Used 2002 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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AVOID the manual transmission
Within 3 months of the purchase date the car developed a severe case of clutch "chatter" in first gear. It was like pulling teeth to get Subaru America to authorize replacement of the clutch and that only happened because the dealer mechanic agreed that the clutch was bad during a test drive! Within 2 months, the new clutch started to go bad. With this many reported problems with the clutch you would think Subaru America would issue a recall. Wishful thinking on my part!
Buy it for comfort and space
I have driven 70K miles in 18 months in West Michigan, mostly on the freeway. The car is exceptional in the snow especially with winter tires, it is quiet and comfortable on the freeway and grip is excellent. The tailgate is 43" wide and you can carry a 48" wide board on an angle. It also pulls medium size trailers effortlessly. My car has had only one problem, which was a blown fan motor caused by a faulty surge protector. Dealer service has been very good. My complaints are that the interior is pretty boring, the car is really slow, and I average only 22mpg.
- L.L. Bean Edition WagonMSRP: $4,444345 mi away
- VDC WagonMSRP: $4,495371 mi away
- Base WagonMSRP: $2,699703 mi away
Great car so far...
We bought our Outback wagon with a 5 speed and the 4 cylinder engine last fall. So far, it's been a great car: in bad weather (especially this past winter in New England), the AWD system is unstoppable. The car is comfortable and convenient and we appreciate the standard heated seats, CD player and power driver's seat. Our only complaints are that it's a little underpowered and the frameless windows generate a fair bit of wind noise at highway speeds.
Problems
We have had too many problems with this car. When applying brakes the steering wheel will shimmy. This only happens when brakes are warm. The air conditioner has quit twice. The grill over the fog light fell off. The windshield has cracked twice in the same place. Dealer has tried to fix problems. It is back at a dealer now for another attempt at fixing.
Outback in the Outhouse
Check at 10K miles engine light prompts trip to dealer. Aux. air injection valve (emissions) failure is indicated. This becomes a recurring failure. Valve is replaced once or twice per month for several months. Finally tech rep calls factory and they suggest re- programming car's brain. This fix works, but then car develops severe knocking in valve train (stuck or gummed lifters?). Get rid of this one before warranty expires.