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Subaru Automobile Model 2025 Subaru Outback
2025 Subaru Outback
The 2025 Subaru Outback blends rugged crossover styling with wagon-like practicality and full-time all-wheel drive, making it well suited for families, outdoorsy lifestyles or anyone seeking a vehicle capable in varied road and weather conditions.
Powertrain & Performance
The base powerplant is a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated BOXER-4 engine producing about 182 horsepower and roughly 176 lb-ft of torque.
An optional turbocharged 2.4-litre BOXER-4 engine is available on higher trims, delivering around 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission: A continuously variable automatic (CVT) is used across the range, paired with Subaru’s Symmetrical Full-Time All-Wheel Drive system.
Fuel economy (Canadian estimates): For the 2.5L engine version: around 9.2 L/100 km city / 7.3 L/100 km highway. For the 2.4L turbo version: about 10.6 L/100 km city / 8.1 L/100 km highway.
Ground clearance: Approximately 8.7 inches (≈ 220 mm) on standard trims, giving better than average capability for rough roads or light off-road use.
Towing capacity varies depending on engine and trim, but with the turbocharged engine and proper equipment the Outback offers reasonable utility for trailers or gear.
Interior & Practicality
Seating for five: Comfortable front and rear seats, with ample head- and leg-room relative to many rivals in its segment.
Cargo space: With rear seats up or folded down, the Outback offers a practical load area—helpful for gear, groceries, luggage or outdoor equipment.
Technology: Standard and available features include a modern infotainment system with large touchscreen, smartphone integration (Apple CarPlay/Android Auto), and Subaru’s latest driver-assist package.
Exterior practical touches: Roof rails standard, higher ride height, skid-plate styling (on off-road-oriented trims), and large wheel/window openings enhance usability and utility.
Strengths
Standard all-wheel drive combined with good ground clearance gives the Outback superior all-weather and light off-road capability compared to many crossovers.
Strong value: The base engine and features provide a very usable package without stepping into premium pricing territory.
Versatility: Works well for daily commuting, family travel, outdoor adventures or a mix of uses—cargo flexibility, passenger comfort and decent performance.
Choice of powertrains: Buyers who want more punch can opt for the turbo version, while others may prefer the base for economy and usability.
Considerations / Trade-Offs
While the base engine is adequate, some drivers may find the 182-hp output modest, especially when fully loaded, towing or accelerating quickly.
The CVT transmission, while efficient, may lack the feel of a traditional geared automatic for drivers who prioritize sportiness or driving engagement.
Although the cargo space is good, in the midsize-SUV world there are competitors offering larger third-row cabins or bigger cargo volumes if those are priorities.
The turbo-engine trims raise cost and reduce economy; if you don’t require the extra power, the base trim may make more sense.
As with any vehicle designed for versatility rather than pure sport, the Outback doesn’t match dedicated off-road or high-performance SUVs—but offers a strong balance.
Ideal Buyer Profile
The 2025 Outback is especially well suited for someone who:
Wants a vehicle that’s capable in weather and road conditions (rain, snow, light gravel or dirt roads) and values standard AWD.
Uses their vehicle for a variety of tasks: daily commutes, weekend getaways, outdoor gear transport, family outings.
Prefers a mid-sized vehicle (with good passenger and cargo room) rather than a massive three-row SUV, but still needs more capability than a compact crossover.
Values practicality, reliability, comfort and versatility more than outright sporty performance or luxury status.
Is content with strong—but not extreme—power and wants an efficient, usable vehicle rather than a high-cost exotic.
Manufacturer: Subaru
MODEL: 2025 Subaru Outback
MSRP: $46150.00 USD
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Subaru Automobile Model 2025 Subaru Outback
I purchased a new 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6 R Limited and have been very happy with it. I am religious about bringing it to the service department at the dealership I bought it from for the recommended service maintenance. I brought it in today for the recommended 48,750 mile service (the car has 48,783 miles on it), I had a nail in my front passengers side tire, and both headlights stopped working this past week. The service department called me back shortly after I had dropped it off to let me know the oil change and headlights were fixed. For the nail in the tire however, the only thing they could do was sell me four new tires, which, with installation, would cost $780.00. Apparently, the nail was too close to the tire wall, so according to Subaru policy, they are unable to patch the tire and because the tire has been discontinued, I would have to buy four new tires, not just one. I stated the car is only a 2011, so I was surprised the tire was already discontinued. The service rep responded they have 2013 vehicles with tires that are already discontinued. I am disappointed Subaru chooses to use tires that are so easily discontinued and the only solution they can offer when one tire is no longer usable is to buy four new ones.
Ive taken excellent care of my Subaru, put all 100k miles on it myself, regularly had it maintained at Subaru of Plano and did any and all maintenance work they recommended. I trusted them completely. Month ago I took it in, agreed to all fluids being replaced. $900 later I drove out, barely got out of the lot before realizing a terrible noise (thought it was a motorcycle in next lane!). Turned around to take it back to dealer, heard a terrible grinding noise. Had a mechanic at dealership ride w/ me who acknowledged the howling sound & grinding, said hed fix it. Brought it back & said Austin (another mechanic) forgot to top off the oil. I left, realized the howling sound was better but still there, returned, had Service Manager ride w/ me, he acknowledged the problem, put me in a loaner car & said theyd fix it.When I was told it was ready (a week later) I was shocked to find the noise remains. Subaru of Plano NOW claims they cant hear anything, they will not be repairing it. Ive learned from 2 other mechanics that the Differential was damaged due to the low oil level they caused. I will never buy another one. Trying to find some recourse for what has shortened the life of my car and altered any resale value.
My son and I purchased a 2016 Forester. When I fill up the car will only take 11 to 12 gallons of gas, even being as low as 30 miles left. Then I fill it up. At first I would drive just away from the service station and it would go from 280 to 240. I took pictures, showed dealership. They said its normal. Then it started about April I would fill up and now put gas in. Clear everything. I can drive and gain miles in my tank. I told them numerous time not miles per gallon. If Im traveling I can fill up have 260 lets just say drive 20 mins I will have 300. I have never had any car ever do this. The Dealership here in Jacksonville are rude. The guys tell me its normal. Then I started having the tire sensor lights on. Nothing wrong with pressure. And once again told me I was lying because its not picking up on the Subaru starlink system. So again I take pictures. Now today no one in passenger side the light kept going off.The dealership I live in a lemon law state Im thankful but something is not right and dealership says its ok. All these complaints except for the seat issue has been numerous times addressed with Subaru Headquarters . My Starlink never said I needed a oil change. When I took the car in I waited. The car was checked in at 1230. I went out to talk on phone. My car was outside. It was 29 mins. When I asked did they rotate the tires and change the oil. They said yes even though on my ticket says they only checked air pressure. Then service manager Tom said Subaru only pays for 30 mins to rotate all tires and change oil. Please let me know if anyone has this issues.
My engine all of a sudden started to sputter and shake. No lights came on and I pulled it into a parking spot immediately and shut it off. I then checked my oil and my level was so low it did not even read. I was exactly 3,000 miles from my last oil change. I then had two places check out my car before attempting to drive it home. I made it halfway and then had to call to get towed because my engine was giving out. I have had problems with my Subaru Forester 2010 in regards to the drivers side window getting stuck and not closing properly, the radio changes stations without any reason, the window washer fluid container leaking but leaving no trace a mile away after I refilled it, and finally the interior lights not working at all after a year of having the car. I am just very frustrated with this car and makes me wonder why I didnt chose a Honda when I had a choice and chance. Thought I was going for the safer and better car because it had a great track record. I will never choose a Subaru again.
I bought this low- mileage 2019 Forester used and admittedly have only 4 months experience with it. Most things seem fine except for one BIG issue: from time to time there is no response when I press the accelerator. After 2-3 seconds it picks up again, but by then I could have been rear-ended! This is the same issue described by Margaret of Harrisburg and is not new. I found other websites dating back to 2015 with dozens of complaints about this same problem. This is a clear safety issue and should be the subject of a recall. I bought a Subaru because it used to be highly rated but, as I research this problem, I now find more and more complaints about this and other issues.Other things I don’t like include the auto-shutdown at stops. I had to turn it off because it caused a hesitation and was annoying. And the drivers manual is a mess — 550 pages with supplements and I can’t find how to, for example, dim the dash lights. It seems there’s never one spot that fully describes a function. Pages referring to other pages, referring to other pages that eventually come full circle. And the index is almost useless. Think “dashboard light dimmer” is there? Nope. This is only one function for which I find Google much more helpful.
On December 2017 we leased a 2017 Subaru Forester. A few months later and many trips to my dealer, I discovered that the radio system is not working. I contacted Subaru Corporate headquarters and I am getting the run around. They are refusing to fix the issue.
I purchased the 2015 Subaru Outback brand new, the sticker says 33 mpg highway, I have traveled on the Highway in Kansas (flat, no traffic, no turns, straight highway), and get about 26-27 MPG which isnt even close to the 33 MPG they are advertising. I have emailed Subaru customer service with no reply. I have tracked my mileage and now have just over 5000 miles on my car and have averaged about the same the whole time. The rest of the car is fine.
I have a Forester with about 25,000 miles. The overall experience with the car is reasonable to good but the customer service and specific knowledge of their representatives is not only negative but almost aggressive and unqualified. They call themselves customer consultants and at 15,000 miles wanted me to pay close to USD 3,000 for a routine inspection in order to maintain my warranty. The car is already extremely expensive in Brazil, and going by the book, the service personnel continuously threatens their customers to void the warranty if the maintenance book is not signed and all recommended services provided. This is an absurd attitude and contrary to what a reliable vehicle should be about. At 25,000 miles, I had to replace two rear tires because of uneven wear. The front tires touch and wear out the plastic wheel cover behind the front bumper, and nobody can tell me why. The wheels and tires came with the car when I bought it from the dealer. Please contact me by e-mail to further elaborate on this fiasco of the Brazilian Customer Service.
I purchased a new Outback in 1998. Sometime after 60k miles, the engine was noticeably leaking oil. I was told it was the head gasket but it was out of warranty. I finally paid $1800 to replace HG at 90k, but the transmission went bad soon after that which cost $1200 for a used replacement. In 2008, I purchased an Outback Limited again, and was told the head gasket problems were solved, only to find out recently at 94k miles that my head gaskets blew probably around 70k miles.I contacted SOA to tell them of the problems I have had since 1998 and they were rude and unhelpful. They do not care about their loyal customers even though they make a big deal about Subie owners in their Drive magazine. Its all hype to promote themselves. Be warned; if you buy any Subaru car, used or new, the engine will soon start leaking oil and it will destroy your head gaskets, costing you at least $2k worth of repairs.
Best car Ive ever owned. Great in snow, very comfortable, reliable. Couldnt ask for a more well-made vehicle. Even better than my old VW which I adored and drove into the ground!!
