Just as a heads up the engine changed for the 2013 model year. 2010 through 2012 use the EJ25 engine, which uses 5W-30 oil and doesn’t have the oil consumption issue that the FB25 engine has for the 2013/14 models. On the flip side, the FB25 doesn’t have the head gasket issue that the EJ25 has.
You all probably dont give a damn but does anybody know a method to log back into an Instagram account..? I somehow forgot my password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.
servicing the CVT is bad advice. My subaru guy of 30 years won't do the work! He sends everyone to certified subaru dealership. there's more to it than the fluids. you have to be extremely precice. I would never advise any amateur to do that kind of work.
Replaced the head light lamps 3 times in 4 years and ultimately decided to go with LED lamps that can take up to 20v spikes. No issues so far and am happy for last 2 yrs.
10 year 4th Gen Outback owner here. You can change the drivers side headlight bulb almost as easily as the passenger side just by turning the wheels. After a time or two of doing this, I’ve become pretty quick at this, maybe 10 mins a side. It’s a stupid design but not as big of a deal as some people make of it. I’m trying LED bulbs this time around to see what happens, as these Outback’s won’t throw a dash light for the low voltage draw.
To make my life even easier, I go ahead and take the wheel off. It takes little more time of course, but worth it. And I bought a bag of 100 assorted push clips off Amazon for $14.99. WAY cheaper than the 4-packs at the parts store... I know, I work at one.
I'm in the same boat. Bought ours brand new and I change them every 4-5 months. We got some money back from Subaru about 7 years ago. But we don't bother anymore. Your right about the 10 minutes. I don't even bother taking off the tires anymore, I can just close my eyes and easily find all the pieces. I've had to replace a lot of the plugs but its my wife's car so it get the most attention! :)
The wheel well method is such a painful process for me. Maybe I just have big ol' ape arms or something. I broke one of the plastic hooks for the spring clip in my 2014, so my buddy and I had to replace the headlight assembly. After doing that, I think it might actually be less frustrating to just take the bumper cover off and pull the headlight brackets and assemblies to do the bulbs. The bumper cover is just held on with clips and a cordless impact gun can make short work of the bolts.
Excellent presentation, I have a 2014 Outback (since new) and the two issues I have experienced on a number of times are the oil consumption and the headlights burning out, thanks for the detailed and easy to understand explanation. Great job!
I WAS SENT A RECALL FOR AIR BAGS AND FINALLY DID IT. THEY CAME, GOT MY CAR, LEFT ME A NEW ASCENT AND SAID ENJOY. I SAT IN THE ASCENT. BEAUTIFUL!! GLAD TO GET MY OUTBACK BACK.
I had 2010 3.6l Outback. Best car I even owned. Never had a maintenance problem. No oil problems My original brakes lasted 123km. Very smooth ride, with the 5 speed tranny. The mileage was good too....30 mpg (Imperial) or more on the highway, but city driving probably the high teens.
I have a 2013 and love the sure footed feel of it. Steering shaft and airbags replaced under warranty/recall . Yes, it uses about 1 qt of oil between changes, I have the car serviced at dealer per manufacture instructions. I now have 120000 miles on it and we do some off road driving for camping, tires continue to wear even, and still original brakes ( probably due to down shifting paddle shifters) Power is not great, but enough. Also had a wheel bearing go out and a computer go out that controlled the readout on the upper small display, Also love the eye sight function and in 2013 it was quite a big deal, now it has become standard on vehicles. Paid about 30 K for it back in 2013. Amazing that I can have one wheel off the ground during off road driving and the car doesn't seem to care and pulls through. I get about 27 MPG average combined. Have not changed any bulbs yet. Thanks for the post 1A.
I have a 2012 Outback and they do not use 0W-20 oil. They use 5W-30 oil. The head gaskets you talked about were not an issue on 2012 and above.I never had a steering column or airbag recall.
Well I'm glad I found this vid. I was about to pick up this 2013 2.5 Limited Outback. However it has a 183k for mileage. The head gasket issue turns me off real quick!
I just got a 13 w 95k and already noticed the oil burn (drive from MA to FL) and drivers headlight, but I just added oil and went in through wheel well for the light, and it was totally fine. Its my favorite car I've ever had (Acura, BMW, Audi, Honda, and Toyota). 110% recommend the Outback, but get one w lower miles
2013/14 outback’s went to the FB (chain driven) engine and head gasket problems really went away, oil consumption took its place , pick Your poison, and w a 10-12, you can visually see if original gaskets were replaced w multi layer , you can see them poking out on each side , top and bottom, u see those tiny 3 layer gaskets and I don’t have to worry about headgasket problems !
I bought a 2011 Subie Outback 3.6R this past summer (147km on odometer). LOVE the V6 and 5 speed auto!!! I also now understand why many auto reviewers rave about Subie's AWD system. I am sooooo hoping for a lot of snowstorms this winter! It is great to hear this guy mention about removing the bumper in order to change the headlights. After purchasing, I wanted to install higher quality bulbs in my girl. I did some research and tried the method of going through the wheel wells. I found it was still extremely hard to access the driver's side (low beam) bulb. Upon doing some further research, I happened to stumble upon a DIY video where the guy recommended taking the bumper off and removing the light housings. Yes, it is certainly a little bit of extra work/effort to do it this way. But the ease as to which you can access the bulbs after doing so makes it sooooo worthwhile to do it in this manner!! I did go beyond the initial 5,000 km before getting my first oil change after buying this vehicle. This was due to reading in the owner's manual where it recommended changing the oil every 7,000 km (or was it 8,000? can't remember exactly). At around 6,000 km of driving, the low oil light came on. I checked it immediately and found there was hardly any oil left. The mechanic that I use (a 1 man operation) told me that the oil should definitely be changed every 5,000 km - regardless of what the vehicle is and/or what the owner's manual says. He explained to me that once the oil gets dirty, then the engine starts to burn it even faster. I have gone with 'full' synthetic oil on my first two oil changes - still changing the oil at every 5,000 km intervals (recommended by my mechanic, even with the use of full synthetic) - and no further problems so far with excessive burning oil. Personally, I would also highly recommend running the Outback on Premium gasoline (Shell V-Power has absolutely no ethanol content). Sure the premium gas is more expensive, and Outbacks with the V6 are not the most fuel efficient to begin with, but the increased power and the smoothness it brings to the 5 speed auto, is more than worth the extra cost to me.
@@bondpit8750 no, on the 2010-2014, the 3.6R H6 never came with a CVT, it was paired only to a traditional 5-speed auto. The 2.5i H4 came with CVT or a 5-speed manual, and no 5-speed auto was available. This was the last generation of Outback (and Legacy) to have the 5AT. For 2015+, they dropped the 5AT altogether and put the CVT in all models, including the H6.
Make sure you have good tires. My old all season tires got stuck in my driveway on the snow the city snow plow pushed up. Replaced them and waiting for some snow to try them out
I have a 2013 2.5 Outback. I started dealing with the oil consumption issue somewhere around 70k miles, around 2 quarts per oil change interval. I fought them for a while, did 3 different consumption tests, each time after the 1200 miles not a drop of oil missing, but then somehow shortly after the low oil light would come on. I convinced them to do another 1200 miles on the same oil change after my second test. Sure enough around 500 miles in, low oil light came on. After that they finally agreed to the short block replacement. Since then it's been pretty solid, at 126k miles now. I've also noticed maybe a super slow coolant leak, but not enough to take any action right now, I'll just occasionally top that off, like once a year or so.
Got 132k on my 2012 Outback 2.5 cvt. Bought it new and it's been overall great. It has had some things go bad however. One rear wheel hub, radiatior, front lower control arms, & an oxygen sensor. Doesn't burn oil, had the timing belt & water pump done at 105k. Just did the spark plugs last weekend and noticed the valve cover gaskets are leaking a bit on the coil plugs. I'll address that soon. Still drives great and gets like 30 mpg. Switched to HID bulbs almost 2 yrs ago, no issues
Both our Outback and Forester Touring models are 2019. My wife has 28K miles on her Outback and I have only 12K miles on my Forester. Neither one of them burn oil and we’re thankful for that. I have the oil changed every 5K miles. At 30K miles the front and rear differential and transfer case fluid is changed as well as the brakes are bled. Every 60K miles the CVT fluid is changed.
I own '14 outback 2.5i imported from US for 3 years with 140k miles now. Didn't changed the bulbs not even once. Takata airbags were changed for free as recall. 5W30 oil in 7kmiles intervals - consumes from none to max 0,5qrt@7kmiles depending on driving conditions between oil changes. FB25 engine is not prone to head gasket problem anymore. We have local shops specializing in subarus - so very mild chance to get oil caps mixed. Steering shaft issue? - didn't heard such problem from anyone at all, but is sounds like
As far as the headlight burnouts. I have a 2010 Outback. Burned out headlights all the time. I replaced all of my ground-straps and made sure they had good contact and di-electric grease on them. Haven’t burned out a bulb since for over 2 years now
I just purchased a Subaru 4th Gen. Outback and after viewing your video I will be taking it to a Subaru dealer for all services. Hopefully there will be no mistakes on their part while checking drivetrain fluid levels.
humans can make mistakes.....research research research will save your BUTT!!!! Watch as many videos until you feel like....okay I memorized how to do this! Then do a dry run before you do a job...
