Used 2001 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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No Lemonade from this Lemon
Angry Owner, 09/28/2018
updated 10/13/2021
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
We bought a brand new 2001 Subaru Outback for reliability. It is anything but reliable. At around 75,000 miles it required a $2000 Catalytic Converter, at 120,000 it required a head gasket and head rebuild, at 125,00 the transmission took a dump, and now, it has had a wire short out in the dash which melted all of the wires. It's done at 135,000 miles. I will never buy another Subaru product again. We were told by many that this would be a reliable vehicle when we bought it brand new. But, within the first two years we received a recall notice that the head gasket was badly designed. They didn't replace it, they simply poured in "Subaru fluid" (basically Stopleak) to "enhance the head gasket's reliability. This is the crap we used to use when we were teenagers, drove beaters, and didn't want to pay to fix a leaky radiator. Of course, even with their amazingly lame solution to their f-up, the head gasket went out. Then the transmission. After we had already bought a $2000 catalytic converter at only 75K miles, we put another $4000 into this car for the head rebuild and a used transmission, and got another a measly 10,000 more miles out of it before the electrical caught on fire. When my wife insisted on a Subaru Outback back in 2000, I gave in. I bought a Honda Civic a year or two before for myself. It is still going strong after nearly 20 tears with no repairs except for an a/c compressor at 120,000 miles. The 1987 Honda Accord I owned before I bought my 2000 Honda Civic ran trouble free for 310,000 miles but got totaled by a hit and run driver. If it hadn't been hit, I speculate it would still be running strong today. I was asked to update this review. So here is the update. It is and always will be the worst car I have ever owned.
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Expensive Major Repairs
jeff, 09/01/2008
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Hidden recalls of clutch and head gaskets. (Done on warranty.) Second clutch and flywheel replacement after only another 30,000 miles. Independent mechanic thinks the clutch flywheel fittings and housing are not meant for this engine. Catalytic converter needed replacement. Oxygen sensor and idle needed replacement. Brake rotors needed work early on. Front bushing replacements. Maybe I just got a lemon.
2001 Subaru Outback for sale near you
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- OUTBACKMSRP: $6,995962 mi away
- Limited WagonMSRP: $6,9901,010 mi away
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Best Sport Utility Ever!
Christina, 05/01/2006
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I researched for about a year before I made my purchase. I am now and always will be a Subaru owner. I try and sell people I know and don't know on these cars. I've never had any major problems. This car has the best fuel economy, it's comfy, it's luxurious. I drove it in Washington in the snow every winter without getting stuck once ... I'm a snowboarder! Now I'm in Atlanta and it drives so wonderfully in the pouring rain. I feel very confident that my car and I will make it through just about anything.
Was a great deer hunter
Kirk, 10/14/2008
2001 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
We got the outback limited with 115000 miles on it. The only items I replaced were the wires and an alternator which was very simple to replace. The one thing that drove me nuts was the seat heater buttons. I was always turning them on, bad placement. I lost the car when a deer ran in front of me. I was going 75 mph and the car stayed straight as an arrow. The car was totaled by the insurance co. My wife and I did not get even a scratch. So we bought another 2001 outback with 68k on it. I hope to get 250000 k on this one. I still have to put up with that seat heater button.
The Short and Tall of Driving a Subaru Outback
Marty in Jacksonville, 08/31/2015
2001 Subaru Outback L.L. Bean Edition AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
11 of 14 people found this review helpful
I am almost 5'2" and my husband is 6'6". We both fit fine as driver and passenger - a big challenge to find something that works for both of us. I only wish this vehicle had seat memory (a button to push to say it's me or him). The only drawback to this car design inside is between seat and center console is a black hole of lost things. I saw something I can buy to block that slot so I won't have to get a stick, a hairbrush, or whatever, to reach between there and retrieve keys, money, and pens. It's like a magnet for dropping things into there. Currently, I see a french fry and an M&M, and for the life of me, cannot get it out! We bought this car used (2001) and took it to the NC mountains, where it drove around sharp mountain curves like a champ, hanging on tight and not making the passengers feel like they're going to be thrown out. Our other car is a 2001 GMC Jimmy 4WD, which is a tough old car, but you have to nearly come to a stop to turn a corner and it's a big time gas hog.
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- Reliability
- Value