Used 2003 Subaru Outback Wagon Consumer Reviews
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Its taken me to the moon..now I want to come back
Ok. So I am a died in the wool subaru fan but will make no bones about the fact that the H4 (2.5 liter models during these years and current models) have a BOATLOAD of head gasket problems. Their failure rate is very high. I happen to be lucky enough to have the 3.0 H6. I have just about 270k now and it still runs great and burns no oil. I maintain it well and do all the maintenance repairs myself. Have had no major repairs as of yet.
Big Dissapointment
I purchased this car new and have had nothing but COST. At 36,000 it had a leaking head and it was pulled out and fixed, then it was the timing belt at 50,00 miles. Something wrong with it all the time. At 77,000 BOTH heads was leaking again & pulled resurfaced. Heater not working & fixed. When contacting SUBRAU they wanted all servicing recordss. I got the packet together of services & plus ALL fixes.. We waited A MONTH- called many times. My hubby called them and They wouldnt do a thing for me !!! One statement why was I didnt have the car serviced all the time from a Subrau dealer - we were very upset and never a SUBRAU again!
The Best as long as its an H6
Subaru has long been the go-to for reliability and dependability for those who know of it. Perhaps these vehicles are the best kept secret or perhaps I'm the only one who needs a car monday-friday and a capable awd vehicle with ground clearance which can hold two kayaks and go anywhere in all weather conditions on the weekends. Set aside its diversity, these vehicles are incredibly safe and undoubtedly reliable. Add in heated leather seats, dual sunroof, premium sound, de-icing wiper blades, the torque of the 6-cyl engine coupled with the handling and some all weather mats, this granny wagon is capable of anything and loves a rough stretch of road! 220k miles and counting.
Nice car, be good to it and will probably be good to you.
We have owned this car for about 5 years,bought the car with 60k and have put a little over 100k on it. The car has been quite an investment to buy and service but has never left us stranded.Head gaskets were replaced shortly after purchase under warranty and have been fine since. I was told subarus can be considered a specialty vehicle and I agree as they are built different than a lot of cars. Still starts right up,shifts smoothly,rides nice. If you are hard on your vehicle and used to putting very little money into it in the meantime, probably not for you.
It's been really good to me
I am at 167,000 miles with synthetic oil and it is still clear and engine is going strong. Average 22 MPG in Los Angeles with mixed freeway and street and some offroad. Only failure was an air conditioning hose. Michelin Hydroedge replacements went 105,000 miles. The interior shows little wear and leather seats are still in great shape. Put on new tires and intend to keep it going until it dies... and then I might rebuild the motor and keep on.