Subaru maintenance schedule for every model
Subaru publishes one maintenance table per model year for all its vehicles, in steps of 6,000 miles or 6 months. The engine oil and filter are replaced at every step. Under severe driving conditions, "engine oil and filter should be changed every 3,000 miles (4,800 km) or 3 months." The bigger services fall at 30,000 miles (air cleaner element, brake fluid) and 60,000 miles (adds spark plugs and the A/C filter).
Subaru does not print a separate schedule chart for each model: its Warranty and Maintenance Booklet carries one table headed, in the 2024 edition, "2024 MY All Vehicles – Federal/California Specifications Vehicles." What differs between models is the oil grade and the capacity. The table below lines up every Subaru we cover.
Subaru models compared
| Model | Years covered | Oil grade | Oil capacity | Oil change | Spark plugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Outback | 2020-2026 | 0W‑20 | 4.4–4.8 qt (varies) | 6,000 mi / 6 mo | 60,000 mi / 60 mo |
| Subaru Forester | 2019-2026 | 0W‑20 / 0W‑16 | 4.4–4.7 qt (varies) | 6,000 mi / 6 mo | 60,000 mi / 60 mo |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 2024-2026 | 0W‑16 | 4.7 qt | 6,000 mi / 6 mo | 60,000 mi / 60 mo |
| Subaru WRX | 2015-2021 | 5W‑30 | 5.4 qt | 6,000 mi / 6 mo | 60,000 mi / 60 mo |
Figures come from Subaru's owner's manuals and booklets, cited on each model page. Where a model has more than one engine or model-year group, the table shows the range and the model page gives the detail.
How the Subaru schedule works
Subaru's booklet is a grid of months and miles, read "whichever occurs first," with R for replace, I for inspect and P for perform. The engine oil and oil filter are R in every column, so the normal oil change is every 6,000 miles or 6 months; tires are rotated and inspected at the same visits.
The larger services, from the 2025 booklet:
| Service | Replace | Inspect |
|---|---|---|
| 30,000 miles / 30 months | Engine oil and filter, air cleaner element, brake fluid | Drive belts, fuel lines, cooling system |
| 60,000 miles / 60 months | Engine oil and filter, spark plugs, air cleaner element, brake fluid, A/C filter | Drive belts, fuel lines, cooling system, clutch operation, brake lines, disc brakes and axle boots, steering and suspension, wheel bearings |
Tires are rotated and inspected at both. The A/C filter is replaced every 12,000 miles in the same table, so it also appears at 60,000.
The 60,000-mile visit stacks the most replacements of any step up to that point: spark plugs, brake fluid, both filters and a full chassis inspection in one stop. Ask for the booklet's item list when you get a quote, and compare line by line.
Severe driving on a Subaru
The booklet's "Examples of Severe Driving Conditions" are repeated short distance driving, driving on rough or muddy roads, driving in dusty conditions, driving in extremely cold weather, driving in areas where road salts or other corrosive materials are used, living in coastal areas, and repeated trailer towing. Under them the oil and filter change halves to every 3,000 miles or 3 months.
What differs across Subaru models
These differences are computed from the same data as the table, across every Subaru we cover, including the 2015-2021 WRX page that publishes on November 4:
- Oil grade. 0W-20 synthetic on the Outback (2.5L and 2.4L turbo) and on the Forester in the 2019 and 2021 manuals. 0W-16 synthetic on the 2024-2026 Crosstrek and in the 2025 Forester manual. 5W-30 synthetic on the 2015-2021 WRX. Use the grade in the manual for your model year: the Forester changed grade between the 2021 and 2025 manuals.
- Oil capacity. 4.4 qt (Outback 2.5L, 2019-2021 Forester) to 5.4 qt (WRX), with filter. The Outback 2.4L turbo takes 4.8 qt; the Crosstrek and 2025 Forester take 4.7 qt.
- Spark plugs. 60,000 miles on every Subaru here, in the 2022 and 2025 booklets and the WRX's own schedule.
- Oil change interval. 6,000 miles or 6 months on all of them.
If you switch between a 2019-2021 Forester and a 2025 one, check the cap: the oil grade changed from 0W-20 to 0W-16 and the capacity from 4.4 to 4.7 quarts between those manuals.
Find your Subaru's next service
- Find your model and model year in the table above. The oil grade changed on the Forester and differs on the Crosstrek.
- Round your odometer up to the next 6,000-mile step, or halve it to 3,000 miles if any severe example describes your driving.
- If the step is 30,000 or 60,000 miles, expect the larger service in the table above, and open your model's page for the full list.
Subaru Added Security maintenance plans
Subaru sells prepaid maintenance through its Added Security program. Subaru's page lists plans of "2 or 3 years/24,000, 36,000, or 45,000 miles" and says the plan "enables you to lock in the cost of the scheduled maintenance required to keep your basic factory warranty in force." It is a purchase, not a free plan, so it pays off only if you would buy those services at the dealer anyway.
Model pages
Each Subaru page has the full interval list, severe-use changes, costs and recalls: Outback, Forester and Crosstrek. For mileage milestones that apply to any car, see the car maintenance schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vlad Kuzin
Developer of Pinion. Writes about car maintenance to help people save money and stay safe on the road.
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