Used 2003 Subaru Outback Sedan Consumer Reviews
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200,000 miles and counting!
ak_girl, 06/18/2013
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
I bought this car brand new in 2003. It has been problem free and reliable, I can honestly say this has been the best car I have ever owned. I would gladly buy another new 6 cylinder Subaru without a second thought.
03 outback 2.5L SOHC
subie7, 08/01/2013
2003 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
great car very reliable recommend changing the factory head gaskets their junk and upgrade them and youll never have the problem again ik i havent other than that the tranny and engine runs great havent had any other issues with the car other than minor stuff here and their like tube seals and blown dash light 10 yrs old so i thinks shes done me good still gets me from a - z fires up EVERYTIME one lesson i learned for anyone looking to do spark plugs though only run ngk plugs and wires amazing difference
2003 Subaru Outback for sale near you
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Wife loves it
Leo, 08/16/2010
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Purchased used 1 yr old. 120K miles on the car so far. Never had mechanical problems. Wife loves it. Replaced McIntosh head unit after warranty ran out with aftermarket radio (First time replaced under warranty). Auto transmission jerks when downshifts from 2 to 1 gear at stoplight. Dealer inspected, no issues found. Average 25 MPG mixed driving. Replacing front brake pads every 20K miles. Wind noise is annoying after 65MPH even with replaced window seals. Needs more luxury features for $30K vehicle. It was my second Subaru after I loved WRX but probably will not be buying again. Better choices available for the money.
High mileage, still runs like new
Snow shredder, 10/17/2008
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
No major mechanical problems. Routine stuff like brake calipers and pads but nothing major. Still is rock solid, lots of power (V6), great in the snow, slush and rain and fun to drive. Presently have goodyear assurance tripletred tires and recommend them on this car. All in all, still love the car.
2nd Subaru, might be last
Tim, 12/20/2008
2003 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
My car was babied from day one. I upgraded to the Outback from a 2002 Impreza 2.5. I really enjoyed the car, until I started to notice a few sounds as I accelerated from toll booths, etc with my window still down. The dealers could never hear it. I noticed the transmission was always searching between 3rd and 4th gear. The wind noise has me going nuts. The paint has faded in different spots, and I am afraid to use the windshield wiper heater because when I replaced the cracked one, the replacements seem to have a defect with the heating element and it cracks the glass when used. I love Subarus, but my wife makes a good point when she says I need to stop buying someones bad design.
My wife's "tank" which she loves
Firefighterjake, 11/06/2007
2003 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
My wife is a nurse who has to drive 35 miles each way to and from work in all kinds of weather. Before she used a Nissan 4WD pick-up, which worked well, but it seemed a bit top heavy to her in the snow and was severely under-powered. She absolutely loves this Subaru as she says it powers through everything Mother Nature throws our way here in Maine. In fact she says it's a lot like driving a tank as it goes through anything with no issues. We've had no problems and honestly feel the 4-cylinders provide plenty of giddy-up and go for us.
My first Subaru
RIBob, 08/20/2002
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
After having driven Ford products for my entire adult life I have purchased a brand new Subaru on an impulse. I was drawn to its sleak design and sporty appearance. What brought me to the Subaru dealership was my interest in trying an AWD vehicle. So far I am very impressed with the ride and the handling. I certainly hope this vehicle will continue to perform as one would expect from a Subaru.
Darn That Transmission
duzduz, 08/10/2010
2003 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Overall I truly loved this car. Unfortunately the window noise everyone talks about came up for me around 30,000 miles but bigger than that, the transmission! Clunky from about 56,000 miles and finally bit the dust at 140,000. Come now, that's too early. I'm a very gentle driver, never accelerate too fast, and would certainly expect a better lifetime out of such a major (and EXPENSIVE) element of the car. Sounds like this is a trend with the 03 Outback :(
The best luxury Subaru ever.
