Parts for your 2020 Subaru Legacy-Brake shoes

2020 Subaru Legacy brake shoes — are they used on this model?

Short answer: brake shoes aren’t used on the 2020 Subaru Legacy (called Liberty in Australia). This model runs four‑wheel disc brakes and an electric parking brake that uses a motor-on-caliper design, so there are no drum-style parking brake shoes anywhere on the car.

That’s backed by factory documentation: the Subaru Service Manual (STIS) for the 2020 Legacy/Outback platform details rear disc brakes with an integrated electric parking brake (EPB) actuator on the caliper, not a drum-in-hat setup. The Subaru Genuine Parts catalog for this model lists rear pads, rotors, and EPB calipers, but no parking brake shoes. The Owner’s Manual also describes an EPB operated by a console switch, which corresponds to a caliper-mounted motor rather than a separate drum and shoe arrangement.

Why Subaru doesn’t use shoes here is simple: shoes belong to drum brakes or “drum-in-hat” park brakes. On the 2020 Legacy, both service and parking functions are handled by disc brakes. This setup improves heat management and consistency, keeps servicing straightforward, and lets the EPB auto-adjust without the fiddly cable and shoe clearances that drum systems need.

If a workshop or parts search mentions “brake shoes” for this car, what they really need are rear brake pads (and possibly rotors). When servicing the rear brakes, the EPB must be placed into service mode before pushing the caliper pistons back—either via a scan tool or the approved manual procedure in the service manual. Use quality pads, check rotor thickness and runout, refresh brake fluid per schedule, and bed the new pads in gently over the first few hundred kilometres. Keep an eye on pad thickness at each service and listen for squeal or feel for vibration under braking—both are early signs it’s time for pads and possibly rotors.

• Technical references consulted:
  • Subaru Service Manual (STIS): 2020 Legacy/Outback – Rear Disc Brake and Electric Parking Brake sections
  • Subaru Genuine Parts Catalog: 2020 Legacy rear brake assemblies (pads/rotors/EPB caliper, no brake shoes listed)
  • 2020 Legacy Owner’s Manual: Electric Parking Brake operation

Popular questions

Does the 2020 Subaru Legacy have brake shoes?
No. It uses rear disc brakes with an electric parking brake integrated into the caliper, so there are no drum-style shoes to replace.

What should be replaced instead of brake shoes on a 2020 Legacy?
Rear brake pads and, when worn or below spec, the rotors. If working on the rear brakes, put the EPB into service mode first to avoid damaging the caliper motor and mechanism.

Are any trims or markets of the 2020 Legacy fitted with parking brake shoes?
For the 2020 model year Legacy/Liberty on the Subaru Global Platform, factory documentation and parts listings show EPB calipers across the range, not drum-in-hat parking brake shoes.