Subaru Outback Exhaust System: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
Confirmed: a genuine safety recall addresses the front exhaust pipe assembly potentially cracking from a stressful installation condition — plus a real diagnostic technique for confirming genuine restriction before assuming P0420 means the converter has failed.
Illustration for editorial purposes
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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — Rear silencer (aftermarket) Bosal 229-683
| Rear silencer (back box) — aftermarket | Bosal 229-683; Vegaz SAS-92, SAS-94, SAS-43/43IMA, SAS-44/44IMA, SAS-55IMA, SAS-63, SAS-78, SAS-18, SZS-50, SAS-71 (centre); Polmo 46.20-46.23, 46.25; Izawit 45.006, 45.007, 45.008 (left rear) |
|---|---|
| Centre / intermediate silencer — aftermarket | no brand refs (engine links: 2.0 DIT 240HP, 2.5 173/175HP, 3.6 BSF 260HP, 2.0D BSD 150HP) |
| Front pipe / catalytic converter (DPF on diesels) — aftermarket | or DPF: Bosal 090-640, 090-207 (Euro 5); Walker 28249, 28747; Ernst 757997; Vegaz SAK-909, SAK-913, SAK-925; BM Catalysts BM91976H, BM80563H; JMJ 1091581, 1091686, 1090122 |
| Genuine (OE) numbers quoted | None quoted in catalogue listings — order genuine parts against your VIN |
| Fitment notes | Petrol plus 2.0D diesel; BS9 petrol; cat refs generic. |
Subaru Outback Exhaust System: The Part That Announces Its Own Problems
On the Subaru Outback, you'll typically hear this fault developing long before you'd ever see it — a new rattle, an odd drone, noise levels creeping up from one week to the next. That early audible warning is a genuine head start on catching the problem before it worsens.
Subaru Outback Exhaust System: What It Does
The Subaru Outback's exhaust does more than just carry gases away from the engine — it also handles noise reduction through the silencer and emissions treatment via a catalytic converter and particulate filter. That's why petrol and diesel versions can use entirely different systems.
Subaru Outback Exhaust System: Watch: Replacing It
Muffler replacement on a BS-era Outback
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Confirmed: A Genuine Safety Recall Worth Checking Your Car Against — Subaru Outback Exhaust System
This is genuinely worth checking directly if your catalytic converter or front exhaust pipe has cracked: Subaru has issued a confirmed recall addressing the front exhaust pipe assembly, which may have been installed under a stressful condition during manufacturing that can lead to cracking over time. If a dealer tells you the catalytic converter or the pipe internally has cracked, particularly on a car still reasonably close to the end of its standard warranty, it's genuinely worth checking whether this specific recall applies to your VIN before assuming you'll need to pay for the repair yourself.
It's also genuinely worth knowing that replacing a catalytic converter without first identifying and fixing whatever actually damaged it — commonly a poor battery or earth connection, a vacuum leak, a separate exhaust leak, or a faulty sensor — will very likely result in the replacement failing again in exactly the same way within months.
Subaru Outback Exhaust System: Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice
These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Exhaust System Guide for warning signs and fault codes to watch for, confirming fitment against your VIN, and which aftermarket brands are worth trusting.
More Subaru Exhaust System
The same part, covered across other Subaru models.