For the low-beam headlight issues you mentioned on this year range of the Subaru Outback, there is a class action lawsuit where Subaru is replacing these for free. Check with your Subaru dealer. I've had two sets of bulbs replaced over the past five years on my 2011 Outback.
The window is closed for Subaru dealers to fix this headlight problem under the recall. I had this problem but missed the cutoff date for the covered fix. It has something to do with a faulty headlight wiring harness. I’m not happy with the way Subaru handled this issue.
I noticed my engine used to burn out oil alot. took the car for a check at the mechanic, he realised the spark plug seals were wornout and leaked oil which somehow burned away. I had them replaced with new spark plugs and ever since then the oil issue has never occured.
Sooooo glad we got rid of our 2011 Outback with the 2.5L engine, got rid of it around 120k miles, followed ALL maintenance. smoked on startup sometimes, and was dripping antifreeze from exhaust, super noticeable on white snow covered ground. (green gatorade) my wife thought the car was fine but my Subaru spider senses knew this thing had to go. Traded the 2011 Outback for an off-lease 2015 Crosstrek...... and at 65k miles the Crosstrek smokes on startup,,,.... only sometimes...... Subaru, Please get your act together. Please .... enough already. Subaru , please stop with the self destructing "Boxer" engines.
I liked the video, gave it a thumbs up for all the info I wanted to know before buying a used 2014. New subscriber too! Your clear, fast, and detailed with the info.
This car eats more light bulbs than any other car I've ever owned by far. I swapped most of the bulbs for LED and replacing the headlights through the fender liner is like closing in a safety pin at arm's length, blind. A really fun job.
It would have been a nice addition to this video when you were talking about the mix up of the CVT and differential fill plugs to throw the car up on the lift and show them to us
I was excited to pick up a nice cheap manual from a customer that wanted something with way better fuel economy and while I'd love to say my 11 2.5 Premium 6-spd has ben smooth sailing, it's actually been a pretty messy situation with the steering column wobble (which has thankfully been pretty gentle so far and not a serious cause for concern... yet) and needing to replace the head gasket at 114k miles. The throttle body and sensor very likely needs cleaning/replacement, too, as the throttle response is infuriatingly inconsistent and, in a manual, this makes shifting smoothly super difficult since the same amount of movement creates different levels of response. Hopefully I can get some of the benefits of the, "sUpEr ReLiAbLe!" owners soon, but with a brake master cylinder job coming up I'm losing faith in my own research and was instead trusted hearsay-- oops.
Did get the recall letter, and had the airbags changed. No problem with the oil. My issue is with the bilbs! Even the dealer said it's very difficult to change bulbs in this car. I take it right to the dealer.
Have a 2013, had a oil consumption until I added Lucas oil additive. It went away after adding about 4 oz of that per oil change. The headlights are a pain to change, never swore so much on a job before but I did it through the wheel well and the hood. Replaced the bulbs once in 60k miles. Overall very happy with the vehicle!
Would be nice to mention the 10-12 are the 2.5 sohc that are more known for the head gasket seepage and for lower milage examples they are know for the valve guides to drop when the engine isn't brought up to full temperature. The 13-14 models are know for oil consumption due to the engine redesign. Another thing to look out for is on the early 2010-2011 2.5 models can need valve bodies. If you get a generic P0700 for a transmission mil request or it acts like it's a manual transmission that you forgot to push the clutch in it will probably be a lockup solenoid. Remove the 2 clips on the corner of the bumper and inner liner and move the inner liner to replace the headlight bulbs. Scrapes you're arms but I'd doable, use some silicone spray to reinstall the bulb cover.
Steel oil pan replacement @ 131k Simple fix if you have steady hands and can lay a bead of silicone gasket. Most won't attempt, but i encouraged you, that you can.
so i have been the diy guy over my complete life, I'm now approaching 60. I have one of these wounderful subarua and found that i have 4 of the 5 problems . to my luck or paranoid up keep I am lucky to have changed my lights well over 6 times, alternator checks out fine, most likely just a crappy ground that can't be found no worries, i enjoy dislocating my shoulder wrist and elbow routinely, oil changes are a breeze, yes you do burn a quart of this fine 0w 20 approx 1400 -2400 miles, luckly no head gasket issues thus far don't really want to use that fancy radiator poker to see what is really there to get more depressed, although my oil cap doen't have any junky junk inside of it. ,,fewy... , steering shaft thank god no issues, my air bags got recalled and replaced by dealer ship, but they made 180 $$ off that visit for battery replacement. I have yet to service my CVT OR front diff. Oh ya dont' for get the little detail of your AWD tire replacement , that is just a pain in the keaster about every 5000 miles. Oh ya he for got the part about coolent flush impossible for a DIY type of person , just bring it to the shop. it will screw up your battery is not services. WEIRD RIGHT. So as you can tell this is not a good year to have. Good luck to all you new subara owners it will cost more in up keep than in any other vehicle you'll ever own.... sorry for the typo's and grammer. not a happy owner... oh well.
May think I'm crazy but I just got a cheap 2010 outback and fixed the brakes and ball joints. Other then that seems to be a great running car at 200k. I'm not really expecting much, certainly going to look into the recalls as soon as possible, but maybe get a few years out of it. Seems to be good so far.No signs of oil loss either, besides the small drip from drain plug gasket probably needs changing.
Well you just sold me on not wasting my time to look at two Outbacks 2012 & 2014, I was planning to go see today......No thank you for those two cars but thank you for the video.....
Posting as an owner of a '14 with 120k mi. So recalls are one thing/ and have been addressed. But I change both my low beams with the wheel turned method. I do this yearly even with hella bulbs. I have more of an issue with the high beams AKA the daytime runner. I replace those about every 6 months. And as someone said before- the FB series resolved the boxer motor haters complaints. For me/ I change oil every 4k with no consumption problems. Where I get all warm and fuzzy here is the cvt talk. Subaru claims the cvt fluid is lifetime fluid and should not need to be changed for the life of the transmission (but they won't say what that milage is?) Unless vehicle is used in harsh/ or heavy duty wear conditions. Overall tho a neat video/ reason really for me being here is doing homework for my hybrid electronic parking brake. Seems to me the linkage has an actuator in it/ not like the new ones with the additional hardware in the caliper. So I still have parking brake shoes even with this new push button brake. Nobody talks about this tho.
You failed to mention about the 5eat transmission and the dreaded engine/trans/tcs light, safety/limp mode, code p1710 turbine speed sensor 2 or something failure and you have to get a complete valve body with subaru or replace the part but you can only get online, but still have to remove valve body to replace.
I bought a 2012 outback.... Heating issues galore. Had heads & gasgets replaced. Along with piston & rings, thermostat, radiator & cap. STILL OVERHEATS!!!! Am being told after putting $5,000.+ intothe bucket that the $2,000. catalytic converter needs replacing...😩 It's beed just sitting in my garage, in the way now for months. P O C
This was the reason I decided to get the Kona, with 10/100 and extended it bumper to bumper for $1200. No more CVT, no DCT, no GDI, no Boxer engines with head gaskets, oil consumption, etc. AWD is great, the rest of the car is problematic. No more subarus. I had 2 and had 4 head gaskets replaced.
There are ways to make any voltage spikes down to 14,8V. Change regulator. Check connections, clean it maybe with Deoxyde. No need to change alternator. I feel like remove filter airbox is easier to change bulb. Same on other side, just remove pin holding washerfluid pipe, move it aside and here you go - you have access.
Thanks for the video. No kidding about the lights. We have a 2010 and I change them twice a year. I've gotten good at it. You can do the diver's side the same as the passenger's. . .after eleven years with this car, I've gotten it down to about 10 min. :) It's to the point where I just have to close my eyes and let my fingers do all the work. Thanks again. I've used your advice a few times.
Same here, but I hate the car because of it. Also having a coolant issue and the radiator hose blew again yesterday. Likely the head gasket problem mentioned. And it def consumes oil. Never again!
@@wailee9243 No it won't. This model has a design flaw, and will kill bulbs quickly. Often inside a year. Subaru got sued, and to head it off offered free bulb changes for ten years, but just stopped. (Ten years after manufacture.) It is a real pain, since they are so hard to change.
That steering shaft issue sounds scary, man!! I’ve had my 2012 Outback since new and haven’t seen any recall/safety notices from Subaru. Is this just anecdotal or really a trend or concern? If this is a real safety issue I’ve gotta bet Subaru would recall this before a parts salesman tries to scare us into buying parts to fix this “issue”.
Great video with very helpful information to use for my 2014 outback with 160K. I noticed my steering is loose and made an appointment for that to be checked, an alignment and oil change at the same time. I will check the other things mentioned in this vid. I am having to add oil fairly frequently. My car is outta warranty which worries me. I also have my warning lights coming on to the point of being a nuisance. I asked if I can just have them turned off. I drove my 70 Camaro with no warning lights just fine. Thanks!