I want to highlight 2 specific points about Subaru Finance. Reference to my purchase of 2021 Crosstrek on Nov 2020. The Finance rep provided me false information that they checked with Chase and the best rate they could offer we was 4.49 and if I purchased extended warranty they can offer me 4.29. My Credit Score > 800 and I have multiple financial relationship with Chase. I was told chase has all access to my information and based on the current market situation this is the best rate they can offer. Being a Saturday evening I couldnt verify. On Monday I went to the branch and asked for details. I was surprised to learn that they didnt get any inquiries. So I asked for what my rate would be for new car financing. I was offered 2.39.(I have email proof of this). To add to that - Even the refinance rate which I checked with BoFa was 3.49 and Credit Union offer me 2.99 (I have proof of this as well). Over a 72 month term that would have translated to an additional $1500 in interest. To gain business, I have to believe the finance manager blatantly lied that they had checked with all the banks including Chase and based on my credit score this is the best they can offer. I did reach out to finance department and customer relations. But once the sale is done, they seem not bothered to even respond.2. I was charged document and fees and told the title and registration will be taken care and I will get the refund for my 2019 subaru crosstrek from DMV once the transfer the title from me. I have paid $725 for 5 years registration just in April 2020 so had the prorated refund of 4.5 years to be refunded. 2 months fast forward, I checked even as of today on AZ DMV portal. They have not even notified the car as sale per my DMV website and Title was still under my and the credit unions name (have taken the printscreen of the same too). And I have not got the refund either as of today.I was also not provided the price which I had agreed to for which after speaking the dealership person said they will speak with the GM and get back to me. Again the Finance guy provided misinformation on cost of ownership stating that it includes the interest I would be paying which doesnt seem to be true. I followed up few times since but they never got back on this. I had sent a detailed note on this as well. For any concerns/arbitration - Dealership had asked me not to reach outside till I have discussed my concerns with dealership. I have been patient enough thus far, but as I have not heard back on any resolution/remediation from the dealership I am writing this review. Based on all the above points I have to believe Subaru Finance has been provided false information and unethical practices to get my business.
I just bought a brand new Subaru XV in Turkey and on the way home check engine light came on and took it to several service stations over the last month but no luck so far. I requested them to replace the car but Subaru Turkey is worse than second hand car dealers... I called Subaru Japan but have not heard back from them either... Vehicle VIN: JF1GP3LC5EG204801, Vehicle Manufacturer: Subaru, Fault codes: P000A,P000B and P000C. I will never buy a Subaru again...
Very expensive repairs, poor gas mileage, the battery was a major issue, left us stranded at least 10 times in 2 years! Finally replaced by Subaru, but frustrating. There is no vent in the back so the backseat is sweltering during the summer. The service department at the dealership is great, the best part of owning the car!!!
When I bought my 2015 Subaru Forester, I had my doubts. I even told the salesman that when I lived in Bermuda, Subaru had the nickname Subarust. He said hed never heard that one. I figured that maybe it was the sea air and that in Canada, everything would be okay. After all, I loved the look of the car and the way it handled. However, soon after I purchased it, I noticed that my Subaru was surging when I was breaking from time to time. It didnt happen (of course) when I took the service attendant out for a drive at my last visit, but it does happen. Very disturbing. Whats even WORSE is the RUST that started 18 months after I bought the vehicle.The morning I was supposed to bring in my car for service I was going to clean it, then bring it in. Aside from writing, I walk dogs (much like in the numerous Subaru commercial, implying that the cars are for active lifestyles and dog lovers and the car gets pretty dirty sometimes. Unfortunately, that morning I discovered that my battery was dead and had to call roadside assistance (ironically) on the day of my service appointment. I spent a lot of time on the phone with these people, and when the guy boosted my battery, I drove it up to the dealership without having the time to clean the car. The service attendant was disappointed, as this would probably show that my battery was fine, rather than being able to test if it was faulty. Luckily, it still failed, so they replaced it. I showed the attendant where rust spots had started to form on the inside of the hatch. She took pictures and sent them off to Subaru Canada.No one contacted me. I called and got no answers, but plenty of people saying they would get back to me. It took 8 phone calls before the service manager at Barrie Subaru told me that the company felt it was not a manufacturers defect, but rather dirt that caused the rust, and that they were happy to pay for half of the repair. Reminder, this is 18 months after the purchase of the vehicle. There was also no way to talk to the person who had made this decision but I did call customer care and gave the lady there an earful, without purpose, really, as I asked if the call was recorded or if she wrote anything down. The answer to both was no. So here are a few things I want to point out:1- Of course, they are happy to pay for half. They should be paying for the whole thing. A friend of mine had the same problem with her Toyota truck. They said the rust was caused by sand. However, the clear coat was intact. 2- What would they have blamed the rust on if I had had the chance to clean my car that morning? 3- I didnt have the chance to clean my car because of Subarus faulty battery. 4- The car still surges forward when Im stopping. 5- This is a crooked company that does not care about their customers. If you disagree, try reaching a human being who has any authority to make a decision. 6- What kind of sport utility vehicle cant handle getting dirty without immediately getting rusty? Again, see their commercial. They should definitely NOT be marketing to dog owners. Please, dont trust the car awards. This is not a reliable car or a consumer-friendly company. They want you to buy, then wash their hands of you.
The Subaru Impreza has been fairly reliable. I appreciate how great it handles in the snow and rain and other extreme weather conditions because it makes me feel safe. I chose this car because it was affordable in price and great qualities for its price. However, I wish it were easier and cheaper to maintain. The maintenance required to keep up the car has been very pricey and annoying. I also wish I had a higher more upgraded model that has nicer interior parts like leather seats.
Driving on the interstate late one night we started hearing a knocking in the engine of our 2009 Subaru Forester and discovered that we had no oil in the car. We have always done regular maintenance on our vehicle with regular oil changes so we were shocked to find out there was no oil in the car. Neither the oil light or the check engine light ever came on to warn us there was a problem. Our engine only had 94,000 miles on it. After researching on the internet we found that this is an ongoing issue with the 2.5 liter engines that Subaru has known about for years. We filed a complaint with Subaru of America but were told that since a couple of the oil changes were done at just over 6,000 miles that they would not help us with the cost of fixing it. They want $5,000 to rebuild it or $6,000 for a new engine. Today, we are taking a trailer to the dealership in St. Peters, MO (Lou Fusz Subaru) where our car now sits and loading our car up to bring home. We dont have the money to fix it. Subaru vehicles dont live up to the claims of their advertising and this is not a vehicle I would hand down to my children! We plan on eventually getting it fixed and rid of it at the earliest opportunity. I will never have another Subaru.
I bought a brand-new Subaru in Silverthorne, Colorado. The dealer has provided the most incompetent, inconsistent service over the years; costing me time and money. Several times, they failed to clip something back in the car after it was serviced causing irreparable damage to the part. They refuse to replace it or take any responsibility even though the problem was brought to their attention right away. Subaru Corporate Headquarters was contacted numerous times about this, and they just sent emails thanking me for my feedback and that they value their customers. If they valued their customers, they would do something.My last experience at the dealer involved a botched oil change that they admitted to. They promised to credit my Visa card when I had no choice but to ask for a refund and assured me it was done. When I called to follow up 3 weeks later because my bank confirmed a credit in fact did not post, I was treated abominably by their latest manager, **. This, too, was reported to Subaru Corporate Headquarters. I asked them for the name of ** superior three times. They wrote back, thanked me for my feedback, and refused to answer my simple question. I have years of documentation to show what I have been through with Subaru. They were nice when I bought my car, but since then, they have proven time and again that they do not care about their customers.
I bought a 2015 WRX and Ive driven it less than 10,000 miles and I already burned the clutch 5 times. This is ridiculous since Im 43 and I drive stick. Subaru only replaced the first repair. What is ridiculous is that I just got my car out of the shop today and it burned again in less than 9 miles. I dont know what to do at this point, I cannot afford this car anymore. Any suggestions?
We have taken our 2017 Subaru in 5 times to fix this problem: while driving the check engine and other warning lights come on and safety features like lane change turn off. We are losing faith in Subaru. This didnt happen with the car right away. Weve been told it was related to fuel issues, computer issues, something different each time. I dont think they know what is causing the problem.
I bought a new 2014 Impreza in Richmond Hill. Paint defects appeared within 5,000 km all over my front bumper and hood. Both the dealer and Subaru Canada stepped back from repairing the defect under warranty and I had to file a claim in small claims court against both the dealer and head office. They eventually settled and paid. The issue is clearly experienced by many people all over the internet who also claim Subaru denied them any warranty. They lost me forever as a customer. They also asked me to sign a non disclosure prior to settlement that I declined. If I had then just writing this review would have landed me back in court. I have this entire disgusting experience fully documented. Shame on Subaru. Beware!!!!!
Subaru advertises free map updates. However in Canada you have to try and download from a website as the vehicle option is disabled. So the map downloader has glitches and the customer service has no clue. If you go to the dealer he will charge you labour but does not have a clue as well.
Great vehicle. Runs great and has good gas mileage. I love the heater and air conditioner. Also, I have friends that have bought the same model and they spoke highly of it. I definitely would not want to trade or sell it. Would recommend it to a friend and would definitely purchase another one.
I had my head gaskets replaced on the 2006 Subaru Outback when the car was about 7 years old. I then began noticing heavy oil consumption about a year ago. Two weeks ago, I checked my oil and yesterday my engine failed. Mechanic told me that I was 2 quarts low. This is unacceptable for Subaru. Spend $6000 on a new engine that will only have the same issues? I dont think so. I loved my Subaru but this ongoing issue has me considering another make of car.
2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca - On February 16, 2013, I was on the highway when suddenly the large hood smashed into my windshield - shattering it and sending tiny glass shards all over me. I was blinded by all sides because the impact of the hood slamming into my windshield sent the rear view mirror flying to the floor. I was able to get myself over to the shoulder and when I got out to see what happened, I noticed the entire safety latch mechanism that is supposed to hold the hood down was detached and was dangling from the hood. Obviously, this is a Subaru manufacturing default. I called Subaru of America in NJ and was basically told by customer service and by an executive VP (since I escalated my complaint) that I was out of luck. I begged them to send out one of their reps to confirm this is the issue, but they refused. They know they are at fault, but if they send someone out, they would lose money since they would have to do a recall. And there never was a recall with an issue this serious. I also found 3 other reports online of this exact same issue on my year, model and make. They just dont care about their consumers. They were dismissive and cold. I am beside myself that they wont do these repairs. Did I have to die or get injured in order for them to take responsibility? Now I have to pay almost $4,000 for these damages and it wasnt even my fault. They also told me, You cant prove this is our responsibility. Wow. I will never buy another Subaru again. I will get this one fixed properly because I know I would not be able to live with myself if this happened to someone who bought my car and it was my fault.
On May 27, 2014, we purchased a 2014 Subaru Outback. We have complained multiple times about a leak in our roof and were told that the roof tracks had to be cleaned out regularly. The first leak occurred when our cup holders filled with water. The second leak occurred at a car wash which filled a cup with car wash fluid. Again, today while going through a car wash, my husband witnessed the leak from the corner passenger side vanity mirror. We have also complained about a chronic moisture issue to no avail.
