Subaru Outback Problems

Subaru's largest passenger car, the Liberty, has a well-deserved reputation for toughness and reliability with Australian buyers. The Subaru Outback is an interesting variant on the Liberty station wagon. On the market since 1996 it is intended as a halfway step between a conventional station wagon and a dedicated 4WD.In its earlier models Subaru Outback had a tougher appearance than the standard wagon because of the additional protective plastic facings on the doors. These were discontinued with the new generation of 2003 to give the vehicle a more upmarket air, though there are many Subaru advocates who preferred the tougher look of the original.Since 1995 only all-wheel drive Liberty models have been sold in Australia, prior to then there were also front-wheel drive versions, even by 1995 these were comparatively rare because buyers had already sussed out the advantages of driving all four wheels.Unusually for Japanese cars, Libertys and Outbacks, indeed all Subarus, are popular with country drivers as well as those from metro areas. Libertys and Outbacks are much loved by snow skiers because their permanent all-wheel drive system makes them safer and more capable in slippery conditions than a 2WD vehicle.Subaru Liberty first arrived in this country in 1989 and struck a chord with local buyers almost immediately. These older models are generally getting long in the tooth so may be near the end of their lives. You’re probably better off avoiding them.Liberty is sold as a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon, with a much larger percentage of wagons being sold than in other models in the mid-size class. The combination of the traction of all-wheel drive and the practicality of a wagon rear end is a strong one.The engines have a flat ‘boxer’ layout to lower the centre of gravity for improved road holding. Engine capacities in the four-cylinder models are 2.0, 2.2 and 2.5 litres. The 2.0 actually has more performance than the 2.2 being a later design.Flat-six engines began with a 3.0-litre unit in the Outback and later the Liberty range, its capacity increased to 3.6 litres in September 2009. Subaru calls the flat-six engines the H6 - ‘H’ for horizontally opposed, but most owners tend to retain the use of flat-six or boxer for it.There are a couple of high-performance Subaru Liberty variants. The Liberty RS has a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit and was introduced here in 1992. It was on sale for less than two years, when it was upstaged by the smaller and lighter Subaru Impreza WRX, a car that went on to be a huge success.The Liberty B4 sports machine has a twin-turbo 2.0-litre. It first came here in August 2001 but was somewhat of a disappointment in Australia because the engine had to be significantly detuned from the one offered on the Japanese market to run on our lower-octane petrol.These Subarus are reasonably easy to work on and most routine jobs can be carried out by an experienced home mechanic. However, safety items and most areas of the high-performance variants are best left to the professionals.Spare parts prices are about average for a car in this class. The Subaru dealer network, though relatively small, works efficiently. Because of Subarus’ popularity in country areas there are dealers in comparatively remote areas.Insurance charges on all but the turbocharged high-performance Liberty RS and Liberty B4 are moderate. The turbo models can be really expensive to cover, especially if you are a young and/or inexperienced driver. Living in a high-risk area further increases charges. Be sure to get a quote before falling in love with a turbo Liberty as premiums can be scary.Look over the interior trim and carpets for signs of damage, though they usually hold up well to all but the most outrageous of treatment. Mud or a real buildup of dust may indicate a lot of time spent of the beaten track.Check out the luggage area for signs of harsh treatment caused by carrying big and/or sharp loads. Have a look underneath a car, particularly the Outback, for signs of damage through it coming into contact with the ground. Some owners really do treat them as though they are ‘real’ 4WDs.The undersides of the bumpers, especially on their corners, are usually the first to suffer. Be sure the engine starts quickly and immediately idles smoothly no matter how cold the conditions. The sixes are naturally smoother than the fours, but the latter should be pretty good as well. Manual gearboxes should be quiet in operation and gearchanges should be smooth and light. Automatics which tend to hunt up and down the gears, or which are slow to go into gear, could be due for an overhaul. Rust is not common in Subarus, but if one has been badly repaired after a crash it may get into the metal. Call in a professional inspector if there’s the slightest doubt.

