Big Oil Burners: Subaru Models You Might Want to Avoid
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Subaru
has designed many popular vehicles. Three of their models made it on Consumer Reports’ list of most-loved SUVs.The 2021 Subaru Forester is one of the best compact SUVs of the year. However, while the newer models have been earning approval from consumers, you might want to avoid some older Subarus.
According to
Consumer Reports
, if you have to add at least a quart of oil between oil changes, your vehicle might have excessive oil consumption issues. These Subaru vehicles from specific model years were big oil burners. 
2010-2015 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Legacy
Subaru Foresters and Outbacks from 2010 to 2015 model years that have a 2.5-liter engine might have oil consumption problems. These SUVs are Subaru’s top-selling models, but some owners reported issues with head gasket failure, as reported by
Torque News
.In 2016, Subaru started a program to extend the original new-car powertrain limited warranty for excessive oil consumption for up to eight years (100,000 miles). This applied to several models with 2.0-liter or 2.5-liter FB engines including the 2013-2014 Legacy and Outback, 2011-2014 Forester, and 2015 Forester with manual transmission.
The Subaru Legacy from 2010-2015 model years also uses the same 2.5-liter engine as the Forester and Outback. It’s the only engine option for this model that tends to burn excess oil. The worst Legacy oil burners no longer have warranty.
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2012-2013 Subaru Impreza
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The
Subaru Impreza
has poor reliability according to Consumer Reports, and the 2.0-liter engine also makes it an excessive oil burner. It’s a relatively cost-friendly car and it had good performance in crash tests, but the model years 2012 and 2013 had the biggest issues with oil consumption.The Impreza was included in the warranty extension program, but they are no longer covered. Newer models from this year are a lot more fuel-efficient and reliable.
2010-2014 Subaru Tribeca
The Subaru Tribeca was discontinued after the 2014 model year. It used a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine and had the same oil consumption issues. Consumer Reports found that a quarter of Tribeca owners complained about this issue for a few years.
These problems with oil consumption started to become more prevalent when federal fuel-economy standards got stricter. In order to increase fuel efficiency, automakers had to make trade-offs in engine design which could negatively affect durability.
After the 2014 model year, there have been significant improvements for all of these Subaru vehicles. Owners said they weren’t adding oil between regular maintenance for 2015 and newer models.
Save money on car insurance
MORE: Tesla Follows Subaru's Lead for Driver-Assist Technology
You might want to save money by getting a used Subaru, but make sure to research any issues that owners have with older models. If you tend to add oil between changes for any other vehicle, you might want to look into whether it has an
extended warranty program
.If you’re looking to save money on car insurance,
Jerry
can help. The app will compare rates from top car insurance companies to get you the best coverage for the best price. Remember, a warranty is not the same as insurance, and you want to make sure you have the right coverage to protect you against any unexpected accidents.