2016 Subaru Outback limited - As my first Subaru and all the serious hype about how great this car is, I was personally very disappointed. Initially I was disappointed the limited had neither a panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel and power folding mirrors. The interior pocket room is very minimal. Glove and center compartment very small. I did not find it works for me as a parent of young kids. The backseat is small. The spacing barely contains a convertible reverse facing child safety seat. The materials are cheap and feel cheap.MY MAJOR COMPLAINTS and reasons I am offloading my Subaru are: THE BATTERY my car came with a 325 amp battery out of the factory. I live in NE. Its cold. The car is high electronics. The crank power of that battery was not sufficient. Imagine my amusement when the day before Xmas eve in a snowstorm. I am stuck at work because my car wont start. Upon replacing the battery in my practically brand new car the passenger side window stopped working. Easy fix at dealer but still the inconvenience of getting to the dealer. THE STARTER the remote starter is AWFUL.The range is very poor and it only works 50% of the time. Dealer refuses to replace. THE ACCELERATION Sometimes, when its cold the car does not accelerate as it should. It seems to really struggle. THE SOFTWARE UPDATES my car started stalling and chugging. It turned out to need some software fix. Yet another trip to the dealer with a brand new car. THE BLUETOOTH extremely finicky. Sometimes it just drops connection mid call and wont reconnect. No idea why.
After Subaru replaced the left caliper bracket with no results they set up new appointments with the factory field agent. Took a couple weeks but they re-looked at my rumble and confirmed it was still there. Using sound sensing device and several test drives they decided to replace the sway bar end links. The only thing they heard after that were the brake pads. This fixed my problem near the end of Jul 2015. But it is now Nov 2015 and the problem is back. Apparently, the brake disk pads float in the brackets with clips (according to Subaru service guys) and you will always hear some rumble. Well if that were true I would hear it on both sides, not just the left. So, back to Subaru service again. They had indicated to me a few months ago that because of the documentation to date, they would still honor further repairs with warranty even though my vehicle is now out of warranty. The issue is not resolved, but apparently this is the only way to update my review on this site.
I bought the Legacy L with 320,000 miles on it and after putting another 3200 miles on it, the car still runs great. I did not purchase the vehicle from a dealership, I purchased it used from a private owner that I knew from the store I worked at. The asking price was $1500 which was great. He knew that I needed a reliable vehicle to get me back. I like that it is an AWD and is an excellent car to do road trips. Climbs mountains & rocks like a 4WD, but can still drive in the city and neighborhood like a RWD. It can go over anything and has power windows, 5 speed and cruise control. It is very roomy, & comfortable. The back seat comes out giving extra room for everything or everyone that you need to travel with you. The #1 thing I dislike is the automatic seatbelts. They choke me every time I start the car. I would take out that feature and just put in the manual seatbelts. But other than that, the Subaru Legacy L has probably been the best car that I have ever purchased and would definitely purchase again, when this one decides to die on me, lol!
2014 Outback- Until now I have done all my oil changes at the dealer (Tom Wood Subaru). On 3 occasions the oil light came on and I had to add one quart of oil. This occurred about 3000 to 4000 miles after the oil change. When I brought this up with the service rep the first time he told me that apparently during assembly, one of the three piston rings had not been installed in some vehicles resulting in excessive oil consumption. Consequently, Subaru had instituted a usage test involving retesting for loss of oil after 1200 miles (loss of 1/3 quart). The dealership has run this test twice and reported no excessive loss of oil in either case. I believe that the test being used by Subaru is not precise enough to detect the problem after 1200 miles and should actually be done between 3000 and 4000 miles. The other possibility is that excessive oil consumption occurs under certain conditions. If this is the case, Subaru needs to share this information with the vehicle owners.
2014 Forester with 35k miles. Our Bluetooth is not working properly. I thought this would be an easy fix, and I was not too stressed by it. In my error, I forgot to mention it to the service department when I brought the car in last time. Three months later I had the car in to the service dept. for a standard check up and mentioned it to them... The whole radio unit needs to be replaced in order for the failed Bluetooth to work again! If only I had mentioned it during my previous checkup it would have been covered under warranty. Subaru is charging over $500 for this replacement. I will go without. My chief question is, why is the Bluetooth failing? Its not that old and its not as if it is an item (i.e. brakes, or tires) that might get wear down from overuse.In addition, when you press the accelerator on the 2014 Forester, a small delay and then it takes off. Very disconcerting. We have many family members who own Subaru and at our last family reunion everyone was grumbling about their Subaru and saying they will not buy another. Its a shame. This was our first Subaru purchase after many years with Honda. We were tempted to try a new car and had heard such great things about the Subaru. We will be going back to Honda.
I came across this website and saw all the complaints about Subaru. Yes, the head gaskets leak every 80-100k miles and yes it can be expensive to have fixed but every car had its own problem, there is not a single car in the world that is perfect unless you buy it brand new, never drive it and keep it parked in a climate controlled garage... Gaskets are rubber or paper which both wear down and fail on any car. A lot of the reviews were about older used Subarus. If you buy any used car you dont know how the previous owners treated it. They can tell you they kept it well-maintained even if they didnt just so they can get their problem off to someone else. I have had my 97 Subaru Impreza for 4 years now. Got it with 120k miles on it and it had always ran great. It now has 233k miles on it and the only problem I have had with it is a wheel barring, knock sensor, MAF sensor, and breaks. My ONLY complaint is that the drivers and passenger windows freeze shut in the winter. Hondas burn Excessive amounts of oil and also have head gasket problems, Ford seems to have a lot of electrical problems, any car you look up you will find a problem about so when you get rid of your Subaru and get a Honda or something else, are you going to mope and complain about that one too??
I have found many things I hate about my Subaru. The biggest is you cant use any of the devices unless the car is running and you are burning gasoline. You cant listen to the radio or charge your phone or use your gps or talk on your phone through the radio. I used that for 10 minutes and my battery was dead. The heater does throw heat on your feet. There is a tube about an inch wide that comes down beside the console and that is all the heat you get. If you are in a hard rain storm, you cant see because the wipers do not run that fast. I have an SUV and the back hatch is so difficult to open or shut, I have to put everything down to open or shut it. I bought this vehicle due to Consumer Reports data. They apparently do not look at things like this. I hate it. Anytime I ask Subaru, they say that is just the way Subarus are. Now my radio screen has squiggly lines all over it. So bad I cannot see to back up or see the channel on the radio if the sun is shining on it. They said, Well, the radio works, doesnt it. If we were talking about a 57 Chevy, yes, I can hear the radio. But this vehicle radio is supposed to do other things and it does not because you cannot see them. This item I believe cuts into resale value. Anyone thinking of buying a Subaru should check out these items. If they are ok with them, fine. But I was not told nor did I think to check them before I purchased and Subarus do not come cheap.
I bought a brand new Subaru Forester XT in October 2008. It has less than 40k miles and Friday, March 3, the car died and I narrowly avoided a collision with another car. Turns out the lower block of the engine needs to be replaced. I have read numerous reports online that Subaru issued a stop sale on my exact model of car in April 2008 for internal wear. I have been told my VIN does not reflect this issue, but I dont believe Subaru. I have read post from other owners with VINs almost exactly like mine that ran into the same issues. This is the second time my car has been back to Subaru because of engine issues.
I have owned 4 Subarus but I must say, I am done with the company. My 2002 Outback had the leaking head gaskets but was not part of the recall. Subaru paid for the repair (as they should have) and I was told the head gasket issue had been resolved on the newer model Subarus. When it was time to purchase a new car I bought a 2007 Outback thinking I would be OK because SOA promised the head gasket thing was resolved. Imagine my shock when I was told I had oil leaking from my head gasket. Then soon after the antifreeze started leaking. I wrote to SOA and was told this was normal wear on a car with 139000 miles. Shame on you Subaru. I have since found many people with the same leaking gasket issue on different model/year/mileage of Subarus. A google search will show you or just ask any mechanic or your Subaru owning friends. I wish I had done better homework. I love my AWD wagon but never another Subaru.
We have a 2009 Outback. At approx. 70000 miles (just past warranty) a vibration was becoming noticeable from the drivetrain. The Subaru dealership said it was from bad boots on the front end. We had the work done. The vibration remained so we took the car to an independent shop. They said that it could be the transfer case. To really examine it the transmission has to be dropped. We scheduled the service. When they opened the case there were bits of metal in the fluid and it was clear something had failed. Approx. $2000 later we were on the road again. The head mechanic said he had seen several failures like this. I would like Subaru to face up to this reoccurring problem and cover all repairs..
I replaced the factory battery after ~48 months. The new (alleged) 8-year battery from Costco worked as it should for one year. I went in for knee replacement surgery and did not drive the car for just under 4 weeks. When I tried to start it the battery was stone dead. My brother in law charged with a new, high-tech charger that let us track the charge values. At ~70% I tried and it started happily. I drove it for 30 minutes and hoped this was a one-time problem, like an interior light left on.A few weeks later I hooked up a utility trailer: this worked fine in the past, now the lights on the trailer come on and will not go out, even when I pull the key out (this shuts off all exterior lights). I listened to NPRs Wait Wait Dont Tell Me, and forgot to take the key out. Two hours later the battery was stone dead again. This is a new problem. I am sure its the car, not the battery, but the battery wont take more deep-cycles. Ill probably test Costcos battery warranty, but its not quite fair.
Purchased my 2013 Subaru Outback in November of 2012. Had concerns about having to use synthetic oil (price being about double regular oil), but was told by the salesman that there was no worries because I only need to change oil every 7500. I have had 4 oil changes and every time in between changes the oil light comes on and I have to add oil. The dealership states that this is common and the nature of the beast. The dealership said I can bring the car in to the shop when the oil light comes on and they will add, but I will be charged. How can a car company get away with something like this? You are sold a car that you believe only needs oil change every 7500 miles but it can never make it that far without adding. I have a 2005 Kia Sorento that has over 270,000 miles on it and has never used a drop of oil (when I get my oil changed its always on full). Guess that tells me I should stick to another car company other than Subaru.
Hit a deer one week after purchasing. Had to wait OVER TWO MONTHS for parts and Subaru would only give loaner car if we had vehicle repaired at their dealership which is over 100 miles away! Battery was bad, finally got them to replace it. Tilt steering wouldnt stay locked. Wheel bearings went bad, no notice sent out. Numerous problems with driver information center touch screen, software only updated once, now other information has disappeared! Drivers seat developed a split, dealer said to call the 800 number since its not warrantied. My Ford seats lasted over 15 years! If it wasnt for the comfortable ride, Id get rid of it.
Purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester because of Subarus good reputation -- much to my surprise, my NEW car burns oil. I have to keep checking the oil because it needs to be added on a regular basis. Also, the Bluetooth does NOT work and has not worked properly since the beginning of time. Very dissatisfied and will NOT purchase from Subaru again. BUYER BEWARE!
