2003 Subaru Outback Engine Problems
- 5
- 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 · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 3 |
| 60–100k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Air Bags · Engine
My 2003 subaru outback had a bad airbag inflator and has also blown the head gasket several times, requiring it to be rebuilt three times. While i love my outback, i wonder if i will want to buy another one. Being stranded by my car and having to take the bus in the winter time was very difficult as was hauling groceries on the bus in a rolling suitcase while awaiting repairs.
ODI 11032558
Engine · Power Train
After previous repairs to transmission fluid leak and head gasket repair, the car's transmission failed and had to be rebuilt. The transmission failed as i was driving. I could not shift from first to second. I was able to get the car to the dealer by driving in first and living with a sharp clunk into second. I was close to the dealer or else this would have been a tow. If this had happened on the freeway it could…
ODI 10875096
Body · Engine
While driving home, the car just "shut down" on the highway,and we had to glide off to the side. Had to have it towed. Our mechanic had to replace the entire engine. He did not know why it failed. Now, after researching this site, i see that there was a recall due to faulty water pump in 2003. I am wondering if this costly incident was a result of this not being repaired? How can i find this out please? I purchased…
ODI 10691408
Engine
I purchased this vehicle used from a dealer. A few months later i started noticing a burning smell after driving even a short distance. Took it back to the place of purchase to have their service check it. They said head gaskets were leaking and quoted a repair price of $1800 ! I contacted subaru of america after i did a research on the internet and found that many people had the same problems but there had been no…
ODI 10661292
Engine · Power Train · Unknown Or Other
Head gasket failure***** 2003 outback **** this is not a new problem as four of the subaru's we've owned had hg issues. Although in the past subaru acknowledged the failures and repaired them under the wwp99 campaign (1998-2002 model years). While this failure continues to be widespread (just google subaru head gasket problems and you'll get pages of complaints of hg failures) subaru has stopped repairing them or…
ODI 10466702