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2006 Subaru Outback repairs by problem area

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Chart based on 321 repairs.

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2006 Subaru Outback repair cost distribution

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Chart based on 267 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

See repairs for all Subaru Outback model years.

Subaru Outback in Maryland, United States Jul 2015 - Jul 2016
May 2016 113100 mi US $3728	Typical head gasket issue. Subaru paid $750 toward repair. Again right around 90,000

Subaru Outback in California, United States Apr 2014 - Jul 2014
May 2014 80500 mi US $300	Poly rib belt failed. It should have been done at 75K, but I let it slip

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Subaru Outback in California, United States Mar 2013 - Mar 2015
Nov 2013 120000 mi	Replaced ignition coil for one of the cylinders to fix an intermittent rough idle problem.
Jul 2014 129000 mi	Replaced power steering pump
Aug 2014 129500 mi US $250	Replaced the turbo in order to fix an oil leak (warranty maneuver). Replaced driver-side sun visor. Replaced speaker in driver's door.
Dec 2014 132000 mi	Replaced power steering pump (again). This one was making a whining sound. Third one's a charm. Disassembly of radiator precipitated a break in a hose attachment piece. Could not re-attach, had to replace radiator.
Mar 2015 135000 mi	Replaced Oil Cooler seal to fix oil leak. Replaced front driver side CV Boot

Subaru Outback in Florida, United States Aug 2013 - Jul 2018
Sep 2013 61000 mi	Rear wheel bearing noise. Was noticeable at highway speeds Subaru of America paid for the repairs.
Oct 2013 61700 mi US $1591	Had the car inspected prior to buying, several things came up. Had them fixed after I purchased the car. Needed new CV joint, oil cooler oring, timing belt, brake pads, labor.
Jan 2018 122000 mi US $3000	The engine removed from the car and was taken apart to replace all the seals as it was leaking oil horribly. The oil would fall on the exhaust pipe and burn. Smoke then entered driving compartment. Also they replaced the all the vacuum hoses since alot of them were worn, cracked and leaking.

Subaru Outback in Washington, United States Nov 2010 - Jul 2018
Jul 2013 71000 mi US $5285	Fuel injector failure caused a burned exhaust valve. Engine-out rebuild of valves and cylinder heads performed. Replace damaged CV Joint boots with new boots
May 2017 104557 mi US $442	Car was handling poorly and making noise going over bumps. Replaced front sway bar bushings and end-links. Replace rear end-links.
Feb 2018 111000 mi US $131	HVAC and radio buttons stopped responding. Replaced OE stereo and HVAC control unit with a used/junkyard part.
Jun 2018 114503 mi US $398	Wheel bearing was making a lot of noise, especially at highway speed. It was found to be faulty and replaced with a new unit.

Subaru Outback in California, United States Mar 2010 - Oct 2014
Apr 2012 56000 mi US $16	Rt front low beam headlight burned out. Easy to change in a few minutes.

Subaru Outback in Colorado, United States Nov 2010 - Jun 2018
Dec 2010 62000 mi	Subaru replaced the computer as there was a known issue (TSB). The computer was replaced at no cost to me.
Jun 2011 67000 mi US $582	Brakes and CV joint boots
Nov 2011 72000 mi US $200	Bad Panasonic stereo was causing battery drain and the battery kept dying. They replaced the entire stero unit and that has fixed the problem so far.
Jan 2014 72800 mi	Throw out bearing and clutch replacement
Dec 2017 90000 mi US $1500	Timing belt, front end alignment & maintenance

Subaru Outback in Colorado, United States Jan 2011 - Feb 2011
Feb 2011 59200 mi	Turbo replaced. Repair covered by the factory 6 mi./60k powertrain warranty. Turbo replaced. Repair covered by the factory 6 mi./60k powertrain warranty.

Subaru Outback in Connecticut, United States Sep 2008 - Oct 2012
Oct 2008 32000 mi	Steering brace and steering pump failed.
Apr 2009 44000 mi US $420	Removal of Damaged Heat Screen. Dealer said probably deformed by engine heat. Awaiting part.
May 2009 44000 mi US $137	Replace damaged heat shield with new part.
Sep 2010 65000 mi US $360	SWAY BAR AND BUSHINGS REPLACED. ONE HEADLIGHT REPLACED.
Oct 2011 77700 mi US $550	Alternator died. Had battery sensor warning but it was misdiagnosed, so I just made it to a repair place.
May 2012 83800 mi US $420	Battery low, replaced. Faulty alternator, replaced just a few months ago, proved to be actual problem. No parts warranty since the earlier repair was done while out of state.
Jul 2012 86000 mi US $250	Third repair of a defective alternator shown by check engine and brake light indicators. Repair cost about $250, with the rest covered by defective part warranty. I believe this is a general part defect.
Aug 2012 86300 mi US $360	The passenger side CV joint was broken. This required a new CV joint and axle replacement and alignment.

