CarTold

2019 vs. 2020 Subaru Outback: What Changed

The 2020 Subaru Outback has several substantial changes in the specifications and ratings we track compared with 2019.

EPA lists a 2.4-litre four-cylinder for 2020 that does not appear in the 2019 listing.

The 3.6-litre six-cylinder is listed for 2019 but not for 2020.

The best combined rating for the 2.5-litre four-cylinder rises from 28 to 29 mpg.

One campaign covers both years. Two campaigns (fuel system and structure) cover the 2019 and not the 2020, while five campaigns (air bags, back over prevention, power train and others) cover the 2020 and not the 2019.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2019

  • 19V493000 structure
  • 20V218000 fuel system

Only the 2020

  • 19V664000 service brakes
  • 20V766000 back over prevention
  • 21V955000 power train
  • 22V485000 power train
  • 24V227000 air bags
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2019 2020
Engines listed 2.5L 4-cyl, 3.6L V6 2.4L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl
Drive types All-Wheel Drive All-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 22–28 26–29
Recall campaigns 3 6
Complaints on file 1033 896
Investigations 0 0
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2019

Visibility & lighting 379 (37%)
Electrical 360 (35%)
Other 192 (19%)

2020

Visibility & lighting 385 (43%)
Electrical 247 (28%)
Other 153 (17%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2019 Outback full report 2020 Outback full report Every Outback year compared

Sources and methodology