Blown head gaskets at 27,400 miles. 2012 Outback, top of the line version, so granted, its not a new car, though we dont drive hard, have aged out of teen drivers, and follow service schedules. We live on a public transit line and this car has never, ever been used in rush hour traffic. Has anyone ever heard of any car, Subaru or otherwise, blowing head gaskets at mileage this low? Truth be told, this is our 3rd -- and no doubt last -- Subaru. None have made it to respectably high mileage. Theyre junk for high traffic suburban and urban driving. RIP, Subaru.
Subaru MADE good vehicles... But, then they went cheap. My 2013 Forester burned oil worse than an old WWII airplane... Its normal, Subaru said. Traded it for a 2015 Forester, no more oil burning issues, but now a crappy CVT transmission that bucked, stalled and hesitated upon acceleration all the time... Its normal Subaru said. Well, no more Subarus for me. No more CVTs for me. Got me a Toyota Rav4 with a normal automatic transmission and ZERO problems in many miles ever since.All of these CVTs are junk and causing problems, just Google CVT Problems with Nissans, some Toyotas, Subarus, etc, etc., and be ready to read pages upon pages of negative reviews. Many manufacturers like Subaru and Nissan have current class action suits pending. What a joke! To gain maybe 1-MPG, they jeopardized the goodwill and loyalty of their customers. Good to know that many other companies have not gone this way. Maybe thats the reason they have top sellers like the Toyota Rav4 with a normal automatic transmission. Do yourself a BIG favor, avoid headaches and stay away from CVTs at all cost!
Just bought a new 2017 Subaru Forester Touring model which is now confined to my garage. We have a steep hill nearby which I use frequently. The hill is 2.4 miles in length and in parts is up to 20% decline. With all previous vehicles I simply stuck the car in low and applied the brakes occasionally. The Forester does not hold the speed down in either drive or low gear and I am obliged to use the brakes constantly which I believe to be dangerous. The car is equipped with x- mode feature but that is only effective up to 18mph and driving at that speed would make me very unpopular with other road users. My dealership has no answer but they are researching. Id appreciate any advice.
Have had a 2010 Subaru outback for 3.5 years. Have done all required maintenance at subaru dealers. Had a gold plus” warranty for 1st 70k, sunroof stopped working at 71k, no love from Subaru. 1800 quoted for complete replacement of unit. 133k, took it to dealer for high pitch whine in front right. 2 hours later was informed that the cvt trans was failing and needed replacement, dealer quoted 7300 for a rebuilt from subaru or a used trans (salvage) for 3300. Warning: if you have a little old person driving a subaru with over 110k you might want to tell them that 7300 is not a good investment in a car with only 113k. These cars are supposedly supposed to last 250k or more (if you can afford these types of repairs) obviously I should have known that going in but I thought the new 2010-14 subies had all these great improvements. I have never towed anything and driven this outback anything other than gently, too bad loved the driving part, great on snow but can’t afford these types of repairs. Pleaded my case with North America Subaru, they would knock the 7300 down to 4200 at a subaru dealer. So that means the little old person would have been probably paid 7300 and I can see that happening. Short story is a tranny shop is going to put a used one in for 2500 parts and labor (friend of a friend). Maybe I just am not used to modern cars since my family has a camry with 198k and I had a tundra with 178k, 12 and 14 years old with no major mechanical repairs. Soon to be Subaru-free in the Midwest.
Im a fortunate purchaser, with an excellent vehicle. Im writing to show car ownership can be a cost-effective & worthwhile - on freeways, in city, but I put my miles on elsewhere. I enjoy driving, and testing limits, but do not recommend this to others. 2005 Impreza has 62,000 miles. People still offer to buy it. Most miles are off-road in Nevada, in some of the most unforgiving territory you can imagine. First, I had to learn to trust the car, then install survival gear. Its weakness is road clearance of about five inches. Dirt, dust and sand is ok, and the transition from this, to freeway speeds (85 mph) is most pleasurable! The true-as-an-arrow stance, the wide footprint, low CG, makes it a joy to drive. Interior noise is moderate, so I installed 500 WRMS of tunes. Fortunately, a deer hit 2 years ago didnt affect the ride. Kudos to Salmon, Idaho body shop. Not a penny spent at dealership for parts or repairs but I am meticulous with maintenance due to dust, silt, vibration, heat, cold, survival, and off-road abuse. I have a couple add-ons: K&N filters, a chip, several deep cycle batteries.Impreza has the 2.5 liter engine, very strong in all respects. MPG is mid-upper 20s, depending. Auto transmission responds well to normal conditions, may hesitate during a downshift if youre not familiar with gear ranges. Another complaint: There is no interior light in the hatch area. Groceries, well, you load in the dark. A last, big positive: Snow handling. AWD mean just that. With good tires, typical snowfall is managed very well. Ive never been stuck with M & S tires, in depths up to 2 feet of dry snow. Ive tried to characterize vehicle reliability, performance, and responsiveness in typical conditions. So wow, what a car, just had to share a good, accurate experience with you, with a mid-aged Subaru Impreza!
Subaru - love the car, hate the company! This is just the latest issue I had to deal with on my wifes 2014 Outback Limited with the special appearance package, a car that stickers for close to $37,000. In hindsight, I should have bought a Lexus NX for that price! I have had countless issues with stupid things in this car. The AC broke and the first time they fixed the car, they pulled a part off another car on the sales lot (really?). Every wheel molding installed by the factory fell off. The rear storage plastic covers all fell apart. I have had multiple sensor issues including the one described below. The list goes on. And the closest dealer is an hour away so if they never take your word for anything and they never stock parts in house, so every fix requires a minimum of 4 trips. My last experience was actually four trips to a dealer 2 hours away.In fact, I was right the whole time every time and in this last experience, dealer tested the issue using a tire pressure gauge, one who he admitted was faulty. A simple, cheap TPMS troubleshooting tool would have avoided everything listed below. Why? Because one of the sensor batteries was low, but they were incompetent in finding it. Perhaps this email sent to the dealer says it all:Just as an FYI... I just responded to the Subaru of North America survey with the following statement: Dot was the WORST representative you can hire to help your customers. She is adamant about protecting Subarus resources than solving a customers safety issue, regardless of policy. If leaving your customers high and dry with a valid safety issue that causes frequent distractions to whether my wife is low on gas, TPMS, etc. is UNACCEPTABLE!! I had to sneak around DOT in order to get to a manager of the team who is now at least providing the resource of time towards my issue.I DEEPLY fear my issue will not be resolved, despite my photographic proof of the issue that is FALSELY causing safety alerts during my wifes driving of the vehicle. I explained this inexcusable behavior by Subaru has now put my future trust in Subaru in serious jeopardy. This is my second Subaru, my first being a Saab 9-2x, which makes this car my first with Subaru directly. With a car being allowed to travel on the roads with a serious safety issue is unquestionably irresponsible of your company. And Dot makes sure I do not get the help needed. She was yelling at me and a disgrace of your organization.REPLACE TPMS sensors immediately under warranty. I am at a loss at what else there is to do. This is the position I am now in. If there is any way we can escalate this within the Subaru executive organization, it would be greatly appreciated. I cannot fathom giving my wife her car back with this serious safety issue questioning her constantly whether or not her tires are safe based on the continued false TPMS sensors, only because you are unable to reproduce the issue, despite my three documented and photographed incidents SINCE leaving your service center on my last two visits. Despite the policy, I am seeking replacements of the TPMS sensors to give my wife the safety and security she needs as safety is our number one concern when purchasing a vehicle.Whatever we need to do, please lets continue to push for escalation wherever possible. Subaru has a responsibility to stand behind the safety of their vehicles under warranty. While my wifes car is in your dealership service center right now for the third time in three consecutive weeks, you have the opportunity to make this right. You have the proof it happened three times after leaving your dealership, that is all that should be required for replication of the issue.
I drive 2017 Legacy, leased. Three times I have had blowouts in 5 months. Car only has 4000 miles on it and I drive it only locally. Not at high speeds. The first flat they said I must have hit a pothole. I didnt remember any. The second one I pulled up to a curb in front of a friends house, hit the curb lightly and blew the tire. The third one I was on my own block and went to turn right. Hit the curb barely moving and tire blew. I havent had a flat forget a blown tire in 30 years. I cant believe it is me. That last one I looked at tire and it was the sidewall that had a 6 inch hole in it. How does that happen going 2 miles an hour. 3 tires in 6 months. Something is going on!
Purchased my 2017 Subaru Outback in May, 2017, and rear power liftgate has worked only intermittently since then. Dealer fix in June (Don Beyer Subaru, Alexandria VA) didnt help, and problem continues. Contacted Subaru USA about power liftgate problem, and they said that I had probably inadvertently disturbed the liftgate height control on the dash, and should fix it myself by consulting the Subaru manual, which I did, and the steps suggested in the manual again resulted in a continuation of the liftgate operating only intermittently, or not at all. This is not acceptable in a brand new vehicle. Subaru USAs answer shows that they are aware that there is a power liftgate switch problem and they dont have any corrective action, other than to fob off their problem on the unfortunate buyer. An inoperable rear liftgate is a massive inconvenience, since the rear storage/carrying area is rendered useless. Dont love a Subaru, will never purchase another or recommend to anyone.
Subaru 2014 Legacy (manual) 9000 miles, under warranty. Last week of June 2015, suddenly first thing in the morning, the car reeked of gasoline (or other hydrocarbon). I went to the nearest garage (with all the windows open, it was that bad) whose owner said Subarus are notorious for gas leaks but he could not deal with that kind of problem.It was then towed to Subaru dealer whose head mechanics diagnosis was... mice (!) had chewed the gas lines. He said that this was not covered by the warranty- $600-$800 repair. Interestingly, we overheard him on the phone with another Subaru owner concerning a gas leak caused by mice! No loaner available to us, but he could supply a rental car. When I took exception to that, he said no charge for the rental.This could be a weird coincidence, or weird mice. But this diagnosis (as opposed to loose connection or clamps, or whatever) works very well for the dealership. They get $600 from me (and the other guy) instead of having to cover the repair cost themselves. Somehow this seems fishy: plastic- gas-loving mice lying in wait in my shell driveway?I see online a lot of current dissatisfaction with Subaru design and service and a company that does not admit to defects in their products or have trained their service departments. Loved my previous Subaru Legacy, also a manual. But this car seems to have been designed by a bunch of geeky kids fooling around in a basement somewhere. Weird coincidence, weird mice, or dealer ploy?
We bought a 2012 Subaru Forester because of their reliability and safety. We bought it from a dealer used with only 114,000ish miles on it. After one oil change it now has gone through 2.5qts of oil in half of the oils life. After calling Subaru they said that there is nothing they can do to fix the problem without me paying several thousand dollars because it has more than 100,000 miles. This is completely unacceptable! I have been a mechanic professionally for 16 years and the last time I had a customer that had a vehicle that went through that much oil they blew their engine. Subaru needs to man up and fix this issue and fix it correctly, no band-aid on a bullet hole.
