Subaru Outback Radiator: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Confirmed: Subaru has extended the warranty for a known head gasket issue on certain production dates — worth checking your manufacture date plate and a specific, characteristic leak location near the engine mount crossmember.

Illustration for editorial purposes

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OEM Part Number: 45119AL060 (as quoted in catalogue listings — confirm via VIN) — aftermarket radiators Nissens 606532 / NRF 550170

Accuracy note: Covers the Subaru Outback (BS 2015-2020) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Radiators are sold by engine, gearbox and air-conditioning fitment, and one model usually has two or three different cores — a thicker core for diesels and automatics, a thinner one for small petrols — with different hose positions, so a radiator for the wrong engine will not connect up. The references below are UK aftermarket listings whose fitment lists name this generation, labelled by brand with the core size in mm; genuine numbers are those quoted against the listing. Check your engine code and whether the car has air conditioning against your VIN, and replace the coolant and bleed the system after fitting.

Radiators (aftermarket)	Nissens 606532 (340 x 706 x 16 mm, aluminium core with plastic tanks, 2.5i FB25 and FB25B/Z); NRF 550170; AKS Dasis 350001N; Moca RAD35969; Reach 1.40.21679.116
Core sizes & variants	The 2.5i petrol takes a 340 x 706 x 16 mm radiator shared with the Legacy VI (BN). The 2.0D boxer diesel sold in the UK until 2018 uses a different radiator not covered here, and no 3.6R was sold in the UK.
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	45119AL060
Fitment notes	Hose connections are 40 mm. Aftermarket stock is thin for this model and the Nissens unit is listed on back order, so allow lead time or go to a Subaru dealer.

Accuracy note: genuinely worth knowing: automatic gearbox Outbacks typically need a radiator with a built-in transmission oil cooler that manual versions don't have — ordering the manual-spec part for an automatic car will fit, but won't cool the gearbox oil properly.

Subaru Outback Radiator: The Part That Keeps Everything Else From Cooking

Few parts get less attention than this one, but on the Subaru Outback, a neglected cooling system is behind the vast majority of avoidable serious engine failures. Noticing the early warning signs costs nothing and can save a genuinely large repair bill down the line.

Before you buy: radiator size and design vary significantly by engine size, transmission type, and whether your car has air conditioning. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Subaru Outback Radiator: What It Does

On the Subaru Outback, coolant runs through the radiator to shed engine heat into the airflow, keeping temperatures in check. On many automatics, a separate internal circuit inside the same unit also cools the transmission fluid — one more reason a mismatched part number causes more than just a cooling problem.

Subaru Outback Radiator: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: Radiator Replacement Subaru Forester, Impreza, Outback, Crosstrek, Legacy 2.0 & 2.5L - 2005 & Up

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Multi-model Subaru guide stated to cover 2005-onwards 2.5L cars

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Confirmed: A Genuine Extended Warranty Worth Checking Your Car Against — Subaru Outback Radiator

This is genuinely worth checking directly if you're finding unexplained coolant drips: head gasket seepage on these engines has a characteristic location worth checking first — drips appearing on the crossmember that the engine mounts attach to, with the bottom of the head itself feeling damp, particularly toward the driver's side. Genuinely important to know: Subaru has extended the warranty specifically covering this known head gasket issue on certain production dates, with documented cases seeing the gasket replaced completely free of charge under this extension. It's worth checking the manufacture date plate inside the driver's door frame and asking a dealer directly whether your specific car falls within the extended coverage window.

A genuinely useful diagnostic technique worth knowing if a standard test comes back negative: a standard hydrocarbon or block test can sometimes give a false negative even when a genuine head gasket leak is present. Using a no-spill coolant funnel fitted to the radiator cap opening while revving the engine and watching for bubbles has been documented catching leaks that a standard test missed. The complete absence of visible exhaust smoke or a coolant smell doesn't reliably rule out a head gasket leak on these engines either.

It's also genuinely worth knowing that a Subaru-recommended coolant conditioner additive can delay head gasket seepage temporarily, but this is a delaying measure rather than a genuine fix. Real repair costs for this job have been documented in the region of £1,950 to £2,750 or more, worth factoring in when deciding whether to pursue warranty coverage or budget for the repair directly.

Subaru Outback Radiator: Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Radiator Guide for the three common failure modes, confirming fitment against your VIN, and OEM vs aftermarket guidance.

More Subaru Radiator

The same part, covered across other Subaru models.