---
title: "2012 Subaru Outback Parts and Specs"
description: "Everything for the 2012 Subaru Outback: oil type and capacity, battery group size, tire sizes, wiper blades, filters, service schedule, and common problems, verified, sourced, and in one place."
url: "https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2012"
updated: "2026-08-21"
---

# 2012 Subaru Outback parts and specs

Everything you need to own and maintain this exact model year. Verified specifications, part numbers, and the problems that recur, in one place. BR (4th generation), 2010-2014, Mid-size wagon/crossover.

## Quick facts

| Quick fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Engine oil | 0W-20, 5.1 qt (base engine) |
| Battery | Group 35 |
| Tire size | 225/60R17 (base trim) |
| Wiper blades | 26" / 18" / 14" rear |
| Key fob battery | CR1620 (exposed-blade flip key with integrated remote) |
| Fuel tank | 18.5 gal |

## Specifications for the 2010-2014 Outback

### Oil & filter

Viscosity, capacity, filter part numbers, change interval [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/oil).

### Battery

BCI group size, cold cranking amps, AGM or flooded [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/battery).

### Tires & wheels

Factory sizes by trim, pressures, bolt pattern, lug torque [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/tires).

### Wiper blades

Driver, passenger and rear blade lengths [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/wipers).

### Air & cabin filters

Cabin and engine air filter part numbers, locations, intervals [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/filters).

### Bulbs

Headlight, fog and marker bulb types [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/bulbs).

### Brakes

Rotor diameters, pad references, service notes [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/brakes).

### Fluids

Transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid and capacities [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/fluids).

### Service schedule

What's actually due at every mileage interval [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/service-schedule).

### Problems & reliability

Documented failures, recalls, and which years to avoid [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/common-problems).

### Oil light reset

Step-by-step maintenance light reset, no tools [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/oil-reset).

### Key fob battery

Which coin cell the remote takes [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/key-fob-battery).

### Specs

Towing, weight, fuel tank, fuel economy [Read more](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014/specs).

These specifications are shared across every Outback of the BR (4th generation) generation. See the [2010-2014 Subaru Outback overview](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010-2014) for the full picture, or the [Subaru Outback guide](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback) to compare every generation.

## What changed for the 2012 Subaru Outback

| Years | What changed |
| --- | --- |
| 2012 | Premium trim gains a new standard six-speaker stereo along with standard Bluetooth and USB connectivity |
| 2010-2012 | Generation launch; pre-facelift styling, slightly taller ride height than later years |

## Known problems with the 2012 Subaru Outback

5 of the 6 issues we track for the 2010-2014 generation are documented against the 2012 model year.

### FB25 excessive oil consumption (class action settlement) (moderate)

A subset of 2011-2014 FB25 engines burn oil faster than Subaru's acceptable threshold, traced to piston ring and PCV design. Owners sued (Yaegar v. Subaru of America); the settlement extended the powertrain warranty on oil-consumption repairs to 8 years/100,000 miles and reimbursed test costs, repairs, and up to six quarts of top-off oil. The claims deadline has passed, but the extended warranty coverage still applies to qualifying VINs.

Yaegar v. Subaru of America, Inc., No. 1:14-cv-04490 (D.N.J.). Typical cost: Covered under the settlement's extended warranty if still within 8 yr/100k mi; otherwise $0 (top-offs) to $3,000+ for ring/engine work.

### Electronic parking brake actuator failure (recall, manual-transmission models) (major)

On 2010-2014 Legacy/Outback models with a manual transmission, a defective circuit board in the electronic parking brake actuator's control unit can cause the parking brake to disengage unexpectedly or fail to hold, risking rollaway. Subaru recalled all affected manual-trans VINs; the fix is a free actuator replacement.

NHTSA 18V626 (Subaru campaign WTV-81). Typical cost: Free under recall.

### Head gasket seepage at higher mileage (moderate)

A minority of FB25 and EZ36 engines develop slow external head-gasket seepage past 100k miles, showing as coolant loss, a sweet smell, or crust near the cylinder-head mating surface. Far less common and less catastrophic than the internal head-gasket failures that plagued earlier EJ25-powered Subarus, but still worth a cooling-system check on a pre-purchase inspection.

Typical cost: $1,000-$1,600.

### CVT shudder, hesitation, or premature failure (major)

Some 2.5i (Lineartronic CVT) models exhibit shuddering under light throttle, hesitation on takeoff, or a whining/grinding noise as the CVT chain and pulleys wear. NHTSA received hundreds of complaints on this generation's CVT. A full CVT replacement is the worst-case repair.

Typical cost: $3,500-$5,500 for a CVT replacement out of warranty.

