Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Subaru Legacy/Outback

1…3536384041…230

Comments

  • hupperthuppert Member Posts: 4
    Warren, I failed to mention that we pushed the fob twice (as on our GM car) and neither remote fob unlocks the passenger doors. Thanks for your input. It appears that it will require service but we will wait till it needs something more major. We really like it and are getting just under 25 mpg with 90% highway driving and 75 mph on the interstates in Michigan.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    image


    ...at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!

    http://www.edmunds.com/chat/subaruchat.html

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Try holding the button down for a while. That's how it works on my Forester (also a 98).

    -juice
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    try opening up the fobs and cleaning the metal contacts for each of the buttons. a pencil eraser usually works well for this - just 'erase' any grime on the contacts.

    maybe try a new battery for them too - especially if they're the original ones.

    -Brian
  • 20llbean20llbean Member Posts: 83
    Well my 2001 LLbean just passed the breakin period of 1K miles. The gas mileage was a bit low but considering that I followed the breakin period instructions, with the varying speed and such, I expected not to get the max mpg. It averaged out to about 22 MPG with the premium fuels getting higher MPG (?), don't know why but that was the case. Also, we have just gotten out of heat wave on the east coast so this car was driven around with the A/C on most of the time. I purchased the Subaru cargo basket for the top and when installed it does restrict the airflow considerabley so that adds to the lower mpg. Overall, it is outstanding and my wife gets to drive it and the kids think it is the best car they have every been in! My last new car was a 1991 Ford and it was no where near the Outback in the initial ownership. The Plus and minus are listed below:

    Plus:

    1. Handling is great, as good as my V6 Honda accord.
    2. Room is good, though one may think it is small from the outside, just get in and feel the room.
    3. Comfort is very good, leather seats feel good though they are hot in the summer as expected.
    4. Engine is powerful, I just passed the 4K rpms today's as I passed the breakin period. The speed was at 85 MPH ( on the highway) and still feels like there is a considerable amount of power still left.
    5. Sound system is good (not great) and more then sufficient for me.
    6. The two sunroofs are excellent.
    7. As expected, car is very tight.

    Minus:
    1. MPG average around 22.
    2. Acceleration is average which can create a problem when darting out of traffic such as a highway. It certainly is not on par with my Accord V6 acceleration. But then again, it isn't supposed to be!
    3. 6 Disc CD changer. Had to get this removed after 2 weeks as one disk refused to come out then, the whole unit refused to play a disk. First recall, I am not a fan of in dash 6 disc changers as then are more prone to failure then the cartridge type units in trunk or under a seat.
    4. Driver power seat adjustments: could use more space for a man's arm the adjust the controls. I'm 6' 205 lbs, and my arm hits the door.

    One question: Has anyone had these vehicles in the sand and can you relate your experiences such as tire pressure, sand depth, and overall driveability. Thanks.
  • evilizardevilizard Member Posts: 195
    I had the same problem with my 96. At first I though it was a problem with the security system but it turned out to be a switch inside the door, about $90 to fix.

    Try this, get inside the car, lock the door. Now manually unlock the door. Do the rest of the doors unlock? Try it from the outside with the key (with sec system disarmed). If you have problems here then it is probably the switch.

    If this works then its probably something with your sec system
  • evilizardevilizard Member Posts: 195
    I took my 96 H-4 in the sand once. A trip to Mustang Island near Corpus Christi TX. 4 people + camping gear.

    The sand conditions were not good 18 inch deep light powder superfine sand. If it was snow it would have been skiers heaven. It wasn't. Walking in the stuff you sink in past your ankle.

    Tire pressure was not something I knew about. I had them at 30. 10-15 would work much better.

    Handling was not very good. The main reason being the 18" ruts that we constantly had to go across. The lack of ground clearence was a factor. It felt a lot like driving a boat. We got stuck once because of the lack of ground clearence. You essentially plow your way through that sand and once time we slowed down a little too much and high centered. That 4wd has great traction but it doesn't do any good if the wheels are not touching the ground. Took around an hour to dig the car down.

    Gas milage sucked bad, maybe 7mpg because your plowing so much sand.

    I had the front and rear undergaurds. If your going to be going through sand that exceeds your ground clearence you might want to remove that plastic undershield. I doubt that it is going to survive being dragged through the sand and being struck by the occasional hard object.

