Subaru Liberty 5GEN (2009-2014)

Not worth it if someone takes the SD card out – So this car was sold to my father back in 2015 and the battery went flat now it says the SD card is missing and that actually stops the whole stereo and reverse camera from working completely. This SD card is at a cost of $650 to replace it. The SD card is only for the navigation but it actually stops everything. Show details

There ok but not the punch for $ had one for six months then moved it on resale was ok – Being a tall person just not enough room ....ok if yr smaller !.. didnt have the power i thought it would and only handle ok not the best not the worst ! Show details

Best car I have ever owned – I bought my Subaru Liberty 2010 with 117,00 klm on the clock. It had always been serviced at a Subaru Dealership and still is. The Takata Airbag recall was done as well as the electronic brake recall problem. I drive the car most days. Melbourne trips are a joy to drive in my Subaru. I have now clicked 175,000 and I have not had one single problem… Read more ·  3

in 58,000 klms. Paintwork holding up amazingly well as it is not garaged. A cut & polish keep it preserved. Love my Subaru!

Subaru GT Premium Wagon – I purchased new a 2014 gt wagon and still have it. It has been a great little car, now with 95k on it. Everyone that drives it cant believe how well it performs in acceleration and handle. A wee bit noisy with the low profile tyres on rough bitumen. It now steers around the windy roads of tasmania with ease. Service is not expensive and I have not… Read more ·  1

had a mechanical issue yet. In the purple mode overtaking is quick and a lot safer. If I was to worry about what might go first, it would be the clutch as it pulls so hard. OK these weren't the prettiest, but hey if you want a sleeper you don't want to draw attention.

My throughts on CVT and manual trans – Hi guys R.O.C here. I brought a used 2011 Subaru liberty 2.5i non turbo 6sp manual with 140,000 KS on the clock and it has a ej253 engine for $8000. I didn't want to get one with the automatic CVT purely because they are weak. ( In the US and AUS.. by the look of it ) I am now spending $1700 on an Exedy clutch kit (fitted) because when the car is… Read more ·  1

cold and I start it, it makes a light shimming/squeeling noise when the clutch pedal is out but when I push the clutch in with my foot it goes away. ( Only happens for about 2-3 mins while it's warming up and was told by mechanic it's the throwout bearing and recommended I get a clutch kit put through it. ( Clutch kit contains: fork assembly, new flywheel, new throw out bearing, crank bolt, plates, alignment tool and spigot ) The internet seems to have a lot of cases with the manual trans just like my case and there seems to be a lot of confusion about the cause and fix. Soooo... luckily For all those people that are right now going that's what my car does with a serious look on there face starring at there phone haha... I am planing on having the new clutch kit fitted to my car in the next week or too and I will post an update here and let you know if problem is fixed.. and if it comes back at any point... I will update again. But overall I love my subaru 4 out of 5 stars.

Avoid this model like the plague – The torque converter is a shocker and Subaru, unlike in the US, won't give an extended warranty with the problem. The stalling is a serious safety problem. And the cost of repairing it is in the region of $4000. Show details

Great until the CVT fails – My 2012 Liberty has been a fantastic car, now that the torque converter/ cvt appears to have failed, any long term economy of owning a Subaru is out the window. Subaru Australia will say how sorry they are to hear it, and act like they know nothing about this being a big problem with these cars. This is a major safety issue as the car stalls when… Read more

you brake. They will also say that American cars are different from ours; the bottom line is that when Subaru of America were faced with an identical issue they extended the drivetrain warranty to cover owners. My local dealership has still not given me a price to make the repair, after 6 months of back and forth stall tactics from Subaru Australia. I am told by other owners that it could cost upwards of $5000 to repair. My car is still in amazing condition at 200,000k's and looks like it should be good for another 100,000k's which is what I expect from a Subaru, especially with full Subaru servicing. it looks like the days of long term ownership of Subarus has gone forever, I am seeing a lot of CVT problems with newer Subaru's also. Subaru have built a transmission that they reckon needs no servicing, and can't be repaired economically, yet when one fails, they call it wear and tear. Customer service team have no idea about cars, they are just there to pass on whatever story they are given. it's a shame that Subaru are going this way, their cars are lovely to drive but it's not worth paying the premium price to own if long term reliability is not built in. this will also affect resale value for those who turn them over in a couple of years.

