The Lemon Index
The 2.5 L flat-4 in the Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Crosstrek and Subaru Impreza, model years 2011–2025. Owners filed 9,853 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 11% name the engine, #33 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of cars with this engine name much more often than owners of the other 38 everyday engines we track (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Oil consumption. 150 of 9,853 owner complaints (1.5%) mention burning or losing oil, against a median of 0.5% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
I just found out that there was a problem with oil consumption in a 2014 subaru forester.I purchase it two years ago.Is there anything they can do to fix it.
2014 owner · NHTSA complaint 11670685
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 45/100 across 15 model years, from 163 videos about this engine and its cars (#106 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- SUBARU FORESTER - Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed 2,237,996 views
- SUBARU LEGACY - Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed 1,407,658 views
- The 2020 Subaru Forester is BETTER than you think 807,013 views
- Should You Buy a 2025 Subaru Forester? Thorough Review By A Mechanic 785,142 views
- Subaru Forester SUV 2013 review - CarBuyer 693,602 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Subaru Forester201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
- Subaru Legacy2013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
- Subaru Outback201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
- Subaru Crosstrek20242025
- Subaru Impreza2024
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Outback | 2013–25 | 4,623 | 8% |
| Subaru Forester | 2011–25 | 4,311 | 14% |
| Subaru Legacy | 2013–25 | 788 | 9% |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 2024–25 | 123 | 5% |
| Subaru Impreza | 2024 | 8 | 0% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 607 | 6.2% | 14% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 176 | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| Mention burning or losing oil | 150 | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 112 | 1.1% | 2.9% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 102 | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Mention an oil leak | 49 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Mention a head gasket | 23 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 16 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Mention a spark plug | 16 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Mention a misfire | 7 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 5,900 and 45,000 miles; the middle report was at 20,000 miles (4,859 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 0
No NHTSA recall on these cars and years names this engine.
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Subaru Forester. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 74,700, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 184,064.
2015 owner · NHTSA complaint 11773793
Windshield wiper fluid level sensor will not turn off even though reservoir is full
2021 owner · NHTSA complaint 11773686
Driving in stop and go traffic. Cruise control wouldn't work. Forward collision warning didn't work. Auto braking didn't work.
2024 owner · NHTSA complaint 11772559
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the Subaru FB25 2.5 boxer reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 9,853 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 11% name the engine, #33 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 150 (1.5%) mention burning or losing oil, against 0.5% for the other engines.
What cars have the Subaru FB25 2.5 boxer?
In our data: the Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Crosstrek and Subaru Impreza, model years 2011–2025, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common FB25 problems?
In owner complaints to the government: wipers & visibility, electrical, engine.
How many recalls name the FB25?
0 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: Subaru.