2013 Subaru Outback: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
49%
121 of 246 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
49% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Subaru Outback are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 63% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 50 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 41%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION S10/04/2023CRASH1 INJURED
I was pulling into a parking space very slowly when the car went into overdrive and suddenly accelerated at a high speed. It plunged down a slight decline and hit a large tree. My airbag failed to deploy although I was thrown violently forward, and the car sustained severe front end damage. The car is considered a tota…
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE07/17/2026
Please contact Carvana and make them take that vehicle off the market. I purchased it and by chance found out that bottom parts like subframe and exhaust pipe were inadequately installed . The mechanic said eventually I was going to flip over myself on the highway in that car. He also stated that this repair cost would…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE01/06/2026
I purchased this car may 28th 2025 and had it over the weekend and check engine light came on and took it Monday once shop opened and came back for catalytic converter and o2 sensor I letted the dealership know about it and said its not much that i can fix it but I figured would say that since was a as is car and just …
Three of 121 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (12)
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sol…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered…
PARKING BRAKE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Subaru Outback
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
12 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
