2001 Subaru Outback — 3.0L

The 2001 Subaru Outback sits at the very front of the second-generation run, and its federal record reflects that early-generation position: 170 complaints, 4 recalls, no investigations, and 120 TSBs. Looking at the year-by-year arc, complaints actually trend downward across the generation — from 215 in 2000 to 90 by 2004 — while recalls and TSBs climb in the opposite direction, peaking at 15 recalls and 191 TSBs in 2003. That means 2001 carries more raw complaint volume than its later siblings but has not yet been swept up by the heavier recall campaigns that affected 2003–2004 cars. The 2001 complaint profile is concentrated in fuel system, hydraulic brakes, powertrain, and engine cooling, with 16 crash-related and 4 fire-related filings — a meaningful but not extreme share of the year's total. Because complaint volume drops sharply in 2003–2004 while recall coverage grows, a buyer today is likely to find that most 2001-specific issues have already been resolved under warranty or by the previous owner. Concrete takeaway: 2001 is a defensible buy in this generation provided you verify the recall and TSB work has been performed, but it is not the strongest year on paper — the 2003–2004 models show lower complaint density once their recall work is cleared.