Two years at the same age, so the older one is not punished for having been on the road longer.
2019 vs 2020 Subaru Outback
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.
In plain English
A lifetime total makes the 2019 look busier because it has been on the road longer. This page counts reports in the first 84 months for each year, so both years are the same age.
In that window, the 2020 has 11.5% fewer owner reports than the 2019.
The mix also shifted: Electrical is a smaller share of reports on the 2020 (5.8 points). That is a change in what owners named, not a score.
Open both year-pages. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov. Have a shop inspect Electrical. Do not pick a year from the percentage alone.
First 84 months on market for each model year
Exposure window calculated through Sep 8, 2026
Reports while each year was the same age
▼ 11.5% fewer reports at the same age
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
What owners named more or less
Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.
View component share data as a table
| Component | 2019 share | 2020 share | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 27.9% | 22.2% | ▼ 5.8 pts smaller share |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 33.6% | 39.0% | ▲ 5.5 pts larger share |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 1.0% | 4.6% | ▲ 3.6 pts larger share |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 2.0% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.8 pts larger share |
| Steering (STEERING) | 2.8% | 1.1% | ▼ 1.7 pts smaller share |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 1.8% | 0.6% | ▼ 1.2 pts smaller share |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 0.6% | 1.7% | ▲ 1.1 pts larger share |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 2.2% | 1.3% | ▼ 0.9 pts smaller share |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 1.0% | 1.5% | ▲ 0.5 pts larger share |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 1.5% | 1.9% | ▲ 0.5 pts larger share |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | not reported | 0.3% | ▲ 0.3 pts larger share |
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 0.5% | 0.8% | ▲ 0.3 pts larger share |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 0.4% | 0.1% | ▼ 0.3 pts smaller share |
| Tires (TIRES) | 0.1% | not reported | ▼ 0.1 pts smaller share |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 0.6% | 0.7% | ▲ 0.1 pts larger share |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 0.2% | 0.1% | ▼ 0.1 pts smaller share |
| Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) | 1.7% | 1.6% | ▼ 0.1 pts smaller share |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 2.4% | 2.4% | ▼ 0.1 pts smaller share |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 32.1% | 31.9% | ▼ 0.2 pts smaller share |
NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-09-06
Recall campaigns
Campaign components: Fuel system
Campaign components: Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety signals
- ◆ Fires
- 2 → 7
- ◆ Injuries
- 18 → 4
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Outback year had more problems, 2019 or 2020?
In that window, the 2020 has 11.5% fewer owner reports than the 2019. Lifetime totals are not used here because the older year has had more time on the road.
Why not just compare lifetime complaint totals?
The older year has had more time to collect reports. This page holds age constant by counting the first 84 months for each year.
Does a larger share of one system mean that year is worse?
No. It means owners named that system more often in the file. Inspect it. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip.