subaru

[rock n roll kid]

what years had the head gasket mess up ? saw a 2013 out back , which looked like exceptional condition for $6900 . do not know how many miles .
any other problems with this model year ?

thanks

 

[WR Moore]

The open deck block of the non-turbo engines and the HG problems ended about 2010. Completely redesigned engine from then on. Wheel bearings seem to be an issue. I just changed out my rears. The first change can be a pain removing them. However, if you are generous with anti-seize (or maybe paint) when replacing them, further changes are simple. You would need a good torque wrench tho.

Do check maintenance records if possible. For a short spell they had issues with bad piston rings causing excessive oil consumption. There was an extended warranty (ten years) on the issue.

 

[mtgianni]

Look hard at mileage if it has a constant velocity transmission. I don't recall if they started in 14 or 15.
Our 2015 transmission went out and we opted for a used one. Shop went through three different ones shipped to them, programmed by the dealer before we found one that worked. We have now relegated that to our teen drivers car as we hope it doesn't get more than 50 miles from town.

 

[Bald1]

My step son was given a 2013 Outback by his grandmother. It had 135k mi on it. It has needed a new transmission , new cross member (for lack of better term) which rusted out and a rear hatch that has leaked since day one. His grandfather was a car guy and was religious about maintenance at the dealer. That seems like a lot of issues in 10 yrs and 135k mi. It also has gone through over a quart of oil between changes since it was new. But it doesn't leak oil. I had a friend that had to replace whole subframe on front of his daughters Outback do to rust but I don't recall the year….. You always hear about how reliable Subarus are and how they run for ever. But the only 2 people I know who have actually owned them might say otherwise.

 

[Doug M.]

My wife's 2007 had the HG issues; my 2011 did not. It went 187K or so before I traded it for an Ascent. Other ordinary wear and tear happened, but nothing out of line. My wife now has a 2018 Forster we bought new; she does not drive much now that is retired and we only have one house, but it has done well.

I dislike the CV transmission, partly because I prefer manual. My 2011 had a 6 speed and was a moderate pain to get, but I got way better fuel mileage than my wife's (both Legacies; her's was a 5 speed).

The crash worthiness of Subarus is well known. I know a guy from a forum whose 2020 Ascent was totaled in a violent crash; he walked away. I heard similar stories from a WSP Lt. just a couple days ago - she has personally been to 2 head-on collisions in which the Ascent was totaled but the occupants walked away. The folks in other cars did not do well at all.

 

[dmn57]

Have a friend that had a 2013 Crosstek that was a problem child. I can't recall the details but it was all big stuff - motor, tranny, etc. Was really surprised given the Subaru rep. Anyway, just be aware.

 

[Onomea]

Gave my kid a 2014 Outback as a college graduation present in 2016. He loves it. No issues.

 

[venomballistics]

Look hard at mileage if it has a constant velocity transmission. I don't recall if they started in 14 or 15.
Our 2015 transmission went out and we opted for a used one. Shop went through three different ones shipped to them, programmed by the dealer before we found one that worked. We have now relegated that to our teen drivers car as we hope it doesn't get more than 50 miles from town.

For the sake of the great adventure of youth ... I'd hope, and even bet that it snaps the 50 mile leash.

 

[Telecaster]

Since Outbacks are sometimes driven in the outback, that may be a cause of some longevity issues. One driven only on paved roads should last a lot longer. I read a study where 22% of Outbacks lasted for 250k miles or more, compared to 27% of Honda CRVs. So, not too shabby.

 

[WR Moore]

My step son was given a 2013 Outback by his grandmother. It had 135k mi on it. ....... It also has gone through over a quart of oil between changes since it was new. But it doesn't leak oil.

Sounds like one that had the bad piston rings who didn't take advantage of the free short block replacement program.

 

[Bald1]

Sounds like one that had the bad piston rings who didn't take advantage of the free short block replacement program.

I don't know. His grandfather is a car guy and a lawyer. If there was a fix or recall I think he'd have been first in line. As a joke he gave my stepson a quart of oil for Christmas. Perhaps 48oz between oil changes is considered within spec? Who knows.

 

[venomballistics]

I have a 2006 forester that I got as a junkyard refugee to flog along until I got something decent.
Turned out to be something fairly decent despite it's quirks.
A little bit of TLC in the way of fresh rubber, brakes, overdue timing belt and new headlights, and I'd take it cross country.
As I understand the HG issue, my 06 is one of the "improved" specimens before they solved it.
Oil consumption ... A bit to be honest. I expect it to be down about 1/3 quart by the time its due for a change. I attribute this to the boxer layout. oil can lay in a cylinder in this design where V and inline designs just drain to the pan. My 2023 Outback seems to use a little more than half that.
In contrast, I expect our 2011 Buick to eat 3 quarts between changes.

What you get from them is a series of cars built to be lived with.
Back seats designed with real human forms in mind. Cargo space capable of accommodating the wife that takes it all with her and still having room for your change of clothes, reloads and jerky.
It offers this with the crisp and nimble driving dynamics of a car rather than the piggish slogging around of a truck.
Power? Either of my Subarus will humiliate the Buick.

 

[Kinman]

I have been a Toyota guy for many years, the best off road vehicle I have ever owned was a '67 Landcruiser, it was unstoppable although slow hauling a boat and trailer at highway speeds. I looked into Subaru while getting out of American made **** like my '89 Jeep Laredo. Subarus have a similar following of happy owners. I found the Subaru a little on the sporty side and ended up with my first Toyota Highlander, I believe it was a '92. The Highlander did everything the Jeep did but better in every way except possible roominess behind the wheel. I was told by a guy that worked on Subarus that like most any of the quality Japanese vehicles if they don't give you any problems initially they will likely not for over a 100K. I have found that to be true about any of our Toyotas and never purchase any extended warranties except electrical on my most recent 2019 Highlander, because everything is controlled by computers. I have a good friend that is as loyal to Subarus as I am to Toyotas, his wife nearly lost her beloved Subaru in a simple accident due to parts not being available. They waited more than a month for a particular body part to be found and finally are back on the road, the same happened to me with my first Highlander, narrowly avoided getting totaled by insurance because the air bag was deployed. I fought them and got it repaired, it was a great car. My wife's girlfriend owns it now and it is getting ready to roll over 200K, she just had the struts done, otherwise no problems. Like any of the quality Japanese stuff they are expensive to work on should troubles arise, one can always look at it from the prospective of how much use you got out of the car or as a buddy of mine that never buys new is fond of saying, pay less for a good used car and repair it as needed and your money ahead. I've always had good luck buying a quality new vehicle and would buy American if I could find one that came up to Japanese quality control and reliability. Just has not been my luck with American stuff. I have had good luck with American Ford trucks although they were company vehicles. My brother has good luck with GMC trucks but the Duramax diesel was intially designed by Isuzu.

 

[venomballistics]

I hear you Kinman.
I drove an SVO Mustang for literally decades until it's underbody rejoined the Earth and the quad link arms hit pavement.
that pony gave me a LOT of time before I had to come up for air and scope out the automotive market.
When I did, my beloved Ford offered NOTHING I wanted to call my next car. Yeah ... the Mustangs are still near and dear, but they no longer fit my needs.
With the SVO indelibly ensconced in my definition of proper automobile, I kinda needed something a bit sporty.
Subaru builds that car in the Onyx XT trim. I still miss my Mustang like a lost lover, but it hurts a bit less.
Toyota has also earned my respect in the most unlikely of ways.
I had to rent a car to get to a funeral. Yaris IA ....
This is their cheapest piece of econobox in the US market. It's where you expect nothing from the car but some semblance of motion punctuated by suck, and misery. Yes, it had shortcomings. it was stressful to drive at freeway speeds. 75 - 80 MPH felt more like 110 - 120 and was as demanding. For that, I do not recommend one. but that is my only gripe.
What stood out when I could drop to a medium pace was how much attention to detail the Japanese put into this thing. Though born to blow, they tried so hard to get it not to. Great effort went into this car despite all the limitations imposed by the design goal. It was a good car that I just could not used within its designed purpose. Confined to urban / suburban environments, it's almost impressive.
No domestic brand would have cared like this

 

[Huskerguy]

We have a 2017 Outback and it is OK. A few things I do not like and problems it has.

There was a class action law suit over batteries going bad. Turns out that Subaru, not wanting to admit their problem, agreed to replace batteries that are diely because all the electronics are draining the battery. We can go two months without taking ours out on the road as it is our highway car and the battery is weak. We are on our second battery and can tell it won't be long with this one.

They will not get near the gas mileage they advertise and tout.

The 4 cylinder is pretty gutless and the wind really cuts down on mileage.

I know it was when electronics first came out with all the warnings and such but boy these are not accurate when detecting things. Took it back to the dealer and they supposedly checked everything. I have connections to a tech college I use to run and they have a unit that coordinates every sensor on a car to make certain it is in the right place and aiming correctly.

