Repairs not required, but needed to keep '14 Outback on the road. CAR WIZARD addresses known issue 

On modern Subarus, preventative matinance is essential. You can easily keep one running for years. I have never missed dealer required service on my 2011 Subaru Legacy and it has never let me down in 10 years.

Sign of a good mechanic - the CVT pan is SPOTLESS after servicing. Amazing work!

Dentist's channel: We have a patient today who's opting for some preventative maintenance on his teeth...

I truly love this generation of Outback. I remember when I got a 13' facelift as my first car, with all the bells and whistles. I drove that car like the mad kid I was, and when it was totaled due to circumstances out of my hands, the car saved my life. RIP Rumbleru you will be missed.

I found a 2007 Forester for my younger sister, with a little over 50,000 kms on the clock. I told her that they can burn a little oil, and as such to check it regularly, but other than that they're very good cars. She didn't check, or even bother to change the oil, and ran it dry to the point that it completely locked up. She then decided to buy a junkyard engine which I swapped for her, after telling her she should do a proper rebuild on her original engine...the junkyard engine lasted about 15,000 kms before developing rod knock...she then decided to actually do a proper rebuild, which is just as well because that engine was able to be saved...her original one got so hot and fused together so badly that the mechanic couldn't separate the two halves to be able use it for a core charge. Fortunately, it's one of the easiest engine swaps ever...not sure I'm going to volunteer for a fourth time though...

I have and I have had 2 Subarus with Eighsight, both worked flawlessly, never an issue!!!

From what I've seen, the EyeSight cameras don't just lose calibration over time, rather they need recalibration when the windshield is replaced (as with other cars that have LKAS systems).

Your videos are interesting, and helping to keep me educated about car maintenance, thank you! I've driven a 2019 Crosstrek with Eyesight, the automatic cruise control was quite nice. A few times at night it would get temporarily blinded by headlights of oncoming cars, and needed to reset itself.

When I bought my Subaru Outback 3 years ago my buddy who is a mechanic recommended it as long as I was willing to do the maintenance. I keep up on the maintenance and I drive 18,000-20,000 miles on it a year. Thanks Car Wizard!

Eyesight saved my life multiple times on one drive in October 2020. I worked all day, then flew to Phoenix where my wife and I have a home and she was having a medical emergency. She, somehow, picked me up at the airport and I rushed her directly to Mayo from the airport. I was there until 330am and they wanted me out of there, exhausted or not. (I have nothing good to say about the Mayo in Az) I had a 52 mile drive to our home and I fell asleep 5 times. I had all the safety equipment on and it kept me on the road, centered in my lane and away from others. Unfortunately, it will not override throttle inputs. I woke up one time, finding myself traveling over 100mph, in an Outback! That was an adrenaline rush and kept me awake for the next several miles. Anyway, our 2016 Outback kept me safe and is an invaluable feature.

Nice to see the Car Wizard is aware of the difference between the diff and trans drain and fill plugs. Too many driveway mechanics don't, and even some shops, and I've heard of several diffs or transmissions that were destroyed as a result. As for the Eyesight units "dropping like flies", the Subaru forum I follow hasn't had any large number of people with issues (or any at all that I've seen). My 21 Outback has been SOLID since I got it in May.

2010 Outback, 115k miles, two changes of CVT fluid. Biggest pain is sunroof leaks / drain clogs and the driver's seat leather / vinyl is quite thin. Subaru fixed the head gasket issues in 2010 for the Legacy / Outback line, a bit later for the Impreza line. Oil filter on the 2010 is on the bottom surrounded by exhaust pipes. There's plenty of room for passengers and gear along with great gas mileage (for it's size). I've gotten 28-29 MPG on long road trips. I actually like the CVT (and yes, I also like the manual in my Miata). Getting parts in for front lower control arms (100k replacement item due to bushing tears). Anything I don't want to handle goes to a trusted independent Subaru mechanic. Sometimes I gulp a bit at the bill, but never complain as I know they know what they're doing.

