Faults:

Our engine blew at 11200 miles due to blown head gasket on one side. Everyone said, "Wow, that's not supposed to happen with a Subaru".

It burned lots of oil after the engine rebuild. The bad front seal was fixed under warranty by dealer who rebuilt the engine.

It needed a new clutch about every 60000 miles.

A bad alternator at 60000 miles left us stranded beside the road at night.

General Comments:

Generally, reliable. Excellent in snow. We preferred the Subaru to my 4x4 truck in Colorado mountains and ski trips.

Ergonomics (poor cup holder placement in front of stereo, seat and steering wheel adjustability for 5 foot tall driver) not very good, but some of this has been addressed in the newer model.

Main problem was blown engine despite impeccable maintenance and easy driving.

Not without it's problems, but day to day, it served us and our two dogs and our skis and bikes and canoe and raft very well.

Faults:

Replaced the EGR Valve and Diaphragm. This is not a typical problem with Subarus so I guess I just got lucky. The engine makes a knocking noise when it is cold outside, and until the engine warms up. Dealer doesn't know what I'm talking about.

The brakes seem to make a creaking noise when they heat up after a lot of heavy use, such as long hill descent. Dealer doesn't know what I'm talking about.

General Comments:

The car starts reliably, despite any problems mentioned above. It has pretty high mileage, but I would still trust it to take cross-country. AWD has been invaluable so far this winter, and saved me from an accident once already. This is the third Subaru that my family has been involved with, although my first owned privately. Each one has been remarkable and I would gladly purchase again.

My only problems have been with the dealership, whose mechanics are idiots.

Faults:

Seemed to leak a lot of anti-freeze.

Sometimes smelled burning oil.

Subaru dealer could never fix or find answers to problems with car.

General Comments:

I love my Outback and would purchase another one, no question about it. What I would replace are the people working on these cars - I'm not accustomed to receiving such bad service. I've tried numerous dealerships with no luck.

Faults:

Alternator failed, brakes were good until first service, now they suck. Dealer is incapable of performing a simple brake job and getting it right. Brakes shudder and pulse even after resurfacing rotors.

60,000 mile service resulted in hesitation, now feels like a car with a gunked-up carburetor.

Oil pump seals failed, very expensive repair.

Every time I drive on the highway the car smells like it's going to burn up. Dealer unable to find the problem, nor do they even acknowledge that it exists. My passengers notice it, I notice it, only the service crew does not. I believe it's the faulty packing grease problem I've read about.

All the bolts and hardware around the hatch handle have rusted. Wasn't it obvious to Subaru that these components would be exposed to rain? DUH.

After 5 years it feels like a 10-year-old car.

General Comments:

It's excellent for the first 2 years or so, but ages RAPIDLY.

The Subaru dealership I bought from is the most frustrating group of mechanics I've ever dealt with. With every repair comes a catch. For example, "We replaced your windshield, but we ran out of good molding so we used this defective molding... If you're not happy we can special order one that isn't damaged..." They had the car for 2 days, I was never called about this. DUH!

Faults:

If the car is parked in the garage overnight after spraying water in the front wheel wells to wash out snow and salt, the car will not start in the morning. The dealer has no answer, but I've discovered holding the accelerator down to the floor while cranking will bring it back to life with no further trouble until the next wheel well washing.

General Comments:

Subaru could beat Honda and Toyota if they could extend their reputation for durability to the appearance of their cars. I have owned cars for 13 years that had less wear and tear than the Subaru after two.

The paint scratches through the color coat with any touch.

The vinyl tears.

The fabric stains.

The plastic scuffs.

Any hidden part rusts (rear hatch handle replaced under warranty)

The wheels corrode.

Other than finish durability, the car rides smoother, corners flatter, and is more confident in all weather conditions than any other car I've owned. I'd buy nothing but Subaru's if they would improve the finish quality.