I bought STARLINK at a promotional price when I purchased my Outback. I received an email saying it would auto renew unless I called to cancel. I called to cancel because it was too much money for something that I had not used even once. I was told I would lose the last 45 days of service unless I called the day before it renewed. Really? This must be the only company that can’t figure out how to cancel auto renewal and fulfill the remainder of the paid contract. After having that conversation and canceling because I don’t want to deal with a company that can’t figure out how to fulfill a contract and cancel a renewal, the agent offered me the service for half off. Why not just offer this in the first place? If I hadn’t been so angry that I was losing the last 45 days of the contract I probably would have paid half price. Oh, he did give me a refund of the unused (forced out of) promotional price—$5.00. Really too little, too late.
Subaru is nice, safe, comfortable. I feel safe in it and I love the small perks like the backing up camera. The sunroof is nice to have, but I dont use it much. The rear seat heating seats was a plus, as well as the side view mirror defrost. The 4 wheel drive is something I really wanted too. However, even though the trunk space is bigger than my old Pontiac Vibe, its still not big enough to fit my dog and stuff we need to carry on a family vacation.
I drive my Subaru Outback 2.5 for only 90.000 miles (approx 144.000 KM) when all sudden the head gasket is leaking. Replacing the gasket its a major service that can take many hours, and cost a lot of money. I think of buying a new car, any recommendations?
At 87,000 miles, my 2011 Outbacks temperature light went on and I immediately pulled off the road into (fortunately close) service station. Ultimately got it to a Subaru dealership where it was determined that the head gasket and exhaust valve guides needed to be replaced. I now find out this is a common and long standing problem with Subaru cars. Is there a class action suit concerning this? Is there any resource available to disgruntled customers?
Major transmission issues within the first 25000 miles, 2 years. Brought my manual 2017 WRX in due to noise in transmission area. They said some parts need to be replaced (bearing, etc) and they installed plate, cover, spring, fork, bearing, flywheel and the whole thing. Picked it up on Wednesday and on Thursday while driving on the freeway something popped in the transmission area and the car was towed back in the shop (Carlsen Subaru in Redwood City California) in less than 24 hours from the time I had received it. This is absolutely unacceptable. I have been driving transmission manual cars for 30 years and to get this kind of performance at such low miles is scary.
Just 3 years after buying our Subaru Outback 2014, the electric parking brake device failed, locking our car down and making it unable to shift gears. We had to manually release the parking brake using the extremely poorly written advice for a labor intensive cranking process (turn 250 times but not 300 or youll break something!) with a terribly designed device. Repairs to this piece cost $1050 ($660 parts replacement). Big waste of money for a feature no one wants (electronic parking brake). Im sure Subaru doesnt mind making money on the replacement parts, though. Will not buy Subaru again.
I would give negative stars if I could. My family has owned 3 Subaru vehicles because we believed their lies about it being a safe and reliable car. We have young children. Never have I entered a car thinking there is a possibility that the engine will suddenly die and then burst into a raging fire. It is a miracle I am alive. It is a miracle our 3 year old is alive. Subaru and their lawyers are only offering credit for a new car. Seriously? Never will we buy another Subaru. Buy a Subaru if you’re okay with dying and your family dying just by driving their car.
I bought my Outback new and have taken meticulous care of the car, religiously changed the oil and all of the customary tune ups. I do quite a bit of driving, having put 149k in less than 6 years but have tended to every update or replacement so to avoid any unforeseen major issues. Last year, my oil light came in which confused me since I had 2k miles to go before the next oil change. Went to check the oil and it was boned drive. Since then, I have carried extra oil - just in case this happened again. Did not think much of this fluke. Fast forward to a couple of months ago, I felt a noticeable decrease in performance. Took it to my mechanic and always got its fine.A month ago, noticed that my acceleration was compromised so my mechanic changed the engine filter and then the battery, which improved the acceleration slightly, but thought it was in my head. The car started to make a rattling sound after trying to accelerate over 60-80MPH; it felt that the engine was choking. I would not even pass other cars for fear of the car stalling; no lights came on. Then the next day, the dashboard went haywire with the lights (cruise control, solid engine light, traction control, and another light that I cant remember right now). Took it to another Subaru dealership in North Attleboro, MA and they hooked it up to the machine and told me that I needed OSV Valves for both side, code P0028. The cost of the valves were 235.74 and labor was 600.00, totaling $835.74, which I paid since I thought it was going to resolve this issue once and for all.I asked if the tech took the car for a test drive and they could not confirm this. I picked up the Subaru and drove off, the car had a slight improvement but not for the 835.75 repair. Called Subaru the next day, and drove the car back to the dealership. Had the general manager drive my car, and he felt that the car had no power to accelerate and that the transmission felt like it was slipping. This was Saturday morning. On Tuesday, the Subaru manager said that they were still working on it; they could not find the source of the problem and was on the phone with another Subaru department trying to figure this out. A day later, we got a text message stating it was my transmission leaking down internally. The cost to replace was $6040 and that did not include other parts and fluid. I wrote to Subaru since I feel that the Class Action Lawsuit of the excessive oil consumption may be related to the transmission.In addition, Subaru had replaced OSV valves and did not test drive the car to see if they remedy the issue. Lastly, why did the diagnostic machine pick this up? I purposely asked the tech, if there was another nested issue underneath the OSV valves; she answered no. The POO28 code was correct diagnosis. I will contest the charge for the valves on my Visa and have written to Subaru Corp about this issue. Between replacing timing belt, fuel pump, tires... this transmission would have set me back well over 10k. If I cant get Subaru to fix this for under 2k, I will trade it in. This car was great in the snow, but the seats were uncomfortable, poor visibility from the side of the car (blindspots were bad). Headlights are constantly burning out and Subaru response is to go to the dealership to get them replaced. Next car will be a Honda or Toyota.
Ordered new car and was told to expect it in 1 week or sooner. Did not make it. Was told it was on truck and delivery next day. Did not make it. No one knew where exactly the car was. Should expect sometime next week! They had no problem cashing my check immediately.
Love the maneuverability of Impreza and how it grips the road! Great gas mileage! The price is great for what you get and I tell all my friends what a great car it is!
I bought a 2015 Subaru brand new thinking it will last forever. Just told I need a new transmission and itll cost 7000 dollars. I still owe 10000 on it. What a joke. This car should last 300,000 not 130,000.
I will like to share my exp. with my Subaru Outback 2013. Buy it brand new in 2013 and at 20,000 miles the dealer have to swap the engine because oil consumption problem, but now since engine swapping there is noise on lifters and they says is normal because the block is bigger. 1st time buying a Subaru & last time. I will better go back to my Honda dealer, not second mistake with Subaru again.
Before you decide to purchase a Subaru, be sure to check ALL areas of the car to make sure it has been COMPLETELY painted. YES I did say painted! Under the hood should NOT be just primer, it should be painted and have a clear coat on it. Look closely at ALL of the seams, inside the door jams, the bottoms of the doors, the hinges of the hatch or trunk, the gas tank lid. My Crosstrek only has an overspray or primer on these areas. For those who dont know, primer is grey and a clear coat is what makes your paint shiny.Subaru is NOT giving their cars away, youre paying FULL price so, you should be getting a FULLY painted car! Check out other car manufacture paint jobs before you enter a Subaru dealership. The affordable Kia has an excellent paint job as does my VW beetle and my VW Sportwagen, Chevy also does an amazing job. Look under the hoods of these other automakers cars and youll be rethinking about the so called quality that Subaru delivers.Youre paying a lot of money for top quality so, why settle for less than mediocre? You know its a bad paint job when you bring your car to have it detailed and the detailer recommends that you get rid of the car before it rusts! And I thought I was buying quality, boy was I wrong! Dont make the same mistake that I did. I am currently working with Subaru and it does not look favorable. If they do decide to help me out I will update this post.
Subaru made net profits of $480,000,000 (Reuter.com) in 2012, billions of dollars in gross profit and yet, Mr. Takeshi Tachimori, Chairman, President, and CEO of Subaru of America, refuses to provide me with some oil. I purchased a new 2011 Subaru Forester. The computer system crashed at night in the rain on the freeway with 5 passengers. The engine failed in the Joshua Tree desert. Subaru finally replaced the engine short block after great time, energy and resources expended by me. The seat belts were recalled, parts (gas door opener) fell off; etc. Car has a horrible overheating problem that they cannot fix. Car continues to consume oil such that I have to add oil between oil changes. After many failed efforts, I wrote on Dec. 24, 2012 to Takeshi Tachimori, Chairman, President, and CEO of Subaru of America, stating that: engine short block malfunctioned; ECM reprogramming required the vehicle emission recall campaign (Nissan Subaru dealership claimed that they had reprogrammed ECM on 24 Feb. 12, & on 25 July 12. Mazda Subaru dealership claimed that the reprogramming had not, in fact, fulfilled this recall malfunction, and that they had to fulfill this reprogramming on Dec 21, 2012); seat belt recall; tank lever broke within first 100 miles (See repair, 26 Apr. 2012); replaced motor is still, as of Dec 21, consuming oil. In conclusion, 100% of authorized Subaru repair shops/mechanics spoken with state that it is not normal for a new Subaru with less than 15,000 miles to consume any oil at all, period. I asked billionaire Tachimori, for simply, I am requesting of you, that you authorize the local Subaru dealerships I have used (copies enclosed) to add oil to my car between oil changes without a cost to me. So little is asked of the Subaru billionaires, yet they refused. I will provide free advertising to any Toyota dealership. I wish so much that I had purchased a Toyota again, not a Subaru. If Mr. Tachimori will allow oil to be added when low, I will graciously provide a retraction.
For a long time, I wanted a Subaru Legacy car, being fascinated primarily with the reliability of the Japanese cars and also with this brand (studying the history of the brand, the beginnings, the technology, ...) and now I managed to buy one In second hand (because I could not afford a new one, though, with that money, I could have bought another car brand almost nine). I took it from a known, serious person, knowing the history of the car. Its a Legacy, a 2008, 2.0-liter, 150cp diesel boxer that has 220,000 km. Series: ** / 2008. Nr. Identification: **. Engine: Tip EE 20; Series **. I was glad that the person she bought her took care of her, he invested heavily in her (at that moment thinking he was unlucky), but it seems that bad luck continues to me and not only, But to all who have this Subaru model; After I was interested in the Romanian specialty forums, I found out that all the owners of this model are talking about a serious problem with this type of engine and even if it had a proper use and proper maintenance, none have ever reached More than 200,000 km without total engine failure. The mechanics say there is a fault in vibrochen, which breaks and it in turn destroys the entire engine block, and the whole engine becomes unusable. This is what happened with more than 90% of these market engines in Romania. I, even though I have not bought it for too long, have rectified the turbine, replaced an injector and it seems that I will have to replace the other injectors, including the turbine again (repair kits are not in Romania, as well The other parts, special mechanics, are no longer there, there is only one representative in the capital city of Bucharest and which does not represent the interests of the clients, let alone the authorities) and yet the engine is not heard at all and I am Afraid to go a long distance with her (I do not have the courage to leave the city), for fear of happening to me the same way, to break the vibrochen and to stay who knows where in the field... discouraging! What is the value of the description on the official website? This engine is not just a new evolution of diesel models - its a revolution! Its the first time that a diesel engine with horizontal roller mounted is installed on a SUBARU BOXER DIESEL... the revolution lies in the fact that it does not last (while other manufacturers guarantee these km) more than 200,000 km. The answer I received from the representative was that I did not document myself before, I did not know what I was up to! The guarantee is 200,000 km, which she does not guarantee “and we All the owners had to change their engines or give them old beasts, losing money!” I would have liked to have sent a letter of appreciation to represent Romania or to Europe or directly to Japan (where it is impossible) and to express my gratitude for having this brand and the joy to lead it but I have spent More time in repair centers than to use it, but it seems that things will not stop here, as it is already compromised. I would have liked this mail to be sent directly to Subaru Corporation, the Customer Consumer Division, or in the worst case to the Romanian authorities, not to you, but no email address is available for you. Japan and send to the Romanian representatives, proved to be equal to ZERO. If you can help me with a Subaru Corporation mailing address, Customer Consumer Division, to find a compromise solution.
