2020 Subaru Outback Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems
NHTSA lists 55 Collision Avoidance & Camera complaints for the 2020 Subaru Outback, 6% of its 897 total complaints, tied to 5 crashes and 1 injury. A related recall (20V766000) covers software issues from an August 2020 over-the-air update.
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
- 55
- 6% of 897
- Crashes reported
- 5
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 8,858 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report
- Backover prevention alert fails to sound in reverse, resulting in low-speed collisions with objects behind the vehicle.
- Front camera misreads a hazard, triggering automatic braking and steering lockup that causes the vehicle to skid off the driving surface.
- EyeSight and reverse automatic braking systems disable themselves when the multimedia display freezes or goes black, sometimes for over 15 minutes while driving.
- Windshields crack spontaneously or from minor road debris, and owners note this can affect calibration of the EyeSight camera-based safety systems.
- Adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering behavior changed after the recall software fix was applied, with new lane-departure warning prompts appearing.
When 2020 Subaru Outback collision avoidance system complaints were filed
First complaint Nov 27, 2020, latest Mar 19, 2026.
Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2020 Subaru Outback
- NHTSA 20V766000Dec 10, 2020Collision Avoidance & Cameras7,741 vehicles
Back over prevention:display function
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation. The August 2020 over-the-air software update may have timed out without completing the installation, corrupting the data, and causing the rearview display to shutoff intermittently. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the software and, if necessary, replace the Cockpit Control Module, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-20.
Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints by Outback model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Collision Avoidance & Camera complaints does the 2020 Subaru Outback have?
- NHTSA lists 55 complaints in this area for the 2020 Outback, which is 6% of all 897 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall related to these camera and collision-avoidance issues?
- Yes. Recall 20V766000 covers 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles with high or mid grade multimedia navigation, where an August 2020 over-the-air software update could time out; the remedy is a dealer software reprogram or Cockpit Control Module replacement.
- Have these problems caused crashes?
- NHTSA data tied to this problem area for the 2020 Outback shows 5 crashes and 1 injury reported.
- At what mileage do these issues typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 8,858 miles.
- How does 2020 compare to other Outback model years for this issue?
- The 2020 Outback's 55 complaints and 6% share are higher than most earlier years like 2017 (26 complaints, 3%) and 2019 (40 complaints, 4%), though 2023-2025 model years show higher percentage shares of their smaller complaint totals.