Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

leporeva · May 2012

I am considering buying the 2012 Outback. Reviews are great. I have recently read that there is a "wandering" problem with the 2010-2012 models. Is this the case and if so what is the fix?

rsholland · May 2012

Not sure about the wandering?

If I were you, I'd wait for the 2013 Outback, which should be out in a month or two. They've made a number of refinements (new FB25 engine, all-new 2nd-gen CVT, chassis and suspension upgrades, better gas mileage, as well as some styling/content/functional upgrades). It's a mid-life refresh, but a significant one. Here are a couple of links:

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/03/29/subaru-reveals-reworked-2013-outbac- - k/

http://www.thecarconnection.com/overview/subaru_outback_2013

If there is a wandering issue with the 2010-12 models, I'm sure it's been addressed with the 2013 model. It will certainly handle better, as there is a claimed 40% improvement in roll control.

Bob

kmartin · May 2012

I am finding some obvious paint defects, esp on the hood of my '12 OB LTD. Small areas where bird droppings or such made contact for a short time. I wash the car every week, so it's not like it was a lot of crud left for a long time. One dealer tried to use some colored buffing compound, but it just left ugly swirl marks. They told me it was normal, but I disagree. Anyone else having paint issues? Wondering if it's a clear coat problem, or just the red paint itself, or both.

-Karen in AZ-

ateixeira · May 2012

I had the same issue on my Miata's hood, also from bird droppings. I haven't really tried any polishes yet, but let's see what others suggest.

fibber2 · June 2012

This past weekend I struggled with getting my nearly 11 year old exhaust system ('02 OBW) apart after it blew out the gasket at the rear axle (mid-rear pipe with resonator connection to the final pipe / muffler assembly. After what seemed like ages with a rotary cutter & drill I got it separated, but the mating surfaces and flanges were in poor shape, and would not seal on a new gasket. I thought about modifying a doughnut, then thought about cutting off the flanges and joining them with a stub pipe and clamps, but ran out of time (evening activities).

Finally, I priced up a whole cat-back system ($350), but before ordering it, the Misses got into the act. She threatened that if I spent any more time on the car as opposed to working on the whole other 'honey do' list, she'd yank the jack stands out while I was underneath! So being a smart guy, I drove it to Meineke yesterday and handed over 6 Ben Franklin's. An hour later all was quite. They even tack welded those rattly shields, and threw in a pretty chrome tip.

Best of all, now I can tackle that broken dishwasher!

xwesx · June 2012

Steve, you are a good man. I would probably be a corpse right now had I been in your place.

fibber2 · June 2012

At the time I was actually kind of pissed... Not at her, but at the time wasted foolishly trying to take something apart that should have just been tossed in favor of ordering all new. Had I gone that route, I would have spent half as much and been satisfied by having done it myself. Instead I spent double and had nothing to show for a lost day, loss of some blood and skin, ruined blades and bit, and a major dent in my dignity! Did I mention the dent to my dignity? Imagine being beaten by something mechanical? Say it ain't so!!!

xwesx · June 2012

Ah, point taken. I hadn't considered that aspect as much as I should have. I sure know that I would have been a stubborn SOB about it until the job was done... good, bad, or ugly.

marc1771 · June 2012

I just took my identical year/model Outback in this morning for a somewhat similar problem. Noice/vibration at 50-70 mph, increases/decreases with speed, and I can feel a grinding in the brake pedal as I bring the vehicle to a stop. I was told it may be a bearing issue - - I am waiting to hear.

At the same time, back when the vehicle had about 32000 miles, I noticed a shudder/vibration in the steering wheel between 25 and 50 mph (usually between 1500 and 2500 rpms). I learned that this was caused by the torque converter, which was replaced under warranty. You may want to acelerate and/or decelerate through these "zones" to see if the vibration becomes a more pronounced shudder. It is my understanding that this year and model was somewhat prone to torque converter issues.

Otherwise, i am waiting to see what happens regarding the bearing.

Marc

jd_24 · June 2012

I've had the shudder as well in my 2001 OB wagon. Just had the wheels balanced because that's what it feels like, but it comes and goes which suggests possibly something else. Still happening after balancing, but maybe not as bad. Mostly happens around 60 to 70mph. With 200K miles so manythings could be loose or need repalcing.

rsadetsky · June 2012

Same thing happened to mine. Mechanic calls me at home and asks if I had gone through any mud recently (I did). Mud got up into the wheels from underneath and caked causing the steering to vibrate at 65 mph. He scraped all the mud out and that was it. And, he didn't charge me!!!!

ateixeira · June 2012

So honest. Kudos.

pugjoy · June 2012

Hi everyone,
almost 15K since we got the 3.6 R Outback in late December and we are having an oil issue that is of concern. The oil just seems to plummet as the mileage since the last change approaches 3K. Just read http://allwheeldriveauto.com/why-does-my-subaru-use-oil which was an interesting article, and in short, says that some cars use more oil, and even more oil at certain times. We had it checked at the first oil change and there are no leaks.