+matute11 Thank you! We love empowering our customers and showing how to perform DIY auto repairs with our high-quality auto parts. 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
I have a 2011 Outback with 3.6L engine and 94,000 miles. I replaced both low beam headlights twice. The third time, I upgraded to LED bulbs. For the driver's side bulb, I removed the driver's side wheel and plastic wheel well to reach the bulb. I have not yet checked the alternator. Do the voltage spikes require an oscilloscope to identify? I've had all the problems in the video plus my rear view camera display on the mirror is too fuzzy to use anymore. A new camera is $235 at the dealer, but I'm not sure if they use a computer with software to align the parking marks (if needed after camera swap). Great content here by 1A Auto.
This was very informative video. Steering wheel bags have been changed. Had one blow out of my low beam passenger side front light when I went to get my inspection. Did not even know that it was blown out. Those other issues haven’t happened and I am at 148,000 miles.
Funny story. I had my CVT replaced under warranty. The one they put in was bad. I decided to fix it myself and refill the CVT and front diff fluid. I thought the diff fill plug was this hex bolt, and I tried to remove it. It was rounded, so I drilled into it. Turns out it was actually a permanent bolt for a hydraulic channel in the CVT. CVT fluid started gushing out like a geyser, and I ruined the transmission and diff.
I have a 2014 Outback with the 3.6 engine. It's peppy and fun drive - much better than the 4 cylinder CVT. That being said, I've had a lot of annoying little problems that leave me unhappy with the car. The lightbulbs, which are mentioned in this video, have been a constant issue. I've never had so many bulbs burn out on a car, and as the video shows, replacing them isn't exactly straightforward (and the dealer charge for replacing a bulb is ridiculous). The backup camera stopped working right after the warranty ran out. Also, the driver's side window frequently gets stuck because the rubber gasket at the base of the window gets sucked into the door when lowering the window.
Yeah, oil and head gaskets. What a pain. Lightbulbs recently too, although you can just do the driver side one through the wheel well exactly like passenger side.
i had absolutely every one of these problems on my 2012 Outback except the 1st one ( for steering wheel)..Bought it new. Now , after all these explained and called common problems ,the question is: should i bought Subaru in the 1st place at all?
I would still say Subarus are pretty good vehicles- a bit surprised you had the head gasket issue, that seemed to be pretty much fixed when Subaru went to the FB engine on the 4th gen, although there were still some isolated issues, but nothing like the EJ series engine that preceded it. Sounds like a good way to avoid some of these issues is to go with the 6 cylinder model, which (up until 2015) still used a regular automatic transmission, and did not seem to have the head gasket or oil consumption issues as much as the 4 cylinder.
I have 2011 subaru outback 2.5i pzev with 133k miles. I do all the maintenance on it. Cvt drain and fill with valvoline cvt synthetic. Mobile one 75w 90 synth for front and rear diff and mobil one oil 5w30 synth. I had the recalls for the air bags. The head lights is an issue. I changed everything out to LED with the exception of the high and low beams. Even the inside lights are phillips led. I also changed out the stock battery to an Bosch AGM battery. I noticed that has helped a lot with the light bulb issues. One of the led have gone out. Just the high and low beams less frequently. Very very annoying to change out.
I did the same. Still causes issues a few years later. When the bulbs were suppose to last 10yrs or more. lol This voltage issue for the headlights is a real issue. If Im not mistaken the headlights are covered though the Subaru warranty for life. They made a big mistake and are manning up to their faults.
The headlight issue has an expiration date for the fix under the recall per Subaru. That date has passed. I had these problems but was unaware of the date limitation. No fix for me under the recall. I’m not happy with the way Subaru handled this issue. It has to do with a faulty wiring harness.
My Outback would go through a new set of bulbs in 3 months, I fixed it cleaning the grounds. I havent replaced them for a whole year so far, #saving$$$ :)
I love this video. I've used 1AAuto videos for a few cars I've owned or my family has. Most down to earth and simple videos to follow. This specific one will help me replace my headlight assembly/housing in my 2010 Legacy. Well done especially pointing out that taking the bumper off for most headlight area work is MUCH easier in the long run. I've tried both methods for headlight bulb replacements..... definitely spend the extra 1 minute to take the whole bumper off.
The head gaskets DO NOT COMMONY "LEAK" on these models. These came with the FB25 2.5L engines and the head gaskets are fine on these. They will, however, eat oil if not properly maintained. All boxer engines tend to consume oil. The newer ones are actually worse than the old ones at oil consumption. It's a must to change oil religiously every 3k miles on these to keep them reliable and running properly.
Got my 2011 outback for 2500$ with 207000 on it. Transmission likes to stall sometimes when I am to hard on the brake but other than that she runs alright. Just rolled past 211,000. I haven’t found anyone with a higher mileage yet.
Oh wow my coolant just recently started disappearing never knew where it was going. I had to add a gallon of coolant over 2 days. So do I need to get the head gasket checked or is this something I could check and replace myself.
I just had the issue with oil consumption & I am embarrassed to admit it, but I had no idea what the oil light was and caused my motor to be trash. I waited to get my scheduled oil change thinking a couple thousand miles wouldn't matter. Sounds like I trashed my pistons. Unfortunately, I am now trying to find a used engine to swap out. The car is too new & otherwise nice to junk it.
Should I have the Shaft checked by the Dealer ? My 2013 6Spd Premium has 97k on it and I'm. The second owner . I hear noise on the right only when I turn it to its end range on the right other than that no problems . 3 years ago I hit that side against a Telephone poll when I got sideswiped . None of the mechanics that have worked on my car have voiced any concerns with It.
Own 2015 Honda Civic coupe and 2017 Silverado Z71 off-rd 4wd , this whip 2013 subie added to the collection. Subie is perfect addition to the rotation team.
Worst car I have ever owned. Haven't experience the steering shaft issue, yet, but I'm sure it's coming. The oil consumption issue is ridiculous. I have put 160,000 miles on mine in about 4-1/2 years. In those miles, I've added just over 160 additional quarts of oil. Like he said, it fluctuates; I've added it with as little as 450 miles after topping it off with no more than 1,800 miles from the last dosing. it really is depressing that, when you go on a 5,000 mile road trip, precious cargo space is lost to having to carry a 5 qt. bottle of oil. Headlights? It's not just the headlights, it's ALL the lights. Right after purchasing my 2013, I met a guy on a jobsite who had just bought one. He said after he signed the papers, he asked the salesman "Now that I've bought it, tell me the problems with it". Off the bat, the salesman told him to replace all the lights with LED's, otherwise he'd be replacing every bulb at least once per year. Ding-ding-ding! That's my 2013. Every year, I replaced nearly every bulb including the interior lights (excluding the lights on the doors). Frustrated, I switched to LED's in 2017 and haven't had an issue, except with the headlights as they were the only bulbs I didn't replace with LED's. Like clockwork, the headlights last no longer than one year. I just replaced the driver's side bulb two days ago. I will bet good money that, within two weeks, the passenger side headlight will also go. I have a stockpile of replacement headlights (both high and low beam) in my garage and I also carry two of each while on road trips which I take quite frequently. Head gasket. Yup, it's bad. I have the 'gurgling' inside the car and the chemical test on the cooling fluid tested positive for exhaust gases. I'm NOT replacing that. I'm keeping this car one more year (at most) or until that thing finally goes. These vehicles are absolute junk. I see no legitimate way that Subaru has obtained such a good reputation for lasting vehicles. This must be due to the high number of 'soccer moms' who only drive a few thousand miles per year or the kids who watch 'Fast & Furious' one time, then go out and buy a WRX only to wreck it before any problems arise. This was my first Subaru and it will be my last. I'm very happy to say that I have positively precluded two co-workers from buying Subaru's because of my experience. One co-worker had planned on buying his wife an Outback (he went Hyundai Santa Fe instead) and another was eyeing the Legacy (he went Ford Escape). In my travels within the U.S, I make a point of asking people of their experiences with their Outback. A high percentage of them, like me, are completely frustrated with their decision to buy one. I met a couple from Pennsylvania while I was in Glacier National Park who were traveling to Seattle to sell theirs because they researched and discovered that the Seattle area had the highest resale value for them. They were selling theirs because of the oil consumption issue (the husband even brought out his 5 qt. bottle of oil from the hatchback to show me). I can't stress it enough, don't buy a Subaru. In addition to the aforementioned ills of the vehicle, I have also replaced the following: starter, alternator, air conditioning compressor (the clutch detonated while 750 miles from home - that was a fun experience), climate control module, shift solenoid, both front axles, and several smaller-yet-annoying things. Fortunately, I did all the work myself, saving me a lot of money. I'm counting down the days to when I bring this thing to the junkyard..................after it's used for target practice. One should be happy with the vehicle they drive. That is NOT the case with me. Every time I know I have to drive that thing makes me sick. Luckily, I have motorcycles as well as a work-issued vehicle for my job. If it weren't for those, this thing would've been cubed or shredded a long time ago. Again, unless you like constant headaches, please do not buy a Subaru.
+Life Crumbles Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback, we appreciate it! Sounds like you have had your fair share of headaches with yours and we hope there aren't any other major ones before you get your next vehicle.
