Subaru durability

Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Messages
8,699
Location
Central Oregon
That's interesting. Our company drives Hyundai's and every single one of them we have has gone 400k easy with routine maintenance

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I would think the average Hyundai owner buys them as a basic econo car and does absolutely zero maintenance.

I had a 2012 elantra. I was absolutely meticulous with dealer oil changes actually earlier then recommended. At 64k it was burning 1/2 qt oil per 1k miles and they refused to do a damn thing until it was 1 qt per thousand.
I told them no way it will make an oil change and he told me fo ahead and blow it up then.
 

dog

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
251
Location
Seattle WA
I had an ‘07 outback and will never own another. I won’t go into all the issues it had but most of what have been mentioned here already. I finally traded it at 104k when I found out it would need another $3k to keep it going. It was good in the slick stuff but wore out tires quickly. Good riddance
 
Joined
Dec 23, 2017
Messages
754
Location
Southwestern Alaska
I commute over 100 miles daily in Alaska, had a Subaru and now I have a Mazda CX-5. I just couldn't do another Subaru. Maintained to the manual's standard. Burned oil from day one like most other 2.5 motors, replaced CVT at 98k, would blow low beam headlights all the time. To change the headlight bulb, you have to remove the tire and inner fender wall. Mileage was never as advertised. All in all, it wasn't horrible, but there are many other competitors I would consider as well. When replacing the Subaru, I didn't even consider another one if that tells you anything.
Interesting. I sold my outback when we moved to the valley from Dillingham. Bought a 2010 outback down lower48 a few months before we left. That was the 1st year of the cvt issues. Literally the day we flew in, I wanted to go to a music store. Transmission died. Over 100k miles but the dealership covered the labor and parts since the vehicle was less than 10 years. Subaru knew the cvt was having issues. Sold that outback when we wanted to downsize to cheaper cars that were paid off. Then I bought another one.

I think I’ll always own an outback.
 

ST52v

WKR
Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
637
I currently drive a 2015 rav4. I’m sitting at 183000 miles. Nock on wood, no issues. Tires and oil changes. Every spring, I put on new rotors and brake pads myself. I would like to buy the same car in the next year with around 50,000 miles on it.
 

Titan_Bow

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
1,145
Location
Colorado
We bought a new 2014 Forester. It started burning oil bad after a couple months. Initially the dealer didn’t want to do anything, said it was normal. I knew that wasn’t the case.. Anyways, long story short, at 60k miles, and a bunch of frustrating trips to the dealer and phone calls with corporate, they ended up doing a short block replacement, which is basically an engine rebuild… at 60k miles…. Come to find out, this was a known problem, there’s even a class action lawsuit against Subaru for this problem. The thing that pissed me off the most was the dealer and Subaru corporate treating us as if we were to blame. They knew all along there was a known and significant problem with their motors but didn’t want to help. Needless to say after that experience, I am not a fan of Subaru. Oh, and I do not think they are really any better in the snow than most AWD crossover type vehicles these days. I think that reputation is a holdover from the days when they were one of the only AWD cars around. I’m not saying they are bad in the snow, but sometimes I hear people talk about them as if they are somehow on a completely different level and they are not.



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Joined
Feb 5, 2021
Messages
817
Location
GA
On my second Subaru Ascent. Current model 2020 with 71k it’s my company vehicle. Good pick up lots of safety features and will go anywhere. Interior well appointed if that matters to you.
CAUTION: Colleagues of mine with the same model year have had a turbo issue ( air driven) where the air flow has a brief pause starting from a stop and traveling from 10-15 mph to pressing the pedal to take off down the road. Mine started doing it. I took it into the dealership. I was told they didn’t have the software yet to correct the issue !! Serious. A turbo issue and you cannot fix it??
So I’ve been driving around with this issue for over 1 year now. I haven’t received a recall yet which I find concerning since the company I represent has thousands of them on the road and many have experienced the same issue.
Looking at a highlander for my next vehicle. Colleagues say it’ll go where the ascent will go.
Hopefully Toyota has the capability to fix a software issue unlike Subaru.
Just something to ask about.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,547
Location
Orlando
Back in the 80's i dated a girl who's parents would only drive Subaru. They both drove a lot and would trade up after 250K miles.

Nothing wrong with Subaru. As good as anything else out there, and better than most.
 
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Messages
32
I’ve had three:

1999 Forester
2011 Legacy
2019 Forester

Two thoughts; they don’t make them like they use to and those damn head gaskets…

I now have two Toyotas for what it’s worth.
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
601
That's interesting. Our company drives Hyundai's and every single one of them we have has gone 400k easy with routine maintenance

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That’s crazy. I see so many of them with bad engines every week.

