Subaru Outback Radiator: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults
Confirmed: Subaru has extended the warranty for a known head gasket issue on certain production dates — worth checking your manufacture date plate and a specific, characteristic leak location near the engine mount crossmember.
Illustration for editorial purposes
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Subaru Outback Radiator: OEM Part Number
| Manual gearbox, all engines | Standard radiator with no transmission cooling circuit |
|---|---|
| Lineartronic CVT, standard engines | A genuine factory oil-to-water CVT fluid cooler is fitted as standard, using the same coolant that runs through the engine — confirmed by Subaru as functionally adequate for normal use, though the CVT's known heat-related reliability issues (which led Subaru to extend the powertrain warranty to 10 years/100,000 miles on many 2010-2018 vehicles) mean this cooler's condition and cleanliness genuinely matters |
| Turbo engines (XT/WRX and similar) | An additional auxiliary transmission cooler is fitted alongside the standard oil-to-water unit specifically because of the extra heat generated by the higher-output engine — not fitted on naturally aspirated variants |
Subaru Outback Radiator: The Part That Keeps Everything Else From Cooking
Few parts get less attention than this one, but on the Subaru Outback, a neglected cooling system is behind the vast majority of avoidable serious engine failures. Noticing the early warning signs costs nothing and can save a genuinely large repair bill down the line.
Subaru Outback Radiator: What It Does
On the Subaru Outback, coolant runs through the radiator to shed engine heat into the airflow, keeping temperatures in check. On many automatics, a separate internal circuit inside the same unit also cools the transmission fluid — one more reason a mismatched part number causes more than just a cooling problem.
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Confirmed: A Genuine Extended Warranty Worth Checking Your Car Against — Subaru Outback Radiator
This is genuinely worth checking directly if you're finding unexplained coolant drips: head gasket seepage on these engines has a characteristic location worth checking first — drips appearing on the crossmember that the engine mounts attach to, with the bottom of the head itself feeling damp, particularly toward the driver's side. Genuinely important to know: Subaru has extended the warranty specifically covering this known head gasket issue on certain production dates, with documented cases seeing the gasket replaced completely free of charge under this extension. It's worth checking the manufacture date plate inside the driver's door frame and asking a dealer directly whether your specific car falls within the extended coverage window.
It's also genuinely worth knowing that a Subaru-recommended coolant conditioner additive can delay head gasket seepage temporarily, but this is a delaying measure rather than a genuine fix. Real repair costs for this job have been documented in the region of £1,950 to £2,750 or more, worth factoring in when deciding whether to pursue warranty coverage or budget for the repair directly.
Subaru Outback Radiator: Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice
These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Radiator Guide for the three common failure modes, confirming fitment against your VIN, and OEM vs aftermarket guidance.
More Subaru Radiator
The same part, covered across other Subaru models.