Is the Subaru Outback reliable?

The Subaru Outback scores 85/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 44% of the cars we track. That is computed from 141,033 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Subaru Outback cost?

A 2023 Subaru Outback with around 30,672 miles is worth roughly £20,150 today (typical range £17,600–£22,700). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Subaru Outback depreciate?

A new Subaru Outback typically loses about 40% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Subaru Outback?

The Subaru Outback sits in insurance group 22 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Subaru Outback?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Subaru Outback are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Subaru Outback cost to run?

Expect around 32 mpg combined on the 2.5 Petrol, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Subaru Outback ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Subaru Outbacks from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

How many Subaru Outbacks are on UK roads?

About 9,375 Subaru Outbacks are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #219 car in the UK · Estate · 558 units sold last year

Subaru Outback

The Subaru Outback is the rugged, go-anywhere estate - a raised, all-wheel-drive load-lugger with genuine rough-road ability, beloved of rural buyers, dog owners and anyone who values all-weather security. Petrol and mild-hybrid boxer power with standard symmetrical AWD. It's not quick or plush, and it's thirsty, but it's tough, dependable and superbly capable in poor conditions. As a used buy it's a sensible, durable alternative to an SUV for genuine all-terrain estate use.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: Estate
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Mild Hybrid
Economy: 32 mpg
Insurance: Group 22

The short version

63/100

Forecourt score

Value 46 · Reliability 79 · catalogue percentiles

The Subaru Outback holds its value about averagely and is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is excellent — an MOT score of 85/100, ahead of 44% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 46% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Petrol · 2498cc

Power

169 ps

Drivetrain

AWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

32 mpg

The volume current Outback. 2.5 flat-four boxer, 169 PS, CVT, symmetrical AWD. ~32 mpg. Chain-driven (FB25). The quirky estate alternative to a XC60.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock30,672 mi

0Expected: 30,672180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£20,150

Range £16,400 – £24,200

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £42,000Age-based value£24,900Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£15Market calibration-£3,435Forecourt price£21,450Private sale£18,800Part-exchange£16,550

Holdthis 3-year-old

Fair value — depreciation is moderating.

At 30,672 miles it’s about the ~34,635 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Subaru Outback loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 30,672 miles you entered above — worth about £20,150 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 10,224 miles a year.

5-year total

£21,649

Per year

£4,330

All-in per mile

£0.42

Fuel per mile

22.0p

If a company carAround £567/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£284/mo at 20%) — 37% band

Depreciation£4,019

Fuel / energy£11,260

Servicing£1,765

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£3,605

If you're a company-car driver

At 37% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £567/month in company-car tax (£284/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £3,100 a year — 60% less than the £7,700 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 46%

Reliabilitybetter than 79%

Fuel economybetter than 13%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

2.5i (volume)

Niche but excellent. The rugged AWD estate — Audi A6 Allroad / Volvo V90 Cross Country territory but cheaper. 213mm ground clearance and proper terrain modes give it genuine off-road capability. Limited dealer network in UK. Loyal niche following.

New price: circa £42,000
Annual fuel / energy: £2,200
3-yr depreciation: 46%

Watch for

·Minimal — Subaru class-leading reliability
·Lineartronic CVT drones under hard acceleration
·Real-world 30 mpg from 2.5L boxer petrol (no diesel option)
·Infotainment system dated vs European rivals

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 22 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£721/ year

Roughly £60 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£1,643	£2,053	£2,669
Age 26-32	£857	£1,009	£1,231
Age 33-39Selected	£634	£721	£850
Age 40-49	£538	£598	£694
Age 50+	£480	£533	£629

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage10,224 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 10,22430,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£2,322

32 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£721

Age 33-39, group 22

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£3,638 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

205/60 R16 · 225/50 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 30,672 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 10.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 139,044 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500low severityParts high

Recorded in 5.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 139,044 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 139,044 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 8.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 139,044 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 139,044 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 4.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 139,044 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Subaru Outback, from its 2021 assessment.

5/5

TEST YEAR2021

Current rating · valid to 2027

The passenger compartment of the Outback remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014. Euro NCAP ratings run for six years from publication; a lapsed rating means the protocol has moved on, not that the car performs any worse than it did on test.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 141,033 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

89.2% at 3yr → 62.5% at 23yr

A 3-year-old Outback passes its MOT 89.2% of the time; by 23 years that has slipped to 62.5%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

96%of 8-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 685 vehicles registered in 2018.

Survival by registration year

96% of 2018 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Outback with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 14,794 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.

Petrol 72.2%
Diesel 26.9%

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a Outback registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 1,780 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels2.8%
Brakes2.3%
Lighting & signalling0.5%
Driver's view0.5%
Suspension0.2%
Electrical0.1%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Outback at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr34,635
4 yr45,120
5 yr55,776
6 yr65,814
7 yr75,719
8 yr85,026
9 yr93,166
10 yr100,434
11 yr106,887
12 yr111,824
13 yr116,533
14 yr120,067

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

85/ 100

Excellent

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (1,780 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

85%first-time pass rate

44th percentile — Below catalogue average

Based on 12,792 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01Standard symmetrical AWD and good ground clearance make it a genuine all-weather, rough-road estate.
02The boxer engines are smooth but thirsty and modest on power - it's about capability, not pace.
03Tough and dependable with excellent visibility; cabin tech and materials are durable rather than plush.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Subaru Outback, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Higher-value cars like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Subaru Outback into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Subaru Outback as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 193 g/km, using £46,000 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	37%	£3,404	£6,808	£284	£567
2026-27	37%	£3,404	£6,808	£284	£567
2027-28	38%	£3,496	£6,992	£291	£583
2028-29	39%	£3,588	£7,176	£299	£598
2029-30	39%	£3,588	£7,176	£299	£598

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Subaru is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~90

Solid network

Niche mainstream

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Subaru is 2% of all franchised outlets)

A solid network — a franchised dealer is usually within reasonable reach, and independent garages are generally familiar with the brand.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,750 mm

Width

1,840 mm

Height

1,480 mm

Kerb weight

1,600 kg

Boot

560–1,700 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Subaru Outback fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

10,423

Currently taxed & on road

9,375

90% of all registered

SORN (off road)

1,048

10% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+1.6% vs 2024

6,5299,375

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

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TNGA platform for compact cars. Lower centre of gravity, stiffer chassis. Introduced with current Prius/Corolla. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

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Common questions

Subaru Outback, answered from the data

Is the Subaru Outback reliable?: The Subaru Outback scores 85/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 44% of the cars we track. That is computed from 141,033 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Subaru Outback cost?: A 2023 Subaru Outback with around 30,672 miles is worth roughly £20,150 today (typical range £17,600–£22,700). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Subaru Outback depreciate?: A new Subaru Outback typically loses about 40% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Subaru Outback?: The Subaru Outback sits in insurance group 22 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Subaru Outback?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Subaru Outback are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Subaru Outback cost to run?: Expect around 32 mpg combined on the 2.5 Petrol, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Subaru Outback ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Subaru Outbacks from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
How many Subaru Outbacks are on UK roads?: About 9,375 Subaru Outbacks are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.