### Takata airbag inflator recall (major)

Part of the industry-wide Takata recall: the front passenger (and on some VINs, driver) airbag inflator can rupture in a deployment, sending metal fragments into the cabin. Subaru replaced inflators free of charge; check your VIN even if you believe a prior owner already had it done.

Multiple NHTSA Takata campaigns (e.g. 15V-051, 16V-100 and later expansions). Typical cost: Free under recall.

1 more issue is reported in other 2010-2014 years: Steering column intermediate shaft disengagement (recall) (2013).

Full detail, costs and sources on the [Subaru Outback problems and years to avoid](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/common-problems) guide.

## Which engines were offered in the 2012 Outback?

| Engine | Trims | Oil | Oil capacity |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2.5L 4-cylinder (FB25, port-injected) | 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Limited | 0W-20 | 5.1 qt |
| 3.6L H6 (EZ36, 5-speed automatic) | 3.6R, 3.6R Limited | 5W-30 | 6.9 qt |

## About the Subaru Outback

The Subaru Outback is a jacked-up all-wheel-drive wagon that has outsold most traditional SUVs in its class for over a decade, and the 2010-2025 span covers three generations built on a shared formula: a flat ("boxer") engine, standard symmetrical AWD, and a CVT on nearly every trim. 6L EZ36 six (the six paired to a real 5-speed automatic, not a CVT) and is the generation most associated with early-CVT anxiety, a steering-column recall, and FB25 oil-consumption complaints that ended in a class-action settlement. 6R onto Subaru's High Torque CVT, and is remembered for CVT chain-slip complaints (Subaru quietly extended CVT coverage to 10 years/100,000 miles on many of these), touchscreen/infotainment flakiness, and a spontaneous-windshield-cracking lawsuit.

The BT (2019-2025 production, 2020-2025 model years) rides on the Subaru Global Platform, dropped the six-cylinder in favor of a direct-injected FB25D four and, starting with the 2022 Wilderness trim, an optional 260-hp turbocharged FA24F four, plus EyeSight driver assist standard across the range; it has its own recall history (a brake-pedal bolt recall right out of the gate, a passenger airbag-sensor recall, more windshield-cracking claims) and an ongoing parasitic-battery-drain lawsuit. Across all three generations maintenance is Subaru-typical: 6,000-mile/6-month full-synthetic oil changes (3,000/3 in severe service), a class-leading 11-year/137,500-mile first coolant interval, a Group 35 battery, and 89 ft-lb lug torque. The CVT is the component owners worry about most.

Factory fluid-change guidance is generous (many owners change it well before Subaru's official interval), and a failed unit is the single most expensive repair on any of these three generations.

For how the specifications changed across every generation, see the [full Subaru Outback guide](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback).

## Other Subaru Outback years

- [2025](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2025)
- [2024](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2024)
- [2023](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2023)
- [2022](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2022)
- [2021](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2021)
- [2020](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2020)
- [2019](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2019)
- [2018](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2018)
- [2017](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2017)
- [2016](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2016)
- [2015](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2015)
- [2014](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2014)
- [2013](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2013)
- [2011](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2011)
- [2010](https://whichcarparts.com/cars/subaru/outback/2010)

Data confidence for this generation: High confidence.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia, Subaru Outback generations (BR)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Outback)
- [AMSOIL lookup, 2013 Outback 2.5L FB25 oil spec/capacity](https://www.amsoil.com/lookup/auto-and-light-truck/2013/subaru/outback/2-5l-4-cyl-engine-code-fb25-5/)
- [Subaru Outback Forums, real oil capacity of EZ36 in 3.6R](https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/real-oil-capacity-of-ez36d-engine-in-3-6r-ob.48513/)
- [Subaru Outback Forums, CVT in the 3.6 (5AT vs CVT by year)](https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/cvt-in-the-3-6.513017/)
- [NHTSA, 2013V194000 steering column recall bulletin (WQI-45)](https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/MC-10234893-9999.pdf)
- [NHTSA, 18V626 electronic parking brake actuator recall (WTV-81)](https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCRIT-18V626-0981.pdf)
- [Class Law Group, Subaru oil consumption class action settlement summary](https://www.classlawgroup.com/subaru-oil-consumption-class-action-lawsuit)
- [Subaru Outback Forums, 2011 Premium tire size (225/60R17)](https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/tire-size.83410/)
- [Conley Subaru, Outback lug nut torque by model year](https://www.conleysubaru.com/subaru-research/subaru-outback-lug-nut-torque/)
- [samarins.com, 2010-2014 Subaru Outback common problems](https://www.samarins.com/reviews/outback_10.html)

Specifications vary with engine option, production date, and market.