All generations and engines together · 5,991 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 67k
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 2,469 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
On the 2.5-litre FB25 engine used in the fifth-generation Outback (roughly 2009-2014), owners report the car burning a litre or more of oil between services, sometimes triggering the low-oil warning light. Subaru's own response in the US was to run an extended-warranty style oil-consumption test: if the engine used more than a set amount in a controlled test, it qualified for a short-block or piston-ring rebuild under goodwill cover. Typical mileage when it shows up is 30,000-60,000, and an out-of-warranty rebuild runs well into four figures.
The Lineartronic CVT fitted from 2010 onward gets repeated complaints of a pause or clunk shifting from reverse to drive, shuddering under light throttle, and occasional total failure needing a full transmission replacement. In the US, Subaru extended CVT warranty cover for affected model years after a class-action settlement, which is a strong signal the problem is real even though it hasn't been formally acknowledged in the UK. A full transmission rebuild or replacement is one of the most expensive repairs an Outback owner can face.
On the older 2.5-litre EJ25 engine, fitted up to around 2009, external head gasket leaks are a long-standing owner complaint, usually oil or coolant weeping from the gasket edge rather than internal mixing. It tends to show up from around 80,000-120,000 miles and a proper repair (removing the heads to fit updated gaskets) typically runs to four figures given the labour involved. It doesn't apply to the later FB-engined cars, which use a different gasket design.
Owners report clunks and popping noises from the front end over bumps and on full-lock turns, usually traced to strut top mounts or suspension bushes wearing out earlier than expected, sometimes from 60,000 miles. This lines up with the measured MOT data, where suspension is the standout fault category for the Outback against other saloons and estates. The forums and the numbers agree on the area; they just don't always agree on which exact part is to blame.
A cluster of complaints, concentrated around the 2017 model year, describe batteries going flat or dying well before the usual 4-5 year mark, sometimes linked to parasitic drain from keyless entry or infotainment modules staying awake. Owners disagree on the cause, some blame poor short-trip charging habits rather than a car fault, but it's common enough to be worth checking. Replacement is cheap, £100-150, but repeated failures point at a wiring or module fault that costs more to chase down.
Cars fitted with Subaru's EyeSight driver-assist system use a stereo camera pair mounted on the windscreen. Any windscreen replacement or even a knock to the mirror mount needs a dealer or specialist recalibration or the lane-keep and auto-braking features stop working properly, adding £150-300 on top of the glass itself. It's not a fault as such, just an easy-to-miss cost that catches buyers out on cars with a chipped or previously replaced windscreen.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.