hi there....so, my family has always had Subarus. Most recently my Mom and I have been sharing a 2015 Outback Limited that we've had since it was new. It has 62,000 miles on it and is a stellar car. My Mom wanted a new car, so bought a certified pre-owned 2024 with 6000k miles on it. So far............mehhhh. We're kinda sad and disappointed. Not sure we'll keep it.

POSITIVES

• it's quiet and the ride is smooth
• you don't have to manually pull a lever to unlatch the gas tank
• ability to customize seat placement is useful with 2 very different people driving the car
• very comfortable
• quieter on the highway
• heat and defroster come on more quickly and work well

Those are all very nice plusses but I'm afraid they're the only plusses.

NEGATIVES--compared to 2015 Outback Limited (and other cars)

• headlights that are aimed way down too low
• headlights have weird black "things" hanging in front of the headlights
• entertainment screen is enormous and unwieldy
• 2 separate little storage spaces between the 2 front seats have been eliminated
• no longer a little "well" to prop your phone in
• no area under entertainment screen big enough to stow bunch of things as well as charge phone (as 2015 had)
• every time we get in the car we have to turn off the "auto-dimming" rear mirror
• every time get in car have to turn off that function that makes your car "stall" at stop signs
• up/down temperature arrow buttons aren't backlit---UNTIL you put the car in gear--It's cold and dark where we live for much of the year and you want to turn on ignition and adjust the heat--but car to must be in gear first--how does that make sense?(!)
• you have to push with all your strength for 10-seconds on the button to turn off the radio---why?
• touch screen lags---often is not responsive---sometimes it doesn't even come on and is just a grey screen with a swirling icon for up to 30 seconds before it comes on
• often have to push touch screen again and again and again before it responds to change stations or adjust heat etc.
• sometimes touch screen doesn't ever respond and we just give up
• seatbelt warning is so deafening it damaged my hearing--immediately escalates to outrageous audio level (sometimes I want to undo my seatbelt if I have a difficult parallel park, or if I know I am going to jump out of my car to get into work, or if I need to get settled in a tiny bit before snapping on the seatbelt--again: literally--from only 1/2 a dozen times of not getting it snapped in on time--have developed tinnitus from this. And it makes us very anxious as well--not a good feeling--this panic that your ears are about to be blown off)
• we don't feel in control of this car---it seems at times it is in control of the driver---which we do not like
• take a sip of coffee or reach over to pull down the sun shade on the driver's side it starts flashing EYES ON THE ROAD EYES ON THE ROAD!I
• we have always used cruise control often, but now it takes over the car and slows down and speeds up according to its own will--not what we want
• the other day the car took over the steering wheels and I literally had to fight it with all my strength to get back on course--it was terrifying and I don't understand wtf happened!
• Sometimes on the highway, feels like a hurricane outside, like the way most cars do when being blown from unusually high winds--I looked at the trees and they weren't even moving--it was NOT acting that way because it was being blown by high winds. What is going on?
• With winter here I'm very concerned what might happen on the icy windy roads and highways we have here. Where you must be absolutely in control -- not leave it to some car with a mind of its own. I don't trust what it is doing.

We never had any of these problems with the other Subarus we've owned. We are seriously considering returning this car.

We're wondering whether this was in fact a "loaner" car---or whether maybe someone else bought it and returned it?

I noticed someone named Bob's phone had been hooked up previously to the car AND Bob ALSO clocked in 3000 miles on this car....seems like a lot for a loaner. I even mentioned to the salesman 6k seemed a bit high mileage for a loaner. He just said "Sometimes people drive loaners quite a bit."

Really sad and disappointed about what seems to have been a mistake --- and changes that are beyond an adjustment period.

Prior to this car (separate from my Mom) I went from a Mazda to a Mercedes and never had these radical adjustments or learning curves. Very discouraging.

Have others experienced this? Are there ways to permanently disable some of these arbitrary intrusive features?

Should the salesman have told us about all these things and shown us how to deal with all them?

Does anyone have any insight into what is going on regarding these radical changes? Is how our car acting usual?

Do people who--like us--have owned Subarus for years actually like these things about it? Are these common observations and complaints others have?

Thanks!

Hi all - own a '22 OB XT with the stock 18" rims on stock Yokohama tires. Currently looking to get a set of dedicated rims to put snow tires on, and run them during winter. What is the specific bolt pattern I should be looking out for? Or should I play it safe and get a set of 17" OEM rims? Thanks!!

We purchased a used 2011 Outback. Is there a way to look up what options and configuration was installed on it from the dealer? Maybe the VIN or something?

Just purchased a second Subaru car. My first one is Forester 2020 Base and Forester is much better with acceleration than my new Outback. My understanding is that both vehicles have the same engine. Is it because of age of the car that I’m noticing this difference or are they tuned differently?

My daughter’s 2010 outback doesn’t seem to be engaging the rear wheels. With all four tires off the ground all four spin. In the snow though only the front wheels are getting any power. No lights on the dash. I’m a Volvo guy and know nothing of subi AWD systems.

So this is the MSRP for the OBW I am looking at. Dealer discounts have sticker price at 41,335. And of course there is the 2.9 financing.

The sales guy certainly made it clear that all the wiggle room is already eaten up with the dealer discount.

How hard should I push? If there is no price negotiation to be done, what other perks could I try to work in? I am normally a fantastic haggler, and have certainly surprised some male salespeople in the past (I'm a woman and way better at it than my husband), but I haven't bought a brand new car since I was twenty.

