Is the Subaru Outback high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Somewhat. The Subaru Outback is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark, it costs about $1,746 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $90 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average.
Verdict
Somewhat
somewhat above average to maintain
Per year
$1,746
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,730
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
—
Outback maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,746 | AAA compact SUV (FWD), 11.64¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,730 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,460+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark: 11.64¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Outback-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
Outback service schedule highlights
From Subaru's documents for the Outback:
- Covered by the 2025 all-vehicle schedule (CVT)
Oil changes
Normal service: 6,000 miles or 6 months
Severe or special conditions: 3,000 miles or 3 months (repeated short trips, extremely cold weather, repeated towing)
One schedule covers all 2025 Subaru models. It repeats after 120,000 miles/120 months.
Included maintenance
No complimentary scheduled maintenance confirmed for new Subaru vehicles. The 2025 booklet describes no complimentary maintenance program. It only mentions Added Security, Subaru's paid extended service agreement.
Subaru factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 6,000 miles or 6 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Every 12,000 miles or 12 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Every 30,000 miles or 30 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| 36,000 miles, then every 30,000 (66k, 96k, 126k) |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Every 60,000 miles or 60 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| 72,000 miles or 72 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| 137,500 miles or 11 years (first) |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Severe-condition notes |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
How the Outback compares in its AAA category (compact SUV (FWD))
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Outback | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Mazda CX-5 | $1,746 | 0.246 Best | About average |
| Nissan Rogue | $1,746 | 0.341 Best | About average |
| Chevrolet Equinox | $1,746 | 0.353 Above average | About average |
| Honda CR-V | $1,746 | 0.497 Above average | Somewhat — above average |
| Kia Sportage | $1,746 | 0.508 Above average | Somewhat — above average |
| Subaru Forester | $1,746 | 0.525 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Tucson | $1,746 | 0.966 Below average | Yes — higher than most |
| Ford Escape | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Jeep Compass | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Porsche Macan | $1,824 | — | Yes — higher than most |
| Acura RDX | Not priced | 0.541 Average | Not priced |
| BMW X3 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Audi Q5 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Volvo XC60 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Corsair | Not priced | — | Not priced |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Outback high maintenance?
Somewhat. The Subaru Outback is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark, it costs about $1,746 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $90 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average.
Is the Outback expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,746 a year, $8,730 over 5 years. AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark: 11.64¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Outback-specific quote.
How much does a Outback cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,460 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the Outback need an oil change?
Subaru's published oil-change interval: 6,000 miles or 6 months. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Subaru to maintain?
Of the 4 Subaru models we cover, the Crosstrek has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,619 a year (AAA 2025 subcompact SUV benchmark).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Subaru's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) — Subaru (opened 2026-11-06)