1996 Subaru Outback — 2.5L

The 1996 Subaru Outback sits near the start of the generation’s federal record, with 48 complaints, 2 recalls, and 16 TSBs—up sharply from 1995’s 2 complaints, 1 recall, and 15 TSBs, but far below the triple-digit complaint and recall volumes seen later. Complaints continued climbing through 1997 (80) and 1998 (141), so 1996 marks the early upslope rather than the peak. The top complaint areas that year were Engine & Engine Cooling (10), Air Bags (6), Vehicle Speed Control (4), and Suspension (4), with 12 crash-related complaints and 1 fire-related complaint; the data does not specify root causes. No NHTSA investigations were opened for 1996, and its recall count remained modest compared with the double-digit recall years that arrived later in the run. Within the broader arc, 1996 looks comparatively restrained, though the jump from 1995 suggests the model was already drawing more owner reports as volume grew. For a buyer today, a well-documented, low-mileage 1996 can be a reasonable vintage choice relative to the generation’s later trouble years, but its age, minimal TSB corpus, and early-production status mean it is best bought only with thorough maintenance records and a conservative price.