2013 Subaru Outback Engine Problems
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 48,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil consumption” (21% of reports).
- 67engine complaints
- 48,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 46%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 14 of 67 complaints (21%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 45 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 67 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Subaru Outback engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 5 | 6% | 13,000 |
| 2024 Outback | 7 | 7% | 7,000 |
| 2023 Outback | 1 | 1% | 12,800 |
| 2022 Outback | 23 | 5% | 20,000 |
| 2021 Outback | 21 | 7% | 18,250 |
| 2020 Outback | 49 | 5% | 7,250 |
| 2019 Outback | 39 | 4% | 9,300 |
| 2018 Outback | 37 | 5% | 6,000 |
| 2017 Outback | 43 | 5% | 31,952 |
| 2016 Outback | 53 | 8% | 40,000 |
| 2015 Outback | 47 | 9% | 44,000 |
| 2014 Outback | 35 | 17% | 31,733 |
| 2013 Outback | 67 | 23% | 48,000 |
| 2012 Outback | 50 | 17% | 114,500 |
| 2011 Outback | 85 | 13% | 104,000 |
| 2010 Outback | 44 | 12% | 112,000 |
| 2009 Outback | 15 | 14% | 112,500 |
| 2008 Outback | 14 | 6% | 100,450 |
| 2007 Outback | 15 | 12% | 90,000 |
| 2006 Outback | 43 | 16% | 104,000 |
| 2005 Outback | 10 | 4% | 117,000 |
| 2004 Outback | 2 | 2% | 137,000 |
| 2003 Outback | 5 | 5% | 123,400 |
| 2002 Outback | 5 | 3% | 135,000 |
| 2000 Outback | 3 | 1% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2013 Subaru Outback. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
According to my mechanic, the Engine Cradle is severly corroded and needs to be replaced. According to Subaru, today December 4, 2024, Subaru inspected my vehicle and determined it was badly corroded. I have pictures to show this and the report from Subaru showing they did look at this corrosion. I…
We bought this around June 2018 with ~96,000 miles. I change oil every 6 months or 6,000 miles with OEM filters and Mobil 1 0w-30 oil. This car has burned 1/2 to 3/4 of oil initially. After 140,000 miles it climbed to over 1 1/2 quarts between changes. I had repeated O2 sensor codes and sensor…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Subaru Outbacks have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 67 owner complaints about engine for the 2013 Subaru Outback (23% of the 297 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Subaru Outback engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 48,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “oil consumption”, in 14 of 67 complaints.
Other 2013 Subaru Outback problems
- Power Train problems (60)
See all 2013 Subaru Outback problems or engine problems across all Outback years.