SubaruBaja2006Overview/subaru/baja/2006/base/

2006 Subaru Baja

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2006 Baja.

Body TRUCKTransmission Automatic (S4)

Classified as a truck, the 2006 Subaru Baja utilizes an Automatic (S4) transmission to deliver EPA fuel economy ratings of 16/21/18 mpg while requiring 4.2 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Ownership records indicate 24 total owner complaints for this model year, with the engine identified as the top complaint area across 10 recalls. These figures place the 2006 model within the broader 2003-2006 model complaint history, sitting between the highest count of 40 in 2003 and the lowest of 18 in 2004. Consequently, this model year represents a middle ground in the vehicle's reliability history rather than an outlier for reported issues.

Model year200620052004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque74-89 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/21/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 430 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 430 CCAOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S4)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 21 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Baja of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.3–10.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.30 sec — 2004 Turbo Crew Cab (41.5" Bed)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2004Turbo Crew Cab (41.5" Bed) 2.5L Turbo F-47.30 sec15.50 sec210 hpAWD
2004Turbo Crew Cab (41.5" Bed) 2.5L Turbo F-47.50 sec15.90 sec210 hpAWD
2003Crew Cab (41.5" Bed) 2.5L F-49.30 sec17.10 sec165 hpAWD
2003Crew Cab (41.5" Bed) 2.5L F-410.00 sec17.30 sec165 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 74-89 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 33.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-2-4. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity10.4
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.2 qt
Manual Transmission Fluid75W-90 · GL-5
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity7.4

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts51-55 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18.1 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts22.4 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug33.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs5 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts74-89 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub162 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-2-4
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)MT: 650, AT: 700, TURBO: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)100 rpm
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance12,800 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerNGK
Spark Plug Torque15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.43 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Capacity5.20 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance430 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature169-176 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)41.0-46.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)30.0-34.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance5-20 ohms
Engine Compression156-185 PSI. 7 variance PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure14 psi @ 600 rpm, 43 psi @ 5000

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket58 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.295; Rear: 0.256 specification
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in / 0.0028 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.944 in / 0.393 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.944 in / 0.393 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.866 in / 0.335 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 8 stages

Prep MFI

122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
251 ft. lbs.51 ft. lbs
3Loosen 180 degrees.180 degrees
4Loosen 180 degrees.180 degrees
5Bolts 1, 225 ft. lbs
6Bolts 3-611 ft. lbs
7All Bolts, 80-90 degrees.80–90 degrees
8All Bolts, 80-90 degrees.80–90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 8 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
251 ft. lbs.51 ft. lbs
3Loosen 180 degrees.180 degrees
4Loosen 180 degrees.180 degrees
536 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
680-90 degrees.80–90 degrees
740-45 degrees.40–45 degrees
840-45 degrees.40–45 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 3,000 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 3,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 9,300 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
At 15,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Clutch Assembly (inspect) · Parking Brake System (inspect) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection)
Every 60,000 miFuel Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
At 105,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2006 Subaru Baja sits at the close of a four-year generation whose federal record shows a generally improving trend, with technical service bulletins declining steadily from 187 in 2003 to 114 in 2006 and complaint volumes ending the run at 24, well below the 40-complaint high set by the 2003 launch year. Recalls remained remarkably stable across the entire generation (10 in 2003, 10 in 2004, 11 in 2005, 10 in 2006), suggesting no model-year-specific escalation of safety or compliance defects, while open investigations actually fell back to 2, matching the 2003 low after peaking in the middle years. The 2006-specific complaint profile is led by engine and air bag concerns (3 each) and a smaller cluster in suspension/structure and engine cooling, with 3 crash-flagged complaints and no fire complaints, which is a relatively benign mix. The data does not specify root causes for these areas, but the absence of fire complaints and the falling TSB count imply that manufacturer-known issues were being resolved rather than accumulating. Taken together, the 2006 model year appears to be the most mature and best-supported point in the Baja's production run, making it a defensible choice on a federal-record basis—provided a pre-purchase inspection addresses the recurring engine and air bag complaint themes.

10
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
114
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
24
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 24 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine3
Air Bags3
Suspension,Structure2
Engine & Engine Cooling2
Service Brakes1
Suspension1
Power Train,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Unknown Or Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 10 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V002000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 02/01/2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or… Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020…

20V001000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 02/01/2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold… Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 114 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SubaruNet Annoucement (E2026-06-11Unknown Or OtherThis announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood…
01-167-08R2026-05-18Unknown Or OtherThis bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the…
SubaruNet Announcement (R2026-05-04Power TrainThis announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
07-240-26R2026-04-30Unknown Or OtherThis Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide interim guidance for vehicles…
03-97-262026-04-24Power TrainThis bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Baja. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2006 Baja take?

4.2 qt of 5W-30 API SM, per the factory manual.

Does the 2006 Baja have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Baja get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 21 highway / 18 combined mpg.