2010-2015 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Legacy
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.
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.
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
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.