Reliable car – My Wife said to buy any car as long it was a manual as she didn't like automatics. The only standard family type car I could find at the time was the 2010 Liberty wagon. A manual in other makes would have been a sports/performance, diesel or smaller car which was not an option I would never buy the first series car of a new model but I had no… Read more

choice as I needed to accommodate 3 baby seats in the rear due to baby number 3 on the way.

The liberty is my first new car and has been very reliable and cost effective to service. Being a Mechanic I service it myself.

Purchased new and has been fault free apart from 4 factory recalls. Only recall that required attention was wiper motor park/stop position that was attended to and front passenger air bag replacement which will need to be replaced again as the new replacement is only temporary.

The latest recall as from October 2018 is to do with the electric park brake. I think the circuit board in the module has a fault causing park brake not to engage or disengage but I've had no issues. Just waiting on recall letter from Subaru.

Recalls for steering wheel, 3rd gear issues in manual gearbox and ABS pump did not affect my build.

My Subaru Wagon is used daily with a lot of short start/stop trips. School drop offs, swimming and dance lessons,shopping, etc. Since owning this car I replaced the original Yokohama tyres after 8 years and 65000 kms only due to tyres getting old. I still had 4mm of tread depth left on tyres.

I've only done regular oil and oil filter changes usually every 9 to 12 months due to low kms travelled. Replaced the air filter and cabin filter once. It has the original brake pads not showing much wear and clutch has plenty of life left in it.

Still has original spark plugs and fuel consumption average is between 8.5 and 9.2 litres per 100 kms city driving.

Being the first series of a new model I have been presently surprised with it's reliability. My Wife drives the car the majority of the time and is most happy with it.

Unfortunately the Liberty wagon is no longer produced and the manual transmission has been dropped apart from 3 model line ups which doesn't suit us should we have to buy another Subaru. So we'll be keeping this Liberty for a long time to come.

Excellent Car - Poor Dealershp Service department – The Good:- I have owned my 2010 year Liberty GT from new.. I have been very happy with all aspects of the car , it runs perfectly well, it has excellent road grip in all weather conditions and feels safe and comfortable. The Bad:- Definitely no "bad" with the Liberty, the problem is with the Service Department at the main dealership, I had… Read more

a minor oil leak from a seal in the mid drive box, the mechanic said "don't worry mate that will be OK"

Then I had the clutch plates replaced at 65,000Ks, which is a straight forward job, the dealership gave me a long list of other problems that needed attending to so a clutch replacement cost of approximately $1,200 suddenly jumped to $3,700.!!

I took the car to a small local garage who specialists in Subaru and Jaguar, they said the clutch plates need replacing ($985) and there were no other problems. I have now covered 110,000 Ks problem free.

Good Advice:-

ALWAYS get a second quote...the problem with main dealerships is they have very large overheads to pay for, do not be seduced by the fancy service waiting room with TV, coffee and biscuits. Find a local specialist who has a passion for a particular make of car.

love this car – i brought this car used, and this is my 9 th car in 9 years. and i ll have to admit that i found my match. its a beautiful looking car with great driving. i have the Sports Premium model and its looks great inside and out. interior is just perfect and every switch is exactly where is should be, EXCEPT Eparking brake switch, for some reason the… Read more

decided to put it on the right hand side of the steering near boot release button and i accidentally press it some times.

apart from that it has been a perfect car and haven't had a single issue. ride is nice and smooth and that boxer engine had some power in it. probably on the fastest 4 cylinder NA car in the market. one of my friends loved my car so much that he brought the same car in blue color.

