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#BS-2006-SUBOUT-192E2006 Subaru Outback
Based on reports from 404 owners and 7 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 404 complaints, 12 crashes, 4 fires, and 7 recalls.
Top reported problems
check engine light on cruise control blinking no acceleration
14 complaints β’ Severity 7.7/10
oil leaking out of heads
5 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
it cost way too much to maintain repair poorly designed
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
94 owners reported speed control issues β failures commonly reported around 96K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 90β120K miles (85 reports) β’ Median: 96K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Speed Control (94 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2006 Subaru Outback: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 23% of all reports filed for the 2006 Subaru Outback, with 94 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 96,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 96K-mile mark.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2006 Subaru Outback, with 49 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2006 Subaru Outback, with 40 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2006 Subaru Outback, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2006 Subaru Outback. Recent trend: increasing.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (7 recalls)
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
+ 2 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Subaru Outback is the 2013 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is electrical.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 404 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 7 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Subaru Outback Model Years
2006 Subaru Outback: Frequently Asked Questions
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 404 owner reports. Know before you buy.