Bought my wife a brand new 2013 Subaru OutBack for Anniversary Gift in June 2013 {- and to replace her 2007 Forester ..... loved the Forester, and the new Foresters, but opted for the bigger/roomier 2013 OutBack} the new 2013 OutBack's oil/engine light come on at about 3000miles ( not even really 'broken in' yet) pulled over to check - no oil on dip stick, drove to closest auto store and put about 1 and 1/2 quarts in. Took it back to dealer and was explained to me that I DID NOT READ the owners manual and/or warranty book's statement that oil consumption was 'normal' and not an issue unless it happens within/less than 1500 miles [each time]... this really Irritated me, but I chalked this one up to perhaps maybe it wasn't quite 'broken in' yet.

We've had the car a little more than a year now and with about 22,000 miles it still requires constant checking of the oil with adding some ( about a quart) around 3000 miles ---- oil changes are scheduled around 6000-7000miles with service under dealer Maintenance agreement. Discussing this with some dealer Mechanics I was told 1) the oil consumption was due to 'tighter engine tolerances' 2) due to new EPA emission requirements????!!! 3) just have the oil change every 3000miles so I don't have the issue with low oil....... at about $100 dollars an oil change NOT ideal

Anyway, I find it unacceptable for a new car to have this issue... I have several vehicles, some of which are older than myself and one '95 model truck which has more 250,000 miles, and they DON"T use this much oil and I didn't have this issue with the 2007 Forester. I am all for giving the car Back to Subaru dealer and go buy something else, but my wife likes the car and doesn't want to part with it ( unless trade and buy a new 2014/15 model... go figure) AND I do have to admit the all-wheel-drive system does work quite well ---- as it worked great when Atlanta had 'Snowmagadon' earlier this year -- Laugh all you want Yankees! with your salted roads and snow plows.. try driving on ice around other people ( Northerners mostly) who THINK they can drive and stop on ice...

Anyway other than the Oil consumption issue the Subaru is a nice vehicle and have had no other complaints or issues(yet), but IT is an issue....

I purchased a brand new Subaru Outback for my husband. He was retiring, and we planned to take lots of road trips. We live in Indiana, our family lives in Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Rhode Island. We needed a car that we could drive safely in the winter when one of our cherubs needed us. Also in the spring, fall, and summer.

Soon after we purchased the beast, the oil light came on, and the dipstick indicated that the oil was very, very low. I took it to the dealership here in town and they told me not to worry my pretty little head about it - this is completely normal for a new car. Soooo, we started adding oil (expensive Valvoline synthetic oil, per their instruction). We continued to have maintenance done by them as scheduled, but between oil changes, we had the oil light come on, the dip stick indicating that the oil was low, and we added a quart approximately every 2000 miles.

Fast forward to May of 2014. My daughter has now moved to Vermont. My niece has had twins in Austin. I have adopted an ancient dog who is deaf, almost blind, and incontinent. I have maintenance done on the Outback so I don't have to worry my pretty little head about it. We loaded the car with kids, dogs, and the associated stuff that comes with a crowd like that, and head to Texas. IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE-I STRESS NOWHERE, Missouri, or Arkansas, the damned oil light came on. Dipstick said we had no oil. Called my husband and he advised me to keep driving. We were too far out in the boonies to get AAA or Subaru or anybody else to help us. We kept driving until we came to a town with a Walmart. They had Valvoline OW whatever, and we bought a case of the stuff and a funnel. Poured a bottle in, and the light went off. Meanwhile the dog developed diarrhea, and the grand kids puked. Stress can be ugly.

When we returned to Indy, I took the car to the dealership, and was informed that they had to perform an "oil usage test". The procedure was to bring the car in every 1000 miles and have them measure how much oil it had used. I explained that I am not always camped on their campus when 1000 miles rolls around. I was told, fine, bring it in whenever you can. I agreed to bring it in before and after every trip. I thought they understood the concept.

We drove to Vermont. Before we left, I took the car to the dealership to have it checked out. It had not been about 900 since maintenance had been done, so the report read something like this: "Customer says she suspects an oil leak. No oil leak was detected". I in fact had told them the car was using oil, not leaking oil. If it were leaking, I would have seen it on the garage floor. It is not there. The oil is going somewhere else. But I digress. On the way back from Vermont, the oil light came on-middle of the night. At least this time it was just my husband and me, so we said some unkind words about Subaru and kept driving.

I took it in the next day. I was told that they had to start the 'oil usage test' over because I had missed the 1000 mile requisite check-in. They had the before and after mileage, and the amount of missing oil. The math would have been easy for our fifth grader, but they could not figure it out. They changed the oil for free, because I said "Don't even THINK of charging me for this", and made a scene in the waiting room. One young snit did tell me that it is normal for cars to burn oil. Really? I haven't experienced hat since my first husband rebuilt a 1958 Chevy engine in our kitchen and then allowed me to drive the monster. Note: both the car and the husband have been evicted.

This (the Subaru problem) has been 2 1/2years. We're over half way thru the warranty. Subaru knows there is a problem. Just Google 'excessive oil usage Subaru'. In fact, they knew they had a problem when they manufactured this car. My guess is that they are waiting for all the warranties to expire so they can charge to fix it. Meanwhile, they are bragging about their 'green' factory and their 'green' dealerships while blowing burned synthetic oil debris into the atmosphere.