Justin Time

I have a 2020 Gen 5 since new. Aside from some issues with the near side front brakes discs (see loooong rant from me elsewhere on this site) all has been good. Re my rant, I've just started taking the car to an independent Subaru specialist who are great, and the brake issue has been sorted I found the main dealers dreadful and Subaru UK (i.e the IM Group are appalling). I've clocked up 40,000 miles now. I really like the car (apart fromthe brake issues. Did I mentioned those? :) ). It's not very frugal mpg wise, but I knew that before i bought it. I get 31 miles average out of it. I am driving lots of B roads, very hilly and winding, and the car is often loaded (full size spare wheel, saddles, other equestrian stuff; spare tools, pump, emergency camping kit (!), etc.). I don't find it under powered at all, but then I'm no racer and this car isn't built for that. It compares to all my other cars well in performance (2x yetis, skoda octavias, etc.). Remember, it's permanent 4x4 not the weaker, less capable, 'on-demand haldex like systems the VAG have. It's great in winter with winter tyres on (or all-season). It has a massive load space. I'm 6' tall and regular car-camp in it in lay-bys or mountain roads and I can easily sleep in it with all the camping, climbing gear and such. This is my first automatic. I'd heard lots of negative things about CVTs, re performance. Never bothered me - all seems fine. Not sure it's the best for towing though due to cvt - but I guess you'll check out reviews with the Caravan club, etc. 200mm ground clearance (more on the newer Gen6) is great. Plus it has a 540 mm wade depth (still water) if needed - but I wouldn't want to push it. Odd things? All my older cars going back 15 years plus had a automatic service indicator and countdown - not on this! You have to check the on board car data, or remember yourself! Radio is rubbish compared to other cars I've had, but Carplay is good. Having an onboard satnav is great. I usually use my phone, but if out in the wilds of Scotland and places with no mobile signal the GPS works fine - and is essential at times). I don't think I'd take it to a standard garage, as there are query things that Subarus need. Like most modern cars it has 'sealed for life' components, like the CVT. This is obviously rubbish - nothing lasts for 'life', but should be ok for 100,000 miles, although if you're towing lots then this could be an issue. Overall, I love th car, but it's sad that the Gen7 won't be coming ot the UK or Europe now and when they stop making the Gen6 there will be no more Outbacks here, and only hybrid and EVs to choose from (no thanks!). Hope that helps.

With the new Gen 7, 2026 OB being released in the US, it seems it's not coming to us here in the UK. From what I've gleaned this may be due to emissions standards and specifically the gasoline particulate filter (GPF) issue. So it's hard to countenance Subaru internationally continuing to produce the current Gen 6 OB. Instead they're touting the new model, the Trailseeker, as being imported here along with an updated Solterra - both full EVs. For those of us who eschew anything EV, even hybrids, that means the end of the road for our Subaru ownership. My challenge now will be, how late I can leave it to bag one of the final petrol Gen 6 OBs before they discontinue importing/manufacturing them. Hey ho (and part of me wonders whether Subaru will actually do a Mitsubishi and leave UK/Europe completely given the small market share already).

Sorry to hear you've had those issues with your OB. I too have a Gen5 OB from nearly new and can't say I've had those issues so I don't think they're model specific. Regarding the wind noise, a seal missing or damaged seems possible, or does the window on the driver side, while appearing fine, actually drop a few mm from being completely closed? Maybe it sticks or the actuating mechanism stops it just short and so needs to be reset? Re the glove box. If it is loose, this seems to be unusual and while not the source of the issue, I wonder if the loose fit means that a previous owner has removed it to do some work behind and it, or something behind, hasn't been refitted firmly? If the noise only occurs when the glove box is empty, maybe that 'emptiness' is acting as an amplifier for something loose and moving behind or under? Hope you get it sorted.

Like it or loathe it the newer version of the OB has just be revealed in the US. Basically it's boxier, looking to over shadow the Forester (?), but at least it's reverted to more buttons on the dash like the older Gen 5. We'll apparently never see it here in the UK given the car hating governments we've been saddled with recently. So is this the end of the OB in Europe? Guess so.

Try Vipa blades. When my OB was just a few months old, it coincided with Subaru UK offering a free winter- check up deal which included a free set of front wiper blades. I went along to the dealership, they did the check, but as my car was only a few months old they gave me the wiper blades packaged which I kept until they were needed, and fitted them then. They seem to be identical to the blades that came with the car, and they have been trouble free - very good quality. For my 2019 OB the serial number for the Vipa blades are: WT26U 26"/650MM HYBRID BLADE and WT17U 17"/430MM HYBRID BLADE Hope that helps. Also see link below https://www.vipacarparts.com/pages/find-wiper-blades

https://www.gilesgateautocare.co.uk I took my car here in for its annual service and MOT in early December. I'd been fed-up with the quality of work at 3 previous Subaru dealerships. So now we're 3 months down the road, literally, and all is well. Nice bunch of guys, and they even wiped off the water stains in the engine bay and gave the car a sprucing up. It's only a 10 min. stroll into the centre of lovely Hexham while you wait, so really convenient.