Thanks for the car info Wizard! In 2014, we were looking for a smaller SUV/CUV/Crossover. We tested every make from the domestics, Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Korea. We had a budget, and certain wants and needs. Liftgate height was a big factor, both of us are tall and well, this is often a problem. The Subaru was a front runner, but the dealer was set in stone on pricing and we weren't really sold on the CVT. Also, it seemed very plain compared to the car we decided on which was a Hyundai Tucson. We've fortunately not had any engine issues that others have, but I don't go by the extended oil change recommendations.

I love my 07 Forester. I want a new one but have always been a little bit leery of CVTs. Gotta say thanks Wizard for all the tips and advice and making me think I can still buy one of these 😁

I like that the rear seats recline a bit on these. Nice for long trips.

Thank you. I have a 09 Forester 2.5 NA NT 4cyl with 209k miles I try to change oil every 3k miles. I keep up with owner manual recommended major services done by dealership. Car has been very dependable. Just saving up for next major services at 240k miles. Some surface rust in some spots. Thank you Car Wizard and Mrs. Wizard.

ENCOURAGING THAT YOUR DENTIST HAS A CLEAN CAR

Thank you so much.very clear and easy explanation of everything that you talking about.

It's not easy finding a good honest mechanic that doesn't complain about subarus. Keep up the good works! Thank you.

Funny. I have had two Subarus with EyeSight and after 61k miles on my Forester XT it has never had any calibration issues. The same is true for my mom, SO, and a half dozen friends who have cars with EyeSight. Not one problem with it other than the occasional mistaking of lettering on the road like SCHOOL as an object or not working in full sun. Both of which are to be expected from any camera based system. The only times I've heard about needing a recalibration is when the windshield is replaced with aftermarket ones that have waviness.

I have 2 Subaru Foresters. 2003 XS and 2015 XT Touring. happy with both of them. I think I'm going to do the CVT service on the 2015 as you suggested ahead of schedule. thanks Mr. Car Wizard !

Those are just good looking cars. Great video man! You got me with the blown head gasket, I was shocked that it happened on a 2014

I owned a '14 Outback 6/MT and drove it from new to 45k miles (sadly, had to trade it as it couldn't pull my 16k lb horsetrailer). It had the FB-series 2.5 (chain cam drive vs belt of the EJ-series) the same as the vehicle in your video. No head gasket issues with this engine (nor any since 2010 including those EJ's) but '13s and '14s experienced high oil consumption due to the thin 0W-20 oil and low tension oil rings used for higher MPGs. Not all but some - mine was one of the "some" and had the entire short block replaced by Subaru at no cost to me with 18k miles on it. Consumption was 1 quart per 3000 miles before/ not detectable after short block replacement 5k miles after oil changes. Great cars (I still own two, one '10 6/MT with 99k miles and an '11 CVT with 173k miles). I change the CVT fluid every 60k miles and have had/have no issues with it at all. My $0.02 worth.

New subscriber love your channel God bless you and your family and merry Christmas

That is NOT the front differential fill! The diff fill is on the right (passenger) side just above the inner cv joint. Many people fill the plug which you pointed out and this will add gear oil to the transmission and will destroy it. You should pull this video down and correct it. Please also point out the differential oil overflow plug, as you fill this diff until fluid pours out the overflow. Someone might follow your incorrect information and destrou their CVT. Fluid changes done wrong are the most common way the Subaru CVTs get destroyed. There are rebuild parts for the u joints. Uses the same parts as the Highlander and Lexus RX.

Subaru Eyesight is one of my favorite safety feature. Had it on my 2015 Outback Limited - no issues after 145k miles, including a lot of washboarded dirt roads.

I would not recommend towing anything with a vehicle equipped with a CVT transmission. CVTs are not strong enough and are prone to overheating when there is a load placed on them.

