Elkins45
Site Donor 2026
Specifically, the ones in the 2013 Forester and the 2014 Outback? Are they known for being robust or for being problematic?
How are Subaru manual transmissions?
- Thread starter Elkins45
- Start date
They dont usually fail. They arent a honda for shift feel however..
The clutch and other misc. parts (throwout bearing etc) if not replaced yet could be about ready.
The '13 outback needed a slave cylinder around 120k miles iirc.
did the clutch at the same time because it was all out..
Subis cost around double for that work.. vs a civic etc.
However and the biggest but:
That era of FB25(engine) were oil burners.. esp the ones with a manual transmission.
I had (3)FB25 in the family from then 2011 forester, 2013 outback, and 2015 forester
all 3 were MT
the outback was the worst. factory new quart every 1500-2500miles.
new ring job-- did nothing
new short block still burnt a quart every 2k.
The 2011 forester was a quart every 3k-4k miles, no clutch or transmission issue (5speed)
the 2015 I got rid of pretty early was burning around 1quart/5k miles a little worse in winter..
no transmission work on that one it had the 6speed.
The clutch and other misc. parts (throwout bearing etc) if not replaced yet could be about ready.
The '13 outback needed a slave cylinder around 120k miles iirc.
did the clutch at the same time because it was all out..
Subis cost around double for that work.. vs a civic etc.
However and the biggest but:
That era of FB25(engine) were oil burners.. esp the ones with a manual transmission.
I had (3)FB25 in the family from then 2011 forester, 2013 outback, and 2015 forester
all 3 were MT
the outback was the worst. factory new quart every 1500-2500miles.
new ring job-- did nothing
new short block still burnt a quart every 2k.
The 2011 forester was a quart every 3k-4k miles, no clutch or transmission issue (5speed)
the 2015 I got rid of pretty early was burning around 1quart/5k miles a little worse in winter..
no transmission work on that one it had the 6speed.
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AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Weak if "pushed" be that with power or aggression. If you drive it like a Subaru, then it will be OK.
The STi transmission is wildly stronger.
Elkins45
Site Donor 2026
Is there a known reason why they all burned oil?
Usually crankcase pressure, since they aren't known to breath well. Then that creates a snake eating its own tail as that clogs more lines with vapor/condensation/sludge and increases more pressure.
They also have very thin ringlands for the compression ring which tends to allow it to bend inward pinching rings or cracking the ringland. They position that compression ring very close to the top of the piston.
Low tension rings with bad manufacturing.
Eh you have to realize the timeframe on this.
I had 2011 from june 2011 to 2014 it replaced a totaled vehicle.. first year engine. adding 1/2 quart between oil changes isnt a big deal.
The 2013 was not my personal vehicle, I just did all the maintenance on it. It was by far the most problematic..
and was purchased less than a year before my 2015.
My 2022 had no issues.. and my 2024 outback with the 2.4 has none so far.
Other issues from this gen are front bushings. LCA are the worst... they dryrot and die much faster than expected.
And the 2013 wasnt replaced with another outback... wasnt even considered because they got rid of MT's but hey hemi +zf 8speed is nice.
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The Subaru manual transmissions are combined with the front diff. For that reason, Motul Gear 300 is the only fluid to use in them. However, you can still use any 75w90 GL5 in the rear diff.
While the early FB engines in that gen Forester burned oil, they had an extended warranty for a new short block, so every one that burned oil got a new short block by now, so it shouldn't be a problem anymore.
While the early FB engines in that gen Forester burned oil, they had an extended warranty for a new short block, so every one that burned oil got a new short block by now, so it shouldn't be a problem anymore.
That true provided you could make it fail an oil consumption test.
At least back then they would do lowlife things such as overfilling the engine before sealing it so it wouldnt fail.
Honestly, I still miss the 2015, it had good driving feel on the road with MT.. and some Michelin Premier tires in a slightly wider size.
The 2013 outback was replaced with a 2020 Ram 1500 hemi. Only thing besides regular maintenance its needed has been 2 manifolds in over 50000 miles.
Both warranty.
Oh and the 2013 outback's AC went out right when it was traded in. 130k+ miles and 8 years.
I liked the one I had. Close ratio 6 speed (1-5 were the same as the previous 5 speed).
Throwout bearings can be weak.
Throwout bearings can be weak.
The older ones seemed to have a wide gap between 1st and 2nd ratios. The shift feel improved greatly if one used a light, snappy touch rather than slow, lumbering or forced. 1-2 was frustrating compared to a Honda or Mazda shift. Even the late 90s Chrysler FWD sticks had a better feel. That said, I had two and beat on them hard and they never had issues. The newer models seemed to improve.
