Subaru vehicles have a longstanding reputation for their excellent safety ratings. In fact, among all automakers, Subaru has the most top safety picks—with the popular 2020 Outback being one of them. This fully redesigned model marks the launch of this crossover’s sixth generation of production, offering such features as standard all-wheel drive, seamless smartphone integration, and safety equipment like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking.
Whether you’ve recently purchased a 2020 Subaru Outback or are thinking about buying one, it’s always smart to stay on top of safety recall notices. While the 2020 Outback has only one recall notice at the time of this writing, it’s one that you’ll want to be aware of.
Brake Pedal Mounting Bracket Recall
This recall was issued by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration on Sept. 18, 2019. While it only has the potential to affect around 3,400 Outback and Legacy models, it is a braking issue that can increase the risk of a crash and thus should not be taken lightly.
With this particular recall, it was found that the brake pedal mounting bracket on affected vehicles has either a missing bolt or a bolt that has not been properly tightened. It is believed that the original cause of the problem was a defective bolt feeder, which was discovered at a Subaru manufacturing plant and was used in the production of the potentially affected vehicles.
This bolt on the brake pedal mounting bracket is essential for keeping the unit secure, especially when the vehicle’s brake pedal is depressed and released. Over time, a missing or loose bolt could cause deformation of the brake pedal mounting unit, which could affect braking performance and increase the risk of an accident. In some cases, stopping distances may be affected by a loose brake pedal mounting unit, taking a vehicle much longer than it should need to stop. In a situation where a driver needs to make an immediate stop, this kind of defect could cause an accident with serious injuries.
Subaru has estimated that of the 3,467 vehicles involved in this recall, only about 1% of them actually house the hardware defect. It is also worth noting that of the 3,467 automobiles recalled, Subaru has announced that 2,862 of them are 2020 Outback models, whereas the remaining 605 are 2020 Legacy models. And while Subaru has not reported any accidents or injuries directly related to this recall, safety recalls are never something to be taken lightly. Fortunately, the repair for vehicles affected by this recall should be relatively quick and easy for any licensed Subaru service technician to perform.
To check whether your 2020 Outback may be affected by this recall, visit Subaru’s official recall page on its website and enter your 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN). Alternatively, you can enter your VIN on the NHTSA website to check for recalls as well. Subaru took additional steps in the form of mailing out formal recall notices via USPS First-Class mail back in October 2019. If your vehicle registration and mailing address are up-to-date, you should have received a notice in the mail if your vehicle was one of the models that were involved in this recall.
If your 2020 Outback is one of the 3,467 models potentially affected by this recall, you can schedule a service appointment free of charge at a licensed Subaru dealership. From there, a technician will inspect the brake pedal mounting bracket hardware on your vehicle to see if there is a missing or loose bolt. If so, the hardware or brake pedal assembly will be replaced at no cost.
