2020 Subaru Legacy Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND EMITTING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE FRACTURES TO THE WINDSHIELD IN THREE SEPARATE PLACES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

2/18/2020

MY LEGACY HAS A CRACKED WINDSHIELD FOR NO APPARENT REASON

3/19/2020

MY LEGACY WAS 4 MONTHS OLD, WHEN A SPONTANEOUS CRACK APPEARED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK IS THINNER THAN A HUMAN HAIR. IT'S NOT ROUND LIKE, THE COMMON ROCK CHIP. JUST A VERY, VERY FINE CRACK.*DT CONSUMER STATED CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD IS 8 INCHES LONGER NOW.*JB

5/25/2020

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER PAYING TO HAVE THE SIDE WINDOWS TINTED (THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT ALTERED) THERE WAS A LOUD POP. THE WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY SPLIT IN TWO WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE LESS THAN 300 MILES ON MY CAR AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE IT DIDN'T FIT A BUSINESS CARD COMPLETELY THROUGH IT. ALSO, THIS WINDSHIELD IS OVER 1000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE AND "CALIBRATE" BECAUSE THE DRIVE FOCUS FEATURE ONLY WORKS WITH THE SUBARU WINDSHIELD, SO I MUST RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO KEEP MY WARRANTY INTACT.

6/21/2020

RADIO AND CONTROL UNIT RANDOMLY RESTARTS AND FREEZES, AFFECTING THE RADIO FROM WORKING, THE VEHICLE CONTROL AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE OPTIONS, AND THE TWO USB PORTS WHICH ARE THE ONLY POWER SOURCES IN THE VEHICLE FROM WORKING CORRECTLY. I HAVE NO AUDIO AND CANNOT RESET THE RADIO AND CANNOT CHANGE VEHICLE CONTROL FUNCTIONS. WHEN I SELECT CERTAIN BUTTONS IT DOES NOTHING.

2/15/2021

BATTERY DRAIN

5/7/2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD EXHIBITED A CRACKED LINE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

6/11/2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD FRACTURED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS FRACTURED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

12/30/2020

MY CAR BEGINS TO JERK OR PULSATE, AS IF POWER IS BEING APPLIED AND REMOVED QUICKLY, WHILE THE CAR IS UNDER LOAD. I FIRST NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING UP LONG INCLINES ON THE INTERSTATE. THEN, I NOTICED IT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TODAY, WHILE DRIVING ON A LEVEL HIGHWAY MAINTAINING SPEED, THE CAR KEPT DOING IT IN A VERY NOTICEABLE (HARD) MANNER. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY DIDN'T OBSERVE THIS PROBLEM AND SAID THE CAR WASN'T SHOWING ANY CODES. MY CAR HAS BETWEEN 18,500 MILES ON IT, AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. IT IS BECOMING MORE NOTICEABLE AND MORE COMMON.

2/25/2021

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while in a parking space with her foot on the brake pedal and the transmission in drive(D), the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle drove over the parking median; however, she managed to stop the vehicle before accelerating up a hill. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer but the mechanic found no defect with vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

8/9/2022

CRACK APPEARED IN FRONT WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY MID-HEIGHT ON THE WINDSHIELD. NO SIGN OF IMPACT FROM FOREIGN OBJECT AND VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 2 DAYS BEFORE THE CRACK WAS NOTICED. CRACK ORIGINATED FROM THE VERY EDGE OF THE SEAL AND SPREAD OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.

3/18/2021

DRIVING HOME WHEN I NOTICE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BIG HIT THE WINDOW. SLOWED TO THE LIGHT AND I NOTICE IT WAS ACTUALLY A SMALL ROUND CRACK IN MY GLASS SO I PULL IN THE WALGREENS LOT TO SEE WHAT COULD OF HAPPEN. BY THE TIME I PARKED AND OPENED MY DOOR I SAW THE CRACK HAD MADE ITS WAY ALL THE WAY DOWN MY WINDOW, SO I LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO SEE IF I COULD FEEL THE CRACK BUT NOTHING. I GET BACK IN LIGHTLY CLOSING MY DOOR TO HEAD 2MORE MILES TO MY HOME AND THE CRACK MADE IT'S WAY UP HALF WAY THEN ACROSS HALF WAY. MY HEART LITERALLY MELTED. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. THE WEATHER WAS 70 AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR TREES OR ANY SPEEDING CARS TO HAVE CAUSED THIS. MAKES NO SENSE.

