Worst Subaru Outback Problems
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The top three concerns from car owners about the Subaru Outback focus on the 2011-2015 model years, with the 2015 model having the most overall complaints and the 2013 model often rated as the worst choice due to the high repair cost.
The third worst Subaru Outback problem is the transmission failing in the 2011 Outback, with an average repair cost coming to $4,200 at around 100,000 miles. The second worst Subaru Outback problem is the car hesitating while accelerating in the 2014 Outback. The worst Subaru Outback problem is excessive oil consumption in the 2013 Outback, with a typical repair cost of around $1,500.
2003 Subaru Outback problems
The main categories of concern in the 2003 Outback include the engine system, the body and paint system, and the interior accessories category.
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Engine Problems
Regarding the 2003 Subaru Outback problems, this is the first model year that showed extensive issues that need to be addressed. The top engine concerns focus on the blown head gasket, a ticking sound when the temperature is cold, and the engine misfiring during use.
To fix the blown head gasket, the typical repair cost comes in at around $2,000 to replace the head gasket. The average mileage to fix the head gasket comes in at around 56,000 miles and has a severity rating of 8.7 out of 10.
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Body and Paint Problems
The top Subaru Outback problems for the 2003 body and paint category include excessive wind noise coming from the side mirrors and the paint rusting after prolonged use. The average mileage of fixing the excessive wind noise comes in at 61,000 miles and deals with the automakers or mechanics fixing the mirrors to reduce extra noise.
2005 Subaru Outback Problems
The main categories of concern regarding the Subaru Outback problems in the 2005 model include the clutch, the engine, and the wheels and hubs.
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Clutch Problems
The main clutch problems from car owners include clutch failure at low mileage and loud clutch noise. To fix the clutch failure, the typical repair cost comes in at around $2,020 and occurs at nearly 67,000 miles to replace the clutch before the problem gets any worse. The severity rating of this problem is 7.3 out of 10 on the severity scale.
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Wheels and Hubs Problems
The wheels and hubs’ main concern in the 2005 Subaru Outback is wheel bearing failure, a problem that typically occurs at around 75,000 miles. The typical repair cost comes in at about $1,100 and involves replacing the hub assembly and the wheel bearing.
2006 Subaru Outback Problems
The main categories of concern in the 2006 Outback include the engine, the interior accessories, and the drivetrain. The most common and most severe Subaru Outback problems mainly focus on the engine, with the NHTSA citing over 140 complaints in this category.
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Engine Problems
The top concerns from car owners about the engine feature the check engine light coming on during use, the oil leaking out of the heads, the check engine light coming on, and the engine overheating while running. To fix the check engine light coming on, the typical repair cost is $570 to replace the throttle body at around 108,000 miles.
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Interior Accessories Problems
The top interior accessories problems from car owners include the dashboard warning lights turning on and off sporadically, the automatic door lock malfunctioning, the ESP indicator light being faulty, and the center console lights blinking rapidly.
The typical repair cost to fix the dashboard warning lights turning on and off intermittently comes out to $200 and occurs at around 11,500 miles. The most common solution is to replace the alternator, and the problem has a severity rating of 5 out of 10.
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Drivetrain Problems
The top Subaru Outback problems in the 2006 model include the check engine light flashing, the car jerking in slick conditions, and the rear wheels overcompensating while driving on slick ice. The typical repair cost for the check engine light is around $120 and occurs at around 100,000 miles, with the most common solution being to replace the accelerator assembly.
2007 Subaru Outback Problems
The top categories of concern regarding the 2007 Subaru Outback problems include the engine system, the seatbelts and airbags, and the wheels and hubs.
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Engine Problems
The main user concerns focusing on the 2007 Outback engine feature a leaking head gasket, misfiring engine, and failing engine. To fix the leaking head gasket, the typical repair cost comes to $2,320 and occurs at around 85,000 miles. The most common solution is to replace the head gasket and fix the faulty gaskets before they become any worse.
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Seat Belts and Air Bags Problems
Car owners of the 2007 Outback complained of the airbag light staying on while driving in the seat belt sensor failing while an occupant is in the seat. Fixing the airbag light staying on requires around $300 to replace the airbag module at nearly 112,000 miles.
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Wheels and Hubs Problems
For the 2007 Subaru Outback problems, the wheels and hubs’ top issues feature the rear wheel bearing failure and the owner needing to replace all four tires. The bearing failure’s typical repair cost comes in at $410 and has the most common solution of replacing the wheel bearing at nearly 57,000 miles.
2010 Subaru Outback Problems
The top categories of concern regarding the 2010 Subaru Outback problems include the engine, the transmission, and the lights.
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Engine Problems
Owners reported the engine hesitating during use, stalling, head gasket failing oil leaking, engine not starting, and the engine making a whistling sound. The typical repair cost of the engine stalling is around $3,000 and involves replacing the engine or the computer at nearly 101,000 miles.
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Transmission Problems
The top concerns from the 2010 Outback owners include the torque converter locking up while braking, the transmission making noise, the car not shifting properly, and the powertrain failing. The typical repair cost of the torque converter comes to $1,540 and occurs at around 115,000 miles.
