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Adam Hill writes:
I’ve been utilizing your Long Term Quality Index for my search for a used car, and I want to express my gratitude for creating such an excellent resource. It’s far more valuable than those typical “Top 10 used car” lists and provides a wealth of information that’s often overlooked elsewhere.
However, I have a question. Subarus (especially the Outbacks and Foresters) appear to have a solid reputation for reliability, backed by customer reviews and articles found online. Yet, your compiled data presents a considerably less favorable view of their long-term reliability, placing them below the industry average.
I’m curious if you have any insights into why this discrepancy exists between public perception/internet articles and the statistics?
My apologies if you’ve addressed this before; I searched for your name alongside Subaru but didn’t find much.
Thanks again!
When I began my career in the car industry back in 1999, Subaru was considered one of the top brands. It outperformed Nissan, was significantly better than the Korean brands, and even surpassed domestic vehicles. It was also more reliable than Volvo, which was quite notable at the time.
I used to acquire every Outback and Forester I could find in Atlanta, selling them to customers who were enjoyable to work with because…
A) They already knew what they wanted.
and
B) They never negotiated prices.
I truly contemplated becoming a Subaru dealer for those reasons. However, my modest financial background gave me pause. In the car business, starting with a significant amount of capital is often the easiest way to make a small fortune, and I didn’t have that.
I was simply an automotive enthusiast with a passion for Subarus, and I was comfortable with that. But then I started observing certain issues.
Many Subarus began experiencing significant engine problems, particularly with blown head gaskets.
The first two generations of the Subaru Legacy and Outback were quite reliable, consistently outperforming most new and used cars of that era, especially the Honda Accord. This trend continued until around 2003, when Subaru regained popularity due to a successful series of advertising campaigns and the launch of the 2003 Subaru Outback, which began to attract mainstream attention.
However, gradually, these models started facing head gasket failures outside their warranty periods, and Subaru did not provide the necessary support for customers who wanted to keep their vehicles long-term. Let’s take another look at that graph, this time focusing on the middle years.
The high defect rate of 18% to 23% for trade-ins of the third-generation Subaru Outback (2003 to 2009) can be largely attributed to head gasket problems arising after the warranty had expired. When we first received trade-ins in 2013, Subaru ranked as an average brand in our analysis, with most models, except for the Subaru Tribeca, falling right at the median. However, the last few years have been particularly challenging for the Subaru brand.
Subaru B9 Tribeca
Subaru Baja
Subaru Forester:
Subaru Impreza:
Subaru Legacy:
Subaru Outback:
If you’re considering a used Subaru that is eight years or older, I strongly recommend inquiring whether the head gasket has been replaced. If it hasn’t, it’s wise to get an independent inspection to check for leaks.
Additionally, enjoy this video!
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