Subaru›Outback›2013›3.6L/subaru/outback/2013/3-6l/

2013 Subaru Outback — 3.6L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2013 Outback 3.6L.

Body SUVEngine 3.6LTransmission Automatic (S5)

The 2013 Subaru Outback is a midsize SUV built on Subaru’s robust, all‑wheel‑drive platform, powered by a 3.6‑liter flat‑four engine that requires 6.9 quarts of 5W‑30 API‑approved oil and delivers EPA‑rated 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined. With its S5 automatic transmission, the model offers a balanced blend of torque and efficiency, while its reliability record shows 295 owner complaints that year, the highest in the engine‑related category for the Outback’s history. In the broader 1995‑2026 complaint timeline, 2013 sits in the lower‑mid range, far below the peak 1,029 complaints of 2019, indicating a comparatively solid reliability performance for this generation.

Model year2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity6.9 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque89 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy18/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 25 · 490 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 25 · 490 CCAOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S5)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	189 in
Overall width	71.7 in
Overall height	65.7 in
Wheelbase	107.9 in
Curb weight	3426 lb
Track (front / rear)	61 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	53/47

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	18 / 24 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

No 2013 road test on record; the results below are same-engine tests from nearby model years, each shown under its own year.

7.1–7.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.10 sec — 2010 3.6R Limited

256 hpHorsepower (as tested)

247 lb-ftTorque (as tested)

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2010	3.6R Limited 3.6L F-6	7.10 sec	15.50 sec	256 hp	AWD
2010	3.6R Limited 3.6L F-6	7.40 sec	15.70 sec	256 hp	AWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 6.9 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 89 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 33.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-6-3-2-5-4. 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 Fluid	Subaru Lienartronic CVT fluid
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	13.4
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	6.9 qt
Manual Transmission Fluid	75W-90 · GL-5
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity	7.0-9.0

Engine torques

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings	44.3 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	144 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	66.4 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	18.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	33.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	89 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	37.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	Metal
Front Wheel Hub	162 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-2-4
Cylinder Firing Order	1-6-3-2-5-4
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	100 rpm

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	0.88-1.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Standard BCI Group Number	25
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	490 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	25
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	490 cca

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance	12.0 ohms
Engine Compression	185-213 psi. 7 variance psi.
Engine Oil Pressure	14 psi @ 600 rpm, 43 psi @ 5000
Intake Valve Lash	0.0079 in
Exhaust Valve Lash	0.0138 in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH SOLID ROTOR / WITH VENTED ROTOR
Torque Caliper to Bracket	20 ft-lbs / 88.5 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	48.7 ft-lbs / 88.5 ft-lbs
Other	STANDARD WHEELS
Wheel Application	17 inch WHEELS
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.059; Rear: 0.059 in
Brake Application	WITH SOLID ROTOR / WITH VENTED ROTOR
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 9 stages

Prep Bolts 1-8:

1	14.8 ft. lbs.	14.8 ft. lbs
2	36.9 ft. lbs.	36.9 ft. lbs
3	Loosen 180 degrees.	180 degrees
4	Loosen 180 degrees.	180 degrees
5	14.8 ft. lbs.; Bolts 1-4:	14.8 ft. lbs
6	35.4 ft. lbs.; Bolts 5-8:	35.4 ft. lbs
6	32.5 ft. lbs.; All Bolts:	32.5 ft. lbs
7	90 degrees.; Bolts 1-4:	90 degrees
8	45 degrees.	45 degrees
9	Install seal bolt 9	4.7 ft. lbs

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

9 ft. lbs., Step 2: 13 ft. lbs., Step 3: 90

9 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 1,200 mi.

Every 1,200 mi	Engine Oil (inspect fluid level)
At 3,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 6,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exterior Lighting (inspect)
Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 12,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect)
At 15,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 mi	Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Clutch Assembly (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Fuel Line (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 36,000 mi	Battery (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Injector (inspect) · PCV Valve (inspect) · Parking Brake System (inspect)

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 2013 model year registers 295 complaints, representing a significant reduction from the 649 complaints logged in 2011 and positioning it within a temporary lull before volumes climbed again to 505 in 2015. Recall activity shows a downward trajectory, with 12 recalls in 2013 compared to 16 in both 2011 and 2012, and continuing to fall to 10 in 2014. However, Technical Service Bulletins spiked to 509 for 2013, substantially higher than the 316 and 357 recorded for 2012 and 2014 respectively, though the data does not specify the underlying causes for this increase. The leading complaint categories for this year are Engine (44), Power Train (36), Air Bags (29), and Steering (27), with 18 crash-related and 6 fire-related complaints documented. Given the lower complaint volume and declining recall count relative to the spike years of 2010-2011, the 2013 Outback represents a relatively stable vintage within this generation, though prospective buyers should verify that the high volume of TSBs has been addressed through service history. This makes 2013 a reasonable choice for a used purchase, provided maintenance records indicate proper attention to the documented service bulletins.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

509

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

295

Owner complaints

18 involved a crash · 6 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12’13’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25 ’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 295 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine44

Power Train36

Air Bags29

Steering27

Unknown Or Other12

Visibility/Wiper8

Service Brakes7

Structure6

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 12 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V008000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 09/01/2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona… Remedy: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer…

19V007000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 09/01/2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida… Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 509 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
SubaruNet Annoucement (E	2026-06-11	Unknown Or Other	This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood…
16-156-25R	2026-06-02	Power Train	This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which…
01-167-08R	2026-05-18	Unknown Or Other	This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the…
16-156-25R	2026-05-13	Power Train	This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which…
SubaruNet Announcement (R	2026-05-04	Power Train	This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.

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 Outback. 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.

Group 25 battery Vehicles taking 6.9 qt

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2013 Outback 3.6L take?

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

Does the 2013 Outback have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 3.6L get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.