After driving a 2001 Forester we were so happy to get a newer version. We bought ours in February, it is a manual (2013 Forester) which we felt would only extend the life of a vehicle that has a reputation for a long life. Last week we got stranded, the clutch would not work, it would not go into gear. We had it towed to our mechanic who told us it was a common issue with manual Foresters where a part of the clutch breaks within the transmission and destroys the transmission. Subaru knows this is an issue because they have part that you can buy and install to prevent this from happening to the next clutch and transmission you put in your car. Wait, yes I said it... They have not FIXED THE ISSUE. They put a band aid on it and only AFTER you put a different transmission in.The Subaru is past the powertrain warranty of 3 years or 50,000 miles and we didnt want to pay $400 to get it towed an hour away at the nearest dealer so we had our mechanic fix it... Who by the way fixes TONS of Subarus. You would think Subaru would care about the little guy that helps them sell the reputation of their brand, the customer who shares the reputation of their brand, or THEIR BRAND! I called Subaru and they told me they would not talk to me, let me write a letter, review my situation, NOTHING because I didnt tow it to the dealer 45 minutes away when I didnt even know what was the issue. We cant do ANYTHING to help you is what I was told.I am thoroughly disgusted that they know they have an issue they dont fix and just keep taking our money. Instead of me telling everyone what a wonderful brand Subaru is, I will be telling them this story... You would think they would give me the money I paid for the used transmission just to shut me up and keep me as a customer.... But I guess they have enough customers and dont need me. Your loss Subaru.
About 5 minutes after I left the Subaru dealership I knew that my 2014 Forester that I owned for 3 years was not running properly. Eventually I found out the dealership upgraded some software because of an imaginary idle problem. Now Im left with a car with much less acceleration and power, and to boot a 20-30% reduction in mpg. There are several other problems too. Subarus was response was not acceptable: Nothing we can do. The person handling the case had no interest from second one. In the past they have helped with serious issues. This is their software, they are responsible for getting the car back to the previous running condition.
With a 20+ year old Subaru and a 3 year old one I have unbelievable confidence in this brand. Other than an alternator failure there have been no issues. The number of winter situations they have gotten us through is a start, but the new ones safety features instill security and confidence.
This car is the best car on the road. It holds its overall value and is most certainly dog tested and approved. I have hit a deer a couple of years ago and there was hardly any damage to my car. It gets great mileage and proven itself in various weather conditions.
Purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester because of Subarus good reputation. To my surprise, my NEW car burns oil. I have to keep checking the oil because it needs to be added on a regular basis. At my first oil change the Subaru mechanic told me this just happens and I have to keep an eye on it. That sounds like garbage to me when talking about a new car. Im angry I switched to Subaru, never again!
It is 2014. I have a 2007 Subaru Legacy which has 79000 miles on it. I have taken impeccable care of this vehicle only to have it diagnosed this week with the need to replace the head gasket. Where is the recall on this? Why should the consumer be responsible for Subarus negligence of their poor quality? I firmly believe this should be fully paid for by the company, Subaru who boasts of their high quality product, etc. I think mine and any other person who has had to replace this part should be fully 100% reimbursed for the cost. I urge Consumer Affairs to reach out legally in this matter. Please include me in the claim.
I had a 2003 Subaru Forester. Like so many people, I purchased it based upon its reputation. Car ran fine for many years. At 129,000 miles the head gasket went. This cost several thousand dollars to repair. If you google Subaru Head Gasket Problems you will find many people with the same problem. Subaru claims to have fixed the problem in 2007. At 170,000 the car started leaking oil. At 184,000 miles car developed another oil leak from the engine. The cost of repairs for the leaks was in the thousands. I finally decided to trade in the car for another brand. Some things that you may not know about Subaru: Subaru has a reputation for leaking oil. There are 2 class action suits against Subaru because the newer Subarus burn oil. Subaru claims that it is normal for a car to burn a quart of oil every 1000 miles. Google Subaru Class Action Suit.Many of my friends that talked me into buying a Subaru have also abounded the brand for having similar problems. We have discovered that Subaru oil problems are difficult to fix whether you bring the car to the dealer or an independent mechanic. One other quirky item I learned when being a Subaru owner - tires must be replaced in sets of 4. I had good tires with 20,000 miles on them. One got ruined by a nail. I ended up having to buy 4 new tires otherwise I would have run the risk of damaging the car.
Purchased a 2014 Subaru legacy in April of 2014. Car has every thing but the nav and eye sight. I have 17000 miles and have no problems at all, love the awd and for a 2.5 litre it goes pretty good. It is my first new car and would recommend it to anyone. I am 6.6, 220 and it fits me in. I have two kids and they love it. I am a chevy man and finally went Japanese. It is great on gas, handles well, and looks great at 30k - you cannot beat it. Lets face it - every thing breaks but these subarus are great. Buy one, you will not regret it.
Purchased a new 2017 Subaru Impreza Sport from Flow motors in Winston Salem. Check oil light came on at 2500 miles. Failed 2 oil consumption tests and had 2 engine rebuilds before 13,000 miles. Using an appalling 1.5 qts oil every 1000 miles. Not repaired. Dealership cheated on oil consumption test by starting with 6 qts of oil in an engine spec’d for 4.7 qts. Going back under NC lemon law. This company gets a 5 **??? Review.
In March of 2017 we purchased a brand new 2017 Subaru Impreza and we had 4 free oil changes. And a month or less before the each oil change the oil light comes on and on the last free oil change the light came on 2 wks afterwards. They kept the car for 3/5 days to find out why the car was consuming so much oil. When we went to pick up the car, they said they couldnt find anything wrong with the car. They then wanted to do an oil consumption test. Never heard of this until it was done on my new car. They filled the motor with oil and said bring back at 1200 miles or more! Anyway we took it back and we were told, that we were going to check the oil level together after about 10/15 min. They came after 5 min to get us, (when we went outside they had already pop the latch the hood, not after,) that we were going to check the dipstick. I was suspicious. Now... not trusting this routine at all. Or the technicians. (Plus they said it was the way the driver was shifting and driving, which affects the transmission and not the motor). After talking to the person who sold us the car, and their finance person? The dealer will not take the car back, they want to give us a new one. We dont want a Subaru anymore. We have tried contacting the Subaru manufacturer to no avail. I look up fuel consumption test and Subaru popped up. Never heard of fuel consumption test. I am afraid of owning a Subaru after this happening to a new car. I have heard good things about Subaru but now I am not so sure.
The CVT shift simulator (Ascent) is constantly out of sync and shifting up and down. This is especially noticeable during initial start. This needs to either be disabled or at the very least a user selectable option.
My wife and I currently own a 2011 Subaru Forester we purchased new from Hatfield Subaru in Columbus, Ohio. We have always had it serviced at Byers Dublin Subaru in Columbus Ohio. At the 25,000 mile mark both head gaskets were leaking so the mechanics at Byers pulled the motor and replaced them. Just recently at the 33,000 mile mark I brought in my vehicle to Byers for my 30,000 maintenance check also complaining of a strange noise. They informed me the head gasket was leaking again and the noise we heard was the transmission running low on fluid. They again pulled the motor and made repairs. However, when placing the motor back in the car a strange noise developed in the engine. They again pulled the motor adjusting the tensioning on the timing chain yet the noise was still present. They then contacted Subaru technical support asking for assistance. They are currently pulling the motor for the fourth time with the intention of replacing the cylinder heads and camshaft.Up until now, I have been in contact with both dealerships expressing my concerns. I have also spoken with customer service, a supervisor, and a manager at Subaru of America. The manager at Subaru headquarters said they could only offer me 2500.00 towards the purchase of a new vehicle. The manager at Hatfield where I purchased my vehicle from passed me off to a sales associate who only wanted to sell me a new Subaru at full price to meet his end of the month February sales quota. The manager at Byers where my car is being serviced has been less than forthcoming as to the true status of my vehicle and I have not heard from him as to the status of my vehicle as promised in the last four business days.What concerns me the most is my wife and I now own a Subaru with a long list of engine problems so early in its life and a transmission which has been exposed to wear by fluid loss and after June of 2017 we have no warranty. We worked very hard paying off this vehicle early with every intention of keeping it for at least the next ten years. This was our first new car purchase and we chose Subaru because its incredible record of reliability. The current trade in value for this vehicle is 14,500 and we cannot afford to take out another loan for 10-14 thousand dollars to get the same style of Subaru we just paid off. We paid in full for a Subaru because of its name, we always had it serviced at your dealerships, and I feel we are being punished for a rare flaw which required them to pull the engine so early in its life and thus creating more problems with the engine and transmission by trying to put it back together. It is not a matter of if this vehicle will have more problems in the near future it is a matter of when and I refuse to put my wife and two children back in this Subaru wondering when the next big mechanical failure might occur, one which we cannot afford. I am reaching out to you with the hope of resolving this issue and I refuse to give up until a solution can be reached.
I heard a wind sound at speeds of 120 km/hr or more and fine dust between the doors and car body and I went to the service center. The service center told me it`s normal, that all Subaru XV model 2012 have the same issue after we tried another car.
I have the Subaru Forester. I love that model because its an all terrain vehicle. I like to go camping a lot so its useful on those old dirt roads. Usually it is terrifying to drive on them because its so bumpy and you feel like the car could turn over any second but with my Subaru it is smooth and I feel safe! I really like my Subaru. It is dependable and safe. I have children so it makes me feel better driving with them in a car like that. I have actually gotten into an accident in it, just myself, but it wasnt that bad! I credit it to the safety precautions I got on it. Its also very pretty. I got it in blue which is my favorite color. Just seeing the car makes me really happy! The seats are a nice creamy white leather. And I got a flower scented air freshener!I would improve however, the battery life. The battery in my car has a very short life span and I constantly find myself having to fix it. Granted, my kids do tend to turn the light on the car and we leave it on overnight. So maybe a fix could be an auto turn off on the lights after a couple of hours? That would be really useful since my family always forgets to turn the lights off.