Mechanically I have had zero problems. BIL is a huge Subaru fan and currently has two and has had various models for years. He experienced some problems years ago that were costly. General maintenance was higher than I thought it should be.

Our son purchased the WRX and Subaru eventually put a new motor in it. What a mess that was. He sold it as soon as he finally got it back.

 

[Oldengineer]

I hear you Kinman.
I drove an SVO Mustang for literally decades until it's underbody rejoined the Earth and the quad link arms hit pavement.
that pony gave me a LOT of time before I had to come up for air and scope out the automotive market.
When I did, my beloved Ford offered NOTHING I wanted to call my next car. Yeah ... the Mustangs are still near and dear, but they no longer fit my needs.
With the SVO indelibly ensconced in my definition of proper automobile, I kinda needed something a bit sporty.
Subaru builds that car in the Onyx XT trim. I still miss my Mustang like a lost lover, but it hurts a bit less.
Toyota has also earned my respect in the most unlikely of ways.
I had to rent a car to get to a funeral. Yaris IA ....
This is their cheapest piece of econobox in the US market. It's where you expect nothing from the car but some semblance of motion punctuated by suck, and misery. Yes, it had shortcomings. it was stressful to drive at freeway speeds. 75 - 80 MPH felt more like 110 - 120 and was as demanding. For that, I do not recommend one. but that is my only gripe.
What stood out when I could drop to a medium pace was how much attention to detail the Japanese put into this thing. Though born to blow, they tried so hard to get it not to. Great effort went into this car despite all the limitations imposed by the design goal. It was a good car that I just could not used within its designed purpose. Confined to urban / suburban environments, it's almost impressive.
No domestic brand would have cared like this

I was the father of the SVO Mustang engine. No joke. I'm just tickled that you got such a long life from the old 2.3L OHC Turbo engine. I wrote a SAE paper describing what was done to verify the design (Turbocharging the Ford 2.3L OHC Engine). Goggle it if you desire more information.

 

[venomballistics]

I was the father of the SVO Mustang engine. No joke. I'm just tickled that you got such a long life from the old 2.3L OHC Turbo engine. I wrote a SAE paper describing what was done to verify the design (Turbocharging the Ford 2.3L OHC Engine). Goggle it if you desire more information.

I kinda hold it against Ford that this was a "rare / exotic" power plant in the day.
It really should have gone mainstream offering, not only to compete, but to build the standard parts bin early on.
In it's final 5 years, I had to patch the oil pan.
The rods and crank were a lovely golden brown.
Aside from a new assembly, it was the cleanest I'd ever seen.
For all I know, the engine may live on. It was running with everything it came with when it was hauled away. There was nothing left to the body but compressed rust and memories

 

[WR Moore]

I don't know. His grandfather is a car guy and a lawyer. If there was a fix or recall I think he'd have been first in line. As a joke he gave my stepson a quart of oil for Christmas. Perhaps 48oz between oil changes is considered within spec? Who knows.

48 oz between changes is NOT within specs. Getting the vehicle certified for a free engine involved the dealer and IIRC, the spec was 1 qt or more in 1200 miles. My 2014 was within the range of possibly affected engines but wasn't.

However, there's other reasons an engine can go through oil faster than normal. Bad valve seals being one. A guy I worked with had some engine work done on his Toyota and it started gulping oil. Turned out to be a flaw in the head casting of the new/rebuilt head that was installed.

These days the crash survivability can make up for a lot of other minor issues. I won't have a car with all the electronic nannies. Those basically enable folks who shouldn't have drivers licenses to endanger others.

 

[MetalMan]

We had a 2016 Outback 3.6R which we couldn't keep tires on...worn badly after only 10k miles. Dealership tried everything, including replacing all suspension components and next set also wore down at 10k miles...both sets were OEM Continentals. Rear hatch pistons were rusted on delivery and replaced. Replacements also quickly rusted. Car needed constant driver input and attention on the highway to travel in a straight line. Worst design issue was that the front bumper had to be removed to change a headlight bulb...crazy! Got rid of this car in 2018.

OTOH, we bought my daughter a new 2014 Forester with 6-speed manual...paid $14k. Car was bulletproof and survived a couple of "mishaps"; one her fault, one not her fault. She drove this until 2022 and well over 100k miles when she traded for Toyota Highlander Platinum (on her dime) and she got $7k for the Forester. Only real issue was the need to add a quart of oil every 1-2k miles.