2017 Subaru Touch Up Paint (30 OEM Colors)

The 2017 Subaru Vibe

Back in 2017, Subaru was leaning hard into its "Love" campaign, and the streets reflected it. Whether it was the Crosstrek or Outback tackling a trailhead, or a WRX or BRZ hunting for apexes, the palette was anything but boring. Our database tracks 30 distinct colors from this year-a real "thirty flavors of adventure" situation. You had the bold, punchy hits like Hyper Blue and Pure Red, the "overlander" earth tones like Desert Khaki and Wilderness Green Metallic, and even some sophisticated oddities like Brilliant Brown Pearl and Sepia Bronze Metallic. It was a time when Subaru paint finally broke away from the "sea of silver" and actually gave the Forester and Impreza some personality.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the **Thin Paint Era**. By 2017, factory robots had become masters of "efficiency," which is just a fancy way of saying they sprayed the absolute minimum amount of paint required to cover the metal. These cars look fantastic on the lot, but the reality is that the clear coat is thinner than a hiker's trail map. If you own a 2017, you've likely noticed that the hood and front bumper are absolute magnets for rock chips. It's not "delaminating" like the 90s cars did, but it's "soft." A stray pebble or a heavy-handed bird dropping can do more damage to your Lapis Blue Metallic finish than you'd expect. The clear coat is there for protection, but there just isn't much of it to spare.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2017, you have to fight the urge to be a "one-coat wonder." Because the factory finish is so thin, a big, heavy blob of touch-up paint will stand out like a sore thumb against the flat profile of the original surface. **The pro move is to build your layers slowly.** Instead of filling the chip in one go, apply a tiny amount of color, let it shrink and dry, and then repeat. This prevents the "volcano effect" where the repair sits higher than the rest of the panel. Once you're level, seal it with clear coat to keep those edges from catching the wind (and the car wash brushes).