Subaru Outback in Colorado, United States Nov 2015 - Dec 2015
Dec 2015 113000 mi US $550	repeatedly generated a code and went into limp mode

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Subaru Outback in Kansas, United States Mar 2011 - Sep 2015
Sep 2014 62000 mi US $700	Front brakes were close to failure, service manager recommended repair/replacement of some parts.

Subaru Outback in Massachusetts, United States Mar 2010 - Mar 2017
Jun 2011 69000 mi	Intermittent loud squeal from rear while in motion. It takes some distance at highway speed to start so dealer has not yet observed the noise, but they're making a good effort to replicate it.
Oct 2012 79300 mi US $300	Sway bar end links and rearmost bushings on front LCA worn out. Replaced end links & bushings. Bushing wear caused some cupping of tires but not enough to warrant tire replacement (phew).
Jun 2013 83000 mi US $5800	Two cracked exhaust valves in #2 cylinder, most likely due to bad work done by dealership.
Nov 2013 85100 mi	Adjustment to improve drivability of recently installed clutch
Jan 2014 85500 mi US $200	Front O2 sensor replaced to fix surging idle. MIL did not illuminate. Shop reported that sensor was unusually difficult to remove.
Jun 2014 89000 mi	Leaking inner front CV boot. Replaced boot.
Sep 2014 91000 mi US $600	Replaced shocks & struts to correct rapid rear tire wear. Replaced other front inner CV boot.
Jan 2017 89000 mi US $1100	Clutch again. Lining wore out within about 30k miles. I think there was something wrong to cause such rapid wear (shuddered a lot even when new), but mechanic couldn't find an obvious cause. Clutch fork was cracked but they didn't think that did it. and front stabilizer endlinks.

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Subaru Outback in British Columbia, Canada Dec 2007 - Aug 2008
Jan 2008 26040 mi	Replace a defective ONR rear hub bearing.

Subaru Outback in Ohio, United States Nov 2008 - Dec 2012
Jul 2010 74000 mi US $65	Code P1844 - Lower Clutch Pressure Fault Cleaned electrical connections and cleared code. If problem returns they'll need to drop the pan and check electrical connections in transmission. If that fails, they will have to replace valve body.

Subaru Outback in New South Wales, Australia May 2012 - Mar 2023
Aug 2012 42160 mi A $209	Engine had coolant smells and showed loss of coolant from bottle and low level in radiator. Problem was not solved with thorough coolant flush and new coolant. Radiator cap rubber showed wear marks. Replaced cap with new one.
Sep 2013 52700 mi A $140	Cracked LHS inner CV boot expelled grease all over LHS catalytic converter and LHS exhaust pipe.
Dec 2013 55800 mi A $48	Drivers door-open switch on c post broken by the seatbelt buckle caught when closing the door.
Sep 2014 62000 mi A $130	RH Front inner CV boot leaking. Replaced with after market brand.
Jun 2015 66340 mi A $85	Oil leaking from AVCS gasket for solenoid and pressure sensor. Cleaned area and ordered new gasket.
Sep 2015 68200 mi A $20	Oil leaking from rear of heads. Cleaned area and found AVCS control valves source of leaks. Removed valves and replaced the 19mm Orings. No more leaking.
Dec 2015 70060 mi A $120	Transmission vibration for a few seconds or short rough shudder of transmission mostly in a straight ahead direction. ATF oil changed at 100,000km to Dexron 111. This had to be swapped to Castrol ATF 'J' to stop the problem.
Feb 2016 71920 mi A $300	Shudder continues in transmission even with new Castrol J fluid. ATF fluid changed to Idemitsu ATF-HP 8-litres on recomendation of independent long term Subaru repair shop. Loud wheel bearing noise. Shop changed left front bearings.
Feb 2017 79360 mi A $4	Oil leaking from rear of heads again. Replaced 19mm O rings on AVCS valves. Using Neoprene O rings but these are unsuitable for the high temperature. No O rings available from dealer. Dealer practice is to replace the whole valve. His price for the valve is too high.
Mar 2017 79360 mi A $10	Tie rod end rubber boot broken- Possibly by wheel alignment shop when toe in was readjusted..
Jul 2017 83700 mi A $338	Drive system variable vibration under load problem for over a year. Thought it was transmission. But solved with replacement of LHF CV joint shaft assembly with new genuine Subaru (NTN) unit. Old unit had worn inner CV only from lack of grease due to garage fitting wrong boot at 85,000km. RHF CV is fine and had genuine boot change at 100,000km not loosing any grease..
Oct 2017 84320 mi A $10	Transmission lever locking intermittently and ABS light comes after brake operation and Cruise control turns off. Multiple brake pedal operations required to get transmission unlocked. This got worse over a few months. Eventually after not using the car for several weeks the problem became nearly permanent. After disconnecting battery and unplugging ABS and wheel sensors plugs and cleaning fault reduced a little. Then found brake pedal switch plug was slightly oxidised. Plugged this in and out 5 times and problem has been fully cured.
Dec 2017 85560 mi A $50	Transmission unable to move out of park intermittently and Cruise control off intermittently. Replaced foot brake switch.
May 2021 114917 mi	For 7 days had Engine fault light. Checked fault code P0420. Catalyst system efficiency below threshold. Checked air leaks. Loose clamp on intake hose. Tightened clamp. Fault cleared and never came back.
Feb 2022 119660 mi A $300	Replaced cracked radiator and coolant.
Dec 2022 124000 mi A $300	left HID headlight failing intermittently. Both HID headlights became weak. Replace HID bulbs.
Jan 2023 125240 mi A $585	Severe front tire wear. Unable to do wheel alignment. Found torn rubbers in front wish-bones. Replaced wish-bones. Replaced tires and did wheel alignment.

