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Used 2012 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
82 reviews

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Pros
Cons
4.13 out of 5 stars

Who Needs A Minivan?

dr_nano, 03/17/2012
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful

Our '04 Nissan Quest had reached the end of its wretched life (poor build quality & reliability) and we needed something to take the kids around, the trash to the transfer station, and the dog to the vet while dealing with the NH roads and weather. Plus my wife has to park in muddy fields when she works at a local school and she has to get out of those fields. The Outback does all of these very well. It is smaller than her Quest but we found that we only need that extra space about 0.001% of the time and we can rent a proper van when we do. We'll take the better fuel mileage, the solid feel, and the confidence we can go anywhere of the Outback over any minivan.

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3.63 out of 5 stars

The Wanderer

wil12345, 05/25/2012
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
37 of 42 people found this review helpful

This car would be perfect if it would only track down the road. This is our 6th Subaru and all the previous Outbacks drove fine. We have had it aligned 3 times, the rack and pinion has been adjusted, but the steering wheel will not return to center when traveling on the highway. Because of this, the car needs constant correction to drive in a straight line. We only have 2700 miles on it and if this problem can't be resolved, this car will be gone and it will be our last Subaru.

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1 out of 5 stars

engine blew a little over 100'000

sarah mcafee, 01/12/2016
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful

3 yrs old regular maintenance family car. Bought it because it was suppose to get high mileage. Dtiving down the interstate and every lihht on the dash came in. Pulled over there was anti freeze everywhere. Needs new motor and whi kniws what else. Diagnosed as a oil sending unit failure. Subaru did nothing to help I will have around 6000 in repairs. Never again

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2 out of 5 stars

Broken and broken hearted.

Simone Boutet, 04/14/2018
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful

I live and work in town so I have only 32,000 miles on my 2012 Outback. So far, the seat dips so far down that my physical therapist prescribed a sacrum wedge just so I could keep my leg from aching and falling asleep; I rarely use the sun roof, but the time I did, it became stuck open; the oil drained out of it for no apparent reason; and now, it is skipping or slipping when I accelerate and my mechanic says I need a whole new transmission at $6,000. There have also been multiple recalls. This is my second Outback and I want to love it, but both have been problematic. My last Outback had a mysterious battery problem where it kept dying and leaving me stranded. I replaced it twice, but nothing changed. No computer or test could show anything wrong, but new battery or old, it kept dying and leaving me stranded. I keep expecting to buy that one car that I can drive for 200,000 or 250,000 miles, but neither of my two Outbacks have lasted past 50,000. Sad.

Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
1 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
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1 out of 5 stars

Meticulously maintained, constantly broken

BAS, 01/04/2018
2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful

We bought a CPO at 55k and opted for Subaru Gold Plus warranty. In the subsequent 35k miles, it's needed significant repairs ~once per year until this year, when it's been in the shop 3 times for $1000+ repairs--thankfully covered under warranty. It finally died on the highway, towed it to a Subaru dealer, where it's sat for 8 days because it seems like there is not a Subaru dealer in the country that's not too busy. It will require 8+ hours to diagnose the problem, and likely $6000+ for repairs. Subaru is being super cagey about whether it will be covered, despite our factory extended warranty and consistent dealer maintenance (including oil changes) during our ownership of the vehicle. We couldn't get a loaner from the dealer because it was closed and we were on a road trip, so we had to rent from Enterprise. Again, Subaru won't be clear if they'll cover this, even though we couldn't get a loaner at the time and their service centers can't look at anything in a reasonable time. This car has been the worst I've ever owned, including a used, questionable high-mileage Cavalier. Subaru service is as bad as their reliability.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
2 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
1 out of 5 stars
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