How far can a Subaru go between services?
CarsGuide's 2022 table has every Subaru on 12 months. The WRX and BRZ go to 15,000 km, and the XV, Impreza, Outback and Forester, including the Forester Hybrid, go to 12,500 km.
Your Warranty and Service Handbook has the final say, and an older Subaru may differ. The Crosstrek isn't on that table, so check its book.
If you tow or spend time on gravel, an Outback or Forester can reach 12,500 km faster than you'd expect.
What a boxer engine changes
Most Subarus above 1,500 cc use a boxer engine, where the pistons lie flat and punch outwards from the centre, instead of standing upright. It sits low and wide in the engine bay.
That shape changes how a mechanic gets to things. Some jobs that are straightforward on an upright engine take more reaching on a boxer, so an estimate from someone who's done the job before is worth more than a guess.
If you're seeing oil spots under the car or the level is dropping between services, get it looked at sooner rather than later. A check for an oil leak is a simple place to start.
All-wheel drive and your tyres
Subaru has used its Symmetrical All Wheel Drive layout since 1972, and it's the reason plenty of owners buy one. It also makes tyres a bigger decision than on a two-wheel-drive car.
All-wheel-drive systems don't like one wheel turning at a different speed for long, and a new tyre beside a worn one does exactly that. Before you replace one or two tyres, read the owner's manual and ask the mechanic what it wants. Rotating tyres on schedule helps all four wear together.
EyeSight and windscreens
EyeSight is Subaru's collision avoidance system, first introduced in 2008. If your windscreen is chipped or being replaced, or the car's had front-end work, tell whoever does the job that it has EyeSight, and ask how they'll check it afterwards.
Your Subaru warranty
New Subarus sold by an authorised dealer from 1 January 2019 have a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Before that it was three years.
A logbook service by a qualified independent mechanic, to Subaru's schedule and specifications, doesn't by itself void that cover. The regulators' guide also says consumer guarantees sit alongside a maker's warranty and aren't limited by it. Our logbook service page covers what a good one includes.
Signs a Subaru should see a mechanic soon
- The oil level keeps dropping between services.
- Uneven tyre wear, or one tyre much newer than the others.
- A tight or jerky feeling on slow, full-lock turns.
- An AWD, EyeSight or engine warning light that won't clear.
- A red oil light: pull over somewhere safe and switch off before anything else.
Who suits a Subaru
Routine servicing is well within any qualified mechanic's reach, as long as they follow the handbook. For anything deeper, someone who works on Subarus every week has seen the patterns and knows where to look first. Tell us the job and the model, and whether it's a hybrid. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
Easy things to keep on top of
You can
- Note your next service date and kilometres from the handbook.
- Check the oil on a cold car, more often if it's been using any.
- Check all four tyres for pressure and even wear.
Leave to the mechanic
- The logbook service and recording it.
- Anything on the drivetrain, including diffs and the transmission.
- High-voltage parts on a Forester Hybrid.
Where we'd start with a Subaru
We'd check the interval in the handbook, because 12,500 km sneaks up on a family wagon. Then we'd pick a mechanic who works on Subarus regularly, get a written estimate that names the items for that service and the oil, and ask about tyre rotation while the car's on the hoist. If tyres are due, we'd talk it through before buying just one.