2003 Subaru Outback Engine And Engine Cooling Problems
- 8
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
What owners report
- head gasket · 5 records
- head gaskets · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 5 |
| 30–60k mi | 1 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Subaru has been selling cars knowing of premature head gasket failures. 1998 to 2002 head gaskets failed with internal and external coolant leaks. Subaru has issued the wwp99 campaign (upto 8 yr 100,000 mile). This campaign introduces an additive into the coolant to "plug" the leak. They also will repair the gaskets in rare cases. The 2003 head gaskets are also failing prematurely even with proper maintenance. These…
ODI 10433110
Engine And Engine Cooling
The car would die usually while coming to stops. And on most occasions will start back up. At first it seemed to only die in very hot weather and on one occasion it didn't start back up for 15 min. But it has since died on days without extreme temperatures. Most of the times it dies while stopping, twice it died when braking on highways which was very dangerous. This has occurred about 15 times in 4 years. I have…
ODI 10384586
Engine And Engine Cooling · Power Train
After smelling leaking oil for many months, my mechanic confirmed that the head gasket is leaking. Oil is leaking down onto the exhaust creating a constant burning smell. I contacted subaru and they are unwilling to address this in any way, despite the fact that the engine has been meticulously maintained and serviced. *tr
ODI 10435459
Engine And Engine Cooling
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 subaru outback. The head gasket failed. He noticed that the air conditioner wasn't cooling and the reservoir was empty, but it didn't have a leak. He took the vehicle to a mechanic and the diagnostic test located the failure as the head gasket. The vehicle will be repaired. The vin information wasn't available. The failure and current mileage were 76,600.
ODI 10348661
Engine And Engine Cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 subaru outback. The contact stated that the vehicle would continuously overheat while driving or while the vehicle was sitting idle with the engine on. The contact also mentioned the vehicle was emitting a burning oil smell. He stated that the failure was due to a defective head gasket. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 112,000.
ODI 10321776
Engine And Engine Cooling
2003 subaru outback cut off in the middle of traffic.***no answer required***. *mr subaru was unable to find out what was causing the stalling problem. *sc *jb
ODI 10124745
Engine And Engine Cooling
Consumer states that while driving and without warning the vehicle will stall. The dealer was notified. *nd when braking to stop or make a turn the vehicle will stall. The consumer was told that thee are other vehicles (same make/model) with the same problem. *scc
ODI 10018128
Engine And Engine Cooling
2003 subaru outback with leaking head gaskets. Consumer would like to be reimbursed for repair cost. *kb at around 80,000 the consumer began to smell burning oil. The consumer stated subaru recalled other models because of a possible external leak at the cylinder head gaskets. The consumer stated her model has the same engine as the other models. The consumer stated subaru was only will to cover 50% of the cost. *jb
ODI 10317591