That's really odd. I have a 2013 stickshift OB and although I keep two quarts of Subaru oil in the tire compartment, I haven't once had to top up between oil changes (I either do them myself or have them done, at 3k intervals). It's good that oil changes take about two minutes on these things since the car is high enough that you don't need to jack it up, and the oil filter is right there in front of your nose when you pop the hood. So far my car has been totally reliable but I'm sure something will go wrong just when it's least convenient!
OK first off you are a guru and you’ve solve so many of the problems and issues that I’ve had with his car since I’ve got it I’ve been telling my husband that we need to get rid of his car and the motor sounds horrible and he doesn’t agree but he doesn’t drive his car very regularly at all anyway back to you you’re amazing I love your red beard and your hand gestures and passion for what you’re talking about now if you could please call Subaru and tell them I want my money back and we can have this POS
My 2012 legacy 3.6 engine has no problem with oil usage. I have 46,000 miles on it .....I worked for the dealer where I bought it from and they serviced till my warranty was off. I use Locus oil supplant and WIX filters now. only thing replaced on the car was the starter while under warranty. Tires were replaced when a side wall was damaged and had to replace all four....
The WORST Subaru dealership as far as the service department is Cascade Subaru in Wenatchee, WA USA. The service department is so bad that almost everyone in our area refuses to take their Subie’s to them for ANY reason whatsoever. We won’t even buy our Subaru’s from Cascade Subaru. We will either drive to Tacoma, Shoreline, Spokane or Yakima to buy our Subaru’s. Many people in our area also avoid Cascade Subaru. This is sad because approximately 25-30% of the vehicles in our area are Subaru’s. We get 5-7 feet of snow every winter and 30 miles away in the city they get 2-3 feet of snow. We live 5 miles from a small town on a private road. There are only 9 families on our road and 6 of us drive Subaru’s.
I haven’t really had any issues on my 2011, I mean the passenger headlight went out at 150k-ish miles but I think that was just from age, anyways after that I changed to LEDs and I’ve had a little issue with it (one side of the driver side low beam bulb flickers sometimes) but I mean it’s been fine.
At what mileage do these issues happen? I have a 2013 Legacy (just the sedan version of that car) but besides the Takata Air Bag recall which fixed that issue, I have not had any of these issues (headlight bulbs is really not a major problem - but they do blow out early as I have replaced both before 80,000 miles). Bumper is a hassle to remove. No headgasket problems (H6), and a miniscule oil consumption problem after 125,000 miles. Trick if it burns oil - Subaru of America allows you to add 0.9 quarts per oil change so you can put in 6.9 quarts with no problem, and go the distance between oil changes if your oil consumption is not very high.
For the engine oil consumption, I have a 2013 outback 2.5 and 100k, less than 6 once of oil consumption because full synthetic good oil and oem filter at every falls wen i do the oil change.
My 2012 Outback with 2.5 has a timing belt, not chains. it also comes with a water pump as a kit. I had mine changed at 98K. Dealership change passenger airbag under warranty and the CVT warranty extension was added. I've had both differentials oil changed, brakes, tires, coolantand thermostat changed, brake lines flushed and regular engine synthetic oil changes, new battery and that's about it. CVT will get flushed next year. i think this Subaru has been more reliable that my previous fords, GMs and Chryster products.
Len, you were spot on with my Hyundai Santa Fe 2008 problems and I was amazed at how accurate you were. Now I have a 2022 Outback Wilderness. Could these problems have been solved by now? I'm at just over 2000 miles and my oil still looks level correct and clean at least.
What is happening if your car feels like in a split second the car feels like under the bottom it's going to split apart North and South.it's pulling apart from the bottom very rarely and it's not your transmission cuz it's not jerking pulling or any of that. It just feels like something is coming to loose in the under carriage. It's s like a split second hard jerk.but there's no warning light on the dashboard. The transmission has been checked and it's not the transmission
This is more than likely due the transmission mount being worn out. It's a cheap and relatively simple fix provided you have a way to get under the car safely.
Hi I have a 2013 with a 6mt. I just crossed over the 100k mark. My car consumes about 3/4 of a quart between changes. And the only odd ball issue I’ve had is the brake light on the top of the hatch. Had to seal it up with silicone. Way cheaper than buying the part from Subaru. And the stereo’s Bluetooth is connection is unreliabile at best, I’ll be replacing it soon. But otherwise I love my car. I’ve bought it with 60k on it. I’ve never had to replace the headlights.
Changing the light bulbs on my 13 Subaru outback was easy no removing bumper headlights or anything else I'm 6'1 230 pounds and I was able to do it. 198k trouble free miles minus one upper radiator hose and clamp 😆🤣. 5w30 is recommended by subaru for this gen for the 2.5
@@alexnelson8 the owner's manual for my 2011 says 5w30. I have 115K on mine and no oil consumption problems (knock on wood). I believe this is the case for the 2010-2012 , and they only changed to saying 0w20 starting with the 2013 model year. I believe they made that change only to get very slightly improved gas mileage in order to meet CAFE standards. I believe there should be no problem at all in running 5w30 in the models that call for 0w20, as it's actually listed as an alternate in the owner's manual. And I have a suspicion it would mitigate or eliminate the oil consumption problem. Page 11-16 and 11-17 of the 2011 manual recommend 5w-30 but also have a chart showing both 5w-30 and 5w-40 for all temperature ranges, and 10w30 and 10w40 for above -20C (-4F), and even a statement that recommends oils up to 10W-50, 20W-40, or 20W-50 "if the vehicle is used in desert areas, in areas with very high temperatures, or used for heavy-duty applications such as towing a trailer." Page 12-5 of the 2013 manual says: "If 0W-20 synthetic oil is not available, 5W-30 or 5W-40 conventional oil may be used if replenishment is needed but should be changed to 0W-20 synthetic oil at the next oil change."
Is there a preferred oil weight and brand / type that can minimize oil consumption on this model? Or do you just have to live with it and check the oil once a week to be on the safe side? Thanks
I have good luck running royal purple in my 09, I seem to have less leaking and burning than if I use valvoline or Mobil 1, I also only go 3,000 miles between changes and it seems to run good and handle my abuse well
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Just as a heads up the engine changed for the 2013 model year. 2010 through 2012 use the EJ25 engine, which uses 5W-30 oil and doesn’t have the oil consumption issue that the FB25 engine has for the 2013/14 models.
On the flip side, the FB25 doesn’t have the head gasket issue that the EJ25 has.
@@Chemguy91 thanks for the info
You all probably dont give a damn but does anybody know a method to log back into an Instagram account..?
I somehow forgot my password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.
servicing the CVT is bad advice. My subaru guy of 30 years won't do the work! He sends everyone to certified subaru dealership. there's more to it than the fluids. you have to be extremely precice. I would never advise any amateur to do that kind of work.
Replaced the head light lamps 3 times in 4 years and ultimately decided to go with LED lamps that can take up to 20v spikes. No issues so far and am happy for last 2 yrs.
Good presentation, but what is a "verical"?
Our 2013 Outback with 103k miles only has had the light bulb issues. Pain to change but better than other problems. Thanks for sharing.
Always loosen the fill plugs first before draining any fluid..If you drain a fluid and can’t get the fill plug out your screwed..
10 year 4th Gen Outback owner here. You can change the drivers side headlight bulb almost as easily as the passenger side just by turning the wheels. After a time or two of doing this, I’ve become pretty quick at this, maybe 10 mins a side. It’s a stupid design but not as big of a deal as some people make of it. I’m trying LED bulbs this time around to see what happens, as these Outback’s won’t throw a dash light for the low voltage draw.
To make my life even easier, I go ahead and take the wheel off. It takes little more time of course, but worth it. And I bought a bag of 100 assorted push clips off Amazon for $14.99. WAY cheaper than the 4-packs at the parts store... I know, I work at one.
I'm in the same boat. Bought ours brand new and I change them every 4-5 months. We got some money back from Subaru about 7 years ago. But we don't bother anymore. Your right about the 10 minutes. I don't even bother taking off the tires anymore, I can just close my eyes and easily find all the pieces. I've had to replace a lot of the plugs but its my wife's car so it get the most attention! :)
The wheel well method is such a painful process for me. Maybe I just have big ol' ape arms or something. I broke one of the plastic hooks for the spring clip in my 2014, so my buddy and I had to replace the headlight assembly. After doing that, I think it might actually be less frustrating to just take the bumper cover off and pull the headlight brackets and assemblies to do the bulbs. The bumper cover is just held on with clips and a cordless impact gun can make short work of the bolts.
Excellent presentation, I have a 2014 Outback (since new) and the two issues I have experienced on a number of times are the oil consumption and the headlights burning out, thanks for the detailed and easy to understand explanation. Great job!
+cariadaberboy Thanks for checking us out. Shop for high quality auto parts on 1AAuto.com:
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Same problems on mine..what a pain
I WAS SENT A RECALL FOR AIR BAGS AND FINALLY DID IT. THEY CAME, GOT MY CAR, LEFT ME A NEW ASCENT AND SAID ENJOY. I SAT IN THE ASCENT. BEAUTIFUL!! GLAD TO GET MY OUTBACK BACK.
