Used 2012 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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Great Dog Mobile
Bugmom64, 03/11/2018
updated 03/12/2020
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
If you are looking for an economical great go-anywhere dog hauler look no further. Use ours every day, good road clearance, good gas mileage, good cargo room. Exciting- not really but a comfortable all around vehicle that is never in the shop. Update : 147,000 miles and no major issues aside from the backup camera which stopped working (probably due to the excessive road salt they use in New England).
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AMAZING!
drorcutt, 02/10/2013
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I previously owned Toyota, and was very hesitant to go away from a brand I have loved so much. However...once I decided to test drive a Subaru, I was in love! I was looking for something practical, yet stylish, and found what I was looking for in the outback. My family loves the outdoors, camping, etc., and we often move large items. The outback provides enough space to haul loads when you need to, or take the family on a camping trip as well. We love this car and will tell all of our friends and family as well!
2012 Subaru Outback for sale near you
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- 2.5i Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $7,5006 mi away
- 2.5i Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $7,363In-stock online
- 2.5i Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,4956 mi away
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CVT transmissions are junk
Bill Wales, 06/24/2020
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
This is our 2nd Outback (2012 Premium w/ Weather Package), the first being a 2001 Limited. First, the good. The All-Wheel Drive system works great on these cars, but a damaged tire due to a blowout or flat typically means buying all 4 tires to keep from screwing up the All-wheel drive system. The ground clearance is great for a car. Plenty of cargo storage. Best seat heaters I've ever had in a car. Handles pretty good in all weather conditions and gets close to 30mpg HWY. These were the major things we liked about our first 2001 Outback as well and why we were hoping that this was a 150,000 mile 10-year+ car. The bad. First, the standard radio is terrible. Second, like our 2001, the 2012 eats headlights, but like 3x worse. Typically they last maybe 9 months. I change them all myself and it's a royal pain on either side. When one bulb blows, it's not uncommon for others to soon go as well. This is a very well known problem on Subarus, with some dealers even offering to change bulbs for free w/n a certain period. The issue is the way these are wired in which when one bulb goes it often causes a ground fault that leads to other bulbs blowing. Wiring a car is not rocket science, but basic electrical engineering. Third, I should have trusted my initial impressions of the weak CVT transmission as compared to the older 2001 version. The CVT started slippin in the 60,000 mile range and finally went out around 90,000. We had that one replaced twice thereafter and are on the 3rd transmission at 108,000 miles. These are now very well known major problems, and are manufactured by JATCO, the same company that supplies Nissans, another company with major problems from this supplier. Subaru even issued a service bulletin to deal with this issue, but no official recall. Fourth major issue...again, just like the 2001. Head gasket blowouts and valve cover leaks that occur on this horizontal ancient Boxer engine designs where seals have to constantly fight gravity over time. These engines also seem to wear out piston rings very fast. Many of these engines do not make it to 100k miles before blowing the head gaskets and overheating, or they excessively burn oil (ours burns 2-3 quarts between 3000 mile oil changes). Our 2001 Outback failed at 98,000 miles but was covered under a recall on the head gaskets. We gave Subaru a 2nd shot, but this is our last one given the inherent flaws of the engine and CVTs. There's a lot to like about the car, but they are a total crap shoot past 75,000 miles. Too many cars now have really good AWD and other features with much better reliability (e.g. Toyotas)
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Love my Outback, but heart broken
Ama, 07/15/2019
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought a brand new 2012 Outback. It runs like a dream. I loved it when it just fly through the snow with all season tires during winter season. the Engine blew up in 2018 at about 110 K miles. the extended warranty just expired. I called subaru, they asked me to go to a dealer to get a diagnosis, which I am responsible for the coast (about $1000). they estimated the cost to replace one for $6000. I ended up going to a local mechanic to do the job for $4000. it again failed in June 2019. this time, it is the transmission. the CVT failed at 138 k miles. the same mechanic quotes me $3000 to replace with an used one. It saddens me because I truly hope this car can last for at least 200K miles. I did love the car when it runs great, but I did not expect so much major troubles merely 138 K miles. I traded the Outback in for a Toyota. I wish Subaru can do something to improve their quality, so their products live up to what the company claim.
2012 Outback Limited Very Good But Noisy
sharon61, 12/21/2011
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
19 of 35 people found this review helpful
I leased my Outback 33 days ago thanks to Subaru's rewarding customer loyalty program and a great price from our local dealer. I love the moderate size and stylish exterior design and wheels, as well as the luxurious interior's heated leather seats and faux wood trim. The Harman Kardon stereo is great as is the Bluetooth connectivity feature between my cell phone and the stereo. Not having taken an extended trip yet, I'm averaging 23.7 mpg in a combination of city and highway driving (no lead feet) here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My biggest complaint is that the Outback is noisy, no doubt due to the boxer engine and CVT, but no vehicle with the word "Limited' in its name should be noisy.