2020 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails
- 64owner reports
- 6,300median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Aug 11, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026
753 of the 896 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 64 of those describe infotainment.
Tick what matches of 64 reports
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.
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 and remedy
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.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 2,200 and 10,000 miles, from the 30 reports that gave a mileage.
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 64 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.
Other problems on this car
- Windshield cracks or distorts 375 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 209 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 44 reports