I have a 2014 Subaru Outback that I bought new and has ISight. This is a great system that works flawlessly and has never given me a problem or required calibration. This is a fantastic car I have had for seven years with no issues atb

My parents just ordered a new Subaru Crosstrek with a CVT. Ive been emphasizing the importance of regular services. 👍🇺🇸

Great job Mrs. Wizard on the interior tour. Well spoken and I like the insertion of the occasional witty comment. 👍

I have a '15 with about 85k and doing the spark plugs is a bit annoying until you get to cyl #4, then it becomes REALLY annoying since the cylinders on the driver's side are staggered further back and are closer to the frame rails. If the spark plug socket I got actually gripped the insulator, I would never have been able to get it in or out. Make sure you have a stick magnet for the several hundred times you drop tools since everything has to go into or out of that hole in pieces, one at a time. That being said, after it was all said and done, I bought a '21 STI because after working on the EJ253 ('08 Impreza 2.5i) and the Outback's FB25, I never want to see another transverse FWD/AWD setup ever again.

The back seat on these Outbacks is like a limo. The seatbacks recline and they have tons of room. A past co-worker of mine had a 2013 and it was one of the few vehicles I'd been in that I could easily squeeze my 6'5" frame into. Thumbs up to Subie for that.

A person crossing a 45 mph road in the middle of the block crossed in front of me where there was no streetlight. Literally didn't even see the guy and my car nearly stopped itself cause of eyesight. Yeah it's an annoyance but it saved me from potentially hurting someone so its well worth it.

I bought an older Subaru a few years ago that was well maintained mechanically. Runs and drives like a champ but unfortunately didn’t have any rust prevention before I obtained it which is making it harder to work on and it is slowly getting eaten alive every year. I will definitely be getting another. Love these things, the perfect daily driver for Canadian winters.

awesome video man! Wife wants a Crosstrek sport and I was a little worried about it, but after this not so much.

My wife and I love our respective Subarus and have had zero issues in about 35k miles, but we're sticklers for regular maintenance. She had a 2018 Outback she got new and I have a 2018 Impreza hatchback I picked up off lease. We live in South Eastern PA and never had to call out of work due to weather conditions.

wizard! when are you gonna show off that chevelle more? I also see it on the lift looking proud! thanks for your videos. love from CO

Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, you're right all cars look alike anymore & they all have either gray, tan or black interiors!!! You can tell a 58 Cadillac from a 58 Lincoln, cars of yesteryears had personality!!! Happy Holidays!!! 🎄🤶

Haaahaa "has really nice wood from the best plastic trees on the planet" - fantastic. You guys could probably put that on a t-shirt and add it to the shop.

Love the Car Wizard. I've had two Outbacks--a 2005 with 185K miles and a 2006 with 227K miles, both with the metal timing chain 3.0L. Thirsty engines but bullet proof. Bought the 3.0 instead of the dreaded 2.5 with the chronic head gasket issues. For those who have the pre 2010 2.5l engines I found out that a main culprit is the cooling jackets are too close to pistons chambers which changes the PH levels of the coolant, making the coolant acidic. What Subaru made, but they won't come out and tell you because that implies they knew of the problem, was a special coolant additive that they add during coolant service in order to balance the PH and stopping the acidic aspect which eats head gaskets. The additive costs about $15. But Subarus are maintenance hogs. If you're on top of the maintenance (change coolant, all oils, stay on top of sticky caliper pins, change bearings--which are easy to do--etc) then they are wonderful cars. Tanks in snow and my car is rated to tow almost 3000 pounds. Not as reliable as Toyota or Honda, but not far off. Still have major concerns of CVT knowing that they're basically throw away trannys. Not really repairable. Replacement cost in Canada is $9000!!

Finally a positive subie vid!! 😊 thanks

Safelite does windshield replacements when you need them and they also have the calibration tools for those safety camera sensors you talked about. That has to be done whenever you replace the windshield.