I was reading a thread on the US Subaru Outback site and I hadn't realised that with newer Subaru CVT systems, the temperature and the 'relearning' process for adding new CVT fluid is crucial, and requires the correct equipment as well as the skills and knowledge to do this. Seems a standard garage, or even an indy specialist (unless you checked them out thoroughly), may not be able to complete this process correctly. https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/dealer-says-i-must-leave-my-car-overnight-for-a-cvt-relearn.572558/?post_id=6532537#post-6532537 Glad yours has worked out well, and using a mainstream dealer with a longer history of working on Subarus was a good choice.

Ah well done. Glad you got it sorted. I've just returned from a 10 day trip away and the OB has been sitting on the drive all this time, so reading a few replies to this thread I was tentative about starting it up today! All well though, and I then took it for a 30 miles drive around the sunny north pennines, soaking up the bright, if icy cold, sunset.

See above for possible solutions. I've had mine for over 4 years on a 2019 (70 plate) OB, no problems (but now I've just tempted fate!). Hope you find a solution.

Any update on how things are going after the CVT fluid change Jake? I assume all is well as you've not posted to the contrary.

I'm not sure if this is new information, and if it's useful for you or not, but you can access the dealership mode and also the factory mode on your Outback. It's a little bit different to access on my Gen5, where I press and hold the home button while simultaneously pressing the tune button 6 times to get factory mode. You are then able to access a range of menus. I forget which one of the menus, but it's easy to find once you're in, that has a read out of the battery health in volts, when the car has either the engine running, or when not running but with the ignition on. I find this is an easy way to quickly monitor the health of my battery, both on start up and/or just after the car has been stationary for a few hours to see if there's any drain. It saves the hassle of getting a multimeter out, popping the bonnet and connecting the leads to the battery, etc. Here's a relevant thread from the US OB forum which describes the access to the dealership mode in a Gen6 OB. https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/how-to-access-service-menu-gen6-outback.548488/ Ah.... looks like I've posted this info before: https://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/27361-secret-factorydealer-settings-access/

Battery drain issues on late model Subarus is a very common issue (see various threads on this site and many others internationally). A few key suggests for you: 1. Never leave the boot lid open for more than 10 mins. and if you do need to (say you're camping or loading lots of stuff etc.), then do the 'carabiner trick'. Works with mine and easy to fix. or do this: 2. Always drive with the sidelights on and NEVER in auto light setting, unless you do decent mileages and avoid lots of short journeys. The charging algorithm on modern Subarus is designed to flatter the mpg figures so doesn't engage the alternator to recharge the battery (thus less load on the engine so better mpg) unless it really needs to (which is never enough!). Driving with side lights on (or AC, etc.) over rides the algorithm and forces constant alternator charging. 3. Go through all the car settings and switch off auto downloads and wifi connection, etc. as the car will keep searching for updates even when switched 'off' and parked on your drive etc....draining the battery. 4. Lots of OB owners, like me, tape the boot roof light 'off' so it can't be accidentally knocked on. Hope you get it sorted.

That's interesting. Another bit of 'corrective' engineering which causes more problems and will probably need further designed 'corrective engineering' to fix the previous corrective device. Makes me think of the song, t;here was an old woman who swallowed a fly...'! This might be helpful , if you've not spotted it already: https://www.subaruxvforum.com/threads/petrol-particulate-filter-warning.182125/ Glad you got it sorted anyroad.

I received an email today entitled 'Subaru Map Update Portal' informing me that a update was available for my Outback. After checking it through my virus checker etc. I clicked on the link and was taken to the Portal where I had to register and was then sent an activation code. After eventually getting the code and inputting it, to be told I again needed an activation code but when I put that new code in I was then further informed my account was already activated (you're getting the gist of this right!). I realised this wasn't going to be straightforward. Any road, eventually I got an account set up and logged in the vehicle with its VIN - all well again. Then I had to download the map installation system (more shenanigans), but eventually done. The page helpfully (not!) in formed me that Starlink was no longer in use since 2023 (I'd not bothered anyway as it was useless), it then proceeded simply to offer me more opportunities to download the map installer - again, with no way forward. The map installer is for OS X (my laptop) so it should have worked - it didn't. Route two: checked the online manual on the page and saw there was a mobile phone route. Ah ha! Phone put and I got to the page www.subaru-maps.com, and logged in, I had again to download the map installer, but was only given the option of OS X version or Windows - so no ios then! Urgh. Getting more and more frustrated, I went to the 'contact us' link and scrolled down to the UK link and clicked, to be taken to UK Subaru page https://subaru.co.uk/customer-support where I was informed by 'customer support' "sorry - page no longer exists'! What a complete waste of time and sadly simply reinforces the image of Subaru technology being all froth and little substance. Rant over - so back to the my padded cell...!

Really sorry to hear that Steve. But glad you got the car back, eventually.