Dang just bought one
2011
114,000 miles
$3,300
Runs pretty good no issues yet.
+macabelico90 Thanks for checking us out! 1AAuto.com
wow thats a steal, i just got a 2010 with 175,000 for $7,600.
Not a bad thing. This video is just things to watch for. These are pretty reliable.
How did u get it for so low?
Just bought a 2011 Outback for $10 G's with 66.000 plus miles runs nice.
I had 2010 3.6l Outback. Best car I even owned. Never had a maintenance problem. No oil problems My original brakes lasted 123km. Very smooth ride, with the 5 speed tranny. The mileage was good too....30 mpg (Imperial) or more on the highway, but city driving probably the high teens.
I have a 2013 and love the sure footed feel of it. Steering shaft and airbags replaced under warranty/recall . Yes, it uses about 1 qt of oil between changes, I have the car serviced at dealer per manufacture instructions. I now have 120000 miles on it and we do some off road driving for camping, tires continue to wear even, and still original brakes ( probably due to down shifting paddle shifters) Power is not great, but enough. Also had a wheel bearing go out and a computer go out that controlled the readout on the upper small display, Also love the eye sight function and in 2013 it was quite a big deal, now it has become standard on vehicles. Paid about 30 K for it back in 2013. Amazing that I can have one wheel off the ground during off road driving and the car doesn't seem to care and pulls through. I get about 27 MPG average combined. Have not changed any bulbs yet. Thanks for the post 1A.
+Gabriel Strizzi Thanks for the feedback!
I have a 2012 Outback and they do not use 0W-20 oil. They use 5W-30 oil. The head gaskets you talked about were not an issue on 2012 and above.I never had a steering column or airbag recall.
I'm considering to buy 2012 6 speed manual. It looks pretty nice low mileage. I hope that 2012 have no issues with gaskets
Well I'm glad I found this vid. I was about to pick up this 2013 2.5 Limited Outback. However it has a 183k for mileage. The head gasket issue turns me off real quick!
I just got a 13 w 95k and already noticed the oil burn (drive from MA to FL) and drivers headlight, but I just added oil and went in through wheel well for the light, and it was totally fine. Its my favorite car I've ever had (Acura, BMW, Audi, Honda, and Toyota). 110% recommend the Outback, but get one w lower miles
2013/14 outback’s went to the FB (chain driven) engine and head gasket problems really went away, oil consumption took its place , pick
Your poison, and w a 10-12, you can visually see if original gaskets were replaced w multi layer , you can see them poking out on each side , top and bottom, u see those tiny 3 layer gaskets and I don’t have to worry about headgasket problems !
I bought a 2011 Subie Outback 3.6R this past summer (147km on odometer). LOVE the V6 and 5 speed auto!!! I also now understand why many auto reviewers rave about Subie's AWD system. I am sooooo hoping for a lot of snowstorms this winter!
It is great to hear this guy mention about removing the bumper in order to change the headlights. After purchasing, I wanted to install higher quality bulbs in my girl. I did some research and tried the method of going through the wheel wells. I found it was still extremely hard to access the driver's side (low beam) bulb. Upon doing some further research, I happened to stumble upon a DIY video where the guy recommended taking the bumper off and removing the light housings. Yes, it is certainly a little bit of extra work/effort to do it this way. But the ease as to which you can access the bulbs after doing so makes it sooooo worthwhile to do it in this manner!!
I did go beyond the initial 5,000 km before getting my first oil change after buying this vehicle. This was due to reading in the owner's manual where it recommended changing the oil every 7,000 km (or was it 8,000? can't remember exactly). At around 6,000 km of driving, the low oil light came on. I checked it immediately and found there was hardly any oil left. The mechanic that I use (a 1 man operation) told me that the oil should definitely be changed every 5,000 km - regardless of what the vehicle is and/or what the owner's manual says. He explained to me that once the oil gets dirty, then the engine starts to burn it even faster. I have gone with 'full' synthetic oil on my first two oil changes - still changing the oil at every 5,000 km intervals (recommended by my mechanic, even with the use of full synthetic) - and no further problems so far with excessive burning oil.
Personally, I would also highly recommend running the Outback on Premium gasoline (Shell V-Power has absolutely no ethanol content). Sure the premium gas is more expensive, and Outbacks with the V6 are not the most fuel efficient to begin with, but the increased power and the smoothness it brings to the 5 speed auto, is more than worth the extra cost to me.
It’s NOT a V6. It’s an opposed 6
@@amlafrance1918 also not a “5 speed auto” it’s a CVT transmission.
Be religious about the maintenance of the 3.6R, that engine usually does better overall. BUT, has its own list of issues.
@@bondpit8750 no, on the 2010-2014, the 3.6R H6 never came with a CVT, it was paired only to a traditional 5-speed auto. The 2.5i H4 came with CVT or a 5-speed manual, and no 5-speed auto was available. This was the last generation of Outback (and Legacy) to have the 5AT. For 2015+, they dropped the 5AT altogether and put the CVT in all models, including the H6.
Make sure you have good tires. My old all season tires got stuck in my driveway on the snow the city snow plow pushed up. Replaced them and waiting for some snow to try them out
I have a 2013 2.5 Outback. I started dealing with the oil consumption issue somewhere around 70k miles, around 2 quarts per oil change interval. I fought them for a while, did 3 different consumption tests, each time after the 1200 miles not a drop of oil missing, but then somehow shortly after the low oil light would come on. I convinced them to do another 1200 miles on the same oil change after my second test. Sure enough around 500 miles in, low oil light came on. After that they finally agreed to the short block replacement. Since then it's been pretty solid, at 126k miles now.
I've also noticed maybe a super slow coolant leak, but not enough to take any action right now, I'll just occasionally top that off, like once a year or so.
Did they replace the short block for free or was that out of pocket?
Got 132k on my 2012 Outback 2.5 cvt. Bought it new and it's been overall great. It has had some things go bad however. One rear wheel hub, radiatior, front lower control arms, & an oxygen sensor. Doesn't burn oil, had the timing belt & water pump done at 105k. Just did the spark plugs last weekend and noticed the valve cover gaskets are leaking a bit on the coil plugs. I'll address that soon. Still drives great and gets like 30 mpg. Switched to HID bulbs almost 2 yrs ago, no issues
I think it'll be productive if you would do this kind of video for different cars. This is a very helpful clip.
+Alofzico Thanks for checking us out! 1AAuto.com
They have a whole series over these cars. There might be a playlist on their page.
2012 outback 6spd manual!! Just had my head gaskets done made it to 135,000. $3,000 job
Both our Outback and Forester Touring models are 2019.
My wife has 28K miles on her Outback and I have only 12K miles on my Forester.
Neither one of them burn oil and we’re thankful for that.
I have the oil changed every 5K miles.
At 30K miles the front and rear differential and transfer case fluid is changed as well as the brakes are bled.
Every 60K miles the CVT fluid is changed.
I own '14 outback 2.5i imported from US for 3 years with 140k miles now. Didn't changed the bulbs not even once. Takata airbags were changed for free as recall. 5W30 oil in 7kmiles intervals - consumes from none to max 0,5qrt@7kmiles depending on driving conditions between oil changes. FB25 engine is not prone to head gasket problem anymore. We have local shops specializing in subarus - so very mild chance to get oil caps mixed. Steering shaft issue? - didn't heard such problem from anyone at all, but is sounds like
+EarlVy Thanks for the feedback!
As far as the headlight burnouts. I have a 2010 Outback. Burned out headlights all the time. I replaced all of my ground-straps and made sure they had good contact and di-electric grease on them.
Haven’t burned out a bulb since for over 2 years now
I just purchased a Subaru 4th Gen. Outback and after viewing your video I will be taking it to a Subaru dealer for all services. Hopefully there will be no mistakes on their part while checking drivetrain fluid levels.
humans can make mistakes.....research research research will save your BUTT!!!! Watch as many videos until you feel like....okay I memorized how to do this! Then do a dry run before you do a job...
For the low-beam headlight issues you mentioned on this year range of the Subaru Outback, there is a class action lawsuit where Subaru is replacing these for free. Check with your Subaru dealer. I've had two sets of bulbs replaced over the past five years on my 2011 Outback.
I have changed 8 bulbs in my 2012 Outback. I'm a little more than disappointed that the dealer didn't mention a class action suit.
The window is closed for Subaru dealers to fix this headlight problem under the recall. I had this problem but missed the cutoff date for the covered fix. It has something to do with a faulty headlight wiring harness. I’m not happy with the way Subaru handled this issue.
And after 10 years from manufacture they stopped fixing it.
Identifying the correct fill plug between the front diff and the cvt saved me a big headache! Thanks!
+YZ Rocketman Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
I noticed my engine used to burn out oil alot. took the car for a check at the mechanic, he realised the spark plug seals were wornout and leaked oil which somehow burned away. I had them replaced with new spark plugs and ever since then the oil issue has never occured.