I am very glad that I got one of the last 2014 Manual Transmission Outbacks. I intend to keep it for a long time. Subaru has replaced the short block twice due to oil consumption but the third one seems to be working fine.

We have a great ale golden chonk of an 2016 (I thiiiink...) Outback. She has been such a champ ever since we got her. Good economy and regular servicing has been rewarding as she just soldiers on! Good thing is that she's got a CNG conversion that really gives us superduper milage when it comes to fuel. Luckily we have the original gasoline tank of 65 liter as well. She pulls like a champ and tackles rough terrain with gusto! We could not be happier. 😃

I wonder how many owners have actually read their owners manual and are actually familiar with their vehicles maintenance schedule? My father and grandfather were both engineers at Opel for their entire careers. They maintained their vehicles meticulously and when my siblings and myself became drivers they reminded us of the importance of maintenance and weekly checks. We were also told to follow the "SEVERE SERVICE SCHEDULE" because that represents the most realistic driving conditions of a majority of vehicles. I have owned numerous vehicles over the last 40 years , some of them according urban legend as very problematic like high mileage BMW's and Renault's, and have driven tens of thousands of trouble-free miles following their advice.

Great content Wizard.👍Preventive maintenance should be common sense and yet so many people fail to follow manufacturer maintenance schedule or any preventive maintenance at all and then wonder why their vehicles self destruct way before they should... But on the plus side, at least I keep busy thanks to those customers!😁👍🇺🇸

I got lucky with my 2000 that I bought in 2019 and had until last year, it only ever had preventative maintenance and a new serpentine belt in its entire life. It was also great in the winter, kind of regretting getting rid of it because I now drive a car that’s horrible in the winter. Very reliable and practical and even a bit fun and off-road capable but I had to get rid of it because it was rusting so horribly that the mechanic told me to get rid of it before brake lines burst and the fuel filler line rusted through and it would leak gas when you filled it.

I traded in a Nissan Rogue with 90000 miles and it was incredibly reliable. And yes, I had the cvt serviced. It was a great car and ran as good when I traded it in as it did new.

A few years ago I bought a beater '97 Outback to play with. She did a lot of things well, unstoppable in snow with that sure-footed AWD feel. Nice. She also needed a lot of work, alas. The brakes and front end were within my capability. The shot clutch pack and questionable head gaskets (no service history on them) were not...

I had a 2003 Subaru Legacy GT fully loaded with naturally aspired 2.5L and a manual transmission. I drove it all the way to 2018 without one single major issue, including no head gasket issue. Did all the recommended maintenance, and it ran like brand new, even 15 years old. It was an excellent vehicle and got thru many colorado blizzards without getting stuck once. Even the leather interior held up extremely well despite being parked outdoors in cold Colorado winters.

*174 lb-ft of torque 3:46 (love your content and knowledge, Car Wizard)

It would have been nice to get some coverage on the CVT fluid change. I'd like to see the condition after 90k miles. Great video anyway!

I've had 4 Subarus and all were good. The reason I don't have one today is they have CVT transmissions.

Its a car I seriously considered, and im sure I'd be perfectly happy with one, but ultimately I found the Skoda Octavia 4x4 2.0 Tdi more refined and a lot more economical on fuel. On quality maybe Subaru has the edge, but after five years the Skoda has only had one failure...the clutch slave leaked on the clutch. I get my auto shop to clean the filter and change the transmission fluid on the Haldex unit. We did nearly 800 miles last week and the trip computer said we had averaged 53mpg which is amazing. I'd rather not have an "eyesight" unit whilst my own still works reasonably well.

I have had two vizlas over the years. Great family dogs and great at hunting too. Never had the wirehaired variety.

That oil filter location.. My 2006 Accord cries in corner.. .. a corner of reliability!! hehe

You cant trust manufacturers routine maintinance schedules anymore. Subaru says these cvts are sealed for life, they ARE NOT. Honda says my odysseys 6 speed is 100k atf and its NOT, it started shuddering at 57k miles and a tsb said atf flush. Did it, fixed. But if Honda said atf at 50k it wouldnt have been a problem. Heres my advice, do service intervals at half the miles the manufacturer says to.

