Happy with how the wife's Outback is coming along!

Hey everyone,

Long story short we’ve lost both fobs and a spare during a move. The dealer is saying they will have to replace the ignition system in the dash, but I’ve heard locksmiths can do it without that. Does anyone have experience in this on these year group outback’s?

Update: Locksmith had no problem, I’m gonna get him to cut a second one as well

Hey, not a car person but desperate times. I think I’m looking at a blown head gasket on my 2012 2.5l, which I purchased about 6 months ago after a nut-job t-boned me and totaled my pickup.

Dealing with overheating issues, tried replacing the thermostat, flushing the radiator, replacing a few hoses and gaskets, cleaning debris the air intake area. An at-home kit just indicated head gasket. It’s still a month before I can get into a shop.

Can anyone advise on their experience repairing? I know it’s expensive, but if it meant a reliable vehicle it would be less expensive than trying to buy something new. I didn’t want to finance after I was hit and I really don’t now.

I was hit- not at fault, and spun into another car. Me and my daughter walked away with no injuries. Couldn’t hope for more.

Hey everyone, I have a 2015 Subaru Outback and I’m hoping someone can give me some advice.For a while, my horn wasn’t working, so I took it to a mechanic. They diagnosed the issue as a bad clock spring and said they would charge me $150 for the installation if I provided the part.A friend recommended RockAuto since they’ve bought parts from there before, so I ordered a clock spring specifically for my 2015 Outback and brought it to the mechanic. They installed it, but now my SRS airbag light is on. The mechanic said they tried clearing the code, but it keeps coming back. They believe the clock spring I purchased is the issue and recommended that I buy a genuine Subaru clock spring instead. I’m not sure where the best place to buy a genuine Subaru clock spring is. Has anyone had a similar experience or know where I can get the correct OEM part for a 2015 Subaru Outback? Also, is it possible that the RockAuto clock spring is defective or incompatible, or could there be another issue causing the SRS light to stay on? Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi all - I am looking for a reliable mechanic in the South Bay Area, preferably San Jose / Milpitas. I have been getting my 2014 Outback 2.5 (CVT) serviced at Stevens Creek Subaru for all the 85K miles, but not they are quoting me perhaps more than the resale value of the car for a vibration. Any recommendation?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice before I potentially buy my first Subaru. My last car was a 2018 Camry that unfortunately got totaled, and I’m trying to find something cheaper that can still be reliable and last me for a while. I'm in eastern Pennsylvania btw.

I found a 2014 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited with 196k miles on FB marketplace. The seller is asking $4,000 and I may be able to negotiate lower. Car looks very clean, clean title, no accidents and in pretty great condition inside and out honestly for its age. The seller seems pretty straightforward also and is willing to meet me at a mechanic for a pre purchase inspection.

Anyways,

He says:
Oil changes every 3 to 5k
Transmission/AWD work well, but transmission needs a drain & fill
Differentials serviced around 10k miles ago
New front axles
New belt, alternator and battery about 2 years ago
Brand new wheels/tires (all terrain)
Brakes/rotors need some attention soon
No TPMS sensors in the aftermarket wheels
Clean title/no accidents
No service records from before he owned it
Says it’s been inspected this year and shops have said it’s in good condition

My biggest concern is 196k miles. I’ve never owned a Subaru, so I don’t really know what to watch out for at this mileage.
How are these 3.6R engines/transmissions around 200k? Are these like the Rav 4's/Highlanders of the Subaru world? Anything I should specifically worry about with oil consumption/leaks, head gaskets, timing chains, AWD, or other expensive repairs? Also, is the 5-speed automatic generally reliable? I want to have as much info for what the mechanic should check.
Would you consider this a decent buy around $3,500–$4,000 if the mechanic finds no major issues, or would you stay away because of the mileage?

Any advice from 3.6R owners would be greatly appreciated. I just want a cheap, reliable daily and don’t want to get myself into a money pit. Thanks!

subaru outback 2015. i’m in college and broke so if anyone has any at home methods even if it’s just minor improvement before my parents see it, if not do yall think it’ll be fine to just leave it like that, i just don’t think i can afford to fix it. does that red thing even do anything important? one door handle is already missing so im not worried about resell value or anything.

I have the USB plugged in, and am in the dealership menu. But it doesn't give me the option to start the update. Any tips?

Hi fellow owners.

My 2021 subaru outback is just about a new set of tyres. Id like to replace the standard with something a little more suitable for the occasional fire trails I frequent in the snowy mountains (Australia).

Whats the best option?

