I purchased the lease for the vehicle in January 2020. I first notified Subaru in Austin of an obvious "glitch" with the computer operating system in April 2020. The "glitchy" OS challenges came and went, I would notify Subaru and they would remedy the issue with a "patch" update at the service center. On April 29 2022 a clear night and a suitably clean vehicle, the RAB system completely failed to recognize/notify/respond to a mailbox behind me, upon impact the mailbox broke the rear windshield. on June 28 2022 the vehicle fails to start, and is "surging" completely draining a new jumper box, and then promptly burning it out, the box will no longer operate. Put in a new battery(#1), make an appointment for service on the vehicle. The dealership replaces the battery(#2), computer updates are completed. Vehicle goes to the body shop for the rest of the work to be completed. 28 days later, I arrive to pick up my vehicle, all work is complete. However the vehicle will not start (again) Auto body shop replaces the battery(#3).on 9/23/2022 after dark, my Subaru Outback 2020 Limited, stops and puts its Parking break on., all dials spike, then dies, rear hatch signal goes off continuously, regardless of its actual state of open/close. The vehicle refuses to jump with a new jumper box. Outback 2020 is successfully jumped by a newer vehic. New battery installed(#4). 9/29/2022 another appointment at Subaru service center to look at my vehicle, they swap out the battery(#5) and update computer. Upon pickup vehicle is without trailer lights, 3 airbag lights on, ABS light on/off. 10/17/2022 appointment at a different service center for an Oil change service, 10/18/2022 diagnostic check appt, 3 blown fuses found. 11/16/2022 Austin service, found many lost comm. codes.- reprograms , engine control module. Outback 2020 intermittently has problems opening and closing hatch/windows, display loading issues, many warning/hazzard lights & signals on/off (from April 2022- present day.)
2020 Subaru Outback: ABS light or ABS activating
5 of the 906 complaints about the 2020 Subaru Outback describe ABS light or ABS activating.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 1
ABS light or ABS activating by model year
What owners say
I had a fault/issue with the Electronic Parking Brake on my 2020 Subaru Outback that resulted in a vehicle fire. I had set the electronic parking brake, and received a warning light. I retracted the electronic parking brake and the warning light disappeared. I did this twice. The warning light stayed off. I drove the car and the passenger rear brakes caught on fire, damaging the brakes, the electronic parking brake motor, the brake caliper, the wheel bearing, the ABS sensor and all wiring to that wheel. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer had the vehicle for over 2 months. In that time, my insurance inspected the vehicle. The dealer inspected the vehicle. The dealer had a Subaru (Subaru of America) factory tech visit and inspect. Subaru factory sent out a second tech (from quality control) to inspect the vehicle. The dealer tech and both Subaru factory techs could not determine the root cause of the failure. Subaru replaced all components damaged in the fire (at my cost) and sent me on my way without a determination of what caused the issue. Issue was well documented here... https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/parking-brake-fault-caught-on-fire.551030/ I have attached a scan of the Subaru Dealer repair order.
Our 2020 Outback XT Onyx Edition with 24,000 miles was parked for 9 days at an airport. Union return, the battery was completely dead. We received a jump and drove the car for an hour on the highway, but noticed the electrical systems acting up at parking lot speeds - EyeSight system would disable briefly, power steering would get stiff, and ABS would trigger randomly when turning at low RPM. Upon shutting the car off, everything went dark and the battery was still completely dead, leaving us stranded. It needed to get towed back to the dealership, awaiting further diagnostics.
I purchased an Subaru Outback touring edition, with a turbo 4 cylinder engine, on February 8, 2020. My battery failed in 3/20, on 4/15/20 Diablo Subaru of Walnut Creek replaced the dead battery. In March of 2022 my battery died again. I was told the rear cargo light had been left on and that drained the battery. They recharged the battery and said the battery was good. After this event I bought a small battery operated jump starter to keep in my car. We went on vacation for 2 weeks, August 24, through September 7, 2022. The first time I tried to start my car it would not start. I turned of the climate control the radio and the infotainment screen and verified that none of the interior lights were on before turning the engine off. When I returned to the car it started reluctantly. Before exiting my car at home I again made sure that the climate control, radio, and infotainment screen and all lights were off, before turning the engine off. The next day it didn't start. I jumped it again then ran one errand and it reluctantly started, at home I left the car running before my next appt.. I returned to the car after the appt. and the car would not start. I jumped it again and drove home. I left it running for one hour at home, and went through my routine insuring everything was off. The next day it didn't start. Other electrical problems happen intermittently since buying the car. Periodically the infotainment system touchscreen will not respond to touch. or the screen goes blank and unresponsive. It may come back on in a few minutes, or I may need to leave the car off for one or more hours for the screen to come on. I complained to the dealer in 2/21. The dealer reprogrammed the "CPI". This didn't resolve the problem. I took it back 5/11/21 with no resolution. Since 3/16/22 there have been random electrical problems; warnings that ABS is off; Airbags are off; warning to watch the road that won't turn off while driving; seatbelt bell on, with belts fastened.
My 2020 Outback Touring has had several issues including the infotainment system rebooting and turning off all safety features: ABS, Forward Collision Warning, EyeSight, Adaptive Cruise Control randomly turning off (not just adjusting speed), I lose control of ALL electronics including the digital speedometer. A new infotainment system had been installed and the problems STILL exist. The date below was the most serious as I was on the highway traveling at high speeds when the system decided to fail and the screens went black. Subaru of America has been informed of these issues but there is no resolution.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This bulletin announces a design change made to the front brake pads developed to reduce any brake...
- This bulletin provides diagnosis and procedure information to be applied when diagnosing potential fluid...
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles in which...
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles in which...
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt.
- Risk
- A missing or loose bolt may cause the brake pedal mounting area to deform over time, which can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal mounting bracket hardware and replace the hardware or brake pedal assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUL-97.
Recall number 19V664000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2020 Subaru Outback abs
Is ABS light or ABS activating a common problem on the 2020 Subaru Outback?
5 of 906 owner complaints about the 2020 Subaru Outback (1%) mention ABS light or ABS activating. The model year with the most reports is 2012.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Subaru Outback?
There is 1 recall and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2020 Subaru Outback
Windshield crack 323Battery drain 77Won't start 54Wipers 27Adaptive cruise 23Stalling 21Check engine light 20Lane assist 16Screen failure 14Warning lights 14Start-stop 13Headlights 12Slipping 9CVT failure 8Jerking 8Backup camera 7Door locks 6Fire or smoke 6Fuel pump 6Key fob 6Sudden acceleration 6Collision warning 5Loss of power 5Overheating 5Sunroof shattered 5
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