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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2019 Subaru Outback · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,200/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The loudest year in our Outback data — buy one with the battery-drain and fuel-pump work done and a dry engine.

2019 is the busiest Outback year in our set, and the complaint file explains why: it's the fifth generation's final year carrying the cam-carrier oil leak, and the recent filings are dominated by the Data Communication Module parasitic battery drain — owners on their third or fourth battery, stranded, citing the class action. That drain is covered: Subaru extended the DCM warranty (the 2019 version runs to 8 years/150,000 miles) and settled the class action.

Two low-pressure fuel-pump recalls apply (20V218 and 21V587), plus a body-weld recall (19V493) that can trigger a repurchase — all free. The cam-carrier oil leak (about $6,000 to reseal, engine-out) is the only pattern with no coverage. This is a Squawking year because of the volume and the converging evidence, not because it's a bad car: buy the one where the covered work was actually performed and the engine is dry.

Evidence: 1,029 NHTSA complaints · 3 recall campaigns · 3 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 1029 federal complaints — the most of any Outback year here — as the fifth generation's final year stacks the cam-carrier oil leak on top of a heavy run of parasitic battery-drain reports and two fuel-pump recalls. Almost everything is covered by a recall or extension; the cam leak is the one out-of-pocket risk.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

1029

Federal complaints

3

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2019 Subaru Outback SW AWD (NHTSA VehicleId 13399)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Parasitic battery drain (Data Communication Module) — the dominant 2019 complaint, but covered

moderate

The recent complaint file for 2019 is heavy with this one: the telematics box — the DCM, or Data Communication Module — keeps drawing power after the car is off, killing the 12-volt battery in a day or two and destroying batteries over time. Owners describe being on their third or fourth battery and stranded, many referencing the class action. Subaru extended the DCM warranty (the 2019 VoLTE version to 8 years/150,000 miles), reached a class-action settlement, offered a DCM bypass box for cars without an active Starlink subscription, and issued a 12-volt battery warranty extension. Repeat dead batteries trace here, not to the battery — confirm the software/extension work was done.

Under DCM extension / settlement

$0

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2019 Subaru Outback (true count 1029) · NHTSA recalls + manufacturer communications (DCM/battery extensions + settlement, fuel-pump, recall documents)

Cam-carrier oil leak — the engine-out repair with no coveragemajor

  • 2.5L boxer (FB25)

The FB-series boxer seals the cam carrier to the head with RTV silicone, and that seam plus the timing-chain cover seep oil with age. A Subaru specialist notes it can't be resealed in the car — the engine comes out — so it runs about $6,000 out of warranty (owner estimate), with no warranty extension. The federal file shows owners hitting it in the 42k–65k range; several were just outside the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and quoted around $6,000. A mechanic confirms the behavior is 'pretty much the same' across '18, '19, and '20 cars. Inspect the front of the engine for seepage before buying.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2019 Subaru Outback (true count 1029) · Independent Subaru mechanic channel transcripts (cam-carrier, CVT)

~$6,000

Cam-carrier reseal (engine out)

maintenance only

Slowing it with PCV service + oil changes

Recalls: two fuel-pump campaigns and a body-weld campaign — all freemajor

Two separate low-pressure fuel-pump recalls apply to the 2019: 20V218 (the pump may become inoperative and stall the engine with no restart) and the wide Denso campaign 21V587 — both free pump replacements. The third recall (19V493) is more unusual: spot welds on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, reducing body strength in a crash, and Subaru's remedy is to inspect and either repair or repurchase the vehicle, free. Confirm all three are closed by VIN — the body-weld one especially, since a repurchase offer means it was taken seriously.

Sources: NHTSA recalls + manufacturer communications (DCM/battery extensions + settlement, fuel-pump, recall documents)

$0

All recall work

CVT longevity — a maintenance storymoderate

  • 2.5L boxer (FB25)

The CVT (continuously variable transmission — the automatic with no fixed gears) has a worse reputation than it deserves per a Subaru specialist: serviced units routinely pass 200,000 miles, and Subaru extended CVT coverage to 10 years/100,000 miles. The common wear item is the valve-body assembly ($750–$850 part) around 150,000–200,000 miles; a full replacement is about $8,000–$8,500. The real trap is Subaru's old 'lifetime fluid' guidance — a 3-year/36,000-mile drain-and-refill (about $250–$300) is what keeps it alive. Ask for fluid service history.

Sources: Independent Subaru mechanic channel transcripts (cam-carrier, CVT)

$250–$300

CVT fluid drain-and-refill (every 3 yr / 36k)

~$8,000–$8,500

Full CVT replacement

I am on my third battery for this car. It has a known parasitic battery drain that destroys the battery, leaving me stranded.
3 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Subaru dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 20V218Low-pressure fuel pump may become inoperative, stalling the engine with no restart (2019 Impreza/Outback/Legacy/Ascent). Pump replaced free. Subaru code WRD-20.open
  2. 21V587Denso low-pressure fuel pump inside the tank may fail, stalling the engine (broad campaign incl. 2019 Outback). Pump replaced free. Subaru code WRG-21.open
  3. 19V493Spot welds on the duct below the cowl panel may be improperly applied, reducing body strength in a crash (2019 Legacy/Outback). Inspect; repair or repurchase free. Subaru code WUH-93.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2019 Outback

Two sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

28 MPG combined (25 city / 32 highway) for the AWD, 2.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 40382 (Outback AWD).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 3.6L 22 MPG.

$2,200/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Under DCM extension / settlement$0
Cam-carrier reseal (engine out)~$6,000
Slowing it with PCV service + oil changesmaintenance only
All recall work$0
CVT fluid drain-and-refill (every 3 yr / 36k)$250–$300
Full CVT replacement~$8,000–$8,500
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Ask about the battery: repeat dead batteries mean the Data Communication Module drain — confirm the extension/software work (or bypass box) was done.
  2. 02Inspect the front of the engine and cam-carrier seam for oil seepage; budget ~$6,000 if it's leaking (no extended coverage).
  3. 03Verify BOTH fuel-pump recalls (20V218 and 21V587) show completed by VIN — this year has two.
  4. 04Confirm the body-weld recall (19V493) is closed — its remedy could include a repurchase.
  5. 05Ask for CVT fluid service history — a 3-year/36,000-mile drain-and-refill record is the best longevity sign.
  6. 06On a northern/salt-belt car, check underneath for subframe and brake-line rust.

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vincanary.com/subaru/outback/2019