My family has three 2018 Subaru's with eyesight, not one issue so far. I have never heard anyone on any Subaru message board complain of this.

The FB25 engine is known to not have a headgasket issues.

eye sight does speed sensing cruise control too, it's very nice

I’ve got a ‘16 and ‘17 Outback. Been happy with both of them except the ‘16 had a rear wheel bearing go bad with only 32000 miles. Otherwise, not a single other issue. Mileage is great. I often get in the low 30s. I once got 36. Probably had a tailwind on that trip.

Fluid changes as per the severe service interval schedule is the way to preserve the mechanical. CVT transmission fluid changes too.

got a 2010 3.6R with 166K and that has a 5 speed auto. just like the CVT, it is very hard to confuse the differential drain plug with either the engine oil pan or transmission oil pan as they are both steel pans and the differential is cast. I also have a 2014 Legach with 88K and it's next service for CVT will be at 100K

I have a 15 Legacy without eyesight. All maintenence has been performed. I've never had an issue with it and I enjoy owning and driving it.

If you buy the H6 version you NEVER have to deal with head gaskets. Or timing belts, for that matter.... Great video!

Nice to see a Subaru in the shop! My last vehicle purchase is a 2016 SUBARU Forester 2.0XS with a manual transmission and no EyeSight. I went for reliability when I bought it. With about 44500 miles (72000 km) on the clock I did not want to gamble. I changed all the fluids and it is driving very well. Being a Toyota fan boy I still don’t feel that the vehicle is as reliable as I am accustomed to, but I hope it will be. In one of your shop stories videos recently I believe you told us about a mishap with a CVT fluid change on a SUBARU? I am glad that you solved it with the customer.

I used to own a Lincoln Ls with the manual transmission. I used to do preventative maintenance and the car never left me stranded.

I had a 13 Outback same color as the one in your shop. It was the first Subaru I had ever owned, and will most likely be the last. I did end up trading it in for a Toyota, and it was with out a doubt a good decision. I was driving my Outlook just over 10,000 (That I had purchased brand new) down Interstate 10, and to my shock the low oil light came on, I immediately pulled over and shut the car off, and assessed the situation. This brand new car was 1 quart low on oil. To make a long story short Subaru said my Outback didn't qualify for the recall. So Subaru, if your reading this, I generally purchase a new car about every 5 years, but it won't be a Subaru; because you don't stand behind your customers or your products. Mine was part of the 12' and 13' models that had the defective piston rings. Some folks were burning up engines with only 1000 miles on the clock. It was actually my wife's car that I bought her, but I felt it needed to go so she could have something better.

Tuned 1997 EJ20 running at 330HP with the stock TD04 turbo. No head gasket issues.

I have a 2018 Crosstrek. The manual states the CVT has “lifetime” fluid. Which of course isn’t true. The dealer said it’s not serviceable which of course is also not true. Then they tried some scare tactic saying the CVT fluid was like $150 a quart. I do tow with my CVT. Less than a 1000 pounds. So I want to take care of the CVT the way this gentleman has. Since I can’t rely on my dealer to do that for me I need to find a shop that knows these things as well as you do.

The best plastic trees on the planet!! NICE Mrs. Wizard!

It has been suggested to recalibrate the EyeSight system after any suspension work has been done and after EVERY wheel alignment. $$$. That’s what the dealership never really discusses with their customers. Thanks for the video.

That's a beautiful outback!

What the what?? 😅 Loving that sticker and your videos too. Keep them coming and keep up the good work guys... Greetings from Hungary

I had a vizsla and I didn't even know there was a wire haired type.