Subaru Outback in Massachusetts, United States Oct 2014 - Nov 2014
Nov 2014 179000 mi US $300	Check engine light came on. Bad O2 sensor

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Subaru Outback in Oregon, United States Jan 2017 - Jun 2017
Apr 2017 107 mi US $450	Check Engine Light. Stutter when accelerating. Replaced coil and spark plug wires.

Subaru Outback in Lithuania Apr 2016 - Apr 2017
Jul 2016 116560 mi $200	cracked radiator replace CV boot torn to pieces. Boot replaced.

Subaru Outback in New Jersey, United States - Sep 2009
Sep 2009 940775 mi US $240	replace RF axle shaft

Subaru Outback in Connecticut, United States Jun 2009 - Jun 2011
Dec 2009 48000 mi US $335	Left front strut.
Jan 2010	Rattle from loose heat shields.
Mar 2010 57000 mi US $595	Front sway bar and links. Rear wheel bearings.
Aug 2010 65700 mi US $700	Car was misfiring. Replaced coil, wires, plugs and performed other routine maintenance.

Subaru Outback in Virginia, United States Nov 2014 - Nov 2014
Nov 2014 117000 mi US $4800	Transmission stuck in 5th gear (even when shifter was in neutral). Used transmission replaced the damaged one. Oil leak from drain pan.

Subaru Outback in Ontario, Canada Mar 2011 - Nov 2013
Nov 2011 109640 mi C $400	Rear wheel bearing exhibited loud whining noise.

Subaru Outback in Pennsylvania, United States Aug 2013 - Jun 2018
Oct 2013 80300 mi US $460	Replaced left rear wheel bearing
Aug 2015 104000 mi	Replace accelerator pedal.
Jan 2016 113000 mi US $136	Power steering pump failed. Replaced power steering pump.
Jul 2016 118700 mi US $52	Check engine light intermittently comes on. Check codes. codes point to a problem with catalytic converter. Trying better gas.
Dec 2016 126000 mi US $498	Car loosing power, check engine and cruise light on. Cleaned catalytic converter. Lost power again soon after. Replaced rear shocks.
Jan 2017 1280000 mi US $800	Car Had no power. Replaced catalytic converter.
Sep 2017 141000 mi US $95	Power steerng pump failed. Replaced pump. Replace rear brake pads

Subaru Outback in Illinois, United States Oct 2015 - Sep 2017
Oct 2015 83000 mi US $1200	inner right half shaft boot right strut dead.
Dec 2015 89000 mi US $400	Poss Moisture intrusion in plug wires causing misfires. Problem seems to have cleared up, but waiting to see...
Aug 2017 109000 mi US $100	Engine is starting to use oil at a higher rate

Subaru Outback in Massachusetts, United States Oct 2011 - Jan 2018
Jul 2012 89500 mi US $369	Replace axle
Feb 2013 96000 mi US $1863	Replace center differential bearings and transfer case
Jul 2013 99700 mi US $612	Alternator not functioning. Replaced.
Jan 2014 97500 mi US $15	Headlight bulb replacement.
May 2014 115000 mi US $798	Replaced both front wheel bearings (worn).
Jun 2015 123000 mi	Replace ball joint Replaced loose sway bar bushing
Jul 2015 124000 mi US $354	Misfire in a cylinder. Removed, cleaned, and replaced fuel injector. Update: Problem recurred less than a month later. Passenger air bag indicator fault; replaced map light/air bag indicator assembly.
Aug 2015 124700 mi US $279	Replaced ignition coil.
Sep 2015 126000 mi US $10	Replaced headlight bulb.
Nov 2015 127100 mi US $385	Replaced rear wheel bearing - hub assembly and ABS sensor.
Jun 2016 133000 mi US $737	Replaced dry/cracking drive belts (2). Trailing arm bushings were worn and separated from the metal arms. Replace bushings.
Apr 2017 141536 mi US $100	Free and lubricate a stuck caliper
Aug 2017 146244 mi US $279	Replaced ignition coil to address two cylinders misfiring.
Oct 2017 147704 mi US $10	Replaced R headlight bulb.
Nov 2017 148695 mi US $2091	Replaced catalytic converter; also replaced a leaky Y-pipe in the exhaust system.
Dec 2017 149268 mi US $1224	Replaced right rear wheel bearing. Replaced battery. Replace front brake pads and rotors.

