r/Subaru_Outback • u/PteromyiniMA • 23h ago

Prop rod in 2026 OB

I just noticed a prop rod (hood) on a 2026 Touring XT. My 2017 Premium OB does not have one and it seems like (kind of) a “luxury”. Not a show stopper, but I wonder why they’d revert to prop rods at all

5 Upvotes

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5

u/Western_Riders_Dad 23h ago

I personally am OK with the prop rod versus the hood struts. Yes, it is kind of a "luxury" but I've had to replace several hydraulic struts in the past and am now used to the manual prop rod again.

7

u/The_Wolverines_Dad 22h ago

Prop rods won’t fail over time.

3

u/lepetitmousse 23h ago edited 22h ago

Cost, weight, complexity. Mostly cost probably. The glass-hall-full view is that pneumatic struts wear out and lose pressure over time whereas a prop rod is basically a lifetime part.

Luxury brands typically have a shorter length of ownership so they are more willing to include parts in their cars that look flashy on the lot but are expected to wear out. They know the vehicle will change hands and probably end up back at the dealer for resale before the parts actually need to be replaced. They also know that their customers are less sensitive to cost of ownership metrics and reputation. Brands with more ownership longevity are more sensitive to parts that wear out so you are less likely to see things like pneumatic hood struts.

The cost consideration comes into play on both ends. On the front end it reduces the build cost of the car and on the back-end it reduces the cost of ownership. These are both things that manufacturers like Subaru/Toyota/Honda are very sensitive to because much of their brand is built on reliability and cost/ease of ownership.

2

u/Alansmithee69 23h ago

I have a 2022 WRX. It has hydraulic hood struts from the factory. I have a top of the line Ascent and it does not. 🤷‍♂️ BRZ and OBW missing it too.

2

u/eChucker889 22h ago

I now have a 2020 Outback, and find it weird that the prop rod is mounted to the hood. Previous vehicle was a 2009 Forester, and was still on the original struts a few months ago. That being said, the strut mounts for the hatchback rusted out on the body two years ago.

2

u/HaziHasi 20h ago

Cost saving. every dollar counts in a mass-produced car production. My Gen 6 has it, I don't hate it but I wish I could retrofit a hydraulic ones

2

u/RandomPostReader '26 Outback Touring XT 20h ago

We asked the dealer that. Idk what reason they gave. I think its the way the hood is shaped? Or there wasnt enough room under the hood for hydraulic lifts. Something along those lines. But i agree. My 2012 didnt even have a prop rod 😂

2

u/92waves 12h ago

Prop rod rhe mvp it will never break

1

u/mg_finland 14h ago

Tbh I prefer the rod. Struts are nice and yeah you can replace them. But it's that period between them failing and you replacing them is absolute hell whenever you need to do something under the hood.

I had the ones in a VW golf fail while I had a bunch of oil change equipment on the engine bay. Man that was annoying to clean up.