Check Engine" warning came on, all the vehicle "Eyesight" functions were automatically turned off, and Pre collision braking and Pre collision throttle control features were activated. There was no danger of a collision at this time, but all of this left me stranded in the middle of this busy four lane highway. I was able to literally crawl to the shoulder of the road. I was not hit, but it was just good fortune that prevented that. This is where my safety was at greatest risk. After about 10 minutes during which I started and stopped the car numerous times, the pre collision braking and throttle were deactivated and I was able to drive the car. I located the nearest Subaru dealer (Yark Subaru Toledo, Ohio) and...

Thermostat Replacement: THERMO CONTROL VALVE IS NOT OPERATING. FLUID IS LEAKING FROM ASSEMBLY. The thermostat is a valve that keeps coolant circulating in the engine until it reaches normal running temperature. When this happens, the thermostat opens and allows coolant to flow to the radiator. There were no warnings before this occurred and my car could have overheated. After talking to multiple subaru outback owners, this issue seems to be predominant and am surprised it is not covered by Subaru or that the NTSHA has been warned of this issue.

[XXX] recall , Chain is slipping , Subaru Dealer In Boone NC Recommends [XXX] repair kit. Dealer, Hendrick of SouthPoint, Durham NC, won't cover expenses, because when they did the original procedure, [XXX] noted nothing was slipping at the time, and they updated the TCU and stamped completed. Now that the car is over 100k miles by just a few thousand they will not repair it. Cost to repair $12000.00. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Thermo Control Valve assembly has failed resulting in loss of use for the following: Rear Automatic Brake, Eye Sight lane keeping, loss of heat in cabin and failure of coolant to circulate within engine possibly leading to engine failure, loss of cruise control and check engine light coming on. Reference TSB [XXX] . Without cabin heat vehicle is not useable in current cold temperatures (Currently 22 degrees Fahrenheit in Ohio on December 14, 2023). Dealer has confirmed part failure. Issue must be addressed to continue operating vehicle so I paid $1185.87 out of pocket to repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Thermal control valve failed leading to temperature problems and loss of safety features such as automatic braking and adaptive cruise control otherwise known as “Eyesight”

Car lurches when put into gear, Transmission make loud chirping noise when place into gear from park, transmission shudders when turning. Car has had all recalls updated. Symptoms have been reported to dealer numerous times. Currently vehicle is at Subaru Dealer in Temecula Calif. Dealer states a know transmission problem is being addressed thru a Subaru Engineer. Have been without the vehicle for approx 3 weeks.

While driving on the NYS Thruway (I90), I started to pass a Tractor Trailer, I put my blinker on and began moving to the right to pass. There were 2/3 cars in back of me also passing. I was using cruise control and I began to put my foot on the accelerator to finish my passing and move over to the right hand lane to let the other vehicles pass me. However, upon accelerating, my car started to drop power, multiple lights displaying simultaneously indicating a potential problem. (Eyesight Assist, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Brake & Engine Lights), the vehicle started jerking back and forth and I lost all but maybe 5 miles of power. My choice at that time was put my blinker on and try and move to the right - letting the Tractor Trailer pass me on the right and HOPE there was not another vehicle behind so...

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parked in the driveway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated into their home. No air bags had deployed. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The home had been damaged. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who was not able to identify the cause of the failure at that time, however, they were going to run more diagnostic tests and inspections. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,400.

Vehicle was taken to a dealer to perform warranty work related to Subaru MSB 16-136-22R on 7/6/2022, at mileage 18,317. Owner was experiencing vibrations and noise on turns during acceleration, first noticed a month earlier, which was steadily becoming worse, causing concern about the safety or possible failure of the vehicle. Dealer confirmed this problem existed in the multiple plate transfer (MPT) clutch and attempted temporary repairs, as per the service bulletin. Repairs were unsuccessful and vehicle status was then said by the dealer to be “off-road — not drivable”. The dealer indicated the front transmission had failed. Parts were ordered at that time from Subaru to do the repair. The vehicle has been in the dealer’s possession since 7/6, waiting for parts to arrive.