    These were some pretty tough conditions though. Regular 4-6 inch sand shouldn't be a problem if you lower your tire pressure (though I would still worry about the plastic bottom if there is debris).
  • JustinlJustinl Member Posts: 13
    Does anyone know the residual values for the '01 Outback LL Bean?

    Thanks.
  • hammersleyhammersley Member Posts: 684
    on my 97 OB: push once briefly to unlock driver's door... push & hold til the rest unlock. FWIW. There's more than one system out there, apparently.

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • ffsteveffsteve Member Posts: 243
    20llbean,

    I had my new Bean (1000 miles) in sand just a couple of weeks ago (Font's Point in Anza Borrego State Park). Consists of about 3-4 miles up a sandy wash to a point overlooking the "badlands".

    Conditions were not as bad as described by evilizard, but there were a couple of deep stretches where it felt I was driving a boat with delayed steering response. But last year I drove a Jeep Wrangler through the same section and it felt just the same. I followed the same Jeep this year and noticed that because he was fully loaded, he had less ground clearance than my Bean.

    I had just myself and some gear in the car. Felt no problems driving, AC worked fine in 108 degrees outside, and the CD player didn't skip a beat. Would do it again anytime.

    Steve
  • hupperthuppert Member Posts: 4
    Warren, Juice, Brian and Evilizard, thanks for the suggestions. As it turned out, the suggestion to hold down the unlock button worked. The problem is solved and no $$ spent. Happy driving.

    Huppert
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    Tried my new OB rear outlet yesterday to blow up a pool. It didn't work! I RTM and it only states that the ignition needs to be in ACC or On for the outlet to work. Also, the same fuse works both the rear outlet and my heated seats which do work. Any input out there?? Thanks.

    Greg
  • rackerpackerrackerpacker Member Posts: 14
    We just bought our Outback three weeks ago. The light on the dash for the back hatch would not go off so my husband took it back to the dealer, After 2 tries they fixed it--so we thought but more amazing is this the printout on the computer from the auto body shop where they sent it to be fixed came back stating it had 5,000 miles on it. We just bought it and had 16 miles at the time and we added 600 miles last week on a trip.
    We cannot understand why this vin number showed up on the computer in the autobody shop as having 5,000 miles on it and my odometer shows 600 miles--help anyone???
  • JustinlJustinl Member Posts: 13
    Hey All,

    Do you think that 28k is a good deal for a '01 LL Bean w/ L06 Pkg? I know that the '02s will arrive soon, so I was just wondering.
  • rangerron7rangerron7 Member Posts: 317
    I have been keeping track of my mileage on my 2000 OB Ltd (H4) over the past 7 months and close to 4000 miles. My vehicle has just under 9k on the odometer. Here are the important particulars about my driving situation:
    - Approximately 80% city driving, short trips
    - Live in the Chgo metro area so we are subject to the "winter blend formula" in northeastern Il
    - Tires inflated to 33F/32R and checked once a month
    Here is what I have experienced:
    Average mileage across 3,900 miles = 20.44 mpg
    Best tank mpg = 24.4 (represents a mostly highway trip of over 300 miles.)
    Worst tank mpg = 14.7 mpg (This could be a fluke but I HAVE double-checked it. If I throw this "outlyer" out, the next worst tankfull was 17.8 mpg.)
    It should be noted that through mid-April my mileage average was generally BELOW 20 mpg. From May on however, mileage has generally been above 22 mpg (with one exception)
    Conclusions:
    1)Winter blend mixes have a major impact on the mileage you experience.
    2)This vehicle can experience significantly different MPG based upon city vs. highway driving.

    I hope this helps people out there with mileage questions on the H4 OB.
    RR
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Greg,
    If it works with the engine running, I'm lost there.
    Otherwise, maybe they forgot to connect them.
  • evilizardevilizard Member Posts: 195
    If it works with the engine running it could be that there is just not enough current availible to be drawn with just an open circut. This could be due to the power requirements of your air compressor.

    I have a very small air compressor that I use. It does run with the ignition in ACC/ON but it runs about 5 times faster when the engine is running.

    If it doesn't run with the engine running then you've got a loose connection.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    We've had our Outback for almost a year now. Wow, time flies.

