Voted Best Answer
Nov 25, 2019 - 10:25 PM
Hi there
It's easy to fall in love with the diesel Outback - we've spent extensive time with them when they were new, and the smooth driving characteristics, comfortable ride, diesel frugality and effortless overtaking made it a very agreeable car.
But that was when they were new. Unfortunately, the Boxer diesel/CVT combination does seem to exhibit some issues as they age:
- Lineartronic CVT (even the high-torque unit used in the Outback Diesel) can start exhibiting jerking, hunting and stalling at any time from the 100 000 km mark onwards. By that time, any factory warranty will be long expired, and you will be left to foot a (likely very costly) bill. That alone makes it a rather risky second-hand buy, unless you also buy a comprehensive mechanical breakdown warranty (make sure that it covers transmission repairs in full).
- The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) can become clogged up, especially in cars that do most of their driving in town or over short distances. Again, this is an expensive repair, and may recur if the car's usage pattern continues unchanged. To be fair, this isn't a problem exclusive to the Boxer Diesel, but applies equally to almost all vehicles equipped with DPFs.
- Also applicable to all diesels, the injectors may require reconditioning/replacement from 120 000 km onwards. This is likely due to the fact that our highest-quality diesel is generally rated at 50 ppm, which can lead to accelerated injector wear. The problem really lies in the fact that Subaru-specific parts are generally quite expensive, and that few workshops are equipped to deal with such issues.
- Subaru dealerships generally have a fair reputation as far as aftersales service goes, but there aren't many of them around. If there's one close to you (or close enough for your liking), you won't have a problem with aftersales support, although it will come at quite a price.
In short, while the diesel Outback is a lovely vehicle, it might not be the best idea to buy a 4/5 year old one if you aim to keep it for the long haul. That's probably the reason for its rather steep depreciation in the pre-owned market.
Hope this helps!
The AskAutoTrader Team.
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