Beware Subaru Starlinks incompetence. Ive had an incredibly dissatisfying customer billing experience... 6 months and counting! At the conclusion of my first years trial of Starlink, they auto-renewed my subscription, which Id already asked them not to. I immediately contacted them about the error. They suspiciously werent able to reverse the charge on my credit card. I was told that a refund check was in the mail. 6 MONTHS LATER, I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY MONEY BACK. I call every 3-4 weeks, and each time they tell me theyre sorry (!), and that THIS time the check is in the mail. Again and again and again. Needless to say, I dont believe them, and could not be more disappointed. Gimme back my money, Starlink!
We bought a brand new 2004 Subaru Legacy back in December of 2003. It was running fine until 2008 when the catalytic converters gave up and had to be replaced by the dealership (free of charge then since they say it was still covered under warranty). The new cats were working fine until around June of 2011; then, it gave out again. This time it was not covered by warranty, so we bought aftermarket cats which work for 6 months. Right now, April 2012, the auto parts store is in the process of replacing the cats. Its has been a miserable and stressful situation since the cats can fail the car for emission test. Come on now, how many times do we have to change a catalytic converter for a car in its lifetime considering that it’s only an 8 1/2 year old car? We drove Toyotas, Nissans and other car brands before and never had to experience these problems. There must be something wrong in this picture and we need an answer from Subaru. Or maybe there are other people out there who are having the same issues with their Subarus as well. We would appreciate if these issues are addressed since we already spent so much time, effort and money for such dilemma.
Several months after purchasing my 2016 Outback I experienced an occasion when my engine stalled when I was trying to move into moving traffic. At first I assumed it was just a one time incident but I had the same thing happen a couple more times over the next few weeks. I drove the car to Armstrong Subaru and discussed the issue with Terry the service manager who told me that Subaru is aware of the problem that is in the computer module. He said they were expecting to come up with a solution within the next five months but in the meantime there is nothing they can do. The problem has continued to plague me and I fear that it could possibly cause an accident. I called Subaru America and the lady at that number pretty much told me the same thing. I waited several months and called Terry again only to learn that they are still working on the problem.In todays internet issue of Consumer Affairs I learned that the Impreza has been recalled for the same issue but there is not mention of the Outback. I am very disgruntled to say the least. I guess I will be forced to wait until all the Imprezas are fixed before a recall is issued on the Outback. Ill just continue to keep my fingers crossed because I have to have my car for transportation and cant just park it indefinitely. No more Subarus for me.
I like my dealer. I like my 2007 Forester which we bought new. Yesterday, after I spent $1500 for my 120,000 checkup, I was told I needed head gaskets for between $2800 and $3500. I read about the problem for a solid day. I was offered a new engine installed for $5500, which if I thought would SOLVE the problem I would do. I spent a couple of hours under the car yesterday trying to find the leak. I found other leaks which I took pictures of, but not the head gasket. I am talking to a local non-dealer well respected mechanic who will also look at my car next week. I am disappointed with the problem and my dealership’s inability to install Star Six head gaskets which some believe are superior and solve the problem. I will support a class action lawsuit.
We bought a brand new 2012 Subaru Forester. We took a trip from Georgia to upstate NY. The car was burning oil. For the next couple of years, we kept telling the service dept. that our car was burning oil. They kept assuring us it was not a problem. After checking the internet, we found out it was a real problem. We demanded that something needed to be done. They did a oil consumption test. Saturday they agreed that it was excessive and we would be getting a new engine. Why does it take the service departments so long to take action? Now my concern now is what happens to the resale value of my car?
I am having a terrible issue with my 2011 Subaru Outback paint rusting. It is only on the top of my car and the top of the hatchback. I have owned many cars for this long and never ever had an issue with paint. I have spoke with the dealer and Subaru and they will not do anything about it. I live in the south where the weather is mild.
I bought my Outback new in summer 2007. Always did oil changes every 3,000. At just over 60K (just out of warranty), the head gaskets blew. Six months later, car started leaking oil and head gaskets were done once again (under warranty of mechanic). Now, Im facing blown head gaskets again!!!! After just 20,000 miles after 2nd job. My car only has 82,000 miles. I will never buy another Subaru which is unfortunate because this is the 4th one Ive owned. The others were older but better.
Bought the car 1 month ago, already in the shop with check engine and electrical issues. Hope this isn’t a lemon but I bet it is. No better way to spend your Saturday day off than at the service dept in Glendale, CA.
My car is a Subaru Impreza, and I do not recommend it to anyone. Ive only had this car two months but already there is paint damage from rocks. Right! Ive owned several cars and never had paint damage from driving. The dealer promises 30 miles per gallon, yet its costing me so much more than my last car that had 200,000 miles vs 4,000 on 2-month-old Impreza, getting only 17 mpg. Dont buy this car!
I own a 2013 Outback 2.5. I drive a ton for work, family and fun. Like 30k per year. Pretty quickly I realized my car was going through a lot of oil. Oil light was going on at 2,500 miles. The dealership said it was probably because of the amount of miles I drove. I would just add the oil. At 90,000 miles my transmission was making a horrible whiny noise that got worse. They said I needed a new transmission because they cant fix the CVT. It is an all enclosed unit. They said it would cost about $8,000.00 but would talk with Subaru about getting some help. It still cost me $2,000.00 and I was driving a loaner for about three weeks. At 110,000 miles I get a letter in the mail about a Class Action lawsuit regarding the oil consumption issue. I take it to the dealer as directed. They changed the oil and I bring it back after 1250 miles so they can verify oil consumption. What do you know, my car goes through too much oil! They replaced the small block for no charge. I had my car back in three days. My point is that I was less than happy about the issues my car had, but more than happy with Subarus and my dealers response to those issues.
Subaru Outback Impreza 2013 - Around seven months ago, I heard a scraping sound coming from the right side of my car as I was driving. When I pulled over, I noticed the front of the side bumper was dragging against the ground. Completely horrified, I had my passenger lift it from inside and hold it in place until we could get to her place where we taped it (to avoid further damage) until I could get it to the dealer. At the dealership, they sent me to Parts, and told me that this would need to be filed under a collision repair, and that the part they needed to order and paint would either be $600 out of pocket or a collision incident through my insurance. As it is a leased car (and did NOT interact in any way with any sort of collision), I was hesitant to pay out of pocket, but decided that was the best move. Until....A week ago, I was driving with family in town. When we got to our destination, and after a few trips back and forth from the car, to unload our possessions, did we notice that the frame around the light in the front of the car, a grey frame that must be no more than 14 by 10 had completely fallen off and was nowhere to be found. We checked the other side and saw that its light frame was still there. Same side as the side bumper incident but of course, nowhere near the part that had previously become loose.(Frankly, Im not sure how the side bumper was ever secure, because if you take a look at whats against the vehicle frame behind where its supposed to be, there are a series of small plastic knobs that seem too flimsy to carry such weight. In fact, we really thought we might be able to get the bumper back on seven months ago because it seemed that easy and there was no damage to the bumper, aside from some scraping it had endured against the road. A few of those knobs were bent and broken, from the inside, so I really thought that when I took it in, they would see this was an internal issue.)Alas, thats not what happened. And like I said, I offered to pay the $600 when the part came in. It took several months to get that call and at the time I did not have the money to pay, so I put it off. Then, this past week, when the light frame mysteriously popped off the car, I called the service manager at Subaru and was greeted with a very rude response. He did not understand how this could happen, as, Parts just dont come off cars. Well, sir, they do. And they have. And I cant be the only one!He questioned if someone had popped it off and taken it. I laughed. When? While Im in the grocery store? At night at the foot of my driveway? I live in a house, in a quiet neighborhood. And that part was still there before we took off on our trip. No. This likely happened while we were on the road. The real question is: Should a pot hole in the road or a rock or anything on the surface of what were driving on be the reason why a part just pops off? Probably not.With that said, please respond if you have had ANY issues with your Subaru where parts suddenly pop off, especially on the exterior of the car. Light panels, frames, bumpers. I didnt even know it was possible for this light frame to pop off like that. I was questioned repeatedly as to if there is any damage around it, and though I kept telling the same story, I was asked if there was any kind of an accident. There wasnt. And when I take it in to the dealer, they will notice that. I understand where they are coming from. But, Id also like to come in armed with evidence that this CAN happen and DOES happen to other Subaru drivers.I am a two-time Subaru driver. The first vehicle was a leased 2011 Outback Sport, same make and model, and I drove it across the country twice. Zero problems. Ive had this vehicle for under a year, and Im already dealing with parts falling off. Once again, please respond if you have had any similar experiences. It will make a better case. I appreciate it!
I just purchased 2017 Subaru Crosstrek. Very disappointed with vehicle and dealership which sold me the vehicle. I purchased the remote start for this vehicle to which is useless since the vehicle shuts off once the door is opened. Why would the salesman sell me an accessory that does not work in my vehicle type. He should have informed me of this. I was misled along with the salesman being incompetent not knowing this feature would not work. I should be refunded for the $525.00 I paid and they can uninstall the device. Aside from this disappointment the vehicle engine start is extremely rough and take too long to warm up, thus I cant use the remote start as necessary. Right now its spring and 50s, how long will it take for this car to warm up in the cold winter months when its in the teens. Im also not sure how this was rated a top seller in its class. Huge disappointment with dealer and vehicle.
Recently purchased a new 2015 Outback 2.5i premium. We test drove dealer car 3 times to confirm we wanted to order one, none available at any local dealers at the time. About 3wks after receiving our car, it developed a clicking noise coming from the gear shifter knob every time you went below or above 5mph, EVERY TIME. Nonstop, every light, every stop sign, all day every day. Dealer says its normal and refuse to fix. I keep reminding them it did not do it on any test car and it took weeks for it to show up on our car. How can that be normal? I would not have purchased the car had it made this annoying noise on the test drive and I certainly would not have paid for the car when I went to pick it up. (I did test drive our car prior to paying for it once it came in and there was no noise at all.) I am at the point of wanting to sell my brand new car because I just cant stand this constant annoyance. Wrote several emails directly to Subaru company rep, with them refusing to take any responsibility.
There’s so many to choose from but our Forester has truly been exceptional! The safety features are phenomenal, the price was the best option, the ride is smooth, and the company treats you like family.
We own a 3-year old Outback with 37,000 miles on it. Since purchasing the vehicle, we have had to add a quart of oil between each scheduled service (about every 3,000 miles). The dealership tells us that is not abnormal due to the thin grade of oil (which was never mentioned when we were considering purchase of this Outback). It gets worse. In November, without warning, the car lost all power while waiting at a red light on an exit ramp off the interstate. Because we could not get the power back, we were unable to move the vehicle to the shoulder. While waiting for the tow truck, another car smashed into the driver side of the vehicle (hit and run). After months of arguing with Subaru of America, we were told that the accident resulted from the other drivers negligence (rather than because the car was completely dead on the ramp) and, therefore, Subaru was not responsible in any way.The Louisville, Kentucky dealership where we purchased the car finally examined it last week and reported they could find no identifiable problem with the engine. Therefore, the service department concluded there is absolutely no reason to expect this will ever happen again and suggested that we were overreacting because we fear this could occur again, without warning as before, and dont want to drive the vehicle any longer. Not surprisingly, when we asked to meet with the General Manager of the dealership to discuss our concerns, the response was that he was too busy to meet with us (but we could call him). And Subaru has the nerve to boast about its reputation for customer service. You couldnt prove it by our experience. It would be difficult for us to say that Subaru stands behind its product.
