'06 what repairs have you made?

[carteach]

I'm interested in hearing what maintenance/repairs any of you have had to make in the last six years as well as the mileage on your Outbacks.

Thanks in advance.

[ScoobyRu]

Greetings...

[rasterman]

I bought mine at 100k miles, currently at 123k.
Beyond elective surgery & scheduled maintenance, I've had to do the following repairs:

Tail light bulb replacement
Right rear wheel bearing
Front sway bar end links
oil cooler o-ring

...and somehow I've needed 4 punctures plugged among my 8 (winter/summer) tires. I don't feel like I'm driving through that many construction sites but who knows?

[mrk610]

06 2.5i 85k miles owned since new.
Regular maint 30-60k .
Head gaskets replaced under warranty at 54 k
Rear shocks and wheel bearings 81k
2nd set of tires at 82k only because torn sidewall had to replace all four.
On my 2nd set of brake pads both front and rear still on original rotor's with no braking senstation.
Had both inner front cv joint boots replaced 79 k.

[carteach]

Originally Posted by rasterman

I bought mine at 100k miles, currently at 123k.
Beyond elective surgery & scheduled maintenance, I've had to do the following repairs:

Tail light bulb replacement
Right rear wheel bearing
Front sway bar end links
oil cooler o-ring

...and somehow I've needed 4 punctures plugged among my 8 (winter/summer) tires. I don't feel like I'm driving through that many construction sites but who knows?

I had 11 flats with the original Subaru tires on my '95 wagon. I just kept replacing each tire with the same tire. Once I switched to a different brand, no flats whatsoever. Just a thought.

[carteach]

Originally Posted by mrk610

06 2.5i 85k miles owned since new.
Regular maint 30-60k .
Head gaskets replaced under warranty at 54 k
Rear shocks and wheel bearings 81k
2nd set of tires at 82k only because torn sidewall had to replace all four.
On my 2nd set of brake pads both front and rear still on original rotor's with no braking senstation.
Had both inner front cv joint boots replaced 79 k.

Since I'm fairly car "stupid", can you give me an approximation of how much these repairs cost?

Thanks.

[grossgary]

Originally Posted by carteach

Since I'm fairly car "stupid",

in that case you'd be better off letting us know what you're trying to do. I would suggest getting an accurate overview of the car you want to by rather than collect anecdotal information. if you want to be informed, experts are your best bet, not large quantities of feedback from random people. boards like this are excellent resources for finding people that have worked on Subaru's for decades and don't have anything to gain or sell you!

if you still want basic reviews - type in any variety of search terms in google, "2006 Subaru Outback issues"..."reviews"...etc. you'll have plenty to read.

2006 Outbacks have rear wheel bearing issues. They had an extended 8 year 100,000 mile warranty for those...so if it's within those parameters it's still in warranty. Wheel bearings aren't common but aren't unheard of either, they are wear items that see extreme conditions and abuse. $250 is a rough estimate on wheel bearing replacement cost.

A 2006 vehicle could have enough miles where it would be ideal to replace struts. Some people replace struts as a rule almost and others will ride them until tires wear unevenly (which could be 200,000 miles). So personal preference comes into play and these are really maintenance items at some point.

2006's have an EJ25 or 6 cylinder EZ engine

EJ25 common points:
1. headgasket issues, commonly start leaking oil externally from underneath - be sure to check and make sure every inch of the head mating surface is dry externally.
2. needs a timing belt at 105,000 miles - $400 - $800 depending on area and if they replace anything other than just the belt.

H6 common points:
1. common serpentine belt pulley failures. ranges from $3 and 15 minute easy fix to $150 or more at the dealer.
2. TPS sensor is a fairly common issue, but cheap and a few minutes.

H6 is a great engine in terms of reliability and low cost maintenance. They can easily see 200,000 miles without anything other than basic maintenance items and little service costs.