Sooooo glad we got rid of our 2011 Outback with the 2.5L engine, got rid of it around 120k miles, followed ALL maintenance. smoked on startup sometimes, and was dripping antifreeze from exhaust, super noticeable on white snow covered ground. (green gatorade) my wife thought the car was fine but my Subaru spider senses knew this thing had to go. Traded the 2011 Outback for an off-lease 2015 Crosstrek...... and at 65k miles the Crosstrek smokes on startup,,,.... only sometimes...... Subaru, Please get your act together. Please .... enough already. Subaru , please stop with the self destructing "Boxer" engines.
I liked the video, gave it a thumbs up for all the info I wanted to know before buying a used 2014. New subscriber too! Your clear, fast, and detailed with the info.
This car eats more light bulbs than any other car I've ever owned by far. I swapped most of the bulbs for LED and replacing the headlights through the fender liner is like closing in a safety pin at arm's length, blind. A really fun job.
I am not mechanically good but you’re reviews is good.
It would have been a nice addition to this video when you were talking about the mix up of the CVT and differential fill plugs to throw the car up on the lift and show them to us
considering the catastrophic issues that can be caused!!!
I was excited to pick up a nice cheap manual from a customer that wanted something with way better fuel economy and while I'd love to say my 11 2.5 Premium 6-spd has ben smooth sailing, it's actually been a pretty messy situation with the steering column wobble (which has thankfully been pretty gentle so far and not a serious cause for concern... yet) and needing to replace the head gasket at 114k miles. The throttle body and sensor very likely needs cleaning/replacement, too, as the throttle response is infuriatingly inconsistent and, in a manual, this makes shifting smoothly super difficult since the same amount of movement creates different levels of response. Hopefully I can get some of the benefits of the, "sUpEr ReLiAbLe!" owners soon, but with a brake master cylinder job coming up I'm losing faith in my own research and was instead trusted hearsay-- oops.
Did get the recall letter, and had the airbags changed. No problem with the oil. My issue is with the bilbs! Even the dealer said it's very difficult to change bulbs in this car. I take it right to the dealer.
Have a 2013, had a oil consumption until I added Lucas oil additive. It went away after adding about 4 oz of that per oil change. The headlights are a pain to change, never swore so much on a job before but I did it through the wheel well and the hood. Replaced the bulbs once in 60k miles. Overall very happy with the vehicle!
+Kurtis Meinhardt Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
Hi. Can you please let me know which exact Lucas oil additive you mentioned here? I have a 2014 and would like to try it. 🙏
Would be nice to mention the 10-12 are the 2.5 sohc that are more known for the head gasket seepage and for lower milage examples they are know for the valve guides to drop when the engine isn't brought up to full temperature. The 13-14 models are know for oil consumption due to the engine redesign. Another thing to look out for is on the early 2010-2011 2.5 models can need valve bodies. If you get a generic P0700 for a transmission mil request or it acts like it's a manual transmission that you forgot to push the clutch in it will probably be a lockup solenoid. Remove the 2 clips on the corner of the bumper and inner liner and move the inner liner to replace the headlight bulbs. Scrapes you're arms but I'd doable, use some silicone spray to reinstall the bulb cover.
No way that 2012 STILL used SOHC head gaskets!
I have 2004 with ej251 and it is considered old design :O
The dealership changed my airbag. The airbag warning signs kept going off. Afterwards the car is perfect. 95k miles strong
+Jordan S Thanks for checking us out! 1AAuto.com
I have a 2014 outback and I have 4 out of the 5 issues he mentioned.
Steel oil pan replacement @ 131k
Simple fix if you have steady hands and can lay a bead of silicone gasket.
Most won't attempt, but i encouraged you, that you can.
so i have been the diy guy over my complete life, I'm now approaching 60. I have one of these wounderful subarua and found that i have 4 of the 5 problems . to my luck or paranoid up keep I am lucky to have changed my lights well over 6 times, alternator checks out fine, most likely just a crappy ground that can't be found no worries, i enjoy dislocating my shoulder wrist and elbow routinely, oil changes are a breeze, yes you do burn a quart of this fine 0w 20 approx 1400 -2400 miles, luckly no head gasket issues thus far don't really want to use that fancy radiator poker to see what is really there to get more depressed, although my oil cap doen't have any junky junk inside of it. ,,fewy... , steering shaft thank god no issues, my air bags got recalled and replaced by dealer ship, but they made 180 $$ off that visit for battery replacement. I have yet to service my CVT OR front diff. Oh ya dont' for get the little detail of your AWD tire replacement , that is just a pain in the keaster about every 5000 miles. Oh ya he for got the part about coolent flush impossible for a DIY type of person , just bring it to the shop. it will screw up your battery is not services. WEIRD RIGHT. So as you can tell this is not a good year to have. Good luck to all you new subara owners it will cost more in up keep than in any other vehicle you'll ever own.... sorry for the typo's and grammer. not a happy owner... oh well.
Most of this on on-point for a 2011 3.6R! Except the driver's side headlight replacement is through the wheelwell cover, just like passenger side.
May think I'm crazy but I just got a cheap 2010 outback and fixed the brakes and ball joints. Other then that seems to be a great running car at 200k. I'm not really expecting much, certainly going to look into the recalls as soon as possible, but maybe get a few years out of it. Seems to be good so far.No signs of oil loss either, besides the small drip from drain plug gasket probably needs changing.
Well you just sold me on not wasting my time to look at two Outbacks 2012 & 2014, I was planning to go see today......No thank you for those two cars but thank you for the video.....
Posting as an owner of a '14 with 120k mi. So recalls are one thing/ and have been addressed. But I change both my low beams with the wheel turned method. I do this yearly even with hella bulbs. I have more of an issue with the high beams AKA the daytime runner. I replace those about every 6 months. And as someone said before- the FB series resolved the boxer motor haters complaints. For me/ I change oil every 4k with no consumption problems. Where I get all warm and fuzzy here is the cvt talk. Subaru claims the cvt fluid is lifetime fluid and should not need to be changed for the life of the transmission (but they won't say what that milage is?) Unless vehicle is used in harsh/ or heavy duty wear conditions. Overall tho a neat video/ reason really for me being here is doing homework for my hybrid electronic parking brake. Seems to me the linkage has an actuator in it/ not like the new ones with the additional hardware in the caliper. So I still have parking brake shoes even with this new push button brake. Nobody talks about this tho.
+John Smith Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for a great video. Unfortunately I put 220,000 miles on my 2010 Outback and experienced several of the problems. Still like the car though!
You failed to mention about the 5eat transmission and the dreaded engine/trans/tcs light, safety/limp mode, code p1710 turbine speed sensor 2 or something failure and you have to get a complete valve body with subaru or replace the part but you can only get online, but still have to remove valve body to replace.
I bought a 2012 outback....
Heating issues galore. Had heads & gasgets replaced. Along with piston & rings, thermostat, radiator & cap.
STILL OVERHEATS!!!!
Am being told after putting $5,000.+ intothe bucket that the $2,000. catalytic converter needs replacing...😩
It's beed just sitting in my garage, in the way now for months. P O C
This was the reason I decided to get the Kona, with 10/100 and extended it bumper to bumper for $1200. No more CVT, no DCT, no GDI, no Boxer engines with head gaskets, oil consumption, etc. AWD is great, the rest of the car is problematic. No more subarus. I had 2 and had 4 head gaskets replaced.
There are ways to make any voltage spikes down to 14,8V. Change regulator. Check connections, clean it maybe with Deoxyde. No need to change alternator.
I feel like remove filter airbox is easier to change bulb. Same on other side, just remove pin holding washerfluid pipe, move it aside and here you go - you have access.
Thanks for the video.
No kidding about the lights. We have a 2010 and I change them twice a year. I've gotten good at it.
You can do the diver's side the same as the passenger's. . .after eleven years with this car, I've gotten it down to about 10 min. :) It's to the point where I just have to close my eyes and let my fingers do all the work.
Thanks again. I've used your advice a few times.
Same here, but I hate the car because of it. Also having a coolant issue and the radiator hose blew again yesterday. Likely the head gasket problem mentioned. And it def consumes oil. Never again!
Make sure you replace with a long lasting headlight. Will last another 4 years instead of 1 year for generic brand.
@@wailee9243 No it won't. This model has a design flaw, and will kill bulbs quickly. Often inside a year. Subaru got sued, and to head it off offered free bulb changes for ten years, but just stopped. (Ten years after manufacture.) It is a real pain, since they are so hard to change.
That steering shaft issue sounds scary, man!! I’ve had my 2012 Outback since new and haven’t seen any recall/safety notices from Subaru. Is this just anecdotal or really a trend or concern? If this is a real safety issue I’ve gotta bet Subaru would recall this before a parts salesman tries to scare us into buying parts to fix this “issue”.
You or your dealer can look up your VIN number to find out what recalls apply to your car
Great video with very helpful information to use for my 2014 outback with 160K. I noticed my steering is loose and made an appointment for that to be checked, an alignment and oil change at the same time. I will check the other things mentioned in this vid. I am having to add oil fairly frequently. My car is outta warranty which worries me. I also have my warning lights coming on to the point of being a nuisance. I asked if I can just have them turned off. I drove my 70 Camaro with no warning lights just fine. Thanks!
+matute11 Thank you! We love empowering our customers and showing how to perform DIY auto repairs with our high-quality auto parts. 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
Can you update us on this, and what was the bill for all of those?