Help me Reddit Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

I love my Impreza hatchback but I'm starting to look down the road and I want more space and ground clearance than my Impreza. My Impreza is made in Japan per it's VIN. I'm between the Forester and Outback. I've heard the Outback is made in the US and the Forester is made in Japan. Does anyone know if this is true? How much stock do you place in this?

Chicago is frigid right now!! Anyone else experience this? What will this cost me? Any insight would be greatly appreciated?

My 2023 Subaru just refused to start. It has 40k on it and was refurbished at 39K from an accident. And I purchased it after. Now the break pedal pulsates while parked and I have no idea whats going on. It ran Sunday and today I went to start it it tired turning a couple of times and then just refused and flashed some lights here and there. Any ideas?

Does anyone have this😊.. pros or cons. Price for 2024? Looking at a CPO. 38,500 with about 5,000 miles. Says it was a fleet car(?)

Hey folks. An Outback seems like it’d fit most of my needs, though reading about CVT issues makes me nervous ($$$). Looking at a 2017 3.6R (preferred engine) with 105k miles, asking price is $16,000. Service history looked good for the first 60k-ish miles but then it falls off. It’s out of town so I’m not sure I’d be able to get a pre purchase inspection done. Is the CVT, and other issues, overblown and this is simply a case of the loudest voices on the internet? Should I send it and just start maintenance over immediately (replace/flush all fluids)?

Hey everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Mammoth and could use some advice! I have a 2018 Subaru Outback with all-season (A/S) tires. I’ve read that Subaru doesn’t recommend using snow chains due to clearance issues, and buying dedicated snow tires isn’t an option for me right now.

I don’t really expect to need chains since the Outback handles well in most conditions, but I’d like to be prepared just in case. Are there any chain alternatives (like cables or other traction devices) that work well with the Outback and comply with California’s chain control requirements.

Thanks in advance for the help! Looking forward to enjoying the snow safely!

I have my truck lease ending and as much as I love my truck, I barely ever use it for truck uses. Also my wife has a Subaru Ascent (our family hauler) and neither her ascent and my truck gets much for mpg. Because of this, I am looking into a vehicle with decent mpg but I am not willing to go into a tiny vehicle.

Is the regular (not turbo) Subaru Outback onyx worth it? I like that it gets good mpg, has the all wheel drive, has a large trunk, is higher up than a small car, and has Subarus safety features. I love that it will be able to handle bad weather and go do minor off roading. Is this a good choice?

Thank you

After the last update a few months (?) back, my Android Subaru app has become so slow. I feel like I'm staring at my phone for a good 30 seconds every time I want to start my car. Am I the only one? Is it better on iPhones?

A friend has gifted me a 2006 Otback wagon. I have moved the drivers seat as far forward as it will alow but there is at least 13 inches between ME and the steering wheel. Any hope fir moving the seat MORE forward so i can reach the pedals. I even have the seat tilted forward and its not very comfortable nor safe.

Strongly thinking about getting Lexus rx350. I owned 2005 outback 3.0 LLBean and loved the car. Head gasket went at 170k. Fixed it, then couple issues like alternator at ~210k that got me stranded and I sold it. Got a text, the kid sold to someone else at 250k. From there thereabouts unknown. Bought 2015 outback 3.6r end of 2016 with 3k miles. Got totaled by insurance after being rear ended. Loved the car, it had 223k never replaced anything other than tires and oil. Had this “so scary” transmission issue ever since I bought it but dealer “couldn’t replicate” the sound. Drove completely fine. Sound of rubbing became more frequent over the years but nothing to affect the driving quality up until the end/mid of 2024. Solved it by paddle shifting instead of automatic until the accident totaled my subie. Here I am in the market for another pre-owned car. My 2 options Lexus rx350: comfortable, reliable, more luxurious, something new to me, looks are ok but not the best for me. Probably a quieter ride also. Outback(2018 or 2019) 3.6r. Im just in love with them. I think gen3 and gen5 outbacks are so beautiful and exceptional looking. They have a good torque to enjoy but not too much to get tickets. Maybe more power in acceleration at speeds 80+ would be nice. They do and are everything I want and need in a single car. Enough fast, enough luxurious, spacious. Different looking from any other car, very utilitarian.” I like the suttle sound of that flat 6 engine. Why I want another outback? For all the things mentioned above. Also its been very reliable for me. 2019 is the last year for the beloved 3.6r engine(sad, id rather see them do that engine but with turbo than go to 4cyl only). It would almost be my last hoorah with outbacks because of the engine and also I dont like the new looks. 2026 isn’t shaping up any better. What Im scared of. Was I just lucky with mine? All the radio delaminating issues! And some mysterious battery drains? What else am I missing? Sorry for the long post hope outback lovers will appreciate it. Help?

https://preview.redd.it/j79ah67vto4e1.jpg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb7eb841ff32ed641563162f81a845afcc44e6eb

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I hit 250000kms (~155k miles) yesterday with my 2010 2.5 Limited. Even more notable with a clear dash.

Hello all! Just want to ask if it’s normal that undercoating affects brakes? I just got my car from undercoat process and it’s hard to brake. i need 5 seconds to stop.

Any advices? Thank you so much.

I'm thinking of getting a outback for my next vehicle. Do you think it could pull fishing kayak on a small jon boat trailer? The fishing kayak probably weighs 120 and the jon boat trailer at max probably 700.

I bought my first Subaru this past summer -- a 2017 Outback. Now that we're having some freezing temperatures, a snowflake sometimes appears on the display. It seems to go away when the outdoor air temp gets above 40.

But is the snowflake trying to tell me something other than possible road freezing?