Subaru Forester, Outback, Legacy No Longer Cars Most Likely to Reach 200,000 Miles

My 2001 Forester was probably the best and most reliable car I have ever owned, the only knock on it being the lousy gas mileage. That was back when Subaru marketed itself as a value brand. It was well known back then that if you did not put the coolant conditioner in, the engines would develop a gasket problem.

Then they decided to move upmarket and became more popular. The plastics in the interior on the newer Subies looks cheap and the styling gets uglier with each new generation. The prices have climbed from value territory into BMW/Audi/Mercedes range, which is a joke.

Not sure where they source the CVTs, but they need to move on or at least offer a proper transmission

2007 Outback w 4 banger died @ 125k due to faulty head gasket design; Subaru knew; wish I had. Never again Suby.

I have a 2008 Subaru legacy with 230,000
My only complaint is that the Subaru had a recall for melting dashboard and when I went koeppel Subaru which is a dealer in queens
They wanted to charge me to replace the dashboard. But I think my next car will be the Ford edge since my x wife had a 2011 outback and even replacing the front light was a pain.

Bought my very first Subaru in the beginning of April. A 2007 forester and I absolutely love it, but in the few months I've owned it I've already put almost 7,000 miles on it.

Don't jump from the frying pan into the fire - Fords have lots of problems, Toyotas and Hondas are reliable.

2016 Subaru. Battery randomly died twice at >13,000 miles, and dealership said it’s because we’re supposed to replace the battery every year (that did not sound normal to me). Air conditioner also died under >12,000 miles. The reason we bought this car was because of the reliability legacy, and now I have huge regrets. They should recall the battery and maybe the whole car.

Subaru is heading toward becoming a victim of it's own success similar to the Big 3 US manufacturers subsequent to the 1960s and earlier 1970s models. Best for them to concentrate on quality as getting the new out-the-door. I've owned a 2001 Legacy Outback, 2002 Outback, 2006 LLBean Outback (probably my worst Subaru, 2018 Forester, 2018 WRX (which I currently consider the best car I've ever owned - but time will tell).

I purchased a 2010 Subaru Forester new in 2009 with extended warranty and was religious about dealer servicing my vehicle and oil changes at ever 3k. At 128k mi my engine started having oil consumption issues and eventually I was told I needed to replace the engine (before 130k). At 260k miles 10 years later but only about 130k on the second engine I had the same issue. Took it to a third party car repair place and found out that he head gaskets were leaking again and I would need to replace head gaskets or a new engine if I wasnt careful. The third party shop told me that the OEM head gaskets from Subaru are crap and because the engine sits on its side it is NORMAL for every 80k-150k miles for a Subaru to need them replaced unless NON-OEM head gaskets are used to replace the OEM ones. I decided to get a 2020 Kia Telluride 2 months ago rather than replace my head gaskets or buy another Subaru. So far I am not looking back or missing my Subie. If Subaru would own up to the head gasket issue they would have me as a customer again but for as many miles as I drive (25k-30k / year) I couldn't see budgeting for a new engine every 3-4 years. BTW I had to fight Subaru after first engine "died" to get any sort of discount on a new one. I even had done the oil consumption testing as I knew ahead of time Suburu has issue with oil problems.

Subaru should be very grateful that they have a cult following because when they sell a car with problems they don't seem to be in any hurry to stand behind the product with the customer or get their engineering team to correct the defect and make sure it doesn't occur on future models. A car buyer would have to be very patient and loyal to Subaru to buy their product again.

We have 2 Subaru's,a 2013 Outback with 282K,and a 2015 Forester with 252 K
The Outback has burned Oil since 20K 1Qt every 7500,at 50K 2 qt's every 7500,at 75K 3 Qt's every 7500,at 90 K 4 qt's every 7500K. The dealer says all this oil usage is normal?!!!! I don't change the oil any more, just add, filter every 15K, after going through a puddle,all the idiot lights are on, needs 2 rear wheel bearings at 200k still groaning.
The Forester just got rear wheel bearings,tire's, brakes,(front),all at 252 K. Can't complain BOTH are getting there in high milage

My 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan as 815K, original engine/tranny Bullit proof!

2008 impreza manual with 130 000 km, no issues at all. The ej25na is a great little engine. I will never buy a FA powered subaru + cvt.

I've owned 6 Subarus, 8 counting those owned by my sons with my name on the title. I couple years ago my 2002 Forester's AC needed work, and I was around the mileage that the headgaskets would need replacement. I traded it in, now have a 1999 Honda Accord 5MT that I bought for about the same amount of money the repairs would have cost on the Subaru. The Honda is much more likely to make 200k+ without any major repairs. I have the advantage of a company vehicle so I can purchase an older high mileage car. I still do like Subaru, I like the features such as the NWS band radio in my old Outback and the heated seats in that and the Forester. Also until recently I liked that Subaru was one of the few that still offered a manual transmission in most of their vehicles.The early 90s Legacys that I and my sons owned had the 2.2L engine which was one of the best engines ever made, I still have a desire to own a Subaru, but reading reports about quality lately is a concern. There are some notable exceptions, like the 2012 Forester with 300k+ miles.

2008 Outback 2.5i. FL car with 118 k. Dealer serviced since Oil tight new. Repair items:
3 CV axles replaced, AC compressor, rear wheel bearings. Overall, very reliable. Gas mileage is not a Subaru strong suit (24 mpg combined city/hwy).

IMO the 2008-2009 are one of the best design years for the Outback. 24 mpg overall isn't bad for an AWD car. That's about what I got with my 2002 Forester.