4/26/2021

Check engine light came on at 55,500 miles on exactly the third anniversary of purchase. Local mechanic determined the code related to Thermo Control Valve failure. Apparently an ongoing issue with many Subarus since replacing the thermostat with this in their cars. Lost all eyesight features, including cruise control and high beams, as well as cabin heat in the midst of winter in the northeast. A simple google search reveals MANY instances of this subpar part falling on Subaru cars. $1,066 later, I feel a recall or coverage under powertrain warranty is warranted.

2/25/2023

Thermo Control Valve has malfunctioned. It disables all driver assistance, like lane assist, blind spot, RAB, collision braking, etc. I have seen on many forums that this is a known issue, across multiple vehicles from Subaru from 2019 to about 2021. The was a TSB put out about a new and improved part to fix this known issue.

9/17/2023

TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER. UNABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK. TURNED IT OFF AND ON A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD GO INTO PARK. DROVE IT TO THE DEALER BUT IT WOULDN'T GO MORE THAN 30 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES AFTER HAVING THIS VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.

1/2/2021

I WAS DRIVING ON A FOUR LANE SECTION GOING UPHILL ON US50 IN CALIFORNIA WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH. ALL ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE THE SPEED TO 55 TO 60 MPH FAILED. I SAFELY PULL OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF. IT WAS RESTARTED, AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

4/25/2021

I WAS DRIVING ON THE CAPITAL BELTWAY IN SILVER SPRING DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN AND THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ( WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO ABRUPTLY STOP IF YOU ARE GOING TO CRASH) STARTED TO FLASH. IT LASTED ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS . I DID NOT TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS OR BRAKE THE CAR. THEN IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO 60 MPH.

9/2/2020

Brake pedal of my Subaru Legacy 2020 stopped working suddenly. It kind of gets stuck. It happened to me twice and that is why I am reporting it now. Luckily it happened when I was starting the car not while driving on the road. But I am a little afraid to drive the car on roads now thinking that brake may get stuck again.

1/8/2022

CRACK APPEARED IN FRONT WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY MID-HEIGHT ON THE WINDSHIELD. NO SIGN OF IMPACT FROM FOREIGN OBJECT AND VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 2 DAYS BEFORE THE CRACK WAS NOTICED. CRACK ORIGINATED FROM THE VERY EDGE OF THE SEAL AND SPREAD OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.

3/18/2021

1. The infotainment system crashed (happens often), which caused the touchscreen in the center control stack to turn black and become unresponsive. This also caused the EyeSight safety system, adaptive cruise control (with lane keep assist), and reverse auto braking to all shut down (my dashboard lit up with warning lights and errors). 2. Not only is this an annoyance, but having all of the safety systems in my car unexpectedly shut down is extremely unsafe, especially adaptive cruise control. Other functions of my car, such as the radio and climate controls are also inaccessible when this happens. 3. A Subaru dealer has replaced the touchscreen in my vehicle to try and remedy the slowness and crashing, but it did not seem to fix anything. My car safety systems have not shut down prior to this incident, but on this day (June 6th), they did when the system crashed, which was after the replacement. After waiting weeks to get a replacement which didn't fix anything, I felt as if I needed to go elsewhere for help with this issue. 4. Only the manufacturer has inspected this issue, and I've also emailed Subaru directly after this incident, as to which I have not gotten a response yet (emailed on Monday, June 7th). 5. The warning lamps (for EyeSight, reverse auto breaking, and adaptive cruise control) all appeared on my dashboard as soon as the infotainment system crashed on June 6th. Prior to this, my vehicle had no warning lamps. They went away a few minutes after the system rebooted (all while I was driving on the highway), and system functionality returned to normal. Other Notes: This vehicle only has about 15k miles on it, and is only 1 year and 3 months old. Issues like this should not be happening. Before the replacement of the touchscreen, I had issues with it being extremely laggy and crashing, but my car's safety systems never shut down before. This is a new issue, which prompted me to report it to NHTSA.

