How Long Do Subarus Last: Know 5 Reasons & Possible Solutions In 2023

Planning on getting a vehicle from Subaru, but don’t know how long do Subarus last? In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about this brand.

Subaru fans are pretty loyal to this company, and they often boast about how efficient their vehicles are.

And you really can’t blame them. This automobile manufacturer has been in the market for a long time, making a name for itself.

But if you’re skeptical about this brand, we’re here to change your mind and hopefully point you in the right direction.

How Long Do Subarus Last: Top 5 Subaru Problems

You might find mixed reviews on Subaru as a whole.

And while it’s totally acceptable to have an opinion, you should always take everything with a grain of salt before making a purchase.

As such, we’ve made a list of some of the most common problems this manufacturer experiences.

01. High Oil Consumption

One of Subaru’s biggest problems, along with other car manufacturers, is high oil consumption.

While the company has publicly gone out to say that 1 quart every 1,000 miles should not raise any red flag, some consumers have a hard time wrapping their heads around that.

­­­­­­­­­­­The thing is, new vehicles should not use that excessive amount of oil.

However, as cars age, you should expect them to burn oil. For example, any car with over 100,000 miles should experience oil burning.

The number of vehicles made by Subaru that experience this problem can be quite hard to summarize.

However, here is a list of some cars that are most likely to face high oil consumption:

• Subaru Forester Second Generation
• Subaru Forester Fourth Generation
• Subaru Legacy Fifth Generation

Any of the vehicles listed above have been known for their high-oil consumption.

02. Ringlands On The 2.5 Turbo Engine

An engine that is known for being somewhat problematic is the 2.5 Turbo Engine.

While this engine is not as bad as most people make it out to be, it tends to act up from time to time.

Here is what’s wrong with this engine: the ring lands on your piston keep the blow-away from getting inside the crankcase.

If those ring lands were to get damaged, the engine’s efficiency would take a massive hit in the process.

In addition, your vehicle will begin to burn oil since it is getting inside the combustion chamber.

This is quite a big deal and should be looked into.

Financially speaking, fixing this issue is quite expensive as you need to tear down the entire engine.

03. Head Gasket Problem

Ever came across that one vehicle that seems too good to be true until you noticed that the previous owner says they blew the head gasket?

If so, you’ve probably wondered what’s so special about the head gasket.

Simply put, the head gasket is just a seal that goes on the bottom of the engine.

It has a critical job, which is to protect the engine block and the cylinder heads.

Without the head gasket’s reliable help, coolant and even engine oil might leak into the cylinders.

If that were to happen, you’d notice a lack of smoothness in your ride.

Moreover, replacing the head gasket is difficult. The part itself is relatively cheap.

However, to replace the blown head gasket, you need to take the engine all the way apart.

That takes a ridiculous amount of time, and it’s quite expensive (it can cost about $1,600).

If you’re not fond of doing repairs on your car or spending money, this is quite a big deal.

04. Melting Dashboards

You’ve probably heard how Subaru, along with other companies, got into a massive lawsuit after consumers in the US filed a lawsuit against the well-known Japanese after the melting dashboard incident.

This problem happens when you leave your car out in the sun for long periods.

This rather annoying issue seems to occur on the Subaru Legacy. The repair cost for the melting board goes for about $1,000.

Here is a guy from Brazil that briefly describes this problem:

05. Vehicle Move On Its Own

Despite being one of the world’s greatest automobile makers, Subaru always seems to find itself in yet another drama.

Consumers worldwide have reported a somewhat mysterious and annoying problem that causes their vehicle to move forward without the driver pushing the pedal.

It is still unclear as to what causes this untended behavior.

However, some people have said that this weird error tends to occur when the drivers put the transmission in park.

Here is a list of some of the vehicles that have experienced this issue:

• Subaru Forester
• Subaru Outback
• Subaru Legacy

Life Expectancy Of a Subaru Vehicle

Here, we’ll discuss the average lifespan of Subaru vehicles. By understanding what goes behind the scenes, you should be able to increase your car’s health. And if you’re planning on getting one, this information should come in handy.

01. How Long Do Subaru Engines Last?

Subaru engines’ life expectancy depends on the driver and how well the car has been taken care of throughout the years. Some drivers can reach 300,000 miles with proper maintenance.

While others can only go as far as 200,000 miles, this is still a considerable high number, given that you can get there by merely keeping a regular maintenance schedule.

02. New Vehicles

Performance-oriented vehicles made by Subaru tend to hold up pretty well over time as they are generally bought by drivers who push the limits of those vehicles.

As long as you keep the fluid levels at a proper level, you should be okay with any new vehicle made by Subaru.

03. Maintenance

Small issues can escalate into more significant problems when you let them go by.