Perfect car, couldn't be happier! – Excellent driving experience, powerful yet quiet and fuel efficient which is ideal. Interior and exterior is comfortable, tidy and modern. Only thing I would change is having a rear window wiper for cold mornings, other than that I couldn't ask for much more. So far it has treated me very well, reliable is an understatement.  Show details

Liberty GT is an Outstanding SLEEPER! – The Liberty GT is a dream to drive! Couldn't have asked for more! Handling: Wonderful and predictive, throw it into a corner at 90km/h and it simply pushes through, grip is class leading with the Bridgestone Potenza RE003's as can be expected with Subaru's AWD system. Performance: Best part about the car, 0-100km run of 4.9 seconds, 195kw… Read more

and power that will thrill anyone. The power is just amazing, torque is always there and the pull from 3000rpm is just amazing! Fuel economy is around 12l/100km in the city, so for what it is and the power numbers efficiency is great! 6 speed manual too is a dream, why buy an automatic for such a sporty car when there's such a brilliant manual available.

Interior: In short nice, soft leather and logically placed controls are easy to reach. The navigation system and infotainment could be improved, but overall very happy, it is a luxurious interior for the price point, very very well put together and comfortable as ever! The McIntosh 10 speaker stereo is brilliant lovely treble, could be louder with a bit more bass but quality speakers that outrun some brands audio systems including BMW and Lexus. One of the best.

Exterior: Some may not like the exterior as it's boxy and slab, but I quite like it, ours is the Galaxy Blue Silica Metallic and it's a gem of a colour and in my opinion the best colour out of the pick. The wheels could be better, black would suit nicer, but still match the car fine.

Overall extremely happy with the car, looking forward to getting many more years out of the car!

2010 Subaru Liberty, we bought a Lemon – I was an avid lover of the Subaru until recently. My 5yr old 2010 Subaru Liberty, it was recently serviced at a Subaru Service Center only 9 days later it blows a head gasket and now the torque converters need replacing due to the continued stalling problem that has developed so much so that it is unsafe to drive. This car has caused us nothing… Read more

but problems and the Customer service we received from Subaru Australia is appalling. I question their Customer Promise and slogan 'All for the driver" I have now been without my car for over a month. I am told the NEW Subaru Liberty's have an improved torque converter as a result of the number of problems in earlier models. This does not help me.

Very disappointing.

Subaru Liberty GT Premium – I have Subaru Liberty GT Premium 2010 Satnav MY11. Bought it brand new. One word to describe it: UNREAL. Very happy with it. If you want High Performance car that can double as a family wagon, than you just found the right car. Dependable 2.5 L Boxer engine with TURBO means insane amount of power and quick response to throttle. Safety rivals that… Read more

of Volvo - 5 star rating on safety. Has all thinkable and unthinkable controls to keep all 4 wheels on a ground at all times. I never lost control of it, even at speeds over 240 km/h it handles OK. It has great street appeal, good manoeuvrability, good usability. It is not too big, not too small - just right. I was surprised how inexpensive maintenance was at Subaru - roughly the same as Ford Falcon I had before. Although I am mechanic myself I do service at Subaru first 3 years (Novated lease). Nothing ever got broken. Just drives. I found Air-conditioning is not very effective, just OK. It is because of the locations of outlets - they been shifted aside off center console - sacrifice made to position beautiful large colour Satnav screen. This is my 8th car and it is the best car I have ever had. Everybody is jealous of it - that is for sure. It was described often as an expensive, luxurious oversized WRX for adult kids. Lots of power and quick response to throttle 1. Air-conditioning is not very effective, just OK. 2. Expensive to fill up use RON 98 petrol

Great quality built, stylish wagon. MY06 2.5l. Automatic – As a mechanic I'm picky with what I buy but you can't go past the reliability and all round performance. Stylish for a wagon. With the back seats down you can fit half a house in it. I bought a 11/05 but MY06 premium pack in pearl white with black leather seats (easy wipe clean when you have kids) in February 2010 from the original owner who paid… Read more ·  3