I received notice of this recall in February 2022 and nothing has been done. Meanwhile I fear that my car is experiencing the problem that it addresses. What good is a safety recall as serious as this one may be if the manufacturer is not going to promptly address the problem?

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The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outlook. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Have been experiencing issues with the transmission for 6 months. Still have not been provided a remedy to correct the issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the Brake Hold feature failed to automatically disengage and the vehicle was driven and a clunking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who indicated that the noise was due to a faulty transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 21,207.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Two issues. Main cabin computer reboots randomly. This causes other safety systems, Eyesight, to stop working until the device boots back up. This is 2020 and "fix" / update for cockpit control module wasn't available until Feb. 2021.Thsi did not fix the problem. Dealership updated cockpit control module again in Dec 2021 and yet again in Jan. 2022. This issue is still ongoing and I've learned yet another software fix came in April 2022. Issue #2 - Open recall for CVT Chain guide breakage dated Dec 15, 2021. Over six months and no fix. Transmission is getting worse and poses a potential safety issue.

In January 2022 I received a recall notice on my 2020 Subaru Outback. I immediately contacted the nearest Subaru service facility (which happens to be about 30 miles away in Ft Myers, FL). I spoke w/someone in the service dept., and was advised that they, the svc. dept., have not received parts yet, but expect them in a few weeks. I waited about 8 weeks before calling them again, with the same results. Now, I treat Vehicle Recalls like a doctor's advisory. I take it to mean what it says and that it's IMPORTANT. Now, here we are in June 2022, and still NOTHING from Subaru of America, nor the Ft. Myers service department. Is it still a Vehicle Recall(?), must be because I've heard nothing to the contrary. And, if I've heard 'nothing to the contrary', why hasn't the US Dept. of Transportation followed up w/Subaru of America. SIX...

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

02 June 2022 Complaint submitted by current 2020 Subaru Outback XT owners to Subaru of America for slow to no action taken relating to NHTSA Recall ID 21V-955 & Subaru Safety Recall WRK-21 Recall notice received on 14 Feb. 2022. Recall involves failure of a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) component which could lead to a complete loss of vehicle motive power. Owners question if vehicle is safe to operate and fault Subaru of America for a complete lack of priority and urgency to correct this issue! Numerous calls to the dealer (Subaru of Wichita) were made but the dealership claims to know nothing about when this problem will be addressed. Please help!

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

On 3 separate occasions, my transmission has switched from automatic mode to manual “Auto-stick” mode on its own with no input from me. There were no warning lamps or error messages, and the gearshift was still firmly in Drive. This has resulted in 3 near-miss accidents because the car landed in 1st gear even though I was going about 30 mph each time. From my experience driving manual transmission vehicles, I know what happens when a moving vehicle is suddenly jammed into 1st gear—it comes to an immediate, violent stop. On all 3 occasions, I was lucky not to have other cars behind me. But I know I won’t be so lucky forever. Sooner or later, I will be rear-ended when this happens. I have taken the car to the dealership twice for inspection. They told me that they had never heard of nor seen any vehicle doing what I...

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Date: March 25, 2022 - While driving to work, the car shut off. The RAB and eye technology features were disabled. The car indicted the battery was drained. The same day I got the car towed to the dealer. I stayed with the vehicle to find out what was wrong. After a two hour inspection, the Bay Ridge Dealer/Mechanics in Brooklyn, New York indicated that I left something on that drained the battery. I said sir "I did not." He said well the battery is ok and there is no indication that anything is wrong. The next day (March 26,2022) when I was about to start the car - the car couldn't start. I had to get it towed to the dealer and am left without a car.