[Planner]

Originally Posted by grossgary

in that case you'd be better off letting us know what you're trying to do. I would suggest getting an accurate overview of the car you want to by rather than collect anecdotal information. if you want to be informed, experts are your best bet, not large quantities of feedback from random people. boards like this are excellent resources for finding people that have worked on Subaru's for decades and don't have anything to gain or sell you!

if you still want basic reviews - type in any variety of search terms in google, "2006 Subaru Outback issues"..."reviews"...etc. you'll have plenty to read.

2006 Outbacks have rear wheel bearing issues. They had an extended 8 year 100,000 mile warranty for those...so if it's within those parameters it's still in warranty. Wheel bearings aren't common but aren't unheard of either, they are wear items that see extreme conditions and abuse. $250 is a rough estimate on wheel bearing replacement cost.

A 2006 vehicle could have enough miles where it would be ideal to replace struts. Some people replace struts as a rule almost and others will ride them until tires wear unevenly (which could be 200,000 miles). So personal preference comes into play and these are really maintenance items at some point.

2006's have an EJ25 or 6 cylinder EZ engine

EJ25 common points:
1. headgasket issues, commonly start leaking oil externally from underneath - be sure to check and make sure every inch of the head mating surface is dry externally.
2. needs a timing belt at 105,000 miles - $400 - $800 depending on area and if they replace anything other than just the belt.

H6 common points:
1. common serpentine belt pulley failures. ranges from $3 and 15 minute easy fix to $150 or more at the dealer.
2. TPS sensor is a fairly common issue, but cheap and a few minutes.

H6 is a great engine in terms of reliability and low cost maintenance. They can easily see 200,000 miles without anything other than basic maintenance items and little service costs.

In my research before buying my used 06 (2.5i), the head gasket issue was fixed in the 05 model year with a much more durable gasket. Essentially - much better failure rate on the 06+ 2.5i engines.

I bought my 06 with 96k miles. It's got 105k now, all I've done is routine maintenance to catch up to the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual - plugs changed, radiator fluid changed, cleaned throttle body, new plug wires, new tranny and diff fluid. It runs great, very reliable so far. Will have timing belt done shortly.

Only unscheduled fix is a torn CV boot on the right front axle. The rear shifter bushing is pretty bad, so I'll put in a nice poly bushing. First thing I did when I bought the car was install the front shifter bushing. A few mods coming, but nothing drastic.

[grossgary]

Originally Posted by Planner

In my research before buying my used 06 (2.5i), the head gasket issue was fixed in the 05 model year with a much more durable gasket. Essentially - much better failure rate on the 06+ 2.5i engines

Subaru has been promoting headgasket solutions for years so past statements may or may not be true now. I do believe they're trying, but trying and finding a solution are two different animals. Requiring coolant conditioner, extended 100,000 mile headgasket warranties, and multiple gasket revisions...they have made many attempts to address this since 1996. 05-09's have headgasket issues too with their own intricacies and failure characteristics that differ from earlier years.

05-09's are more prone to oil leaks and as such Subaru's Coolant Conditioner does nothing to alleviate that in the way it can head off the coolant leaks more common in 00-04 models.

If it holds true that it looks like SUbaru is starting to install TURBO-like HG's in all 2.5's starting in 2010+ then I'll feel comfortable believing the latest hype. The turbo EJ25's don't have HG issues.

Originally Posted by Planner

radiator fluid changed

did you check if yours requires the Subaru Coolant Conditioner (about $2.47 at the dealer)? Pretty sure all 00+ (and 99 Forester, Imp RS) require it...not sure if that changed with the 10's or newer EJ25 though?

Originally Posted by Planner

Only unscheduled fix is a torn CV boot on the right front axle.

That one fails all the time on Subaru's due to it's proximity to the exhaust heat.

[mrk610]

Just one more quick update. The rear wheel bearing warranty only covers early production 06 models.
I have a late production 06 and my wheel bearings were not covered.

Mike K