Faults:

At about 58000 miles, the engine was leaking oil. I had just taken it to the dealer for a service (60000 mile) and they said nothing about it. If a conscientious quicklube mechanic hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known until disastrous damage would have occurred. I took the car in to the dealer and fortunately, the powertrain warranty was good to 60000 miles - 2000 more miles and I would have been out of luck.

The dealer "fixed" the leaks... after a week of sitting in the shop. Driving off the lot, the gaskets began leaking. I drove it back on the lot and left it for another 2 weeks. Finally, after a new head gasket, the car wasn't leaking.

A little research online revealed that this is a common trouble with subaru engines. I thought the H6 motor would be utterly reliable - and I must admit it ran well in spite of the gasket trouble.

An alternator went bad at about 65000 miles, the rotors warped, the passenger side window (motorized) refused to work and the glass fell off the pane. The air conditioner stopped blowing cold air due to a leak in the system (new compressor needed). The transmission started to leak, and then the engine started to leak oil again.

Many thousands of dollars of work needed to get the car back in tip top shape... forget it.

Do yourself a favor. Don't believe the consumer reports hype about the Subaru outback. Research it yourself and find out why this car is a money pit.

General Comments:

I will never even consider another Subaru due to the high cost of maintenance and ownership.

Gas mileage was very poor, only averaging 20mpg although quite consistently. I found I only used it as a wagon a handful of times though it was roomy and comfortable enough. The handling was sluggish and the outback felt like a very large vehicle when behind the wheel.

Faults:

Clutch replacement at 29K miles covered by dealer.

Head gasket started leaking at 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

Subaru owner since 1981. Have had a BRAT and AWD wagons since then. I am sorry to say my '02 Outback is joining the leaking head gasket club. Started out by noticing I couldn't keep coolant to full line. No dripping noticed on garage floor when parked overnight, only drips coolant when engine running. Until repairs made, recommend checking coolant at least every couple of days to minimize overheating potential. Another Subaru in my future? Probably not unless I am confident Subaru has fixed this problem.

Faults:

2002 Outback Legacy - 31k evidence of coolant leak; smell, fluid on driveway, drip-skirt, and near timingbelt/water pump; car overheating. Opened case at SOA and took it to Dealership. Tech railroaded me and claimed the fluid had leaked from resevoir and claimed to have cleared an "air pocket" and could not detect overheating. 10 months later fluid leaks and smell returned, but no overheating - 5 yr warranty expired. Now at 41k, 4 months past drive train warranty exp. car is leaking fluid and overheating - this time same Dealership claims it does indeed need a head gasket replacement (for $2,400). Opened new case at SOA, but they have yet to offer any coverage. Does the extended warranty 100k/8yr for gaskets on phase 2/2.5 liter engines apply to 2002 Outback Legacy? (WWP-99 campaign was not posted to owners of this vehicle). Car also has strong smell of gas in cabin when it is below 20 degrees F. Rear brake rorors needed to be replaced at 22k. Oxygen sensor needed replacement at 25k. Wind noise on Driver's side is excessive.

General Comments:

This 2002 Subaru Outback Legacy is junk.