6/12/2021

DRIVING HOME WHEN I NOTICE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BIG HIT THE WINDOW. SLOWED TO THE LIGHT AND I NOTICE IT WAS ACTUALLY A SMALL ROUND CRACK IN MY GLASS SO I PULL IN THE WALGREENS LOT TO SEE WHAT COULD OF HAPPEN. BY THE TIME I PARKED AND OPENED MY DOOR I SAW THE CRACK HAD MADE ITS WAY ALL THE WAY DOWN MY WINDOW, SO I LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO SEE IF I COULD FEEL THE CRACK BUT NOTHING. I GET BACK IN LIGHTLY CLOSING MY DOOR TO HEAD 2MORE MILES TO MY HOME AND THE CRACK MADE IT'S WAY UP HALF WAY THEN ACROSS HALF WAY. MY HEART LITERALLY MELTED. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. THE WEATHER WAS 70 AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR TREES OR ANY SPEEDING CARS TO HAVE CAUSED THIS. MAKES NO SENSE.

4/26/2021

1. The infotainment system crashed (happens often), which caused the touchscreen in the center control stack to turn black and become unresponsive. This also caused the EyeSight safety system, adaptive cruise control (with lane keep assist), and reverse auto braking to all shut down (my dashboard lit up with warning lights and errors). 2. Not only is this an annoyance, but having all of the safety systems in my car unexpectedly shut down is extremely unsafe, especially adaptive cruise control. Other functions of my car, such as the radio and climate controls are also inaccessible when this happens. 3. A Subaru dealer has replaced the touchscreen in my vehicle to try and remedy the slowness and crashing, but it did not seem to fix anything. My car safety systems have not shut down prior to this incident, but on this day (June 6th), they did when the system crashed, which was after the replacement. After waiting weeks to get a replacement which didn't fix anything, I felt as if I needed to go elsewhere for help with this issue. 4. Only the manufacturer has inspected this issue, and I've also emailed Subaru directly after this incident, as to which I have not gotten a response yet (emailed on Monday, June 7th). 5. The warning lamps (for EyeSight, reverse auto breaking, and adaptive cruise control) all appeared on my dashboard as soon as the infotainment system crashed on June 6th. Prior to this, my vehicle had no warning lamps. They went away a few minutes after the system rebooted (all while I was driving on the highway), and system functionality returned to normal. Other Notes: This vehicle only has about 15k miles on it, and is only 1 year and 3 months old. Issues like this should not be happening. Before the replacement of the touchscreen, I had issues with it being extremely laggy and crashing, but my car's safety systems never shut down before. This is a new issue, which prompted me to report it to NHTSA.

6/12/2021

Since last October when a software update was performed on the vehicle I have had multiple(8-10) instances where the EyeSight system caused the emergency braking to activate when no other vehicles were nearby and a crash was not imminent. Usually it has been when entering a left hand gentle curve with a guardrail nearby, but it has also happened going straight ahead. The audible and visual alerts appear and hard braking occurs. The braking is severe enough that on rain or snow covered roads a crash might occur. The dealer inspected the vehicle and claims they found the calibration was off but the problem has occurred 3 more times since the calibration. I have contacted the dealer again but they have refused to acknowledge the problem further.

