2013 Subaru Outback Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 95,426 miles. The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (12% of reports).
- 60power train complaints
- 95,426median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $11,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%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.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 7 of 60 complaints (12%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2013 Subaru Outback at $11,950, and half of them between $10,250 and $13,250.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2018–2020), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 60 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Subaru Outback power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outback | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2025 Outback | 5 | 6% | 14,500 |
| 2024 Outback | 6 | 6% | 550 |
| 2023 Outback | 5 | 6% | — |
| 2022 Outback | 18 | 4% | 13,927 |
| 2021 Outback | 12 | 4% | 27,400 |
| 2020 Outback | 48 | 5% | 23,000 |
| 2019 Outback | 16 | 2% | 26,214 |
| 2018 Outback | 14 | 2% | 6,750 |
| 2017 Outback | 47 | 5% | 27,000 |
| 2016 Outback | 45 | 7% | 35,021 |
| 2015 Outback | 37 | 7% | 30,000 |
| 2014 Outback | 25 | 12% | 17,500 |
| 2013 Outback | 60 | 20% | 95,426 |
| 2012 Outback | 107 | 37% | 101,000 |
| 2011 Outback | 216 | 33% | 114,000 |
| 2010 Outback | 94 | 26% | 94,000 |
| 2009 Outback | 8 | 8% | 34,729 |
| 2008 Outback | 12 | 5% | 57,523 |
| 2007 Outback | 9 | 7% | 26,000 |
| 2006 Outback | 17 | 6% | 114,702 |
| 2005 Outback | 17 | 6% | 46,000 |
| 2004 Outback | 10 | 11% | 30,000 |
| 2003 Outback | 13 | 14% | 74,000 |
| 2002 Outback | 20 | 14% | 50,000 |
| 2001 Outback | 23 | 13% | 25,750 |
| 2000 Outback | 42 | 20% | 58,000 |
| 1999 Outback | 29 | 26% | 65,000 |
| 1998 Outback | 19 | 15% | 69,000 |
| 1997 Outback | 8 | 10% | 139,469 |
| 1996 Outback | 5 | 11% | 87,696 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train 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.
The CVT transmission in my 2013 Subaru Outback failed at approximately 93,000 miles. Approximately three weeks prior to the failure, I noticed an unusual sound while driving, but no other symptoms were apparent at that time, so I continued monitoring it. On the day of the failure, the rear tires…
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Subaru Outbacks have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 60 owner complaints about power train for the 2013 Subaru Outback (20% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 95,426 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
Owners report a typical cost of $11,950 (half paid between $10,250 and $13,250), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2013 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 7 of 60 complaints.
Other 2013 Subaru Outback problems
- Engine problems (67)
See all 2013 Subaru Outback problems or power train problems across all Outback years.