Re: Lee's post - Interesting Honda had head gasket trouble years ago, I didn't realize that. One thing I liked about my Subarus was I could change the oil myself without raising the car. For years there was always a Fram PH3593 filter in my garage.

Wouldn't it be nice if every auto engineer would put the oil filter where Subaru did? My '98 Frontier you had to remove a big heavy engine guard and on our '06 Mazda3 they put an access hole in the plastic engine shield but not in the right place and the shield was a bitch to put on/take off.

2011 legacy premium. First Subaru...maybe my last? This is my first car that has literally nickel and dimed me for the last three years. Every year head light bulbs go out, constant repolishing the headlights to fend off the build up, always travel with oil and funnel, front and rear pads and rotors, turn signal switch, both front strut assemblies (bent one after hopping a curb in the snow) tires, lower control arm, timing belt, low gas mileage (was great at first (like 35 mpg) now I can barely get it to stick past 28 on the highway). most of it is maintenance up keep but jeez!!!! getting prepared to replace front wheel hubs this year. I will say this, if you like to tinker, this is the brand for you.

I think subarus are not likely to hit 200k miles anymore because of all the new drivers they have. Long time owners are still seeing those numbers but these newer owners do not realize how critical rotating the tires, changing the fluids and aligning them are. They have a very sophisticated awd system that requires specific fluids and good attwntion to keep them running. They are not nearly as simple as these trucks and SUVs and most people do not know how to service them. Personally i have 215k on my legacy and my wife has 115k on her outback. The only major issue i have had was suspension parts(wheel bearings and struts) that being said those are wear items anyways. Only problems with hers was a window regulator died and a cronic headlight kept burning out. The shop suggested changing out the entire headlight assembly do to condensation building up. Reluctantly i did it cause im in it for the long haul, now they dont burn out. So... Subarus are good cars in my opinion.

The worst decision Subaru made was sealing the transmission and stating it was a
lifetime fluid plus the contradictory instructions to change the fluids for severe usuage? My dealership always stated it was a lifetime fluid- my 2014 Subaru Forested CVT failed at 120K miles-I did receive a new free transmission from Subaru but I plan to change the fluid in this new one every 30-40000 miles and to hell with the lifetime fluid fiasco!

After reading some Subaru forums and doing more research there could be something else to worry about - spun bearings. Seems like it's mostly on turbo engines, but not always. I wonder if this is rare, I know it's not nearly as common as headgaskets - but there's a dealership that replaces head gaskets and timing belts (EJ25 engines) on every Subaru they sell. You pay a bit more, but typically the engine would be good for maybe another 100k miles. But I've read a couple stories about spun bearings not long after a head gasket replacement. I've seen several posts here mentioning 200+ miles on their Subarus. Maybe the bearing situation is not common.

I have a 2015 Subaru Legacy, 132,000 miles. I was just informed I need a new Transmission ($7,500). A year or so ago I had to replace the entire exhaust system.
I've had to add coolant in the last month although the system passed a pressure test. It's been very hot this summer, so not sure if that is the reason for needing coolant?
Also need to add oil between oil changes (every 5,000 miles).
Steering wheel grip is disintegrating.
Disappointing, as I have always liked my prior Subaru Legacys.
Not sure if I should just buy a new car instead of spending $7,500 on a Transmission?

My Subaru Crossturd is the best. I had 2 short block engines and a CVT replaced before 80,000 miles. I will pay for more CVT's and engines just so I can say my Subaru lasted 10 years... Its good to be a brainwashed Subaru cult member.

My 2016 Subaru Legacy has just turned 200,000 miles. No issues with engine or transmission. Perform regular maintenance and use full synthetic oil. However, there is issues with rust along top of windshield and doors. Otherwise great car!

You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find
this matter to be really something which I
think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me.
I'm looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang
of it!

2012 Outback. I love the way it hugs the mountain roads around here and it's great in the snow. I got T-boned in this car in 2015 while going 55 mph, insurance didn't "total" it. Engine cradle bent, motor mounts broke, pages and pages of replaced parts. I suffered neck and back injuries so I haven't driven it much since then. It only has 60,000 on it as of Jan, 2023. Problems now arising. Dealer said I don't drive it enough. Various lights burning out. This past year a power steering problem. It's now on it's 4th power steering unit and steering feels very stiff compared to when it was new. It also moans and goans constantly and gets even louder when you turn the steering wheel. I paid the dealer to replace the ENTIRE steering system which cost me thousands of dollars. I've always bought used cars but thought at my age, I'd buy my first new car. I put more money into this "new" car than I did in any of my used cars and it's still not right. Two Subaru dealers told me the power steering replacement units are not as quiet as the original ones. Ha! Not quiet is not the way I would describe it. I have to turn the engine off if I want to talk on the phone. The noise inside the car is horrendous - all from the power steering unit. I keep telling the two dealers there IS something wrong and they say all it's fine. Subaru is also more expensive to maintain than it's competitors. Apparently Subaru's not even on the list of highly dependable cars anymore. Numerous problems one of which is they had to shut down a plant in Japan that produces their power steering units because of problems. Do your research - apparently Subaru is not what is use to be nor what it claims to be now. I'm selling the car this year. I'll be buying a Toyota or Honda SUV. So sad because this is the only car I've ever owned that is so much fun to drive and hugs the roads so well. But, after thousands of dollars spent trying to resolve the power steering unit and almost $1,500 for the 60,000 maintenance, it's time for me to stop putting money into a car that will never be what it once was.