2020 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails
- 65owner reports
- 6,300median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 20, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
755 of the 899 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 65 of those describe infotainment.
Tick what matches of 65 reports
Infotainment on other Outback years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Screen complaints read like a list of small betrayals. The display goes black or freezes, the backup camera shows nothing when you shift into reverse, CarPlay or Android Auto keeps dropping, or the radio changes volume on its own. Many owners had a software update that didn't fix it. A narrower sheet covers backup camera failures on their own, and another covers screens that freeze.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head unit or screen (33 reports), the camera (21 reports) and the software (11 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the electrical system covers the 2020 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
All 6 recalls on the 2020 Subaru Outback, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 2,200 and 10,000 miles, from the 30 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 10 service bulletins or notices for the 2020 Subaru Outback that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
This bulletin announces the design change made to the Center Information Display (CID) assemblies developed to address the following symptoms. 1. Illumination malfunction of the adjustment knobs and/or buttons (no illumination or flash/ flicker). 2.
This Service Information Bulletin is to inform you of the diagnosis procedure of the CP1/ CP1.5 Infotainment System when DTC B2256 is detected.
This Service Information Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns.
6 more on the 2020 Subaru Outback page.
What owners wrote
“- Infotainment center freezes making controls inaccessible. I live in the desert where temps reach 120+ in the car and not being able to turn on the AC is dangerous. - Windows will not roll up once they are rolled down, especially after it has rained or after washing the car. - Driver side Door Sensor Switch broke. This would keep the interior lights and infotainment center from turning off.”
Filed Jan 24, 2024
“When in reverse, the view behind the vehicle when using the rear camera display is poor when there is a shadow behind the vehicle making it difficult to see a person, especially a child. The rear view camera in my 2016 subaru Outback did not have this problem with shadows.”
Filed Aug 11, 2023
“Cracked windshield, very very small pebble hit the driver corner near the pillar, I heard a little âtickâ followed by seeing a massive crack form. The crack has now gone straight across to the middle and is making its way up to obstruct the âeyesightâ camera”
Filed Apr 2, 2023
“The Bluetooth hand-free function stopped working. Callers can be heard by the driver, however, the callers can not hear the driver speaking. It failed on both the Subaru calling system and Apple Carplay. It was taken in to the dealer with no resolution. This failure creates a dangerous situation when trying to place or receive calls and violates the legal requirement for hands-free calling.”
Filed Feb 4, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 65 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Windshield cracks or distorts 375 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 210 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 46 reports
- Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out 28 reports