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http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/index.cfm
I suspect Subaru has a manufacturer defect that is causing the bearings to fail prematurely. My legacy bearings failed at 68,000 miles
My front ones failed at 68,000 miles and seems to be too early.
Thanks...
Good luck! :lemon:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/index.cfm
I suspect Subaru has a manufacturer defect that is causing the bearings to fail prematurely. My 2001 legacy bearings failed at 68,000 miles
Is this correct as Subaru Australia deny that there is a bearing problem?
The dealer tried to tell me that I probably hit a very large pot hole on the road somewhere but I think that's just smoke. just wondering when the other one is going to fail now!
Have you driven through water that came over the hub, that is also a way for them to fail.
-mike
Bearings on our Mazda 626 failed and cost us a bundle.
So I had the opposite experience - Subaru took care of us, Mazda charged us a bundle.
Today, at 32,050 miles, I am having both rear wheel bearings replaced; both jobs on warranty. Very dissapointed. Have also had Chevy, Chrysler, and Porsche products with no significant issues. "93 Ford work truck still hasn't fallen apart.
Your collective posting suggest that what I believed to be an exceptionally reliable may pose to many problems in future. Is it time to explore Toyota & Honda? I need a pretty much go any where any time vehicle.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
-mike
Thanks.....
Jeez, you guys have some high standards.
-mike
But my 2003 Impreza had a RHR bearing fail at 57,000 miles. It was replaced under 2nd hand warranty by a Subaru trained mechanic at a Mazda dealer. It lasted about 2,500 miles before it failed. It was replaced and failed before it even left the workshop and then they found the LHR bearing was also failing and had to replace it as well. I am now another 2,500 miles later and have my fingers crossed.
I spoke to my local Subaru specialist (who Subaru Australia threatened legal action to remove 'Subaru" from his business name) and he advised he uses older model bearings now as they fail less often than the new ones. I suspect they may be aftermarket bearings as well. Go figure.
Ross
Nothing happens when R is selected. No drive. Fluid is clean and up to level; no warning lights or error codes in the TCU. Change up 1 to 2 is a bit harsh when the fluid is cold but otherwise the transmission behaves normally..BUT
The FWD and RWD have always fought it out in low speed, tight turns forward or reverse. I have the second failure(first was about 100,000 miles ago) of the rear drive adaptor in the auto box rear extension housing. It is an adaptor welded onto a machined gear-wheel that takes the drive out of the back of the auto box to the prop. shaft. The weld fails under highway driving conditions so how Subaru gets it to stay together for their rally cars I do not know, unless they have a trick, one-piece machined item, if so it should be going in all their cars unless it is designed to be the weak link??
Anyone ever come across this before /are these problems linked/can I fix the reverse drive problem? (I can restore the AWD by installing a new adaptor/gear unit in the back of the 'box.) :sick:
$800 a pair is a bit stiff. I think most dealers I know charge about $200-250 and it's a $30-50 part. They don't need to be replaced in pairs either. I agree 120k miles is about right, but lots of factors can effect the lifespan, most noteably, going through puddles that are above the bottom of the bearing line. This unfortunately will cause accelerated failure because the hot bearings draw in water when you drive through a puddle (that submerses the seal) and will begin to breakdown your bearings.
-mike
I believe that is built that way to snap to prevent internal damage to the diffy/trans. Their rally cars bear almost no resemblence to street driven cars.
-mike
Here is the issue: the lease is up. Residual is $13k. I'd like to buy the car because it is otherwise in fantastic shape (garaged / only 30k miles). Do I negotiate for a lower buy-out cost and have them replace the bearings? Is the buy-out cost even negotiable?
Or do I just trade it in. Please help!
-mike
I had zero problems the transmission or wheel bearings on a '96 Outback with 220,000 miles. I did not baby it, either, though I did maintain it well. I towed vehicles twice its weight, sometimes up slippery drives, pulled stumps, extracted countless vehicles from ditches.... That car was worked.
I had to deal with some seal/gasket issues on the engine a couple times, but all in all it was a good car. I guess the wheel bearing design became less reliable over time - there's nothing like leaving a good thing alone. :P
As for that transmission, I just have to wonder if it was something else not working properly and the sheared part in the transaxle was merely the symptom. Put undue stress on something long enough, it is going to break.
Just wanted to say thanks for the info on the warranty extension on 05 Outback wheel bearings (mine are growling at 65K) and do a minor clarification if I may...just called my local Subie dealer, who told me not all 05s have the warranty extension- it depends on the last 8 digits of your VIN, so be sure to call your favorite dealer with your VIN handy before making a service appt. I guess I'm lucky- mine has the 100K extension.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
The install takes no more than 2-3 hrs.
In my book that's $250-300 max for the wheel bearing replacement.
Dealers will rip you off obviously....
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
It's a fairly easy job that most dealers can do without messing up your car. Your neighborhood mechanic probably can't do the job if you want it covered by Subaru since it would need to be done at a Subaru Dealer.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
Jim
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
Well when we went to put the ball joints back on one side the knuckle cracked. So we replace that. Oddly we had to press out the bearing even though the LGT has a bolt in bearing/hub setup. After putting it back together, the bearing appeared bad, so we had to replace that. My thought was that the bearing was going bad all along and overheated the knuckle,making it brittle.
So the bottom line is that the bearings should get done ASAP. I also paid $200 to get the bearing/hub replaced!
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
$200 for the parts to do it yourself?
Rear right bearings are failing on our 1995 Subaru Legacy LS wagon, and just got a quote for $370 + tax from our local Subaru shop (not a dealership). Parts are much cheaper, and I believe I could do it myself, with the help of a auto mech friend of ours (Ford), but reading through the forums and seeing all the different part options makes me a bit nervous. Off topic, but going to replace the shocks at the same time (190k on the original set would infer that they're due lol).
I'm like ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It sounds like a wheel bearing. It actually made noise also as I was slowing down... then after I pulled into a parking lot to check it out, it went away. See what happens tomorrow.
Our 626 went "chunk chunk Chunk CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK" when its bearing went bad.
I'm surprised your mechanic wasn't aware of that, or what it a Subaru dealer? Maybe they wanted you to keep coming back, if so shame on them.