2020 Subaru Outback

Hendrick Honda Cars of McKinney sold me a 2020 Subaru Outback with severely mismatched tires, completely failing to identify the issue despite passing the vehicle through three separate pre-sale and/or safety inspections. Subaru strictly requires identical tire tread depths across all four wheels on its symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system to maintain stable power distribution and vehicle control. Selling and operating an AWD vehicle with a critical tread depth variance (5/32" vs 10/32") forces the tires to rotate at different speeds, putting severe, un-designed friction and heat stress on the center differential. This introduces an immediate, permanent risk of unexpected drivetrain binding, catastrophic mechanical failure, or sudden loss of vehicle control at highway speeds. To further mask this hazard, the dealership installed subpar new tires and actively deleted the vehicle's wheel alignment data from Internal Repair Invoice #369267 to hide the defect. When I subsequently forced the facility to run a proper alignment check, the data confirmed the vehicle was dangerously out of alignment. I complained about slipping and the smell of rubber numerous times to be told my tires and vehicle were safe. By intentionally deleting tracking data and pushing a dangerously misaligned, mismatched AWD vehicle through three consecutive inspections, the facility actively covered up a severe mechanical safety risk, exposing the driver and public to potential drivetrain failure and loss of control. They have admitted to this in writing also..

NHTSA ID

11775515

Incident

Feb 23, 2026

Subaru dealer service tech reporting upper oil pan leak. The repair requires engine removal to gain access to the upper oil pan, which is a very costly repair. My concern, does the leaking oil get onto the hot exhaust system create a fire risk.

NHTSA ID

11774781

Incident

Oct 28, 2026

I was driving my 2020 Outback and all of a sudden, I heard a thump, like something dropped and it shut down. I was on a major highway and it totally scared me. Thankfully, the car right behind me swerved, preventing a collision. I have around 160,000 miles on it. It was then towed. Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville, AR looked it over. The transmission is bad, and it needs to be replaced. I am not sure if there have been any recalls on my vehicle that pertain to the Transmission. I have also contacted Subaru of America and waiting to hear back. No, there were no warning signs.

NHTSA ID

11774384

Incident

Sep 23, 2026

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rear differential assembly completely failed, disabling the vehicle's all-wheel-drive capability. The component was replaced by Shingle Springs Subaru, so the original failed part is no longer available for physical inspection, but all diagnostic and repair receipts are available upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Around 73,000 miles, during a major winter snowstorm, I was starting to drive up a hill when the vehicle lost traction and the car would not move forward and began sliding. This sudden loss of control in severe weather put me, my [XXX] child, and all surrounding drivers at immediate risk of a catastrophic crash on a hazardous road with no warnings. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The complete failure of the rear differential was officially diagnosed, confirmed, and replaced by the service department at Shingle Springs Subaru. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The failure was inspected and documented by Shingle Springs Subaru. Furthermore, corporate Subaru (the manufacturer) reviewed the dealership's case files and confirmed the situation enough to issue a $1,000 goodwill assistance gesture toward the repair. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or obvious symptoms prior to the incident. The vehicle had its major 60,000-mile factory service completed around 61,000 miles, and no issues were flagged by the mechanics. The catastrophic failure of the all-wheel-drive system only became apparent when the vehicle was subjected to the slick conditions of the winter storm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11774347

Incident

Mar 8, 2026

On 25 Oct 26 at 1030, the hood latch on my 2020 Subaru Outback failed while driving on I 75 at Exit 220, causing the hood to fly up and smash into the windshiled causing other damage to the car. There was no warning, the safety latch, did not function, the hood just flew up.

NHTSA ID

11773924

Incident

Oct 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that upon starting the engine, the power steering assist failed to operate, and the power steering, EyeSight, and various other warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact applied excessive force to steer the vehicle until normal operation resumed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on multiple occasions; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ID

11772166

Incident

May 4, 2026

Mileage

36,000 mi

I have a 2020 Subaru Outback with just over 70,000 miles on it. Well before hitting 70,000 miles, there were two occasions where a loud, unusual noise occurred while reversing out of my garage. Additionally, I occasionally hear a strange noise when shifting into Reverse from Park. I also sometimes notice a whining or humming sound when accelerating from a complete stop, such as at a traffic light. Regarding the two loud noises I experienced, I have saved an audio file recorded by another consumer who posted it online describing the exact same issue — the sound is identical to what my car produced on those two occasions. The audio file is available upon request and may assist in diagnosing the issue. Please note that the date I provided for when the noise first occurred is approximate, as I cannot recall the exact date. Since the noise occurs most frequently during reverse, I am concerned there may be an issue with the CVT transmission.

NHTSA ID

11771215

Incident

May 15, 2026

Noticed minor hesitation in the reverse down our driveway Aug 2024. By Aug 2026, the transmission hesitation has turned into very noticeable shudder and slip. In reverse down the driveway, the TR580 CVT was showing premature initial failure resulting in unexpected loss of motive power control as well as acceleration hesitation in forward. This transmission defect compromised the ability to safely navigate down the driveway and through traffic, creating an risk of a rear end collision and stranding the vehicle in a hazardous roadway position. The vehicle was driven to Austin Subaru dealer early September 2026 where certified technicians inspected it. They diagnosed a catastrophic internal failure that is pending and stated the entire transmission assembly requires complete replacement. We were quoted an out of pocket retail repair cost of $9,774. Additional consideration: This defect occurred at exceptionally low mileage (<37,000) on a well maintained vehicle as it included Subaru provided services through April 2025. Only had a single oil change at a third party. Furthermore, Subaru of America Corporate Customer Advocacy was contacted regarding this exact VIN. Despite Subaru previously issuing a warranty extension program for identical transmission "judder" and slipping defects on 2019-2020 models (extending coverage to 10 years/100,000 miles), corporate formally denied coverage for my vehicle. This indicates that the dangerous premature CVT failure defect extends beyond the specific manufacturing batches Subaru has currently acknowledged, leaving drivers exposed to sudden loss of propulsion at highway speeds. I am requesting the NHTSA investigate the 2020 Subaru Outback TR580 CVT for inherent safety defects leading to sudden loss of motive power.

NHTSA ID

11767432

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

This bulletin announces a change to the troubleshooting tree when diagnosing DTC P2404 EVAP SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION PUMP SENSE CIRCUIT RANGE/PERFORMANCE.

This bulletin the announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM) reprogramming files to address DTC P2404 (Evap System Leak Detection Pump Sense Circuit Range/Performance) detection. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

This is an update announcement regarding the TechShare & NorthStar Integration - CVT Diag.

This Service Information Bulletin announces Service Manual updates for the diagnosis of hands-free calling and voice recognition concerns.

This announcement provides information on the connected services platform for Subaru EVs.

This Service Information 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.