# 2016 Subaru Legacy - Why is the filter on top? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** subaru\ **Created:** [May 16, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410 "2020-05-16T21:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ElmoC.Sherman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@ElmoC.Sherman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ElmoC.Sherman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/1 "2020-05-16T21:14:29Z")
Hello Roy, was reading the Dispatch today from Columbus Ohio, and it was about an oil burner Subaru 2013, my question is about a 2106 Subaru Legacy, why did they put the oil filter on top of the engine? It’s my wifes car, pretty red, dirty most times, looks like a garbage truck inside but i digress. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 1:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/2 "2020-05-17T01:05:13Z")
Makes it easy to reach ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/3 "2020-05-17T17:59:33Z")
Is there a problem here . . . ?! Many auto manufacturers do this ---
**Author:** ![Krash64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Krash64](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Krash64)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 11:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/4 "2020-05-20T11:25:03Z")
I have a 2015 Legacy and mine is in the same spot. Really handy. Now if I could find the drain plug. 🤔🤔 ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/5 "2020-05-20T11:41:49Z")
My sons 2013 Challenger and my 2016 Caravan both with 3.6 V6 have the filter on top. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 1:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/6 "2020-05-20T13:47:34Z")
Beats my 1988 Accord which had it directly over the exhaust pipe. Forget changing it if the engine was run recently. And pray it doesn’t spring a leak. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/7 "2020-05-20T17:48:31Z")
> [@circuitsmith](#): > > And pray it doesn’t spring a leak. I was probably a leak detector, any leak would result in such an awful smell, you would notice 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/8 "2020-05-20T20:45:31Z")
My 1991 Jeep Cherokee 4LI6 Had the upside down filter on top. I ended up punching a hole in the bottom of the filter which was now on top to help drain all of the oil possible in it avoiding the mess. My 1976 Plymouth Volare had a horizontal filter just outside of the passenger side sub-frame. I could get a normal oil filter wrench on it but no room to turn it. I bought a oil filter socket which worked. I put the oil drain pan under the filter and put the filter in the pan, I installed the new filter then moved the pan under the drain plug and drained the crankcase, I will repeat for the 100th time: Engineers should stick to driving trains. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/9 "2020-05-20T21:10:49Z")
> [@ElmoC.Sherman](#): > > why did they put the oil filter on top of the engine? It’s not supposed to be. Are you sure your engine isn’t upside down??? 🤣 🤣 🤣 -NotRoy ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2016-subaru-legacy-why-is-the-filter-on-top/164410/10 "2020-05-20T22:36:00Z")
I think those were the Australian models…