4/21/2022

Center console/head unit will regularly lock up and eventually reboot when Apple CarPlay is in use, cruise control, lane keep will turn off, and car will warn that ADAS is not available, backup camera does not work during this time. HVAC controls are not accessible during this time as well

5/6/2023

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, SHE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY OTHER DRIVERS THAT HER HEADLIGHTS WERE TOO BRIGHT AND DISTRACTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE DAY WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE HAD ATTEMPTED TO PASS THE VEHICLE. UPON PASSING THEIR VEHICLE, THE OTHER DRIVER ASSUMED THAT HER HUSBAND WAS TRYING TO ANTAGONIZE HIM BY FLASHING HIS HIGH BEAMS; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAD THE HEADLIGHTS SET AT THE NORMAL LEVEL. THE OTHER DRIVER BECAME ENRAGED AND ATTEMPTED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO RUN THEIR VEHICLE OFF OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CONTACT'S LICENSE PLATE AND THE POLICE WERE CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT HAD SPOKEN TO SUBARU PACIFIC(14700 HINDRY AVE, HAWTHORNE, CA 90250) AND INFORMED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO SWITCH OUT THE ORIGINAL HEADLIGHTS; THEY OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. A MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

8/5/2020

The contact's wife owned a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 3 MPH in a parking lot the vehicle suddenly accelerated and jumped the curb into woods and collided with a tree. The contact said his wife was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle front bumper and hood hit in the center and were both crumpled back about six inches. The contact hit the top of his head severely damaging the windshield on the passenger side and sustained minor cuts. Due to the sudden acceleration he had not been able to buckle his seat belt, additionally the airbags did not deploy. The contact was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The police were called, a report was written and the vehicle was towed to a holding lot. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact's insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,200.

4/7/2022

Center console/head unit will regularly lock up and eventually reboot when Apple CarPlay is in use, cruise control, lane keep will turn off, and car will warn that ADAS is not available, backup camera does not work during this time. HVAC controls are not accessible during this time as well

5/6/2023

Center console/head unit will regularly lock up and eventually reboot when Apple CarPlay is in use, cruise control, lane keep will turn off, and car will warn that ADAS is not available, backup camera does not work during this time. HVAC controls are not accessible during this time as well

5/6/2023

Windshield spontaneously cracked at top. I came outside in the morning after a temperature fluctuation and there was a crack at the top with one piece of the glass sitting lower… it has since grown. I have been forced to drive with the crack as Subaru will do anything to not honor a warranty, ever. The eyesight I am learning is necessary for the vehicle to avoid front end collisions and to properly deploy the airbag. The crack started in November, it’s almost August, and I cannot get it replaced under the warranty I paid. I see many people have the same problem. You can even see where the windshield cracked where an iPass was mounted from a temperature change. The wipers also cannot keep up with moderate rain, causing rain blindness in moderate precipitation and the lightest rain will turn off the eyesight causing a malfunction that will not assist in avoiding a collision. In addition, I will be complaining with the CFTC for the warranty issues. I cannot even get records of my warranty or service. Example: window regulator was a problem off the log, and salesman used it as an example, service won’t repair. I regret buying a Subaru, they claim to be safe and reliable with great service, I am only having problems that affect the safe operation of the vehicle and I paid all this extra for full bumper to bumper and they tell me that it doesn’t exist. In addition, that vehicle claims to get close to 30mpg, I am being completely honest when I say I had about the same mileage in a 1995 Cadillac Deville, and the mileage I got in a 2009 BMW twin-turbo far exceeded the mpg. I tried to get it repaired today under warranty. I was yelled at that it was an impact, and I wish I knew… would have said, “is it more likely that I’m lying or the company that’s been successfully sued 4 times for this exact problem is at fault?” Perhaps there was a light impact in the months AFTER it broke parked in a unheated garage.

7/28/2023

While driving on freeway the tire pressure warning light came on. I started to slow down and pull over and I felt the car wobble. I pulled to the side of the road and the tire had completely failed. The sidewalls, inside and out, had square chunks completely gone along the complete sidewall.

11/29/2023

The Thermo control valve is faulty and my friends is too. There is a class action lawsuit concerning this part. I replacement part was designed in 2021 and Subaru is aware of this issue, but refuses to do a recall. So far 2019, 2020 and 2021 models are affected.

3/18/2024

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V227000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

9/26/2024

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that during inclement weather, the front driver and front passenger’s side power windows failed to automatically roll up as intended. The contact was forced to hold the power window button to slowly roll the windows up. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was informed that there was debris in the slides inside the windows, causing the windows to fail to retract. The contact stated that the driver’s side window retractor was replaced; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 29,000.

11/5/2025