Subaru Outback in New York, United States Feb 2013 - Oct 2015
Jun 2014 78000 mi US $500	replaced front transaxles Replaced rear swaybar

Subaru Outback in New York, United States Oct 2006 - Jun 2018
Aug 2006 5000 mi	New spark plugs/wires. Apparently they got wet and the car was misfiring. Covered under warranty.
Jul 2012 67200 mi US $355	inner cv boots almost worn through
May 2013 72500 mi US $300	Lower control arm bushings and sway link end.
Sep 2014 80000 mi US $325	Y pipe rusted through. Rust cut out and repaired/replaced with new pipe section.
Feb 2015 81000 mi US $875	Front drivers side caliper stuck, lubricated and new pads installed. Power steering pump working intermittently. Pump replaced. Clutch fluid bled and flushed. Starter was sluggish and grinding upon cold start. Starter replaced.
Jun 2015 84000 mi US $20	Exhaust heat shield rattling. Welded and repaired.
Sep 2015 88000 mi US $200	sway links replaced
Oct 2017 92200 mi	Noticed on visual inspection that both rear brake lines are badly corroded. Have decided to park it until It warms up and I can change them.

Subaru Outback in Minnesota, United States Nov 2008 - Jun 2017
Aug 2010 40000 mi US $210	Air conditioning was working poorly and compressor was cycling on and off every few seconds. Found that it was low on coolant. Recharged the coolant.
Jul 2013 66700 mi US $690	All drive belts (except timing belt) were cracking and needed to be replaced. Oil Oil pressure sensors on both cylinder banks leaking. Replaced sensors. left side CV joint boots cracked and leaking grease. Replaced left side drive shaft, CV joints, and boots.
Nov 2013 70000 mi US $300	Right side CV joint boots cracked and leaking grease. Replaced right side drive shaft, CV joints, and boots.
Jun 2014 75000 mi US $185	Replaced right front axle seal
Jul 2014 75200 mi US $350	Intermittent engine misfire under load at low RPM. Sometimes would produce check engine light. Found two spark plug wires with above spec resistance. Replaced all plug wires and now works fine.
May 2016 88000 mi US $720	Left and right front CV joints, half shafts, and boots replaced with new new Subaru parts. 3 years ago the same work was performed at a Subaru dealer using remanufactured parts.They began to fail a year ago.

Subaru Outback in South Dakota, United States Feb 2007 - May 2011
May 2009 106000 mi US $697	also had passenger CV boot replaced.
Nov 2009 131000 mi US $452	replaced rear drivers wheel bearing
Sep 2010 142000 mi US $301	I had the driver's side half shaft replaced. The CV boot was torn.
May 2011 147000 mi	TSB said to come in and get ECM reflashed.

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Subaru Outback in California, United States Feb 2015 - Oct 2016
Sep 2016 83000 mi US $300	Drivers side window would not roll up and down
Oct 2016 83000 mi	CHeck engine light comes on and cruise control is disabled. Per dealer, I tightened the gas cap and that seems to fix it for a while, but the problem repeats later.

Subaru Outback in Pennsylvania, United States Feb 2015 - Sep 2016
Jul 2015 107700 mi US $134	hestitaion stumbling under stop and go situations. replaced plugs and wires with NGK specified parts. Situation slightly resolved continuing issue suggested part to replace in addition to this coil pack.
Sep 2015 111000 mi US $150	cooling system, no heat, blocked heater core. Backflush new coolant added.
Jul 2016 123000 mi US $150	A/C recharge
Sep 2016 123000 mi US $38	Climate control fan from Rock Auto. Hesitation and stumbling never fixed. Driver-side driveshaft needed to be replaced. Driver-side wheel bearing needed to be replaced.

Subaru Outback in New York, United States Apr 2017 - Nov 2018
Mar 2018 170000 mi US $300	Bad wheel bearing
May 2018 173000 mi US $10	Variable timing sensor needed replacement

Subaru Outback in California, United States Mar 2015 - Mar 2016
Mar 2015 165000 mi US $200	Top seal on radiator leaking. Replaced radiator with OEM part.

Subaru Outback in Maryland, United States Aug 2008 - Dec 2014
Jun 2011 88000 mi	Reflash computer module
Nov 2011 96000 mi	newly replaced drive belt was causing sound when turning the wheels. Shop mentioned that they had a bad batch and replaced it with a heavy duty version at no cost. No problems so far.
Aug 2012 110400 mi US $300	replaced rear brake pads and installed new rear cv boot
Nov 2012 114300 mi US $136	Replaced front right CV boot
Dec 2012 119000 mi US $1600	Replaced Head Gasket
Mar 2013 125000 mi	Replaced Oil sensing unit. Gasket within unit was bad.
May 2013 127700 mi US $180	Cleaned Throttle body Replaced spark plugs and ignition wires. Car had a CEL light in the dash. Clicking noise when car was making turns. Replaced right front axle.
Jun 2014 153000 mi US $220	Wiring in rear hatch was broken which created a short when car was put in reverse.
Dec 2014 166000 mi US $544	Replaced rear passenger side wheel bearing Driver's side Shocks

Subaru Outback in New York, United States Mar 2018 - Mar 2018
Mar 2018 150000 mi US $1200	Replace worn bushings

Subaru Outback in Colorado, United States Sep 2013 - Dec 2014
Jul 2013 105026 mi US $81	Replaced Front Passenger CV shaft.
Jan 2014 110095 mi US $1690	Head gasket replacement, heads machined, thermostat replaced.
Oct 2014 114500 mi US $484	Replaced both front CV shafts Replaced broken control arm.