Robert Millsop, 10/20/2002
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Remember the Subaru Outback SUS? Weird wasn't it! I bought a 2.5GT Limited instead. The VDC I am very happy with, wonderful engine, not so impressive transmission but still ample. The stero is out of this world! It drives wonderfully and is very comftorable.
Great Car
J. Kenney, 10/21/2003
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Have had the car for about a year now, and other than gas, the only expenses have been for the regular oil changes. Incredibly reliable.
Do Not Buy a Subaru
aml, 12/18/2003
updated 10/15/2020
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
2 of 7 people found this review helpful
I am driving a 2003 Subaru Outback Sedan with the new H-6 engine. My car has been in the shop 4 times in the last 18 months because of starting problems. (It was also in two other times for recalls unrelated to this issue.) Each time it goes in, the car is down for 3 days because the main computer has to be shipped back to the factory for re-programming.This was my first Subaru purchase and will be my last. I am disgusted with the Subaru product and with the dealership's service. Buyer Beware!
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
Great Car! WOW WHAT A STEREO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ireallycan, 12/09/2002
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great car with lots of luxury items. The stereo is the best car stereo I've ever heard. Beats Bose hands down!!!!! Not very fast from a green light but very easy to speed once you get moving.
No Audi, but the price is right
wepperson, 07/31/2003
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is a very good car, but hardly "Lexus-like". For one thing, the comparable Lexus is the ES300, which is awful for torque oversteer. But the ride comfort and quietness of the Outback don't approach the Lexus, nor my old A4 Quattro. And the handling has always been disappointing--yeah, I know it's a "sport utility sedan" and not set up for sport touring sedan handling like the A4, but I wish it was.
great vehicle for the money, fun driving
cash register, 08/20/2003
2003 Subaru Outback VDC AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This vehicle has a very tight feel and is fun to drive, especially around curves where other similarly priced vehicles don't hug the road. It performs great at high speeds and changing lanes at high speeds is a breeze.
Great Vehicle...
Annie , 07/20/2003
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Love the car... VDC's seem to have a little trouble with the brackets on the muffler...
Good Balance
cb85, 10/27/2003
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
H6-3.0 sedan is a nice balance between AWD utility, and 'near' luxury features. Smooth quiet ride, decent performance, rock-solid Subaru reliability, nice features like heated leather and sunroof, and most importantly, AWD for mid 20K is hard to beat.
Great all climate car
A Flyer, 03/15/2004
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is our 5th Subaru and it is driven 60 miles round trip everyday and we use it to visit our daughters in Westchester and Fairfax counties every 3 to four weeks. This H6 is by far the best Subaru we've owned. The ride is very good, stable, responsive on the expressway and most of all reliable. An added plus is that it looks great. The car earned our confidence. Living in Rochester NY, we do get a lot of inclement weather; ice, snow, sleet, wind, etc. When that happens the Saab 9-5 stays in the garage and the Subaru becomes our workhorse. Can't say enought good things about the car.
Our first Subaru and we're loving it!
schlaflette, 06/27/2003
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We're very happy with our purchase so far! One of the selling points was the all wheel drive and it works wonders in our rainy climate. We also liked the look of the vehicle better with the optional spoiler which we did purchase.
SUBARU GETTING BETTER & BETTER
SUBIENUT, 12/25/2002
2003 Subaru Outback H6-3.0 AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
IN MAY OF 2001 I PICKED UP A 2001 LL BEAN OUTBACK WAGON AN TWO DAYS AGO MY WIFE AND I UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPED OUR 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA FOR A 2003 H-6 3.0 OUTBACK SEDAN. HAVING VOTED WITH OUR WALLET AND POCKETBOOK SAYS IT ALL.
satisfied customer
satisfied customer, 05/26/2003
2003 Subaru Outback Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
this car is very comfy but the road noise is a bit to loud. this car is very reliable. the service at carr subaru is superb because they remember your name, face and what car you have. bad exterior design and interior because the seats wear out too fast. this car is to slow, should be able to hit 130 on an open road like a maxima