2011 Subaru Outback Problems
The top categories of concern in the 2011 Outback include the lights and the transmission, with the NHTSA citing over 115 complaints in the lights category.
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Lights Problems
Regarding the 2011 Subaru Outback problems, the lights issues focus on the headlights burning out prematurely, the bulbs burning out during use, and the 3 rear lights turning off intermittently. The premature headlight burnout has a typical repair cost of around $110 and involves the necessity to replace headlights at around 80,000 miles.
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Transmission Problems
The top problems from car owners of the transmission system include transmission failure, transmission shuddering, and transmission jerking during use. The average repair cost for the transmission failure is around $4,200 and involves replacing the transmission at nearly 101,000 miles.
2013 Subaru Outback Problems
The top categories of concern when dealing with the 2013 Subaru Outback problems involve the engine and the transmission.
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Engine Problems
The 2013 Subaru Outback owners’ top engine concerns involve excessive oil consumption, engine failure, and engine block damage. The excessive oil consumption can be fixed by rebuilding the engine, replacing oil rings, replacing rings, and replacing the short block. The fix’s average mileage comes in at nearly 46,000 miles and has a typical repair cost of around $1,590.
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Transmission Problems
Regarding the 2013 Subaru Outback problems, the most concerning transmission issues focus on the transmission failure, the transmission hesitation, and the transmission making a loud thud noise when shifting into drive. The typical repair cost of transmission failure comes to $6,500 to replace the transmission at around 97,000 miles.
2014 Subaru Outback Problems
The top categories of concern in the 2014 Outback include the engine and the lights, with many car owners of this model noticing issues with accelerating and potential safety defects.
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Engine Problems
Some of the most severe Subaru Outback problems in this model year for the engine includes the car hesitating while accelerating, unusual noises from the engine, excessive oil consumption, and the vehicle surging at low speeds.
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Lights Problems
Subaru Outback owners’ concerns have in the lights category involved headlights burning out, the rear trunk light falling out, and the light bulbs being difficult and tedious to change. The typical repair cost of the headlights burning out averages around $110 to replace the bulbs at nearly 48,000 miles.
2015 Subaru Outback Problems
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Interior accessories Problems
The main Subaru Outback problems in the interior accessories category involve the radio not working properly, the blind spot monitor not functioning, the voice navigation not working, the Bluetooth not connecting, the cruise control not working, the ignition not turning, and the radio resets after being turned off.
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Windows and Windshield Problems
The top concerns from car owners about the windows and windshield in the 2015 Outback feature the windows cracking easily, the windows not operating, the windows letting in noise from outside, and the rear window wiper misaligned when compared to the rest of the car.
The windows cracking typical repair cost is around $540 to replace the windshield at around 19,000 miles.
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Electrical Problems
The 2015 Outback owners cited concerns about the electrical system, with the most common problems being the engine not turning over, the battery dying, and the battery not keeping a charge.
The typical repair cost for the engine not turning over averages around $160, with the owner needing to replace the engine battery or fix the program adjustment at around 10,000 miles.
2018 Subaru Outback Problems
The 2018 Outback was one of the worst model years in terms of the number of Subaru Outback problems. The top categories of concern from car owners focus on the electrical system and the windows problems.
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Electrical Problems
The top user concerns about the electrical system feature the battery dying, the car shutting down while driving, the head unit having a faulty display, and the antenna for the push-to-start button not working properly. The typical repair cost comes to $90 to replace the battery or the failed brake light switch at around 9,850 miles.
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Windows and Windshield Problems
Car owners of the 2018 Outback have cited Subaru Outback problems about the windshield easily cracking, causing the typical repair cost to come out to $570 to replace the windshield.
Subaru Outback Reliability
2020 Subaru Outback Rating
Regarding the common Subaru Outback problems, it is important to know how the 2020 OUtback stacks up against the competition. The pros of this model include roomy and comfortable seats, ample cargo space, high-quality and luxurious cabin materials, plenty of safety tech features, and off-road prowess for performance.
The cons and the Subaru Outback problems in the 2020 model feature the base engine not having as much power as the competition, and the infotainment system being less user-friendly than the competition. Despite having some Subaru Outback problems, the 2020 model offers a smooth ride, off-road features, and a spacious cabin.
The Car US News Scorecard ranked the 2020 Outback with an 8 out of 10, with the critics’ rating coming to 8.4, the performance coming to 7.1, the interior averaging 8.2, and the JD Power Reliability score earning a 3 out of 5.
Even though the 2020 Subaru Outback problems could have caused this car to drop in the rankings, this model year earned favorable ratings when compared to other SUVs and crossover cars. The 2020 Outback earned the #2 spot in the Wagons category, #16 in Crossover SUVs, and #11 in the SUVs with 2 Rows category.
Conclusion
Although the Subaru Outback is a very popular car model on the market today, there are numerous problems to keep in mind – problems that span various model years. By avoiding the worst model years, like the 2013 and 2015 Subaru Outback, you can safely drive without worrying about engine issues, transmission problems, and electrical problems in your vehicle!