Subaru Outback in Alabama, United States Jul 2016 - Jun 2018
Sep 2017 95000 mi US $67	replace oxygen sensor that was the cause for Check Engine Light illuminating.

Subaru Outback in Michigan, United States Aug 2014 - Jun 2018
Nov 2014 240300 mi US $100	Dead battery and PCV valve replaced. Used car so maintanence was unknown, but based on excessive oil consumption I figured it was plugged. After removal, diagnosis was confirmed and car is no longer using oil excessively.
Jun 2015 244000 mi US $45	Bad growling coming from rear left bearing since bought,finally got around to replacing. Took 3.5 hours, used cheap ebay part with lifetime warranty so we will see how it goes. Not hard, just time consuming working around suspension.
Sep 2015 245000 mi US $130	Check engine light, dealer said was front O2 sensor, I replaced it myself for $96 since dealer wanted $350 for 15 minutes of work. But then code reads misfire cyl #2. Replaced spark plugs and wire set and so far so good.
Sep 2016 252000 mi US $20	Rear wiper never worked, assumed broken wires, typical issue. Checked and it was actually the motor was seized. Replaced with functioning junkyard wiper $23. Sway bar link on drivers side broke. Replaced

Subaru Outback in North Carolina, United States Feb 2010 - Feb 2012
Feb 2012 169000 mi US $2300	transmission failed to engage anything above 2nd gear. suffered hesitation and jerking for 1 week prior to trans failure.

Subaru Outback in Oregon, United States Jun 2015 - Jan 2017
Aug 2016 55100 mi US $2000	60K Service done including passenger side CV booth leak repair.
Jan 2017 50000 mi	Currently at 65K have small oil leak in back of engine and driver side CV booth have small leak.

Subaru Outback in Minnesota, United States Sep 2006 - Jan 2016
Nov 2012 91000 mi US $150	Sway bar links worn
Aug 2014 117000 mi US $3000	Blown head gasket Both CV joint boots damaged. Remaining grease contaminated.
Jan 2016 91000 mi US $500	Lower control arm bushing

Subaru Outback in California, United States Sep 2006 - Apr 2017
Jan 2008 25000 mi	Wheel hub replaced under warranty.
Feb 2011 67000 mi US $500	Replaced Front passenger side axle due to leaking CV Boot
Nov 2011 79000 mi US $200	Drive Belt was worn so it was replaced
Jul 2013 101700 mi US $2200	The head gasket was leaking and about to blow
Oct 2013 105500 mi US $2200	The catalytic converter was busted and the header had a 1/4" crack in it
Jan 2014 108500 mi US $1200	Engine was pinging, took it to my mechanic who advised the engine needed to be 'decked'
Sep 2014 118000 mi US $300	I had a weld break loose in the exhaust and the rattling noise kept getting worse so I took it to a local muffler shop and got a new exhaust

Subaru Outback in Illinois, United States Sep 2006 - Jun 2013
Apr 2013 87000 mi US $1500	Diagnosed oil leak as a failed head gasket. Didn't actually do the repair. Chose to buy a new car instead. (another Outback). Estimated cost included in my amount paid.

Subaru Outback in New Mexico, United States Nov 2007 - Mar 2010
Aug 2007 8000 mi	misaligned shifter cover plate and glove box cover; replaced under warranty

Subaru Outback in Maryland, United States Mar 2016 - Dec 2016
Dec 2016 103000 mi US $1240	Holes in exhaust & bad catalatyc converter

Subaru Outback in British Columbia, Canada Dec 2007 - Feb 2015
Nov 2011 37200 mi C $300	cruise not working, need to replace roll connector. too expensive decided not to bother.
Aug 2014 59520 mi C $310	cracked CV boot resulted in replacing CV joint and axle assembly ($160 parts, $150 labor)
Feb 2015 61380 mi	Cruise control never fixed.

Subaru Outback in Utah, United States Sep 2008 - Feb 2014
May 2011 61000 mi US $325	Axle Both front DOJ Boots replaced.
Jul 2013 81300 mi	Both rear wheel bearings replaced
Jan 2014 78500 mi US $25	Wires that run from body to rear hatch are inside two rubber boots. These wires bend each time the rear hatch opens and closes. Wires controlling the rear hatch lock, rear window wiper, and radio antena booser were broken.

