New Subaru Model Reliability - The Brand Makes Significant Improvements In 2020

As the 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent arrive at retailers, is quality improving? There is an indicator consumers can look at to check an automaker's quality. The number of recalls in its entire lineup of vehicles.

In 2019, Subaru of America issued eighteen recalls. The Forester had two recalls, Outback (2), Crosstrek (5), Ascent (5), Legacy (2), and Impreza (2). The 2019 Subaru WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ were the only models with zero recalls.

Photo credit: Competition Subaru

The 2019 Subaru Ascent family hauler had the most recalls and put on the Consumer Reports 10 Least Reliable Cars list. But Subaru quality has improved significantly for the 2020 model year.

Subaru has issued only two recalls for the 2020 model year. The 2020 Subaru Outback, and the 2020 Legacy sedan. The first recall for the two models was over a year ago, on September 27, 2019. A brake pedal mounting bracket may have had an insufficiently tightened or missing bolt.

Photo credit: Competition Subaru

One Subaru recall in 2020

Subaru of America and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a second recall for the 2020 Subaru Outback wagon and 2020 Legacy sedan this month. The recall notice says the car's rearview camera may shut down, reducing the driver's ability to see cars or people behind the vehicle when it's backing up.

What did Subaru do differently for the 2020 model year?

In January, Torque News reported that Subaru Corporation would spend more than $1 billion over the next five years to improve quality in their vehicles. "The fix partly called for slowing production and implementing new quality measures and training procedures," the report from Automotive News (by subscription) said.

Subaru Corporation also made organizational changes by establishing a new Quality Assurance Management Office that was operational on April 1, 2020. The new Quality Assurance office is under the direct control of the Executive Vice President, Atsushi Osaki (Chief Quality Officer). Osaki oversees group-wide quality assurance and develops and manages the Subaru Group's organizational structure and systems to assure quality, maintain their effectiveness, and continually improve them.

Is the Subaru plan to improve quality working?

According to a new study from Consumer Reports, out of twenty-six automakers in the U.S. market, Subaru scores number eight overall, putting them at the top of the reliable category. Subaru dropped one spot from number seven previously because of the new Ascent transmission issues.

Overall, the Subaru brand has significantly improved reliability in its all-wheel-drive vehicles. The Subaru Crosstrek has the highest scores, and the Forester has improved the most from last year's scores.

As the 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent arrive at retailers, is quality improving? Subaru had one recall in 2020, compared with eighteen recalls in 2019.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Competition Subaru