Just wondering if anyone else is having this issue, and if so, how you are managing it.

rcassano · July 2012

If you are referring to a need for micro corrections at highway speed it may be a result of "Electric Power Steering" (EPS) that almost all new cars will have including Honda and BMW. This technology is in its infancy and is here to stay due to low cost and compactness. The issue feels like the driver needs to make constant small steering corrections at highway speed which becomes fatiguing. Hopefully, if this is the problem you are asking about, it can be resolved with a software update as the system matures. I hope the 2013's will not have this characteristic. Honda Civic and CR-V also have EPS systems.

diver7 · July 2012

good morning
i have 00 outback 5 speed 280000 miles at 60 mph i hear a low humming no vibration or grinding just a low hum kind of like a ship's horn off in the distance. took it to my regular mechanic- he said not wheel bearing - he saw the boot covers are torn?- tires were checked

wondering if anyone else has this problem-- i love this car so much- i prefer to drive this everyday as opposed to my 12 outback that i just bought which i drive only for cross country trips

thx in advance

rcassano · July 2012

I don't have this problem, however, from your description I would check the CV joints. Since the boots are torn the grease may have washed out and they are running dry. Without grease they will fail quickly and need to be changed. The other thing that comes to mind is check the transmission oil to be sure it is full. If gears are not bathed in oil they may be making the noise. If all these things are fine my next suspect would be tires - even if not fully worn out.

michael2595 · November 2012

I have a 96 outback that I will be bringing to California. Does anyone know what the conversion to California pollution standards entails. A ballpark cost would also be appreciated.

hustoncs · November 2012

Nada! all imports brands either manufactured here or elsewhere are all engineered to CA smog standards. Howerver CA testing is more strict than other states, so if your outback has not been maintained well then you'll need to do all the maintenance to get up to smog standards here. Also if there has been any mods to auto ie catbacks, cold air intakes, throttle bodys and so on all the addon products have to be CARB appoved here or you will fail the smog test right away. I hope this answers your question

Cheers

winter2 · November 2012

I have a 2013 Outback Premium. I now have about 750 miles on it. When I initially purchased the car, it did seem to wander a little but then again I had been driving a 2010 Mercury Milan Premier that had very touchy steering.

As I have driven the Outback more and more the wandering seems to be much less. I had a Jeep Liberty some years ago and that did wander but because it was more of an offroad vehicle than the Outback, I was comfortable with it but it did require constant steering correction.

The 2013 Outback has hydraulic steering, not electric. It has a fairly heavy feel to it and the road feel is a bit number than I like it.

luvawd · January 2013

Our 2011 3.6 Outback requires what seems like an excessive amount to force to turn the steering wheel also the steering system does not want to center itself. Any wheel movement up to about 15 degrees off center does not result in self centering when the wheel is let go. The vehicle requires constant steering correction on the road and it is not safe to take your eyes off the road at all to tune the radio for example. The dealer states this is normal for this vehicle. Any body else with a similar experience and or fix. Help woukd be appreciated.

rsadetsky · January 2013

What speed are you going when the steering is difficult and not returning to center? Expect that when at a stop position but not when making a 90degree turn at least 10mph. Get 2nd opinion at shop with computerized wheel alignment equipment.

winter2 · January 2013

A few questions. 1. What kind of driving do you do normally? 2. What kind of oil are you using? 3. How frequently do you change your oil?

The above questions are not answered in your post so it is hard to say why your Subaru is burning so much oil. I read the article and the author mentions that the type of driving you do has a big impact on oil consumption. If you use a conventional motor oil, that to can have an impact on consumption as most conventional motor oils do not hold up well in newer engines.

luvawd · January 2013

At any speed above 20 mph up to interstate 75 mph. At real low speeds I would not expect the steering to self center. In all normal driving turing the wheel up to 15 degrees, it will not self center, the wheel has to be returned to center. At 15,000 mile service the alignment was checked. The tow on both front wheels was out (towed in). Following the alignment the problem still persists in addition to what I feel is excessive effort to turn the steering wheel. The dealer says this is normal for this vehicle.