We received the recall notice and do not feel safe driving the vehicle. This problem has the potential to seriously injure or kill someone if the vehicle failed on the highways. They quote May as the earliest time frame that they will begin repairs. This is not an acceptable time frame. Assuming the dealers are prepared in May, there could still be an overwhelmingly long wait list for the needed repairs. This could possibly lead on well into summer before my vehicle is in the shop. What are we to do for transportation in the mean time? Are we to continue driving as usual and risk our lives or those of fellow motorists near us? I would like a mitigating solution as we do not have faith in our safety if we were to operate the vehicle any further.

Since purchase, the transmission occasionally slipped and "clunked". Over the past few months, it has become worse, and now, with increasing frequency, grinds vibrates and shakes. It was taken into the dealership and nothing was done to fix the problem. We feel it represents a clear and present danger that could result in a severe accident.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the driver was driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle was maneuvering to the right lane however, the vehicle flipped over landing on the roof. The air bags did deploy. The contact mentioned that the wheel mechanism and driveshaft fell out onto the right side of the vehicle. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the driver did not sustain any injuries that needed medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was damaged. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.

3 months ago the 2020 Subaru outback required a rebuild of the transmission at about 50K miles. I was told it was due to uneven wear on the tires. They would not fix it until I replaced all 4 tires costing $600 which I did. They fixed the transmission and now it is not working again, the same problem slipping of the transmission.

I bought my Subaru Outback in July 2020, it’s barely one year but I already had two major problems happened to the vehicle. 1. The transmission was broken, it’s confirmed by the dealership and they were able to replace the whole transmission system for me. But this concerns me a lot, from safety perspective, if I wasn’t able to identify the issue in early stage it could cause malfunction while I’m driving and I always have my daughters in my car. 2. It’s a barely one year car but my battery drained twice. I have to call road side assistant to jump start. I always make sure to shut all my lights and I don’t understand why this keep happening. There was one night I have to drive to the grocery store and my battery died within that 20 minutes while I’m in the store. I was waiting for road...

Battery died at only 10months old. Left stranded for over 4 hours in remote area since we were camping when it happened. Nothing had been left on in the vehicle. Was able to eventually get a jump start and get vehicle to dealer for check. They found battery deeply discharged and recharged but battery died again 2 weeks later. Battery replaced that time. Fear this could happen while driving if i forget to turn off the auto stop/start system or even cause the car to stall while driving and result in loss of braking or control.

MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK IS EQUIPPED WITH THE “AUTO-START-STOP “FEATURE. FROM THE BEGINNING THIS FEATURE WOULD ROUTINELY NOT FUNCTION, DISPLAYING THE ICON INDICATING AUTO START STOP WAS DISENGAGED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO UTILIZE THIS FEATURE I LEARN TWO MORE DELIBERATELY HOLD DOWN FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND I COULD ENGAGE THIS FEATURE AT TIMES. NINE TIMES OUT OF 10 THE AUTO START STOP FEATURE DOES NOT ENGAGE WHEN I STOP IN DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR AT A STOP SIGN. VERY OFTEN, THE FEATURE TURNS OFF MY ENGINE AND IMMEDIATELY RESTARTS WITH A RUMBLING OF THE ENGINE AND AN ABRUPT “KICK“ TO THE STEERING WHEEL. EVEN WHEN THE FEATURE ENGAGES AND SHUTS OFF THE ENGINE AS EXPECTED, THE DURATION OF STOP MODE IS A LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN 20 SECONDS WHICH DEFEATS THE ORIGINAL INTENDED PURPOSE OF FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION....

THE CAR HAS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE STABILITY AND THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. TRANSMISSION ALSO NEEDS REPLACEMENT. PROBLEMS HAPPEN AT HIGH SPEED ON FREEWAYS. DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS YOUTUBE FOOTAGE AS FOLLOWS: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=OXOJDP_T9LI HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=77WURJDTVZK HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=LGQL63LDQVI&T=10S HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=0ACRLYXYHQI&T=11S