2018 Subaru Outback — What to Check Before You Buy
The 2018 Subaru Outback offers genuine all-wheel-drive capability and a loyal owner base, but Subaru's horizontally-opposed engines and the Lineartronic CVT have known concerns that pre-purchase buyers should check.
Engine Oil Consumption
Subaru's FA-series boxer engines from this era are associated with oil consumption between changes in some vehicles. Owners in forums commonly report needing to add oil before the next scheduled service. Check the dipstick before the test drive and ask the seller how often they add oil. Consistent, documented oil changes are a positive indicator.
Lineartronic CVT Behavior
The CVT in the 2018 Outback can exhibit shudder during low-speed acceleration on higher-mileage examples. Subaru updated fluid specifications and released software updates related to this. Test drive in stop-and-go conditions and assess for any vibration or hesitation from a stop.
EyeSight Camera System
The dual-camera EyeSight system is mounted inside the windshield and is sensitive to fogging, physical damage, and miscalibration from windshield replacements. A malfunctioning EyeSight system will display a warning on the dashboard and disable adaptive cruise and collision braking. Verify all EyeSight features are active before purchase — any replacement or recalibration history is worth asking about.
NHTSA recalls · 3
- Visibility:rearview mirrors/devicesRemedied
31/12/2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
- Electrical system:softwareRemedied
01/11/2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
- Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pumpRemedied
29/07/2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Recall data is pulled from the NHTSA public database. Always verify current recall status at nhtsa.gov.
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