Used 2001 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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Solid Wagon
SeattleDrvr, 02/19/2005
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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.
Head Gaskets Replaced - 100% Warranty
suesailor, 02/19/2010
2001 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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.
2001 Subaru Outback for sale near you
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- Base WagonMSRP: $4,9951,496 mi away
Money Pit -
The Angry Owner, 04/05/2019
updated 04/13/2020
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon w/Weather Package (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought it brand spanking new. At 80K we had to replace the catalytic convertor - $2,000. At 115K, we had to replace the head gasket - $2,000. At 125K the transmission took a dump. Because a new or rebuilt was over $3000, we opted for a used transmission and went ahead and did the CV joints at the same time since having the transmission out is a good time replace them - another $1700 total. Then, at 130K, we had an electrical fire underneath the dash. It turns out that the "weather package" - which runs on a 30 amp circuit - decided to go whaka-do and start a fire. Mechanic says it is sending excess amperage through the circuit. In doing so it melted the wiring harness. You would expect the fuse to blow but it didn't....why not? In the space of 6 years we spent $8,700 on this car. We bought a Subaru because of all of the talk about reliability. Bull-hockey. This car was a money pit and is now a useless hunk of metal. Buy a Subaru? NEVER AGAIN!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Descent, not great
talldude, 04/08/2009
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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
RoadRunner47, 09/01/2002
2001 Subaru Outback AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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.