2006 Subaru Outback engine problems
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2006 Subaru Outback — 16% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The engine will randomly loose power. This has happened three times now. You must coast to a stop, turn the key off and try to restart the car. Sometime it will take several tries to restart. I see this as a real safety concern in heavy traffic. Especially so if heavy traffic makes it impossible to…”
filed Apr 15, 2022
“About 4 weeks ago, on late saturday morning, driving down the interstate, from richmond, va my car caught on fire in hampton. The car jolted a little and would not accelerate. Pulled to the side of the road, smoke became visible, but the temperature gauge was not running high. A witness ran toward…”
filed Feb 9, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Engine problems in other Outback years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 4 | 6% |
| 2024 Outback | 7 | 8% |
| 2023 Outback | 1 | 1% |
| 2022 Outback | 20 | 4% |
| 2021 Outback | 20 | 7% |
| 2020 Outback | 47 | 5% |
| 2019 Outback | 39 | 4% |
| 2018 Outback | 36 | 4% |
| 2017 Outback | 43 | 5% |
| 2016 Outback | 53 | 8% |
| 2015 Outback | 47 | 9% |
| 2014 Outback | 35 | 17% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2006 Subaru Outback
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.