2nd generation (BH) · BH (wagon) / BE (Legacy sedan-based) · 850 complaints, 515 with mileage
Owners filed 850 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000–2004 Subaru Outback, and 515 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 35,000 and 107,650 miles. The median is 74,999 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (12.9% of complaints, typically around 55,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (12.8% of complaints, typically around 74,000 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (9.4% of complaints, typically around 30,555 miles).
8 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 110 | 12.9% | 55,000 | 25,000–74,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 109 | 12.8% | 74,000 | 40,000–90,200 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 80 | 9.4% | 30,555 | 13,800–61,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 73 | 8.6% | 53,000 | 23,000–83,033 |
| Suspension | 63 | 7.4% | 129,000 | 87,000–169,712 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 60 | 7.1% | 84,900 | 66,500–96,543 |
| Air Bags | 57 | 6.7% | 82,024 | 40,500–140,000 |
| Tires | 52 | 6.1% | — | — |
| Structure | 43 | 5.1% | 125,000 | 60,000–170,000 |
| Electrical System | 32 | 3.8% | 36,039 | 1,565–124,400 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 247 | 126 |
| 2001 | 207 | 124 |
| 2002 | 172 | 103 |
| 2003 | 116 | 84 |
| 2004 | 108 | 78 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 74,999 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 12.9% of complaints (110 reports, 76 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 55,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 74,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 12.8% of complaints (109 reports, 79 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 74,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 90,200 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 9.4% of complaints (80 reports, 42 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 30,555 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,800 and 61,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 8.6% of complaints (73 reports, 49 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 53,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 23,000 and 83,033 miles.
The suspension accounts for 7.4% of complaints (63 reports, 42 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 129,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 87,000 and 169,712 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 7.1% of complaints (60 reports, 47 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 84,900 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 66,500 and 96,543 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2000 model year drew the most — 247 complaints — while 2004 drew the fewest at 108. The median year sits at 172.
NHTSA records 8 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (8). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 850 complaints filed against this generation, 77 reported a crash; 22 reported a fire; 41 reported an injury; 5 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 9.1% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 35,000 and 107,650 miles, with a median of 74,999. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the engine and its cooling system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 55,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
EJ251/EJ253 SOHC external head gasket leak: composite gasket degrades at the outer edge and seeps oil and coolant down the block. Subaru's field remedy was a revised gasket plus a cooling-system conditioner additive, with extended coverage on some model years.
Front and rear wheel bearing failure is a common recurring repair.
Catalytic converter efficiency failures (P0420) frequently reported.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 20V003000 | 2020-01-07 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 20V002000 | 2020-01-07 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 20V001000 | 2020-01-07 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 16V361000 | 2016-08-24 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 16V359000 | 2016-08-24 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 16V358000 | 2016-07-22 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 15V323000 | 2015-06-17 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 14V763000 | 2015-01-15 | Air Bags |