Had a 2010 Outback, first yr of the “big” Outback. Had to almost fight the dealer to flush the CVT at 50k. Everybody ….just do the fluids and filters. I can’t afford what I’d “save” by skimping…when the trans blows up. Too bad that it was a terrible launch…4 recalls in first two years, water leaks, full center stack would be dead once or twice a month….and some dodgy part quality, struts replaced in warranty at 30k, rear shocks DEAD at 45k…

Towing with a flat four and a CVT? I hope it's just a push mower, that hitch just cut the towing capacity in half.😆

I used to have a 2014 Subaru Outback and I never had any problems with it mechanically, I sold it because I wanted something bigger and newer.

I just installed that same hitch on my '19 Outback. It was a pain doing it in the driveway on ramps but I bet a TON easier on a lift, lol.

FYI the eyesight problems usually are the result of a windshield replacement without recalibration. Third party windshield repair companies will do it like safelight. As for cost, my insurance company (progressive) has an option for a $100 glass deductible and they will pay for the windshield replacement and recalibration. It added $2.50 per month to our policy, well worth it.

My 2011 Forester with FB25 engine and 4 speed standard auto box burned a set of lower control arms (rubber bushes) every 100,000km (62,000 miles) It finally died when the head gasket did go at 317,000km and on it's 4th set of lower control arms.

That small middle screen also tells u average mpg, miles until empty, n live mpg which i love. My old bmw used to have it n i loved that feature for whatever reason.

I have the 2012 3.6r subaru premium love it has not had any problems. My first car was a 92 subaru legacy that had over 273000 miles and probably ended up with 300,000 miles when the guy i sold it to got rid of it.

Eyesight and similar systems now mean that a cracked windshield costs $800+ to fix because you have to recalibrate when you change the glass.

Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄

I do not have a vizsla but just read a book (Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst) where they play a role so its funny to see them mentioned in your video because I don't think they get mentioned much. I am a Labrador guy myself. Nice to see a Subaru video they are practically the state car of Washington and Oregon.

Great video from the wizard.

"Meant for the outdoors" 😃 damn, I do all my driving inside

Weeeezurd!! Thanks for another upload

My friend just got rid of her 2011 Outback... with 320k miles. It didn't leave her stranded once, since buying it in 2018.

True about the styling. I said to my wife the other day, that American, Japanese, and all the other newer cars look like they were all designed by the same team. If you doubt this just look at the rear window styling or other specific features.

My mom bought a 2011 outback with 170k (and a CVT) sight unseen for me. It had an illuminated CEL for the majority of the time I had it. I took it into a dealer for recall airbag replacement and they gave it a free inspection quoting what I paid in repairs needed. Not even 6 months later it kicked the bucket hard and I haven't wanted a subaru since. This 2006 TSX has treated me nicely ever since though 😎

2014, and rusty. why not do something about that?

2010 Outback here with 131k miles. Driven hard and put away wet.....with very limited maintenance and oil change every 10k miles, no issues with it.

I've had 2 subaru i would have got a 3rd but i wasn't impressed with the new ones the new impreza was quite chattery, and i couldn't find a manual ( i don't want a cvt ) I sorta looked at outbacks never drove them because they turned into an suv but the price scared me away they'd be like 23,000$ have 80,000 miles on it and be like 3 years old So I turned around and bought a Corolla hatch 6 speed

Had 2 x Outback’s. Loved them both but I’d steer clear of the 2.0 diesel. Such awesome cars.

That rear diff looks perfect for a go-kart

My cheap 2011 Ford Escape hybrid does the same thing as a Subaru without the Duratec blowing head gaskets nor CVT issues. Doesn't have the status of Subaru, but it's been reliable in the 65,000 miles I've had it. 140,000 miles, no oil usage, zero gaskets replaced. New shocks, struts and control arm assemblies, but it drives like new again, and Ford uses a durable/reliable E-CVT similar to Toyota hybrids which have no belts or clutches to ever wear out.

"Wood from the best plastic trees on the planet" Mrs. Wizard! Outrageous! XD

Looks better than my 2014 CX5 However, mine also has had all maintenance and services and then some.