vs
Starter motor OEM Subaru or Duralast
Reviews
The starter on my 12' began going out so I go a Duralast reman. for about $160 at AutoZone. There's a few helpful vids on YouTube, and it's not too bad of a job. It took me about 90 minutes and you might want to have some socket extensions and maybe a wobble joint. Overall pretty doable for a busy dad with young kids on a Sunday.
Pros: doable job, helpful videos
Subaru dealer tech in Australia, here we're having lots of starter motors failure going on.
Your vehicle being a 2020 on a factory battery means the 12v battery is nearing the end of it's service life, also that means your car has an available PAK file update for the TCM module that allows extra time for engine restart.
Pros: PAK file update available
Cons: starter motors failure
Vehicle:
Subaru Forester
My buddy has an earlier outback that came with that system. She’s got a lot of miles and honestly it’s totally fine. The one thing is that it does tend to start HARD. It cranks that sucker over like it owes it money
Pros: reliable
Cons: hard starting
Vehicle:
Subaru Outback
I replaced with a Duralast Gold starter and it's been running fine for nine years. Of course who knows what you're getting now in 2025, but the aftermarket one from 2016 has done great.
Pros: running fine, great performance
I got the Duralst Alternator, so far so good but I also got the Duralast starter. It has a lifetime warranty. The starter lasted me almost 10k miles.
Pros: lifetime warranty
Cons: starter lasted 10k miles
Mileage: 10000 km
Weird starter issue with a fair amount of 22s
Cons: weird starter issue
Vehicle:
Subaru
I got a reman. Auto Zone Duralast starter in Aug 2021, and then had to replace that with another reman. Duralast starting in Nov 2022, and now I need another one.
Cons: repeated failures, short lifespan
Since installing #19590, I’ve been hearing a slight grinding noise on startup — sometimes it sounds worse than other times, but definitely not right.
Cons: slight grinding noise
Vehicle:
Acura TLX
Part number: 19590
Im going on my third now at 114K Km last time i replace was before going camping 2021 now december 2024 have to replace again
Cons: multiple replacements, frequent failure
Vehicle:
Subaru
Mileage: 114000 km
We had problems with the auto on/off (not starting; laborious starting). We got a new starter and fuel injector installed.
Cons: laborious starting
Vehicle:
Subaru Forester
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Which starter motor to choose — OEM Subaru or Duralast?
If choosing starter motor across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare starter motor across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which starter motor are better — Duralast or OEM Subaru?
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor Duralast were overall better than OEM Subaru.
- OEM Subaru received a PR Score of 32 out of 100, and Duralast scored 48 points.
- OEM Subaru ranked 9 in the overall ranking, and Duralast ranked 8.
- The average rating is higher for Duralast (2.8) than for OEM Subaru (2.3).
-
Starter motor Duralast have better feature ratings than OEM Subaru:
- Multiple attempts - owners believe, that by this property OEM Subaru does not differ from Duralast.
- Cranking - drivers claim, that this property for Duralast is outperforms OEM Subaru.
- Sounds - reviews suggest, that this property for Duralast is preferred to OEM Subaru.
Which starter motor are more popular — OEM Subaru or Duralast?
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor Duralast were overall more popular than OEM Subaru.
By vote balance, starter motor Duralast surpassed OEM Subaru:
- For OEM Subaru, the ratio of positive (14) to negative (29) votes is -15 votes.
- For Duralast, the ratio of positive (40) to negative (43) votes is -3 votes.
By number of reviews, starter motor Duralast surpassed OEM Subaru:
- For starter motor OEM Subaru there are 14 reviews: 4 positive, 1 neutral, 9 negative.
- For starter motor Duralast there are 27 reviews: 12 positive, 2 neutral, 13 negative.
Which starter motor do car owners prefer — OEM Subaru or Duralast?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, starter motor OEM Subaru and Duralast have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of starter motor
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of starter motor OEM Subaru with: Bosch, Denso, OEM Honda, OEM FORD, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Toyota, VALEO, AC DELCO.
Also available: comparisons of starter motor Duralast with: Bosch, Denso, OEM Honda, OEM FORD, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Toyota, VALEO, AC DELCO.
You can also see who is better among other starter motor manufacturers: Denso or Bosch, Bosch or OEM Honda, Denso or OEM Honda, Bosch or Duralast, Bosch or OEM FORD.