The best way to keep your vehicle in great shape is by performing early scans on your car.

Cars get damaged all the time, sometimes those issues might not seem as critical, but as time goes by, those problems can develop into more significant issues.

Moreover, Subaru vehicles are relatively cheap to maintain.

The average maintenance cost for a Subaru after 7,700 miles is about $346,39.

Considering that these cars can reach 300,000 miles and still be in great shape, that’s a fair price to pay.

How To Increase The Lifespan Of Your Subaru Engine

By carefully paying attention and being aware of your environment around you, you can extend your vehicle’s lifespan.

Here, we’ll discuss the most common tips to increase your vehicle’s lifespan.

01. Oil Changes

Addressing any issue your vehicle has is the easiest way to stop that problem from getting any worse.

One of the simplest yet most efficient ways to keep your Subaru in great shape is to change the oil religiously.

Not changing the oil can lead to severe problems and thousands of dollars in damage.

For example, the vehicle’s engine might perform worse and worse until you blow it.

If you go over 3,000 miles—you should always change the oil. While it might seem counterintuitive to spend money regularly changing the oil, you’d be saving a lot more than blowing the engine in the long run.

02. CV Boots

How do Subarus die? One of the main things you should regularly check out is the CV boots.

They tend to get damaged over time. Most of the time, the CV boots blow out at around 75,000 miles.

The CV boots keep both the water and grease out of the joint. However, when they break down, both of those components might get inside the wheels.

You don’t have to continually check up on the CV boots, but it wouldn’t hurt to check on them every so often.

03. Fluid Levels

Some car owners do not realize just how important it is to keep the fluids properly.

For example, as you drive down the road, your engine produces heat, which is obvious.

However, an excessive amount of heat can blow it.

The coolant of your vehicle, on the other hand, prevents the engine from overheating during hot weather.

Not only that, but it also protects the engine from freezing during cold weather.

Many other fluids should also be taken into account, such as the power steering fluid.

Here is a list of fluids we suggest checking out from time to time:

• Power Steering Fluid
• Coolant
• Transmission fluid
• Brake fluid
• Oil levels

By keeping the fluids at a proper level, you’ll be able to save a lot of money in the long run.

Cars have improved over the last decade; however, they still need to be maintained every now and then.

04. Valve Cover Gasket

Another component of your vehicle you want to check up on is the valve cover gasket.

This part of your car tends to get damaged over time. As you drive more and more, this little unit will break down.

When that happens, the oil will come out of it. After that, you’ll get the engine oil light on the dashboard, indicating something wrong with the cover.

Sometimes, you can tell the valve cover gasket is no longer working when you smell oil burning underneath the vehicle’s hood.

05. Power Steering Pump

Turning the wheel is probably one of the most straightforward tasks when driving, and sometimes we take it for granted.

However, this is not the case when the power steering pump goes bad. It is one of those parts of your vehicle that play a huge role.

Your vehicle uses a power steering pump to supply fluid to other parts of the car.

If it were to break down, you’d notice the lack of smoothness when driving—especially at lower speeds.

It is hard to estimate how long the power steering pump tends to last, as you must take several other factors into account.

You also have to keep in mind that the system itself can show some signs of poor performance, but that does not mean it is no longer functional.

As for the lifespan of the power steering pump, it tends to last about 100,000 miles.

To extend the life of your vehicle, we suggest checking the power steering pump after you’ve reached that many miles.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Want to learn more exciting facts about Subaru cars and so on? If so, here are some common questions about this brand:

Are Subarus expensive to maintain?

Subaru vehicles are relatively inexpensive to maintain, unlike some other high-end cars from different brands.

These cars tend to work for as long as you own them. Perhaps, the most expensive thing about owning one of these vehicles is the oil change.

How many miles do Subaru engines last?

Subaru cars are considered to be one of the most reliable vehicles in the market.

Once you’ve reached over 200k miles on them, that’s when they need lots of work to keep them running.

Which Subaru engines to avoid?

The only engine made by Subaru you should avoid is the 2.5-L Turbo motor.

That engine has proven to be one of the least reliable engines out there. It takes both time and money to repair, which is not desirable.

What is the most common problem with Subarus?

Subaru cars tend to struggle with high oil consumption, one of the most noticeable problems on those vehicles.

In addition to that, the head gasket has been another persistent issue.

Conclusion

How long do Subarus last? Most vehicles made by Subaru tend to last about 150,000 miles all the way up to 200,000.

These cars are known for being relatively cheap to repair and maintain over time.

As long as you properly maintain your vehicle and keep in mind all the main points we covered above, your car should be by your side for many years to come.

It might feel like a never-ending task, but there is no other way around it unless you want to keep your vehicle in great shape.

All those reasons have made Subaru an excellent automobile company.