RoadVitals

1996 Subaru Outback Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Jan 14, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
22%
of 46 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Subaru Outback submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Jan 14, 2010

WHILE DRIVING VERY BUSY HIGHWAY, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT ALL THE WAY TO "H". I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED SOME STEAM UNDER HOOD. ADDED SOME WATER. A LITTLE LATER, STILL ON "H". MECHANIC WHO HAS SERVICED MY 1996 SUBARU OUTBACK SINCE I GOT IT IN 1998 SAID IT HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, COMMON WITH SUBARUS. IN 2009 I HAD THE 90K MILE MAINTENANCE DONE, VERY EXPENSIVE. ALSO HAD ALL NEW BRAKES, VERY EXPENSIVE. ALSO FOUR NEW TIRES AND LAST MONTH, A NEW BATTERY. ALSO, LAST MONTH, HAD OIL CHANGE. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED EVEN ONE RECALL NOTICE FROM SUBARU, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW ALL ALONG THAT THEIR HEAD GASKETS ARE FAILING IN THEIR CARS. I WANTED MY OUTBACK TO LAST MANY MORE YEARS BUT NOW MUST JUNK IT BECAUSE OF A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. MECHANIC SAID IT'S USELESS TO FIX HEAD GASKET OR REPLACE IT, AND TOLD ME TO GET A NEW CAR, WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD. MECHANIC PUT CHEMICAL IN LINE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SEAL ANY LEAKS (NO GUARANTEES). I OFTEN VISIT MY DAUGHTER, WHO IS RECUPERATING FROM BREAST CANCER, IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF CT, IN A VERY SECLUDED AREA OF FEW HOMES, NO BUSINESSES. TO HAVE CAR FAILURE IN THE WOODS WOULD PROBABLY GIVE THIS 70 YEAR OLD A HEART ATTACK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10299746
Incident
Jan 6, 2010
Mileage
100,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 26, 2009

CAR OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING. SUSPECT HEADGASKET FAILURE ALLOWING COOLANT TO ESCAPE AND ENGINE TO OVERHEAT . (POTENTIAL FOR CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY STALL ON INTERSTATE) UPON INTERNET SEARCH FOUND THAT HUNDREDS OF THE SUBARU 2.5L ENGINES SUFFER FROM SAME CONDITION (1995-1999). HTTP://HOME.COMCAST.NET/~SKIPNOSPAM/. *TR

NHTSA ID
10289921
Incident
Oct 23, 2009
Mileage
166,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 28, 2008

1. JUST BOUGHT FROM DEALER. GOING TO GET GAS. 2. OVERHEATING. AUTO MECHANIC SAID OIL IN THE ANTIFREEZE. HEAD GASKET. 3. REPAIRED HEAD GASKET ETC. *TR

NHTSA ID
10225852
Incident
Apr 16, 2008
Mileage
161,423 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 13, 2005

CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE BUT RADIATOR TEMP WAS HIGH. TOOK CAR INTO REPAIR SHOP, CRACKED HEAD GASKET. CALLED SUBARU, THEY OFFERED NO HELP OR ADVICE. COST TO REPAIR IS AT A TOTAL LOSS TO ME, A COLLEGE STUDENT. SUBARU DEALER SAID CRACKED HEAD GASKET IS A PROBLEM IN SUBARUS. I WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT THIS CAR IF I KNEW IT WOULD HAVE THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS. PART TO BE REPLACED IS HEAD GASKET. *JB

NHTSA ID
10145111
Incident
Oct 25, 2005
Mileage
185,000 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 6, 2004

CAR STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES ALONG A COUNTRY ROAD AT ABOUT 45 MPH, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE. POKED ACCELERATOR PEDAL A FEW TIMES WITH NO RESULT, AND PEDAL DID NOT APPEAR TO BE STUCK DOWN. HELD SPEED OF VEHICLE DOWN WITH BOTH FEET HARD ON BRAKE PEDAL. VEHICLE RETURNED TO NEAR NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION ON ITS OWN AFTER ABOUT 30 SEC TO 1 MIN, ALTHOUGH VEHICLE COULD MAINTAIN 30-40 MPH WHEN NOT TOUCHING EITHER ACCELERATOR OR BRAKE. RETURNED TO FULLY NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THIS WAS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. IN THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THEN WHEN DID START RACED TO EXTREMELY HIGH IDLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. POKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION AFTER BEING TURNED OFF AND RE-STARTED. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER, BUT TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, AND ALL DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS WERE NEGATIVE. PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10102225
Incident
Dec 5, 2004
Mileage
97,600 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 15, 2004

BLEW A HEAD GASKET WHICH LEAKED ANTIFREEZE THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE CAUSING MANY OTHER PARTS FAILURES. FOR EXAMPLE, O2 SENSORS. TOTAL COST OF REPAIRING VEHICLE - $4,800

NHTSA ID
10069547
Incident
Feb 15, 2003
Mileage
115,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 27, 2003

BLEW A HEAD GASKET WHILE TRAVELING WITH TWO CHILDREN. BROKE DOWN AND HAD TO WAIT ON SIDE OF BUSY ROAD WITH ONE YEAR OLD AND TWO YEAR OLD. THE CAR,A 1996 OUTBACK ONLY HAD 115,000 MILES ON IT. REAL LOW FOR THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10016569
Incident
Feb 24, 2003
Mileage
115,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Sep 8, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING BUCKING ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN THE FOOT IS TAKEN OF THE ACCELERATOR / WHEN MAKING A TURN DUE TO SOLENOID FAILURE. REPAIRS WERE DONE. PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *YC

NHTSA ID
548376
Incident
Aug 30, 1999
Engine
Filed Oct 27, 1997

OIL PLUG BROKE RESULTING IN FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
604988
Engine
Filed Mar 18, 1997

CONSUMER HAS NOTICED EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS UP. *AK

NHTSA ID
809454

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Airbags8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .