2018 Subaru Outback
10 factory colors were offered on the Fifth generation (BS) Outback. Your code is on the driver's door jamb sticker on the line marked C/TR — the characters before the slash.
Changes from 2017:
- Added for 2018: Crimson Red Pearl (M1Y), Dark Blue Pearl (M2Y), Magnetite Gray Metallic (P8Y), Heritage Blue (P9Y)
- Dropped after 2017: Venetian Red Pearl (H2Q), Lapis Blue Pearl (K3X), Carbide Gray Metallic (K6U), Brilliant Brown Pearl (C1S)
Verified against 3 independent sources: Subaru of America 2018 Outback retail brochure, 'Color Combinations' matrix p.12 - https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/subaru/2018-outback.pdf; PaintRef Subaru 2018 colour cross-reference (PPG chip data), Outback rows - https://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?manuf=Subaru&year=2018&rows=100; Subaru U.S. Media Center, 'Subaru of America Debuts Limited Edition Models to Commemorate 50th Anniversary' (Heritage Blue, 1,050 units) - https://media.subaru.com/pressrelease/1246/1/subaru-america-debuts-limited-edition-models-commemorate-50th.
Nine catalogue colours plus one limited-edition colour. The 2018 brochure colour matrix lists Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Tungsten Metallic, Twilight Blue Metallic, Wilderness Green Metallic, Crimson Red Pearl, Dark Blue Pearl, Magnetite Gray Metallic and Crystal Black Silica. Ice Silver and Tungsten were not offered on Touring. Heritage Blue (P9Y) was exclusive to the 50th Anniversary Edition - 800 units of 2.5i Limited and 250 of 3.6R Limited, 1,050 total - and was never orderable on a standard 2018 Outback. Final year for Twilight Blue Metallic and Dark Blue Pearl.
Where to find your paint code
Under the hood, on the strut tower or firewall plate — Subaru does not put the paint code on the door jamb.
Driver's door jamb
- Open the hood and look at the driver's side strut tower and the firewall.
- Find the small metal or foil plate carrying the model and colour codes.
- The paint code is the three-character entry, often labelled COLOR CODE or COLOR NO.
- On some model years the plate is on the passenger side instead — check both.
If the sticker is missing or faded
- Genuine Subaru touch-up part numbers embed the code — part J361SAJ090A1 is Carbide Gray, code K6U.
- Any Subaru dealer parts desk can look the code up from your VIN.
Other Outback years
Color availability changed year to year. Codes often carried over; names sometimes did not.