Subaru Outback in California, United States Jan 2016 - Jun 2022
Aug 2016 69000 mi US $140	Had to have the rear harness wires repaired again. Mechanic states that frequent opening/closing of rear hatchback lends to this problem
Mar 2017 73000 mi US $88	Repair rear hatch wiring
Jun 2017 76434 mi US $105	key fobs stopped working so ordered new ones on line and shop re-programmed them
Oct 2017 78405 mi US $519	Passenger side windshield wiper fluid ejector not working - repaired... Replaced all wiper blades. Replaced battery. 75K intermediate service.
Mar 2018 81000 mi US $216	One headlight went out so I requested that both be replaced.
Dec 2021 101000 mi US $161	Rear deck shocks replaced
Mar 2022 102000 mi US $109	Broken wire to rear gate lock

Subaru Outback in Idaho, United States Jun 2014 - Jun 2018
Mar 2017 83000 mi US $650	Radiator cooling fans need to be replaced.
May 2017 88000 mi US $2200	Head gaskets burn out on each side. The car has all the maintenance done, dealer perform.

Subaru Outback in Illinois, United States Sep 2013 - Oct 2013
Oct 2013 130000 mi US $200	replaced wheel bearing

Subaru Outback in Quebec, Canada Sep 2008 - Jul 2022
Nov 2009 27280 mi	Replaced carpet that had been miscut at factory.
Jul 2011 39260 mi C $300	Symptoms: Ran rough after/in heavy rain. Check engine light on. Scan: Misfire cylinder #3. Diagnosis: Cracked Coil. Repair: Replace Coil. So far, so good.
Aug 2011 39680 mi C $200	Clunking noise especially in potholes. Garage diagnosed worn front stabilizer bar links and replaced them. Now clunk is gone. Symptoms: lots of squeaking while driving. Garage removed front calipers and cleaned and lubricated bushings (right front was seized). Problem better but suspect rear calipers need maintenance as still minor squeaking. NB: THIS COST ME $50
May 2012 46240 mi	Bumpy ride. Brought to shop and they re-replaced a part that failed. Part under warrenty
Dec 2012 54560 mi C $300	Noticed a noise. Girlfriend suspected wheel bearing. Dealer diagnosed rear right wheel bearing problem and replaced it.
Dec 2016 111600 mi C $2300	head gasket leaking. smoking after hill climbs. Garage changed gaskets transmission fluid pan dinged and very rusty. was changing transmission fluid so replaced pan. tie rod replaced
Apr 2017 117800 mi C $25	Burnt out headlight
Sep 2017 119660 mi C $150	Connector broke at front of muffler. Garage welded and installed new connector.
Jun 2018 125860 mi C $200	Noticed smell of burning oil. Checked level, very low. Went to garage and found leak from oil pressure sensor. Garage replace sensor. Engine running rough in wet weather. Replaced coil.
Mar 2020 136400 mi C $2000	Stalled in wet weather. Replace muffler system Replace condenser
Jul 2022 161200 mi C $2000	Play in steering Replace rack and pinion Also replaced all front end bushings replaced front shocks and springs

Subaru Outback in Montana, United States Mar 2014 - May 2015
Jan 2015 US $55	Steering belt whining. Got worse and worse until power steering fluid overflowed from reservoir (air bubbles in reservoir). Replaced O-ring seal on top of power steering pump. Make sure to look for bubbles in reservoir before replacing pump.

Subaru Outback in Ontario, Canada Mar 2010 - Aug 2017
Jul 2011 39260 mi C $900	car overheated in traffic - we brought it home and took it in after the long weekend; repair shop identified faulty relay motor and 2 faulty rad fans+motor assemblies; test/tune A/C also did oil chg at same time. $700 parts and $200 labor
Nov 2012 48240 mi C $645	oxygen sensor(threading stripped) was causing check engine light to be on and disabled cruise control;(400) also, battery needed replacement (200) and swapped snow tires on (45) chk eng lt had been on and off problem for months; now fixed
Mar 2015 62620 mi C $300	replace rt rear sway bar link replaced battery - mechanic tested old one and recommended replacement
Jul 2015 63740 mi C $1100	alternator needed replacement exhaust sensors x 2
Nov 2016 74400 mi C $300	ventilation fan motor and housing replacement - parts 165 $CDN and labour $100 and taxes. Old motor was buzzing/failing - hence replacement.
Jun 2017 77500 mi C $200	replaced rad hoses that were soft
Aug 2017 78410 mi C $1752	r&r rack & pinion// both outer tie rod ends//then alignment/ then safety certificate right front drive shaft

Subaru Outback in Connecticut, United States Sep 2011 - Apr 2017
Oct 2011 42000 mi	Engine shuddering, "Check Engine" and "Cruise" light began flashing, engine lost all power. Vehicle was purchased 2-3 weeks prior, still under a 60-day, 5K mile warranty. Dlr found 1 Defective spark plug, replaced all for free.
Sep 2013 53000 mi US $10	Exhaust shields. 1 fell off, another very loose.
Mar 2016 68000 mi US $1400	Steering rack leak. Entire Steering rack replaced One front CV joint damaged. Replaced damaged, and replaced other side as preventive maintenance.