buya · January 2013

"never a good idea to do to a completely dead battery, and then your alternator works very hard to put a kind of 'surface charge' on the battery. So it's possible all this stressed out the battery. completely, utterly, dead batteries must be slow-charged or you can damage them. "

That is very true. And check the number of battery cells in your new battery even if they look the same and from the same mfg.

ominous · January 2013

OK so I (and I mean I) replaced the clutch in my ancient legacy a few months ago and now I am hearing a loud almost knocking noise from somewhere under the chassis. It only happens when the clutch is engaged and I am accelerating again only while accelerating , tried disengaging the clutch and revving the engine and could not duplicate the noise even while moving, Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as this is the only vehicle I have right now I need to get this solved before whatever it is becomes a major issue if it is not already. :confuse: :mad:

Mr_Shiftright · January 2013

Sounds like engine or transmission mounts OR a bad CV axle joint. If it's a bad CV joint, try to find a good used one, because rebuilt Subaru axle joints don't seem to work out very well.

xwesx · January 2013

I agree that the noise doesn't sound like it is coming from the clutch parts. Did you drop the tranny to do the replacement? Are all the nuts/bolts properly secured?

If it only does it under acceleration, then it is likely torque related. My first guess would be that the center driveshaft bushing is bad (that's the bushing on the driveshaft appx. 16" behind the rear of the transaxle), and is throwing out of balance under high-torque situations. If it's doing it under all acceleration, then it's really bad.

But, if you had no problems with it before the swap, then most likely it is something related to repair. Check that peripheral stuff that was disconnected and/or moved out of the way while you were doing the job.

ominous · January 2013

So after driving around for errands today the noise became much worse....then....damn dog ran out in front of me and had to whip the wheels to the right and heard loud crunch noise from underneath so I pulled over to look under ( not easy seeing as the car has low ride highth and its on 6 inches of snow lol) but saw nothing had to get it off the road so I started to drive away and the clicking noise started to deminish, now only clicking when turning right. So I think that you guys are right in that its a driveaxle probably passenger side front but as far as dropping the tranny when I replaced the clutch, nope I pulled the engine out It seemed much easier to do and I wouldn't have to get under it for much that way(bad back and all) I will keep you updated to what I find.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2013

If you have to replace the CV joint/axle, I would encourage you to search for a good used one, which you can inspect by cutting off the boots, cleaning the joint up and if all is well, installing new boots (which you should do anyway on a used part).

The failure rate for remanufactured Subaru CV joints is about 50%. Lots of Subaru guys already know this so finding a good used axle might take you a while.

xwesx · January 2013

I didn't know that, Shifty, thanks for the tip.

Ominous, it definitely sounds like a CV joint at this point. if it only makes the noise while turning right, then it is most likely the joint on the passenger side. At least, that's what I found when my joints went out. Crunching/scraping to the right was the passenger side, and the same to the left as the driver side.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2013

Ah....you know, that may be your experience, and a valid observation, but the general rule of thumb is that the bad CV joint is on the side opposite the way you're turning---because that's the CV joint that is "loaded"---that is, under load.

xwesx · January 2013

I could be remembering it wrong. That was 8-10 years ago!

hammerhead · April 2013

RE head gaskets... what years were affected (besides '99) - and just the 2.5 engine?
We're searching for a car for our 2 fledgling drivers coming up (July & December). Found a '95 Legacy L sedan, only 108K miles, 2.2L. Looks like a gem, taking a closer look later today.

michael2595 · April 2013

I am moving to california with this car. Do I have to convert anything over to CA standards. I get mixed messages. Please help. If I do, what are they. Thank you kindly

michael2595 · April 2013

thanks. This is a 1996. Did California have standards back then? No conversions were done.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

Yes the 2.2L should be okay for head gaskets.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

This should answer your questions:

CA DMV Fast Facts--Out of State Vehicles

ateixeira · April 2013

I owned a 98 Subie and don't recall them selling PZEV models at the time. Our 09 is a PZEV spec even though our state doesn't require it.

I'm thinking a 96 would be ok, no?

michael2595 · April 2013

Thank you . Like I said. Hard to find info. If you look at the link it is about new vehicles.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

Oh sorry--what I meant by sending you that was to infer that if your car has MORE than the 7500 miles indicated, then you are okay regardless of the spec of your car--but you'll still need a smog test and pass the standards to which your car was built.

Have a read: http://www.smogtips.com/moving_to_california.cfm

debrak1221 · April 2013

I have been driving a 2000 nissan maxima for 10 years and really like it. Also have a pathfinder. We really like nissan but for my new (used) car, thinking about Subaru. I drove a 2010 and 2012 legacy and really liked it. Also considering an older (05,06) infiniti g35x.