I have a 2011 Outback with 3.6L engine and 94,000 miles. I replaced both low beam headlights twice. The third time, I upgraded to LED bulbs. For the driver's side bulb, I removed the driver's side wheel and plastic wheel well to reach the bulb. I have not yet checked the alternator. Do the voltage spikes require an oscilloscope to identify? I've had all the problems in the video plus my rear view camera display on the mirror is too fuzzy to use anymore. A new camera is $235 at the dealer, but I'm not sure if they use a computer with software to align the parking marks (if needed after camera swap). Great content here by 1A Auto.
This was very informative video. Steering wheel bags have been changed. Had one blow out of my low beam passenger side front light when I went to get my inspection. Did not even know that it was blown out. Those other issues haven’t happened and I am at 148,000 miles.
Funny story.
I had my CVT replaced under warranty. The one they put in was bad. I decided to fix it myself and refill the CVT and front diff fluid.
I thought the diff fill plug was this hex bolt, and I tried to remove it. It was rounded, so I drilled into it. Turns out it was actually a permanent bolt for a hydraulic channel in the CVT.
CVT fluid started gushing out like a geyser, and I ruined the transmission and diff.
8:26 drive 1200 miles, drain some oil to be on the safe side... take car back to dealer... get free replacement
Thats when you wind up with gear oil in your cvt transmission.
How about the 3.6R engine? Anything special to worry about? Thanks!
That engine is indestructible as long as you take care of it. I have had 0 issues with any of the drive systems on my 10 year old 3.6r.
Oil leaks that's it
Pcv valve needs replacement after 100k but that’s about it
I have a 2014 Outback with the 3.6 engine. It's peppy and fun drive - much better than the 4 cylinder CVT. That being said, I've had a lot of annoying little problems that leave me unhappy with the car. The lightbulbs, which are mentioned in this video, have been a constant issue. I've never had so many bulbs burn out on a car, and as the video shows, replacing them isn't exactly straightforward (and the dealer charge for replacing a bulb is ridiculous). The backup camera stopped working right after the warranty ran out. Also, the driver's side window frequently gets stuck because the rubber gasket at the base of the window gets sucked into the door when lowering the window.
Is Subaru still replacing the block for high oil consumption up to what milage?
The only problem on subarus cars are pretty much everything
Worst car i have ever had pretty much
Good video len
+Serious Thanks for the feedback!
Yeah, oil and head gaskets. What a pain. Lightbulbs recently too, although you can just do the driver side one through the wheel well exactly like passenger side.
i had absolutely every one of these problems on my 2012 Outback except the 1st one ( for steering wheel)..Bought it new. Now , after all these explained and called common problems ,the question is: should i bought Subaru in the 1st place at all?
+Andrey Thanks for the feedback!
I would still say Subarus are pretty good vehicles- a bit surprised you had the head gasket issue, that seemed to be pretty much fixed when Subaru went to the FB engine on the 4th gen, although there were still some isolated issues, but nothing like the EJ series engine that preceded it. Sounds like a good way to avoid some of these issues is to go with the 6 cylinder model, which (up until 2015) still used a regular automatic transmission, and did not seem to have the head gasket or oil consumption issues as much as the 4 cylinder.
Subaru is off my list thanks
I have 2011 subaru outback 2.5i pzev with 133k miles. I do all the maintenance on it. Cvt drain and fill with valvoline cvt synthetic. Mobile one 75w 90 synth for front and rear diff and mobil one oil 5w30 synth. I had the recalls for the air bags. The head lights is an issue. I changed everything out to LED with the exception of the high and low beams. Even the inside lights are phillips led. I also changed out the stock battery to an Bosch AGM battery. I noticed that has helped a lot with the light bulb issues. One of the led have gone out. Just the high and low beams less frequently. Very very annoying to change out.
I did the same. Still causes issues a few years later. When the bulbs were suppose to last 10yrs or more. lol This voltage issue for the headlights is a real issue. If Im not mistaken the headlights are covered though the Subaru warranty for life. They made a big mistake and are manning up to their faults.
The headlight issue has an expiration date for the fix under the recall per Subaru. That date has passed. I had these problems but was unaware of the date limitation. No fix for me under the recall. I’m not happy with the way Subaru handled this issue. It has to do with a faulty wiring harness.
My Outback would go through a new set of bulbs in 3 months, I fixed it cleaning the grounds. I havent replaced them for a whole year so far, #saving$$$ :)
+Vince Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
You clean them at the plug end or what?
Never thought Subarus had this many issues
I love this video. I've used 1AAuto videos for a few cars I've owned or my family has. Most down to earth and simple videos to follow.
This specific one will help me replace my headlight assembly/housing in my 2010 Legacy. Well done especially pointing out that taking the bumper off for most headlight area work is MUCH easier in the long run.
I've tried both methods for headlight bulb replacements..... definitely spend the extra 1 minute to take the whole bumper off.
I did just fine with only pulling the battery.
I just bought a 2013 Outback 3.6R! Very helpful video thank you!
+Lukas Baardson Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
How many miles did your 2013 outback have? I’m thinking of buying one.
@@ghostface3000 132k in august when i bought it. now has 142k no issues other than subaru style oil consumption
This is great explanation of issues. Quick, precise and informative.
This was an awesome wealth of knowledge! Thanks so much!
+Morgan Boutwell Thanks for the feedback!
2014 and it is sweet. Does not burn oil and I can squeeze 37,4 mpg on the highway.
The head gaskets DO NOT COMMONY "LEAK" on these models. These came with the FB25 2.5L engines and the head gaskets are fine on these. They will, however, eat oil if not properly maintained. All boxer engines tend to consume oil. The newer ones are actually worse than the old ones at oil consumption. It's a must to change oil religiously every 3k miles on these to keep them reliable and running properly.
Got my 2011 outback for 2500$ with 207000 on it. Transmission likes to stall sometimes when I am to hard on the brake but other than that she runs alright. Just rolled past 211,000. I haven’t found anyone with a higher mileage yet.
I had that issue at 98k miles and Subaru replaced my torque converter ( was covered warranty still)
Oh wow my coolant just recently started disappearing never knew where it was going. I had to add a gallon of coolant over 2 days. So do I need to get the head gasket checked or is this something I could check and replace myself.
vEeRiCaL
I was looking for this comment
I just had the issue with oil consumption & I am embarrassed to admit it, but I had no idea what the oil light was and caused my motor to be trash. I waited to get my scheduled oil change thinking a couple thousand miles wouldn't matter. Sounds like I trashed my pistons. Unfortunately, I am now trying to find a used engine to swap out. The car is too new & otherwise nice to junk it.
I recently switched to a heavy duty Oil filter rated for 20k miles and have yet to notice any more drops in Oil , or the consumption it used to have
Is buying a 2010 Subaru Outback (170k mi) with a repaired thermostat and replaced head gaskets for 5.4K in California a good deal?
Are the new boxer engines better built regarding oil than the early 2010’s to 2015’s?
Should I have the Shaft checked by the Dealer ?
My 2013 6Spd Premium has 97k on it and I'm. The second owner . I hear noise on the right only when I turn it to its end range on the right other than that no problems . 3 years ago I hit that side against a Telephone poll when I got sideswiped . None of the mechanics that have worked on my car have voiced any concerns with It.
Own 2015 Honda Civic coupe and 2017 Silverado Z71 off-rd 4wd , this whip 2013 subie added to the collection. Subie is perfect addition to the rotation team.
I did notice oil burning issue on my 2012 outback after 5k miles, others not yet 😃
Worst car I have ever owned. Haven't experience the steering shaft issue, yet, but I'm sure it's coming. The oil consumption issue is ridiculous. I have put 160,000 miles on mine in about 4-1/2 years. In those miles, I've added just over 160 additional quarts of oil. Like he said, it fluctuates; I've added it with as little as 450 miles after topping it off with no more than 1,800 miles from the last dosing. it really is depressing that, when you go on a 5,000 mile road trip, precious cargo space is lost to having to carry a 5 qt. bottle of oil.
Headlights? It's not just the headlights, it's ALL the lights. Right after purchasing my 2013, I met a guy on a jobsite who had just bought one. He said after he signed the papers, he asked the salesman "Now that I've bought it, tell me the problems with it". Off the bat, the salesman told him to replace all the lights with LED's, otherwise he'd be replacing every bulb at least once per year. Ding-ding-ding! That's my 2013. Every year, I replaced nearly every bulb including the interior lights (excluding the lights on the doors). Frustrated, I switched to LED's in 2017 and haven't had an issue, except with the headlights as they were the only bulbs I didn't replace with LED's. Like clockwork, the headlights last no longer than one year. I just replaced the driver's side bulb two days ago. I will bet good money that, within two weeks, the passenger side headlight will also go. I have a stockpile of replacement headlights (both high and low beam) in my garage and I also carry two of each while on road trips which I take quite frequently.
Head gasket. Yup, it's bad. I have the 'gurgling' inside the car and the chemical test on the cooling fluid tested positive for exhaust gases. I'm NOT replacing that. I'm keeping this car one more year (at most) or until that thing finally goes.