Subaru Outback in New York, United States Mar 2011 - Aug 2014
Oct 2011 71000 mi US $80	REAR LINK KITS FRONT SWAY BAR BUSHINGS REAR LINK KITS FRONT SWAY BAR BUSHINGS
Jan 2013 91000 mi	transmission oil filter leaking
Feb 2013 92200 mi	transmission oil filter leaking again
Jul 2013 98500 mi US $80	head gasket leaking oil on both side on the exhaust pipe
Sep 2013 101000 mi US $1978	head gasket. afterwards started to leak again. preventive: water pump straps thermostat valves adjustment
Dec 2013 103000 mi	head gasket leaked oil pressure sensor leaked valve cover leaked
Feb 2014 106000 mi	pressure oil sensor leaking

Subaru Outback in New Jersey, United States Oct 2009 - Mar 2016
Dec 2009 41000 mi US $10	Shudder when shifting and vibration at certain speeds.
Jan 2011 55000 mi	#4 cylinder head gasket leaking . Replaced under 60k 5 year powertrain warranty
Aug 2012 81700 mi US $600	replace both rear wheel bearings
Sep 2012 82000 mi US $520	Inner pass side boot split. Had both pass and driver side boot replaced. DS was about to split also.
Feb 2014 101000 mi US $250	Had pass side headgasket replaced.
Aug 2014 108000 mi US $139	Loose pass side trailing arm link tightened, 4 wheel alignment

Subaru Outback in New York, United States Nov 2010 - Oct 2011
Oct 2011 58000 mi US $100	Steering rack leaking fluid (ATF in a Subaru) into boot. Rack replaced with new. Covered under extended warranty. $100 deductible. First time issue with this otherwise very reliable car

Subaru Outback in Florida, United States Aug 2009 - Sep 2020
Mar 2011 77000 mi US $20	Fluid leak and air introduced into fluid due to failed O-ring on top of power steering pump. Replace O-ring and replaced power steering fluid to eliminate air in system.
May 2011 78000 mi US $200	Passenger-side inner CV joint boot torn, grease lost, replaced drive axle with high-quality rebuilt unit.
Mar 2012 85000 mi US $190	Replaced front driver's side axle due to damaged inner CV joint boot.
May 2013 97000 mi	Engine went into limp home/idle mode when started, check engine light with code 2138; cleaned electrical connector to throttle body, connector to gas pedal assembly.
Jun 2013 97000 mi US $400	Replaced both rear wheel bearing assemblies
Sep 2013 98000 mi US $400	Replaced front and rear struts
Oct 2014 110300 mi	Code P2138 - accelerator pedal unresponsive, engine lost power. Removed accelerator pedal, disassembled, cleaned all contacts with electrical contact cleaner, reassembled and reinstalled pedal
Mar 2015 114000 mi US $382	Replaced driveshaft to fix bad carrier bearing (mid-driveshaft support bearing)
Jun 2016 123000 mi US $150	Replaced front control arm bushings, sway bar links, sway bar bushings

Subaru Outback in Minnesota, United States Jun 2007 - Jun 2014
May 2007 8000 mi	Ignition key suddenly would not turn lock. Ignition replaced.
Jun 2012 72000 mi US $850	No cruise control, replaced o2 sensor to fix it. Burnt oil smell after long drives. Replaced axle and boot to stop burnt oil smell (original boot was torn and spraying oil).
Feb 2014 93200 mi US $2500	Head gasket. Planned timing belt. CV boot. Recall check on bearings.

Subaru Outback in Virginia, United States Jan 2009 - Jun 2013
Feb 2009 42358 mi	Replaced both rear wheel bearings. No charge as work was under warranty.
Oct 2010 67500 mi US $807	New rear brake pads and rotors and replaced front lower control arm bushings.
Oct 2011 79700 mi US $300	Replaced torn right front inner axle boot.
Jun 2012 90000 mi US $3019	Blown head gasket. Also had new timing belt and tension adjuster done during the HG replacement.
Jun 2013 103000 mi US $2300	Axle replaced Replaced alternator - was making noise.

Subaru Outback in Ohio, United States Jul 2010 - Mar 2014
Feb 2014 61000 mi US $1040	Replace front axles. Also replace battery (8yo) and light bulb. Also wiper blades and oil change.

Subaru Outback in Washington, United States Jul 2013 - Sep 2013
Aug 2013 150300 mi US $3200	This is the second repair I have had on this car in 12 months with the engine. This time per the mechanic I burned a valve an, the piston hit the cylinder head and then the camshaft broke.

