Used 2001 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
2001 Outback -lots of time in shop
Started off with a burning smell, at purchase (new). Months later, found an oil leak, but no help from dealer. Have gotten regular service w/ trusted mechanic. Head gaskets replaced. Front light replaced - out of order w/in a month. Problems with rotors - smoothed many times, replaced more than we'd like. Sigh. This car has not been worth the hassle and we won't buy another Subaru.
Solid Wagon
Bought it new. Extras include premium sound, heated seats, heated mirors and heated windshield. Manual transmission does well even with Seattle's steep hills. No problems that weren't covered by the warranty. I plan to keep it for many years to come. My only majior complaint is that the air conditioning isn't cool enough. There are only vents in the front seats so my passengers and dogs bake in the back or we freeze in front to keep them cool.
- OUTBACKMSRP: $12,980369 mi away
- VDC WagonMSRP: $2,499380 mi away
- Limited WagonMSRP: $4,995438 mi away
Head Gaskets Replaced - 100% Warranty
My '01 Legacy Outback Sedan was just diagnosed with leaking head gaskets when I had the oil changed. The car has 87k miles and is almost 9 yrs old. So I took it to my Subaru dealer in San Rafael, CA. They confirmed the head gasket problem, called Subaru headquarters, who agreed to a 100% parts and labor to install new head gaskets!! While they had the engine out they installed a timing belt ($84) and 2 drive belts ($35). I am ecstatic that they would warranty my 9-year old Subaru. Way to go! And it only took 3-1/2 days to fix.
Descent, not great
A solid performer in snow and enough backseat room for child seats, the 2 main reasons we bought this. We bought private party, single owner with receipts. The previous owners had to buy head gaskets (80k) and a 5 spd transmission overhaul at 110k; shortly after purchase (at 114k) I had to replace front wheel bearings, and shortly after that the clutch started to chatter (had been replaced at 80k). High wind noise at highway speeds. The car is too heavy and the engine works too hard most of the time. With the exception of excellent traction control, this is a very average car in all other respects. I wish Subie would build small light AWD cars again, that's what they do best.
Midsize WannaB
I bought the larger Outback vs my 1998 Forrester. The interior is NOT midsized. Travel strains my legs. The power seats on the Outback helps some. The brakes on the Outback squeaks and have warped, an unexpected extra expense. I like the dark green, but lack of insulation makes the air conditioner ineffective. The great sound system is muffled by road noise. The 4 cylinder engine is far superior than any US made 4 cylinder, but I would prefer an US AWD 3.8L V6. I swear by AWD, many times avoiding other driver's mistakes. The plasic appearance is a far cry from the interior appointments of US made cars 20-30 years ago. 200,000 mile throw- away car.