These vehicles are absolute junk. I see no legitimate way that Subaru has obtained such a good reputation for lasting vehicles. This must be due to the high number of 'soccer moms' who only drive a few thousand miles per year or the kids who watch 'Fast & Furious' one time, then go out and buy a WRX only to wreck it before any problems arise. This was my first Subaru and it will be my last. I'm very happy to say that I have positively precluded two co-workers from buying Subaru's because of my experience. One co-worker had planned on buying his wife an Outback (he went Hyundai Santa Fe instead) and another was eyeing the Legacy (he went Ford Escape). In my travels within the U.S, I make a point of asking people of their experiences with their Outback. A high percentage of them, like me, are completely frustrated with their decision to buy one. I met a couple from Pennsylvania while I was in Glacier National Park who were traveling to Seattle to sell theirs because they researched and discovered that the Seattle area had the highest resale value for them. They were selling theirs because of the oil consumption issue (the husband even brought out his 5 qt. bottle of oil from the hatchback to show me). I can't stress it enough, don't buy a Subaru. In addition to the aforementioned ills of the vehicle, I have also replaced the following: starter, alternator, air conditioning compressor (the clutch detonated while 750 miles from home - that was a fun experience), climate control module, shift solenoid, both front axles, and several smaller-yet-annoying things. Fortunately, I did all the work myself, saving me a lot of money.
I'm counting down the days to when I bring this thing to the junkyard..................after it's used for target practice. One should be happy with the vehicle they drive. That is NOT the case with me. Every time I know I have to drive that thing makes me sick. Luckily, I have motorcycles as well as a work-issued vehicle for my job. If it weren't for those, this thing would've been cubed or shredded a long time ago. Again, unless you like constant headaches, please do not buy a Subaru.
+Life Crumbles Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback, we appreciate it! Sounds like you have had your fair share of headaches with yours and we hope there aren't any other major ones before you get your next vehicle.
That's really odd. I have a 2013 stickshift OB and although I keep two quarts of Subaru oil in the tire compartment, I haven't once had to top up between oil changes (I either do them myself or have them done, at 3k intervals). It's good that oil changes take about two minutes on these things since the car is high enough that you don't need to jack it up, and the oil filter is right there in front of your nose when you pop the hood. So far my car has been totally reliable but I'm sure something will go wrong just when it's least convenient!
EJ253? eh?
OK first off you are a guru and you’ve solve so many of the problems and issues that I’ve had with his car since I’ve got it I’ve been telling my husband that we need to get rid of his car and the motor sounds horrible and he doesn’t agree but he doesn’t drive his car very regularly at all anyway back to you you’re amazing I love your red beard and your hand gestures and passion for what you’re talking about now if you could please call Subaru and tell them I want my money back and we can have this POS
My 2012 legacy 3.6 engine has no problem with oil usage. I have 46,000 miles on it .....I worked for the dealer where I bought it from and they serviced till my warranty was off. I use Locus oil supplant and WIX filters now. only thing replaced on the car was the starter while under warranty.
Tires were replaced when a side wall was damaged and had to replace all four....
+Willard Dunn Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c
The WORST Subaru dealership as far as the service department is Cascade Subaru in Wenatchee, WA USA.
The service department is so bad that almost everyone in our area refuses to take their Subie’s to them for ANY reason whatsoever.
We won’t even buy our Subaru’s from Cascade Subaru. We will either drive to Tacoma, Shoreline, Spokane or Yakima to buy our Subaru’s.
Many people in our area also avoid Cascade Subaru.
This is sad because approximately 25-30% of the vehicles in our area are Subaru’s.
We get 5-7 feet of snow every winter and 30 miles away in the city they get 2-3 feet of snow.
We live 5 miles from a small town on a private road. There are only 9 families on our road and 6 of us drive Subaru’s.
If it’s burning oil will the dealer replace the block for free ?
I haven’t really had any issues on my 2011, I mean the passenger headlight went out at 150k-ish miles but I think that was just from age, anyways after that I changed to LEDs and I’ve had a little issue with it (one side of the driver side low beam bulb flickers sometimes) but I mean it’s been fine.
No wonder I see deals on 2010-2014 Subaru outbacks
Interestingly no mention of the torque converter which are known to eventually fail on the 2010-2014 outback. Just had mine replaced last week.
At what mileage do these issues happen? I have a 2013 Legacy (just the sedan version of that car) but besides the Takata Air Bag recall which fixed that issue, I have not had any of these issues (headlight bulbs is really not a major problem - but they do blow out early as I have replaced both before 80,000 miles). Bumper is a hassle to remove. No headgasket problems (H6), and a miniscule oil consumption problem after 125,000 miles. Trick if it burns oil - Subaru of America allows you to add 0.9 quarts per oil change so you can put in 6.9 quarts with no problem, and go the distance between oil changes if your oil consumption is not very high.
It is pure luck, I replace stuff if not bad per maintenance sched.
For the engine oil consumption, I have a 2013 outback 2.5 and 100k, less than 6 once of oil consumption because full synthetic good oil and oem filter at every falls wen i do the oil change.
Where you get that black grill?
Fixed the headlight issue with a bigger battery. Not sure why it worked, but it was a happy accident.
The fb20 engines don't have headgasket issues! It's the ej series specifically the ej253
Is the steering wheel shaft for all models of those years? I got one from a dealer without it replaced and that’s a breach of contract
My 2012 Outback with 2.5 has a timing belt, not chains. it also comes with a water pump as a kit. I had mine changed at 98K. Dealership change passenger airbag under warranty and the CVT warranty extension was added. I've had both differentials oil changed, brakes, tires, coolantand thermostat changed, brake lines flushed and regular engine synthetic oil changes, new battery and that's about it. CVT will get flushed next year. i think this Subaru has been more reliable that my previous fords, GMs and Chryster products.
Len, you were spot on with my Hyundai Santa Fe 2008 problems and I was amazed at how accurate you were. Now I have a 2022 Outback Wilderness. Could these problems have been solved by now? I'm at just over 2000 miles and my oil still looks level correct and clean at least.
What is happening if your car feels like in a split second the car feels like under the bottom it's going to split apart North and South.it's pulling apart from the bottom very rarely and it's not your transmission cuz it's not jerking pulling or any of that. It just feels like something is coming to loose in the under carriage. It's s like a split second hard jerk.but there's no warning light on the dashboard. The transmission has been checked and it's not the transmission
i have a 2002 Subaru outback wagon limited with the 2.5l it vibrates only when put in park or when break is pressed. it drives fines any ideas?
This is more than likely due the transmission mount being worn out. It's a cheap and relatively simple fix provided you have a way to get under the car safely.
There is also a warranty extension on the CVT
Hi I have a 2013 with a 6mt. I just crossed over the 100k mark. My car consumes about 3/4 of a quart between changes. And the only odd ball issue I’ve had is the brake light on the top of the hatch. Had to seal it up with silicone. Way cheaper than buying the part from Subaru. And the stereo’s Bluetooth is connection is unreliabile at best, I’ll be replacing it soon. But otherwise I love my car. I’ve bought it with 60k on it. I’ve never had to replace the headlights.
+Mikey Likesit Thanks for the feedback!
Changing the light bulbs on my 13 Subaru outback was easy no removing bumper headlights or anything else I'm 6'1 230 pounds and I was able to do it. 198k trouble free miles minus one upper radiator hose and clamp 😆🤣. 5w30 is recommended by subaru for this gen for the 2.5
I’ve never seen anywhere 5w30 is recommended. Where did you hear that?
I thought w20 synthetic oil is recommended
@@mfibonacci5275 you are correct, 0w20
@@alexnelson8 the owner's manual for my 2011 says 5w30. I have 115K on mine and no oil consumption problems (knock on wood). I believe this is the case for the 2010-2012 , and they only changed to saying 0w20 starting with the 2013 model year. I believe they made that change only to get very slightly improved gas mileage in order to meet CAFE standards. I believe there should be no problem at all in running 5w30 in the models that call for 0w20, as it's actually listed as an alternate in the owner's manual. And I have a suspicion it would mitigate or eliminate the oil consumption problem.
Page 11-16 and 11-17 of the 2011 manual recommend 5w-30 but also have a chart showing both 5w-30 and 5w-40 for all temperature ranges, and 10w30 and 10w40 for above -20C (-4F), and even a statement that recommends oils up to 10W-50, 20W-40, or 20W-50 "if the vehicle is used in desert areas, in areas with very high temperatures, or used for heavy-duty applications such as towing a trailer."
Page 12-5 of the 2013 manual says: "If 0W-20 synthetic oil is not available, 5W-30 or 5W-40 conventional oil may be used if replenishment is needed but should be changed to 0W-20 synthetic oil at the next oil change."
Transmission can go out over 100,000 - 2013 outback Iimited more common then mentioned.
Is there a preferred oil weight and brand / type that can minimize oil consumption on this model? Or do you just have to live with it and check the oil once a week to be on the safe side?
Thanks
I have good luck running royal purple in my 09, I seem to have less leaking and burning than if I use valvoline or Mobil 1, I also only go 3,000 miles between changes and it seems to run good and handle my abuse well