The 2007 Outback is mechanically identical to the Legacy wagon underneath. The 2.5L turbo and naturally-aspirated 2.5L both suffer from head gasket failures, while the 3.0L H6 is generally more reliable but less common. Transmission longevity is fair, but the 4EAT auto has known oil cooler and mount issues.
Head Gasket Failure (2.5L engines)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 90,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: External oil seepage at block/head mating surface, visible as dark oil weeping from sides of engine, White exhaust smoke on cold start, sweet smell from coolant burning internally, Coolant loss with no visible leaks, occasional overheating or temp fluctuations, Bubbles in coolant reservoir or oil in coolant (less common, indicates internal breach)
Fix: Full head gasket replacement requires pulling engine or lifting it significantly. Both heads must be resurfaced, timing belt/water pump/seals replaced while apart. Expect 14-18 labor hours. Many shops pull the engine for access. Use OEM or multi-layer steel (MLS) gaskets, not composite.
Estimated cost: $2,200-3,500
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure (4EAT automatic)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission fluid puddle under vehicle, usually passenger side near radiator, Sudden loss of all forward gears or slipping due to fluid loss, Pink or red fluid dripping from front of car, Overheating transmission if small leak goes unnoticed
Fix: Steel lines from trans to radiator-mounted cooler corrode and rupture. Requires new OEM lines, often both replaced preventively. Subaru issued updated stainless lines. 2-3 labor hours if caught early. If transmission ran low on fluid, expect internal damage and possible rebuild.
Estimated cost: $400-700 for lines only; $2,500-4,000 if trans damaged
Turbo Failure / Oil Starvation (2.5L Turbo only)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 100,000-160,000 mi
Symptoms: Blue smoke on acceleration or at idle, oil consumption over 1 qt per 1,000 mi, Loss of boost, sluggish acceleration, check engine light for boost/pressure codes, Loud whining or grinding noise from turbo, metallic rattling, Oil in intercooler or intake piping
Fix: Turbo bearings fail from oil coking or debris from upstream engine wear. Turbo replacement requires 6-8 hours, must inspect for root cause (banjo bolt screen clogging, oil feed line blockage). If metal entered engine, expect bottom-end damage. Always replace oil feed and return lines, use OEM or quality reman turbo.
Estimated cost: $1,800-3,200 for turbo; $4,500-7,000 if engine internals damaged
Wheel Bearing Failure (front and rear)
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Growling or humming noise that increases with speed, changes with steering input, Vibration through steering wheel or floor at highway speeds, ABS or traction control light if bearing has integrated tone ring, Excessive play when rocking wheel by hand with vehicle lifted
Fix: Front and rear wheel bearings are hub assemblies, not serviceable separately. Fronts fail more often due to AWD stress. 2-3 hours per side, straightforward replacement. Use OEM or known-quality aftermarket (Timken, NSK). Avoid cheap eBay units that fail in 10,000 miles.
Estimated cost: $350-550 per wheel
Transmission Mount Collapse (all)
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunk or thud when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, Vibration at idle that smooths out at higher RPM, Visible sagging or cracking of rear transmission crossmember mount, Drivetrain lurch during acceleration or deceleration
Fix: Rear trans mount is a common wear item on these, especially with turbo torque. Easy replacement, 1-1.5 hours. Also inspect pitch stopper mount (engine side). OEM or quality polyurethane replacements both work fine.
Estimated cost: $200-350
Brake Line Corrosion (salt-belt states)
Occasional · high severity
Symptoms: Brake pedal goes to floor, spongy feel with no external leaks visible, Rusty fluid or visible rust perforations on steel brake lines along frame rails, Brake fluid leaking at line fittings or along line runs, Proportional loss of braking, soft pedal even after bleeding
Fix: NHTSA recall covered some VINs for rear brake lines, but fronts and non-recalled vehicles still corrode in rust states. Full line replacement (all four corners) is 4-6 hours. Use NiCopp or stainless pre-bent kits, avoid mild steel. This is a safety-critical repair.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200 depending on extent
Ignition Switch Failure (NHTSA recall)
Occasional · medium severity
Symptoms: Key won't turn or binds in ignition cylinder, No crank, no start despite good battery and starter, Intermittent loss of electrical power while driving, Dash lights flicker or accessories cut out randomly
Fix: Subaru recalled certain VINs for faulty ignition switch internals. If not recalled, replacement is straightforward, 1-2 hours. Must reprogram immobilizer if switch contains chip reader. Check recall status by VIN first.
Estimated cost: $0 if recall applies; $250-450 otherwise
Owner tips
Change transmission fluid every 30,000 miles with Subaru ATF or equivalent spec—these autos are sensitive to fluid condition
Inspect coolant every oil change for oil contamination (milky appearance), early warning for head gasket breach
If buying a 2.5L that hasn't had head gaskets done, budget for it immediately or negotiate price accordingly
Turbo models: verify oil feed line banjo bolt filters were cleaned or removed during any oil system work
Undercoat brake lines and inspect annually if in salt states—brake line failure is catastrophic
The H6 is a solid buy if maintained; the 2.5L is a gamble unless head gaskets are already done with paperwork to prove it—budget $3,000-4,000 for deferred engine work on any 2.5L over 100k miles.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V001000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."
These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V002000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."
These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V003000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · 19V297000
2019-04-11
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Consequence: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · 16V738000
2016-10-13
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Consequence: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 15V323000
2015-05-28 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS · 14V311000
2014-06-10
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.
Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
Consequence: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS · 13V110000
2013-03-27
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.
Consequence: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.
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