I want a car that handles well and it sporty looking and fun to drive. Fast would be a plus. Of course want something dependable.

A little afraid of switching brands as we have always been happy with nissan. So please tell me about cost of ownership. I know there are stories about getting 300k miles on your car but in reality, in a state that uses salt on the roads how many miles/years can be expected?

We like to drive our vehicles for at least 10 years or more.

In looking for a slightly used legacy are there things I should be looking for? different then the usual stuff?

Thank you for any input.

xwesx · April 2013

From a reliability standpoint, I'd recommend that you go with a car (assuming Subaru) that has an FB block rather than an EJ. The EJ25 was rather notorious for head gasket issues, and the likelihood of having to deal with that during a 10-year ownership period is not in your favor!

But, then, you said you also want fast. That would steer you in the direction of the Legacy GT. It doesn't have the open-deck EJ engine, but also not as good of fuel economy. They discontinued the model, I believe, and I'm not sure what year that was, but I know you can get it in the '10 model year for sure.

I drove a '10 Legacy Limited with a CVT a couple years back, and found it to be peppy and responsive. Quite a car, in terms of space and comfort, in comparison to the previous generation.

As for switching brands, I cannot really comment too much. I have owned many different brands over the years, and while I like the familiarity of mechanicals when it comes to sticking with the same brand, I also haven't been "burned" by a car that was of a different marque. So, I'm not overly brand loyal. I do like my Subarus though; they're just so darned practical, I can't help myself. :P

debrak1221 · April 2013

Thanks xwesx. Haven't seen any GTs for sale anywhere around here. As for avoiding the EJ block, that seems difficult. From my limited searching it appears that I would need a 2012 legacy to get a FB. Not that I don't want a '12 its just that limits the choices and the cost.

Sounds crazy but really not that worried about fuel economy.

So the EJ should be avoided completely? I'm only interested in the legacy as I want a sedan with a power drivers seat (pet peeve).

ateixeira · April 2013

Look at a new Legacy with a 6 speed manual and the FB25 engine. Those should be adequate at least.

xwesx · April 2013

No, I don't think you have to avoid the EJ. I've had four cars with that engine, and all did just fine by my standards. But, on the one that I took to 220,000 miles, I did have to address bad head gaskets (I got lucky and was able to take them to 192K)... and that wasn't an entirely painless (trouble free) process!

So, in terms of maximizing your long-term happiness with the car in terms of maintenance vs. repair expenses, I think the FB would be a better fit. If you go in with your eyes open to the engines' differences, you'll likely have a good experience with either.

Kirstie_H · April 2013

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msmb · April 2013

I am looking to buy a 2003 Legacy L with standard trans. The car only has 68000 miles on it and the price seemed to be right, around $6500 from a reliable private party. But when we took it in to the dealer for inspection it turned out that there is a problem with the head. Not sure if there was also a leak or if that is related to the head. Estimated cost for repair, including the timing belt (which the owner says he just recently replaced, so I expect the part can be reuse) is $2500. Dealer said that he was figuring conservatively, that was probably at the high end of possibilities. Present owner said he would cover cost of repair from the dealer. Since I am not familiar with Subarus I am seeking advice. Do you think the problem with the head is symptomatic of the car going into a decline, the period when a car begins to have problems, sometimes big and sometimes small; but about to become a nuisance. Or is the head a one time deal; once that is fixed the car is good to go and since everything else checked out and it appears to have been cared for, we should have few, if any problems. Can I get some opinions?

jd_24 · April 2013

A problem with the head seems a bit open. A 2003 will most likely have head gasket issues at some point. Why has the timing belt been replaced already before 68K miles? It wasn't due until 100K.
To me a 10+ year old car for $6500 seems a bit high if it needs work.

ateixeira · April 2013

Price does seem high.

For the gasket, if the problem just started, and they change the gaskets, you should be OK.

If it's been overheating and they neglected it, though, you get warping and the heads won't mate properly, so it could happen again.

If you know/trust the seller, find out how long it's been leaking, and pass if it didn't just start happening recently.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

You can't expect any kind of guarantee of future success with a used car--all you can do is improve your odds of success by going over the car with a fine tooth comb at the time of purchase.

The head gasket issue is typical Subaru, although it occurred a bit earlier than expected. Most 2.5L Subies of that vintage will blow the gaskets at 110K to 130K.

As long as the engine never overheated (you should be able to spot signs of that), and as long as no coolant ever got into the oil, you should be okay.

I don't think I'd buy the car until it was all fixed up and road-tested, however.

These cars are a dime a dozen--I don't see why you have to jump on this one.

Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

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