Im so disappointed in a car that I expected would be my best ever. I have kept up on all maintenance and just this once did I push my oil change close to the manual recommended maintenance schedule of 7,500 miles and now the dealership is trying to tell me that that is why my motor blew. Then why does my maintenance schedule say every 7,500?!! And to make matters worse, no warning lights ever came on to warn me that the oil was low! How many people with new cars check their dip sticks every week when getting regular oil changes? So upset. I only have 106,000 miles on my 2010 Forester. I have never had any car that just simply ran out of oil because you missed one oil change. I know people in other brands that dont adhere to the rigorous maintenance schedule and never have problems like this. Furthermore, Subaru should not put in the maintenance schedule then to change your oil every 7,500 and then expect that I might find my way to the fine or other print that would tell me (we just lied. Only wait this long if you barely ever driven above 25 mph in the most pristine weather conditions!). Only $3,000 till its paid off and now I dont even know if I should fix it! So mad! I typically do oil changes between 3500-4500 miles but regardless. I live in the Motor City and have always taken slack for driving a foreign vehicle and guess what, now they can all have the last laugh because all my friends, Fords, GMs and other cars did not blow an engine for just once waiting as long as the manual said I could! Really?
Im writing this review on behalf of my son who owns a 2014 WRX. On April 29, 2016, my son was returning to Plattsburgh, N.Y. from training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Tx. He was about 40 miles west of Nashville, Tn., when his WRX blew its motor with about 15,500 miles on it. Subaru had the car brought to Downtown Subaru in Nashville, where it took 40 DAYS to repair. During the time it was at the dealer, we were lied to about the progress of the repair! As of today, June 27, Subaru has not reimbursed my son or myself for retrieving the car and car payment and insurance. Its a shame that Subaru treats military personal in this manner. I cant imagine how they treat the general public!
My 2014 Subaru Forester was amazing when I first purchased it in Nov of 2013. I loved it. That loved was short lived. This vehicle burns SOOO MUCH oil. Its not even funny. I complained every time I took it to the dealership and they just said it was normal and to keep watching it. I recently went into the dealership and found out that back in 2015 Subaru issued an extended warranty for the oil consumption issue, however, I was WAY over the mileage. Why did no one mention this to me??? Why did I get no communication through the mail??? I emailed the corporate customer service area and they wanted to argue with me over this, saying they had sent communication and they would not honor the warranty since I was over the mileage. The ONLY assistance they wanted to provide was $500 off a new purchased or leased vehicle. Ummm, excuse me but I dont have a car payment and no way in heck Im going to get one because of another Subaru. So, instead Im spending $6,000 to get the engine rebuilt and never purchasing another Subaru. Reading all these reviews just confirms that Subaru has AWFUL customer service and they dont care if they lose customers or not. Im sorry but Im going to purchase my next vehicle from a car company that cares and works with their customers. Sorry Subaru but you guys suck.
Id like to share with you my experience with newly purchased Subaru Legacy 2015 (Basic Edition). I purchased this car a month before my lease was coming to an end. I knew I was going to go for a basic trim package, and I ended up doing so without actually seeing it for couple of several reasons. First, dealerships simply DID NOT have basic trims in the showrooms around my area. I trusted the company to deliver something that any other normal automotive company would do. Like Toyota or Honda. For the price I pay... you know what I mean. I did assume that basic trim would be more modest but did not anticipate that it will be borderline dysfunctional. So, after couple of days of driving, I noticed that my little daughter shoveling some dirt into suspicious hole in the trim (see pic attached). At first I thought it is misalignment. Then I thought, it must be bad molding that shrunk during manufacturing. Until I saw identical issue on the other side. This discovery made me question other parts of the car, so I did some QC around and found another issue with the rear window defroster (see pics attached). These two issues quickly got complimented with another annoying feature of the Subaru Bluetooth, where there is absolutely NO WAY to inset a pause sign between the numbers (comma or P, depending on phone model - I tried both), which prevents me from using most of my numbers to overseas, or calling to a corporate numbers with extensions. Not so much for a safety and hands-free dialing. This time Subaru designers also decided not to bother with ability to edit the number - it can be either manually dialed in or loaded from the phone.I decided to pay a visit to Willowdale Subaru Service Center, where I bought my Subaru from. Two polite gentlemen assisted me in my quest. They quickly resolved my concerns with the defrosting system. Apparently, it is a design feature. In my honest opinion, decision to spare for a client additional luxury of clear rear view and leaving minimum needed to pass under bar of safety regulation specs is not the best strategy for a company that wants to earn loyalty in tough competitive market. As for the gasket, shop foreman ** took me to another basic trim Subaru Legacy 2015 and showed me same trim feature there. I guess, the intent was to convince me that it is perfectly normal to have it.Luckily for me, I just happened to find another Subaru Legacy (2014 year) in the showroom that had exactly same trim design - that car actually had a gasket or caulking that tightly closed the gap, and by that logically protecting the inside of whatever is inside the threshold frame from the weather elements (Canada has very salty roads during winter time). Same sort of protection (plastic flap that capped the trim from inside to prevent outdoor dirt to get under the threshold) was on the front side. My 2015 did not have this either. Just white plastic abruptly ends leaving a finger-sized gap. Foreman ** promised that he will inquire on availability of the gasket with Subaru manufacturer. I will wait for 1 week to get the answer. Frankly, as snow hit us already, I would expect gasket to be installed by then. We will see. As for the Bluetooth - Subaru did not have a plausible explanation.
I own a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The car is currently undergoing work for a SECOND CVT transmission. With the first transmission, I was at 55,000 miles, and there were audible queues. I was lucky enough to bring the car into the dealership to be diagnosed. I was informed I would need a new transmission and it would be covered under my extended (60,000 mile) warranty. The car was fixed and I believed everything to be fine.Last week, I was on vacation with my two small children (2 and 5, both requiring car seats) and driving from St Augustine FL to Atlanta along I-75. I was just outside of Macon, GA, and in the far left lane, when the car jerked violently and then stopped accelerating. There was a transfer truck to my right, and a few vehicles came up very quickly to my rear. I was able to coast off to the left hand side of the road. The vehicle was stripped of all gears and no longer even had a park. The emergency brake had to be utilized to keep it from rolling.I called Subaru roadside assistance and the car was towed to Macon (about 40 miles north) to a dealer there (with me and my two kids in the front with the driver, a very nice man). Once I arrived at the dealership, I was treated with a we cant look at it today, what do you want us to do about it attitude. I called Subaru Customer Care and Lisa arranged a rental car through Enterprise. I was not allowed to take a dealership loaner since I live in Hickory, North Carolina and would be taking the car over state lines. The car broke down at 11:00 AM and we were not back on the road until 5:30 PM.Since then, this was over a week ago, I have expressed my worries with Subaru. They have assured me that the extended CVT Transmission warranty issued by Subaru last month would cover my car, even though it is at the 88,000 mile mark, but would anyone want a car on its second transmission that essentially stalled while going 70 mph on the highway???I have asked Subaru to do the right thing and either pay off the loan or allow me to trade in the vehicle, but they refuse. Now they are stating that the rental car will not be covered for the entire time of the repair and that I will have to travel back down to Macon, GA (6 hours from my home) to pick the car up once it is fixed later next week. Thats over two full weeks in a rental car and a whole lot of a headache to pick up a car that may or may not work for another 30,000 miles.If this was my first transmission, if this had only happened once, I would not be writing this. If my kids had not been in the car when it stopped accelerating on the highway, I would not be writing this. I, like everyone else, need reliable and safe transportation. I have neither of these things and Subaru refuses to right the wrong.For those looking into buying a car with the CVT Transmission, please dont. I would hate for someone to get seriously injured by this. Its dangerous and something Subaru should not ignore. A recall should be issued. My first transmission gave me a warning sign with a noise, the second one just stopped... there was no warning.
I bought a brand new Subaru Outback in 2005 and the engine completely failed at 51,000 miles out of nowhere in 2009. I fought Subaru on it for 3 months and they finally agreed to pay for the new engine. Now, after 3 years and 30,000 miles the engine has failed again! The car is only 7 years old and has had 2 complete engine failures. Subaru is telling me they cant do anything about it and they want $4000 to fix it, about twice what a local mechanic might quote.I spoke to my dads mechanic who has been working on cars in the same location in Palo Alto for more than 30 years (since before I was born.) He said that he wont work on Subaru engines because there is a major problem with them. They blow head gaskets and then Subaru tries to pin the failure on the mechanic or on the owner and it causes problems. Apparently, there are many mechanics here that wont touch them because Subaru legal is taking care of this engine problem.When I look online, there are dozens of sites about this Subaru engine problem, websites were hundreds of people have logged in and documented their head gasket failures at 30,000, 50,000, 70,000 miles. Way too soon for any engine to be failing. Subaru still denies theres a problem, but they redesigned the engine a few years ago and now its not failing in the new cars. Several folks have tried to put together class action lawsuits, but I dont think any of them have gone forward. Meanwhile, if you look on sites that give recommendations on buying used Subarus, they all say if youre going to buy one from roughly 1998-2006 with this particular engine, you need to make sure its failed once and had the major repair done. Otherwise, its not worth buying because it will fail soon. Thats crazy!From what I can tell - most people just go ahead and pay for the repair, some people get better deals, and a few actually get the repairs covered. It seems to depend entirely on how much of a fight you put up. A friend of my mothers has already had 2 new engines put in because of this problem in the first 80,000 miles, too, and he paid for them!My car is currently sitting at Carlsen Subaru in Redwood City, waiting to be worked on. It originally failed on Christmas Day. So, its been more than 2 weeks and nothing has been resolved. At this point, my goal is to get Subaru to buy the car back from me. Id be happy with Blue Book Value. I just dont want to deal with it anymore. And it breaks my heart because I love my car. But its given me 3 years of stress now, so Im done. Is there anything you can do to help me and other Subaru drivers? Thanks so much for your time.
Buyer beware. It seems Subaru has a long standing manufacturers issue with the head gasket that should have been addressed via recall. Instead they are piecemealing the issue with small repair discounts. My car has only 66k miles (6k miles outside warranty) and been well-maintained. I am discovering that this has been an issue since the mid to late 90s. Just like the class action for heavy oil use, it seems Subaru will wait for the lawsuit to finally be forced to address the problem. 4th family Subaru and I will tell everyone I know of my experience and never to buy a Subaru again.