What year and models do you guys have for your fleet?

That might be good info for people to know.

Some engines just won’t quit like the 90’s 2.2 liter Subaru engines, the late 90’s early 2000’s Chevy v8, the 4.0 toyota, the v8 toyota engines from the early 2000’s
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
601
Also maintenance is key. That’s the reason I stated started with a used car, and hoping to get another 100k-200k miles out of it will be tuff.

Most people don’t do all the maintenance, and, lots of vehicles after 2005 don’t last to 150k without major repairs
 

roosterdown

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
Messages
219
Location
Afton, MN
Consumer reports would be a touch more reliable than a bunch of posters on a hunting site but most of their models are among the most reliable cars made.
This.

Like anything else, if you want facts you need broader data sets, and here we're all just a series of anecdotal stories.

I will say that in the North, high-end winter tires make all the difference for any vehicle. I'd rather drive a 2WD Prius with Blizzaks than my old F350 with OEM tires any day of the winter.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2020
Messages
577
Location
Shenandoah Valley
I’ve owned a 2006 Impreza, 2009 Forester, 2012 legacy, 2013 impreza, and currently own and drive today a 2014 outback and 2016 forester.

The 2006 impreza started crapping out at 140k miles, and they were highway miles. Leaking gaskets and a funky fuel line leak that you could smell in the cabin of car during winter - the fresh air vent was right next to the fuel line that leaked when it was cold. Both these problems were common in subi’s back then.

The 2009 forester was a turbo. Never get the turbo! By 120k miles the problems started and never stopped…

2012 Legacy i had up to 200k. That thing was bullet proof. No issues ever. Even had a front end collision that required a new tranny, but that was it. Thing drove solid. Only reason I sold was the interior was worn bad (thanks kids and dogs) and the muffle rusted and cost more to replace than car was worth to pass inspection. So I traded it in my 2016 forester for a $500 value (the muffler and exhaust was 2k to fix).

The 2013 impreza was fun to drive, felt sporty, but lacked power for passing on interstate. Bought new and put 90k on it before upgrading to a bigger car (the outback) as I had my first child. But i loved that car and nothing went wrong. Great in snow!

The 2014 Outback (4 cyl CVT) ive had since 2016 and have gone from 70k to 160k mostly highway. It is the best overall subaru in my opinion due to its larger cabin and higher clearance. But Ive had to replace the rear bearings ($2k) and the transmission solenoid went bad recently ($2k fix also). Important to note we tow a small 1k lb teardrop camping trailer a few times a year. There was also a leak in the rear brake light that cause water to pool in cargo area after hard rains. I just sealed with sealant and fixed problem. The leak wasnt in the light just the mounting hole. Other then that, everything else works and it still goes strong.

2016 Forester. Ive only had for three years and put 20k miles on it. I bought it with 70k miles used. So far, nothing but a bad window switch which I bought online and fix myself for $100. The forester has the eye sight and it works really well!!

So thats what I can share. I think overall they are reliable. More so than any american car brand or german. Dollar for dollar, i think they have more to offer to people who drive in the snow. You cannot beat their AWD system with that low center of gravity boxer engine. Only time it failed me was trying to climb a steep as driveway that was a sheet of ice (my dumbass mistake). But it still made it half way up at a slow crawl. Throw snow chains on all fours and nothing stops it. It’s pretty impressive.

I also like their oil filter placement - sits on top of engine so I can use an hand pump to draw oil from dip stick and change filter without ever going under the car. Genius!

Gas mileage is about 24-26 avg. no matter who or what is said or advertised.

I wont be changing anytime soon to another brand unless I win lottery then Id buy a $80k trucked out tundra.
 
Joined
May 29, 2020
Messages
47
I'm currently driving a 2008 Outback that I bought earlier this year. I bought it with 49K miles on the clock (proverbial old blue hair drive to church and back car) I've put about 5K miles on it so far without much issue. It's a boring car but so far reliable. I have Blizzaks on it for the CO winters and it is absolutely unstoppable in the snow. MPG wise I'm averaging 25MPG according to my Fuelly records, it varies anywhere from 22 to 27 no matter what grade of fuel you use.

I'd buy again in the situation I was in (paying cash for a reliable car), but I will definitely be replacing it with a 4Runner once my career change is over.
 
OP
treillw

treillw

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
2,036
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MT
New or used? What year?
Oh, I don't know. I'd like to find one for a reasonable price with 100k miles on it - seems hard to do now. I hope to pay six or $7,000 for it.

Also considering getting a new Forester.
 
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