Few carmakers have thought as laterally as Subaru has over the years.NEWThere was the switch to all-wheel drive, there was also the Outback wagon. The idea of a high-riding all-wheel drive wagon with limited offroad capability has always seemed a good one, after all few people really want to do any serious bush-bashing, they just like the high driving position afforded by a jacked-up wagon.With the Outback you could have a regular wagon with a high ride height that gives you the road view you want without going all the way to a road clogging SUV. The Outback has grown over the years as most cars tend to do, but it's still a reasonable size for the suburban crawl.As with earlier Outbacks, the new model in 2009 was heavily allied to the Liberty. The main differences to its lower riding model mate was its high ride height and some extra body cladding to protect it from the bumps and scrapes that inevitably come with a bush life, and there were some new bumpers to add to the differentiation.The Outback sat 70 mm higher than the Liberty, which gave it 13 mm more ground clearance, the secret to going beyond the black top. Along with the Liberty the Outback was longer and wider than the previous model, and it had a longer wheelbase.With its increased dimensions came increased interior space, particularly for rear seat passengers. Subaru offered three engines in the new model, including an economical 2.5-litre four, a zippy 3.6-litre six, and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel fuel-miser.Those opting for the turbo-diesel engine were lumped with a six-speed manual gearbox, those going for the 2.5i petrol engine had the choice of the six-speed manual or a CVT, while those who chose the 3.6 got a five-speed automatic.Drive was, of course, through all four wheels all the time. Local tweaking of the suspension resulted in a flatter, more reassuring ride through corners and over undulating roads. One downside in a vehicle allegedly designed with the bush in mind was the temporary spare tyre.NOWLike all Subarus the Outback is generally well built and durable, but that doesn't mean it can't have issues as the kays accumulate. The Outback has been the subject of three recalls.The first was to address a potential leak from a hose related to the CVT transmission, the second was the fix a wiring fault that affected the operation of all systems related to the steering column, the cruise, sound system, paddle shifts etc., and the last was related to a production fault that somehow meant some six-speed manual gearboxes escaped from the factory with a vital oil supply hole left undrilled.Check that these have been done, it should be indicated in the owner's manual. If not check with your nearest Subaru dealer.When checking an Outback prior to purchase, one that is equipped with the CVT transmission, it's important to conduct a thorough test drive to look for possible glitches in the way it drives. Look for stumbles, hesitations and shuddering.Otherwise check for a service record to ensure the factory recommended servicing has been carried out.SMITHY SAYSGood on road and off, without the bulk of a regular SUV the Outback is a standout.Subaru Outback - 2009Price new: $40,490 to $55,990Engines: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel, 110 kW/350 Nm; 2.5-litre 4-cylinder, 123 kW/229 Nm; 3.6-litre 6-cylinder, 191 kW/350 NmTransmissions: 6-speed manual, CVT, 5-speed autoEconomy: 6.4 L/100 km (2.0TD), 8.4 L/100 km (2.5), 10.3 L/100 km (3.6)Body: 4-door wagonVariants: 2.0D, 2.5i, 3.6RSafety: 5-star ANCAP

Cars equipped with futuristic technology that can save lives by braking automatically are being recalled in Australia and overseas because their latest safety systems are on the blink.Japanese car makers Subaru and Honda have issued two separate recalls involving technology that is designed to prevent rear-end crashes and/or avoid hitting pedestrians.Subaru is recalling more than 5000 of its latest Outback wagon and Liberty sedan models equipped with its “Eyesight” system that uses two cameras behind the windscreen to scan the road ahead.A sign of just how complex modern cars have become, Subaru has discovered a seemingly unrelated brake light fault can disable the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking system.A statement from Subaru said: “The (Eyesight) system may not operate as intended in an emergency braking situation (where the driver has failed to apply the brake), or may fail to properly engage the brakes when the vehicle has been placed in (automatic cruise control) mode. This is due to a software programming issue.”Subaru says the fault “does not affect the performance of the brakes when engaged by the driver” and no incidents have been reported in Australia or overseas.See full details on the Subaru recall here.  Meanwhile Honda Australia is recalling more than 2000 examples of its latest Accord sedan and CR-V that are equipped with similar automatic emergency braking technology.Rather alarmingly, in the case of the Honda fault, the automatic braking system can be activated when it is not supposed to.“In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may unexpectedly activate while operating the vehicle,” the Honda recall statement says.“In rare cases, the system may interpret certain roadside objects, such as metal fences or guardrails, as obstacles and apply emergency braking.”See full details on the Honda recall here and here.The faults come as the car industry is debating how much technology should be introduced in modern cars, and how much control should be taken away from the driver.Car giants Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and technology companies Apple and Google, are all experimenting with driverless cars that rely on cameras, radars and other sensors to navigate their way through traffic with limited or no input from the driver.But the latest recalls show that the technology still has a long way to go before it becomes failsafe.