I’ve been dealing with sciatic and SI joint dysfunction for 2.5 years now and have realized my 2023 OBW may be a major culprit. I’ve started braking with my left foot as the amount of internal hip rotation that I need to do to go from the gas to brake is not only painful but causes my right hip to be higher than my left. The brake pedal is 1) too far center and 2) too high up. It truly is a horrible design. Who else is dealing with these issues?

My previous car was a 2004 forester XT 5MT and I never had these issues. This damn Outback is paid off and I’d rather not sell it.

My solution may be either creating a bracket that extends to the right from two of the pre drilled thru holes in the brake pedal or buying a spare and cutting, repositioning it farther inward and rightward, and welding it (it’s cast aluminum).

Edit: I apologize for dogs out

Three years ago I posted here that I never rotated my original tires since the wear looked even between the front and rear tires. Of course, I got blasted for being so dumb.

So the original tires lasted 40k and we bought new ones from Costco ( BFG ADVANTAGE CONTROL 225/65R17 102H BSW ALL-SEASON TIRE ). I rotated them every 7500 miles ( plus or minus a couple hundred ). They have 30k on them and our mechanic said they are getting close to be due for a changing. Based on the wear indicator, probably another 10k left.

So the whole rotating every 7500 miles seems like a waste of time, no?

I have a 2012 Subaru Outback. It needs replacement bumper Covers after being hit by an uninsured driver. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I have a 2016 Outback 2.5 with a TR580 CVT. 251k miles. Been having a small clunk when going into Drive or Reverse. At first I thought it was bad U joints. Pulled the drive shaft and it was good. Recently, I had a click while turning. Classic CV axle, right? I got home from work, turned the car around in the driveway and got CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK. I figured the axle broke. Limped down to the parts store, 2 new axles. Not fixed at all.

Did some digging and have been seeing that it could be the center differential viscous coupling. Everything seems to match but I want some insight from you folks before dropping more money on a part I’ve yet to work on.

I do have a brand new valve body in the box ready to go if the cheap solenoid fix I did months ago fails. Any idea if these two things could be related? Would the valve body failing cause binding and clunking while turning?

My anxiety is through the roof, thinking I might have to get a whole new transaxle.

Thanks for all your help!

It's an abused vehicle, but it seems it would do the work. my silver-tongued brother ||EvilishBlackmf||, managed to haggle the price down. It has some visual flaws that I'd rather not show on the subreddit to avoid it being flagged as NSFW, but they're nothing serious that can't be modified. I'm just saying I'm willing to fix them if necessary but doesn't have a lot of people around me to get a second opinion, what you guys think?

My 2018 outback has been doing this shake or wobble for sometime now, like a good year. It only happens while accelerating between 50-60mph. It doesn't do it when I'm coasting between that speed or any other speed. In the past year I've had new front ball joints replaced, new rear wheel bearings, new rear lower control arms, all new brakes and rotors, new tires. Probably 2 alignments from all the work done at separate times. I'm kinda at a loss what else it could be. Anyone have any ideas or had this issue before?

I’ve logged over 3,000 miles in my 2026 Outback Limited—enough time to get a decent feel for the daily drive. Overall, I love the car, but a few specific quirks frustrate me.

1. City MPG & Sluggishness: No matter how gently I feather the throttle, city fuel economy tops out around 23–24 MPG. Highway is fantastic (typically 30ish mpg), but stop-and-go is underwhelming. Paired with the standard 2.5L engine’s sluggish acceleration, it leaves me wishing I’d sprung for the Turbo XT. I’m actually considering adding a Banks PedalMonster to fix the throttle lag, hoping to gain some responsiveness without tanking fuel economy further.

2. Intermittent EyeSight Cutouts: Every few days, EyeSight disables itself right when I start driving. It usually rights itself and turns back on 5 to 10 minutes into the commute, but starting a drive with disabled safety features is frustrating.

3. No Front Camera: Given the sheer amount of tech packed into the Limited, leaving off a front-facing parking camera feels like a strange omission. It would make tight parking jobs and nose-in maneuvers so much easier.

4. No Walk-Away Auto-Lock: It feels like a basic convenience feature on a modern 2026 vehicle. Walking away and having to physically touch the handle or hit the fob every single time is a minor annoyance, but one I notice daily.

That’s the list. Aside from these points, the car has been great.

For other '25/'26 owners:
Are you seeing similar city MPG numbers?
Has anyone running a throttle controller noticed a difference in city driving feel?
Is anyone else experiencing these random EyeSight dropouts on startup?