2000 Subaru Outback 2.5 Liter from North America

Summary:

First Subie, and definitely not my last

Faults:

Very small leak from transmission pan gasket (automatic) discovered at 80K miles. Dealer quoted under $100 for parts/labor.

Rear cup holders broke (poor location if you have kids), and seem cheaply made. Subaru should consider switching the placement of the rear cup holders and ash tray.

Gas mileage when first purchased was terrible (13-18 mixed driving).

General Comments:

Subaru Outback Wagon.

Only had it a little over a year and LOVE IT.

Subaru's AWD is amazing in everything you throw at it. During the winter of '03-'04, we got a lot of snow (over 1 ft on roads), and it was really a sight to discover that while we were safely driving (warm and comfortable) anywhere we wanted to go, nearly every block had at least one car stuck or sliding including four wheel drive trucks. That entire winter, our Subaru only lost traction one time (on solid ICE), and this was because we were riding on all-season tires and not winter tires/studs. As a matter of fact, I even took the Subie up a nearby grade (not yet plowed) and had no problems at all.

The 4-channel ABS is awesome on all road conditions. My wife actually was put into a situation where the Subie had the right side tires on loose gravel and the left side tires on pavement. She hit the brakes and (drumroll)...she went straight. No pulling or jerking, and no sliding. Just %100 control of the car, the way it should be.

And as far as the gas mileage? When we bought the Outback from our Local Subaru dealership, the original owner purchased it new in California and later moved to my neck of the woods (Klickitat County, WA). Lets just say that California gas choked our Subaru of gas mileage. After a half dozen or so tanks of good 'ol Texaco/Shell fuel, we now get consistent numbers of 25+ which includes freeway, city, and relatively steep grades or mountain passes.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. It came with everything except leather and a sunroof. The Original owner really knew what she wanted. And BOB STONE FREEWAY in The Dalles gave us a great deal with a purchase price of $13,500.

To sum it up?

We LOVE our Subaru Outback, our local Subaru dealership, and will surely purchase another Subie in the future.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd December, 2004

10th Feb 2005, 17:43

I, too, live in Klickitat county, and must agree with you. The Subaru is the car for the gorge and Bob Stone is the preferred Subaru dealer. I was in there today, Feb 10 2005, And was given great service for warranty work. Now I am looking at a WRX. What a fun car to drive.

2000 Subaru Outback Legacy 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Tough to say much good

Faults:

Dashboard defective 5,000 miles- replaced under warranty.

Air conditioner failed 15,000 miles- replaced under warranty.

Head Gaskets failed- barely covered under warranty.

In dash CD changer failed while at dealer for head gasket problem. No warranty $700 replacement.

Airbag sensor failure- dealer unable to fix at current time.

Cruise Control and Horn currently not working.

Front and Rear brakes have been done twice.

Numerous other small dealer related service issues.

General Comments:

Bought the car based heavily on the reputation of Subaru. I can't help, but feel that I bought a bad copy. Dealer service has been very poor and the frequency of repair is amazing. Service is very expensive. Lots of potential, but unrealized from my point of view.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th July, 2004

30th Sep 2004, 17:33

The problem with your horn and cruise control not working might stem from the same issue. When the dealer replaced the dash they probably took the steering wheel off to ease the replacement of the dash. The tech might not have plugged the horn switch in where it goes into the cable reel, they might of also not plugged in the accesory switches including the cruise control. Hope this helps.

17th Jan 2005, 21:43

I have a 2000 Subaru Outback which I bought in 1999 because of the Subaru reputation. I knew I would be retiring soon and really wanted something dependable to last me a LONG time.

At just over 30,000 miles, my automatic transmission started running ragged. Jolting foward instead of easing forward.

Took it to a mechanic I trust (25 years of fixing my vehicles) and he replaced the transmission filter and fluid.

The car evened out and ran really well for another 4,000 miles. Then, it started again.

Now, at 34,000 miles, it won't move even budge forward at less than 3000 RPMs and, of course, this means it's lurching forward and actually becoming dangerous to drive.

Anyone have a similar problem/suggestion?

12th Mar 2005, 18:16

My 2000 Outback Legacy's transmission also lurched when shifted to drive. When I put the shifter in drive it would not engage for several seconds and eventually not at all. This happened at about 70,000 miles. I had to have the transmission rebuilt. Since then it has been very reliable. I have over 140,000 miles on it now.

19th Apr 2005, 23:50

My husband and I have a 2001 Outback with around 82,000 miles on it and just recently had to have the entire automatic transmission replaced. What a shock! The dealer said we must have gotten a bad transmission. It was kind of jerking in and out of gear, not shifting smoothly. My other car is a 1969 Volkswagen still running on the original automatic transmission.

We also had to replace the starter motor last year.

I am not sure whether we'll end up keeping the car or selling it to avoid future problems. We bought the Subaru on reputation, but maybe they don't make 'em like they used to?