Subaru Outback in Ohio, United States Apr 2010 - Jun 2018
Jun 2010 14000 mi	I took the car in for rattling noise. They told me that the heat shield was rusted out and needed to be replaced for over $800! Can't believe it since I usually keep my Subarus for 8+ yrs and never had this happen before. Took car back in to look at the heatshields. There was no rust problem. The problem is the pads inside the heatshields which cannot be repaired without replacing the heatshields. Why can't they replace the pads only and save the enviroment
Jul 2010 14000 mi US $107	Shifting bushing replaced. Car wouldn't start because sensor didn't know it was in Park. Paid extended warranty deductible. Again, dealer said the problem was because I don't drive the car enough! This is my 4th Subaru, this is BS.
Oct 2012 19200 mi US $1000	Replaced brakes and rotors, alignment, something with the fuel injection.
Dec 2012 20000 mi US $144	Headlights replaced plus rear wiper since I was there.
Dec 2013 24000 mi US $33	Tire had to be remounted due to corrosion on wheel. This is a consistant problem I have run into with the last 2 Subaru Outbacks (1998 and 2006)
Dec 2015 27000 mi US $750	O2 sensor failed. Replaced spark plugs, and while it was there had all systems flushed and fluids replaced.
Jun 2016 28000 mi US $500	2nd exhaust sensor was bad.
Jan 2017 21500 mi	Again, check engine light and cruise control light. Replaced battery after less than 2 years. Check engine light came back on a few days ago for a short time. I am always told that I don't drive enough. lol
Jan 2018 30000 mi US $500	Starter replaced

Subaru Outback in Wisconsin, United States Jul 2010 - Apr 2014
Sep 2010 80000 mi US $309	Diagnosis of rotational noise as failing left rear wheel bearing. Replaced left rear wheel hub.

Subaru Outback in Arizona, United States Apr 2013 - Jan 2014
May 2013 93000 mi US $65	AC recharged - recommended new compressor and evap can. for $1300 but I declined - it works ok even in the AZ heat. First aware of AC problem summer 2012.

Subaru Outback in Iowa, United States Oct 2011 - Jan 2017
Jan 2012 72200 mi	Noticed an oil leak prior to purchase. Dealer agreed to fix as part of the purchase. After purchase dealer diagnosed a leaking head gasket. Dealer made the repair.
Jul 2012 65700 mi US $150	Loose sway bar identified by shop performing oil change
May 2014 85000 mi US $480	CV joints/boots leaking grease onto exhaust.
Sep 2015 105000 mi US $200	Loud wobbling sound from tire. Worn wheel bearing/hub was determined to be the cause.
May 2016 113400 mi US $250	Passenger rear wheel bearing began making noise. Rotated wheels. Sound remained in the same location. Shop replaced wheel bearing

Subaru Outback in Utah, United States Jul 2010 - Dec 2014
Jun 2014 69000 mi US $140	Ripped DOJ boot.

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Subaru Outback in Ohio, United States Dec 2008 - Jun 2022
Dec 2008	Fail code ZJK43. Know issues with Radio Faceplate EWP385 replaced under warranty as goodwill gesture due to the low mileage. When turning the steering wheel the radio volume and passenger Climate temperature would change.
Jun 2009 18600 mi	Noticed that when the steering wheel was turned it would adjust the auto climate and change the radio volume. Local dealer called Subaru America and they honored out of warranty (replaced face plate). Started again live with it?
Jul 2017 42000 mi	The first visit was to handle the airbag recall. The second was to reinstall the navigation correctly back into the dash. I'm very displeased with the technician hew had to know it would be coming back!!!

Subaru Outback in Virginia, United States Oct 2011 - Dec 2017
Mar 2013 176000 mi US $73	idler bearing began making howling noise
Jun 2013 183000 mi US $315	Pressure fitting in radiator for transmission fluid cooling blew out, dumping all of the fluid.
Jan 2015 US $720	Removed and replaced both front axles. Replaced RH lower ball joint.
Mar 2016 255000 mi US $368	upper control arm bushings
Oct 2016 258000 mi	Passenger airbag recall
Apr 2017 263000 mi US $118	Remove and replace Rh lower tie rod. Replaced RH lower ball joint

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Subaru Outback in Ohio, United States Jun 2013 - Jun 2022
Dec 2013 61000 mi US $3199	Oil Smell. Had dealer perform CPO inspection to see what the car needed. Had to replace both head gaskets and opted to also replace, Timing belt, Water pump, Thermostat and spark plugs. At this time they also replaced to rear bushings.
May 2015 81000 mi US $129	Replaced the rear sway bar link.

Subaru Outback in Utah, United States Feb 2013 - Jun 2014
Mar 2013 178000 mi US $995	replace catalytic converter
Nov 2013 190000 mi US $130	Power steering belt and one other belt
Feb 2014 195000 mi US $130	Fuel sensor was dirty
Apr 2014 197500 mi US $100	One of the belts needed to be replaced. Rack and bearing is going out

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Subaru Outback in Massachusetts, United States Mar 2008 - Apr 2011
Jun 2010 63000 mi US $1700	starter, new break pads, timing belt
Mar 2011 72000 mi US $600	steering pump had to be replaced water pump replaced

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Subaru Outback in Maine, United States Apr 2013 - May 2013
May 2013 285000 mi US $185	Engine bogs down on acceleration. Replaced both exhaust sensors, still not fixed.

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2006 Subaru Outback repairs by problem area

2006 Subaru Outback repair cost distribution

2006 Subaru Outback

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Wagon

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Wagon

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Wagon

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Wagon

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Wagon

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Sedan

2006 Subaru Outback 4dr Sedan

2006 Subaru Outback 4-door

2006 Subaru Outback 4-door

2006 Subaru Outback Repair Histories