$45,000 for the premium pack new and I paid $21,750 for it 4 years later. It had 72,000kms on it at the time and now has 135,000kms on it and it has taken the family on holidays up and down Australia on roads you wouldn't think possible without a proper 4WD and apart from servicing it I.e oil changes and timing belt kit (obviously myself being a mechanic) I can say that next to nothing goes wrong with these. I have lots of customers with these and other subaru's and apart from regular servicing I don't have to do much. Due to the extra ground clearance over the liberty you will be surprised what sort of shoddy pot holed country roads they will make it down and I regularly get 7.2l per 100kms on the highway and 9.5-10l per 100km around town. Simple engines to work on but the 4 speed auto box isn't the smoothest (they never were) and the 5 speed auto box in the 6cyl is better. As a mechanic I get to see/drive and fix every make and it may sound biased but I chose a subaru outback for my wife for a reason. Smooth drive, quality build, safe 5 star NCAP rating, good looks (not like the current model), great leather seats although the plastics do scratch easily, great economy and the 2.5l 4 cyl engines are pretty bullet proof as long as you change the oil regularly with a quality 10w30 or 15w40 grade.

Buy a low km 03-08 model and you won't be disappointed and take that from an honest mechanic who owns one. Stylish, comfortable, reliable, luxury, economical Interior plastics scratch easily, 4 speed auto box isn't the smoothest but is reliable

Excellent Performer – 2011 GT Wagon since new. Handling and performance is perfect, especially around corners. I can't fault the car. The interior has all the creature comforts you could wish for. My only complaint is the turbo lag or lack of throttle response around 1200rpm. It's a bit annoying when you're in traffic. I added a body kit and sports grill, tow bar and tinted windows. The new appearance is a head turner.  Show details

2010 Subaru Liberty Sport - Excellent – My 2010 Liberty is a sporty and classy middle sized sedan that offers excellent comfort, reliability and most importantly performance. With constant All-Wheel Drive in place which handles all conditions, and many other safety features, it is rated at a 5/5 Safety rating. This car offers vast leg room, many useful features and variability. The… Read more

Sat-Nav and Blue Tooth operations work well, and the sound operating system out performs many competitors. The xenon headlights provide excellent eyesight for the driver, and the dual climate control works a treat. It could go on further, but in essence this car is sporty and sleek in design, and stands out of from the crowd for all the right reasons. I would highly recommend this car type and its manufacturer for future consideration in the purchase of a new car. Performance, reliability, comfort, design and brand. Despite the good looking metallic paint, blemishes are easy to make and cleanliness is hard to maintain.

Performance & safety – I have a 2010 GT Premium Liberty , owned from new and have now done 107,000 kilometers . Regularly serviced, the only issue a front left shocker replaced under warranty, probably due to rural roads after the floods! The original set of Potenza tyres did 97000 kilometers so even at $500 a tyre I stuck with the Potenzas Fuel consumption on hwy… Read more

runs about 8.9 l/ 100kls, put the foot down and it flies in sport# good for 200 kph, if it was legal to do that of course!

Looks, not the prettiest and very Toyotaiss, but with STI grill looks better Power, handling safety grip in wet build quality Looks could obe better, see what they did with the BRZ!

Quality and practical for good price – I research products to death before purchasing, I was looking at Audi A4, VW Golf, Mazda 6 and the Subaru Liberty wagon Heritage. The Subaru became my choice as it was practical (space for camping gear) and my family. It is rock solid on the road with excellent grip, the all wheel drive Audi was $90k! The quality is second to none for a… Read more ·  2

reasonable price, plus Subaru hold good resale value.

After 4 years owning the car, I only have one criticism that the drivers seat is bit firm, the car is perfect

Fuel economy City driving I get 9.2L/100 and the best run was 6L/100 being very gentle on the throttle. Handling, space, quality, reliability and price A firm drivers seat

Wont buy subaru again – Bought a 2011 year subaru liberty wagon, start hearing cracking noise from front and rear, squeaky noise from windows, dealer fixed windows issues after I reported, but never be able to fix cracking noise completely, I can still hear it from rear of the car. Guess what, the front cracking noise is because the weldered joint was broken. what a… Read more

joke. hope the car won't fall apart when I drive, 1 years passed, contact Subaru Australia, no answer yet. its not your baby, do you care? Comfortable to drive Defect parts or weldered joints used inside the car, cracking noise not completely fixed after a year