First surfaced in the Forester in 2011. It went into the Outback in 2013.

It is a ground up all new engine design very different than the old EJ engines which were used up through 2012 in the OB.

The only issues that have surfaced so far are some type of piston ring vs break in or possibly the lighter weight oils. Not sure anyone really knows the full story yet and Subaru is not the only maker thats had this, Ford and a few others seem to have gone through a ring vs oil challenge in the most recent engine designs. Could be due to the metal or supplier of the rings used or possibly some other factor that hasn't quite been fully figured out yet.

Many people seem to be fine but enough other folks seem to be having oil consumption issues which is starting to sound like a ring vs break in or oil type issue.

I'm sure we'll hear more about it soon given it seems that enough cars are showing up with similar problems that someone mentioned a formal lawsuit complaint has been filed etc.

 

The exhaust manifold on the FB25 in the outback was redesigned as well at the piston oil control rings were revised.

 

From one of the many reviews of the new 2015 FB 2.5:

Carrying forward from generation four is the 2.5L boxer four, although with 80 per cent newly developed parts (head, cylinder block, pistons, intake manifold) it gains a couple more ponies (now 175 hp) and sips less fuel.

Wow- 80% - Hope this doesn't lead to new problems like the oil rings in the previous version - you'd hope they solved that problem at least.

 

It does look like a pretty extensive revision and I would think the oil ring problem is finally resolved. I don't think it's like software - fix one thing, break a dozen other things If someone has technical documents or photos of the latest rev, that would be great!

My current 2001 Outback has 320K miles (yeah, road warrior) and the 2015 is appealing to me...perhaps I'm just being decadent My Outback has never used oil between oil changes and don't want to pay big bucks for an expensive oil burner.

 

As you may be aware, the ol' EJ engine had its share of 'head gasket problems' early in its life-cycle.

With the FB engine, Subaru TOTALLY ELIMINATED any antifreeze flowing thru the head-gaskets. Instead, they use a design more similar to watercooled motorcycles in which the cylinder-heads are plumbed with their own dedicated piping to supply/return antifreeze.

This leaves the head-gaskets only have engine-oil passing thru them. It should not be possible for oil and antifreeze to mix together due to head-gasket failure. This design also leaves more material (metal) to improve head-gasket sealing and even add more fasteners to keep them sealed.

Personally, I am glad I have a 2012 OB with the tried-n-true EJ engine. It may take a couple more model-years to get all the wrinkles out of the FB design.

 

EJ engine had its share of 'head gasket problems' early in its life-cycle.

15 years of issues and 2 years "without". i would suggeset "throughout most of" instead of "early in".

 

I agree with the last edition of the EJ in the Gen4 . It is a great engine. I also have a 15 and I'm thinking most of the wrinkles are out until they implement DI in 2016?

 

You have point but I would like to see the data on head gasket failures due to a design flaw in the past 10 years a so. To my knowledge most where in the late 90's to the early 2000's

 

I have not had a head gasket problem but I do the 60K service (myself) every 2 years or so and always add the Subaru conditioner to the radiator and always use distilled water mix. The 2010 and newer Outback seems not to have the head gasket failures. None of the Outbacks since 2001 have appealed to me...Until the 2015.

I will probably wait at least 6 months before buying. It is hard for me to be patient now

I put a new set of tires on the 2001 and noticed how smooth and "mostly" tight it is. Almost all highway miles with Mobil 1 0w40 oil and it still drives almost like new. I am looking forward to having a CVT transmission! I am really tired of step transmissions shifting for me.