    I live in SE Wisconsin (Kenosha) - we too are subject to the same gas blends as you. Coincidentally, our Outback has about 10k on it now and is averaging 22. The lowest I got was 17 (in December [it was really cold] and March). Our highest is 28. My driving is mainly city - my workplace is only a few miles away - so I expect my mileage to be low. We also regularly travel to my parents on the weekends, so it gets to 'open' up after a week in the city. I tend to drive our Outback hard (well, at least not gentle on the pedal). I also manually shift the automatic a bit. I also like to take the RPMs up into the 4k range every once in a while.

    I agree the winter blend does impact the MPG that our vehicles (and practically ANY vehicle using it). Our average for November through March was 20 - for the same exact driving I'm doing now. The average from April through June was 23.

    I think I've heard here that the 'sweet' spot for highway MPG is right around 65-70 mph. Go above or below that and your MPG will not be as high.

    FWIW, I always use 87 octane from Amoco, Mobil, or Shell. And after every oil change, I add a bottle of Techron.

    -Brian
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    It doesn't work with or without the engine running. Oh, well - need to take it in for my free oil change, so I will have them fix it. BTW, as a general question for those who have seat heaters, how quick and warm do yours get?? Is it very easy to tell they are on in the summer? Just trying to reference my experience. Thanks.

    Greg
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    mine's a Forester, of course, but I feel the heat within a minute and yes it is very noticeable in the summer. I used it to keep my back from locking up during a four hour driving stretch. It does turn itself off but its a great summer feature for us old farts.

    Ross
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Oh yeah, I can feel those seats when they're on in the summer. I accidentally switched mine on (high position too) and began wondering why my back was so hot. Ours seem to work well. Too bad I can't bring those seats into work where I could really use it (my work chair just plain sucks).

    -Brian
  • rackerpackerrackerpacker Member Posts: 14
    My new outback has been to the service station 3 times in 2 weeks. The cannot find what is causing the dashboard light indicator that lights up indicating the back hatch door is open. It locks but can't get the indicator light to go off and doesn't appear the door lines up properly. They even put new door latch on all to no avail--it will stay out maybe 2 days and back on again--any one else with this problem? My husband said fix it or he wants the car replaced. Guess they will duke it out tomorrow at the dealers--think I will stay home.
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Greg
    At low setting, it warms up gradually but quickly. On high setting, it HEATs up in a minute. In the summer with leather seats, it FRIES. Accidentally hit the switch one rainy day... my butt was dry and every where else was wet. :-)
  • kingdavekingdave Member Posts: 3
    So what was the verdict on your loud squeaking noise?? Its been close to 100 degrees each day in Colorado for the past few weeks and I noticed a similar noise today. Sounded like when brake pads wear down, but it occured only when I turned the wheel, the A/C was not on.
  • davidosdavidos Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone have any info on when the 2002 Outbacks will be available and what new changes each model will have?
    Thank you!
  • oclvframeoclvframe Member Posts: 121
    Per your post where you stated that you bought the car with only 16m on it yet the dealer said it had 5000mi based on the vin#. Sounds to me like you bought a car that has had its miles rolled back on it. There is a service available that allows you to trace vehicle histories by vin#...it is www.carfax.com You may want to spend the $10 to find out what the true history of your vehicle is.

    -r
  • rangerron7rangerron7 Member Posts: 317
    Sounds like you're getting a bit better mileage than me - good for you.
    Don't you wish they would just deep six the winter blend stuff?
    RR
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    AAA is lobbying to get gas standardized accross the country. Right now it's kind of ridiculous, the number of different blends required for each region/time of year.

    I used 18psi on the sand and that seemed to work well. I felt like I could have gone lower, but the 18psi worked well even on the deep, soft sand leading up to the beach.

    -juice

    PS That was my Forester with 225/60R16 tires, same as on the new Outback
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    I have 01 OB base, auto, with 700mi. When I go approx. 30-35 mi/hr, windows closed, A/C on, on a road that has rough pavement, I can hear squeaking/whistling noise that seems to come from right front outside. It is barely noticeable, but I can hear it in otherwise quiet vehicle. Like some parts are rubbing against each other. Cannot pinpoint source/location. The noise seems to dissapear on higher speeds or on smooth roads. Anyone with similar ocurrence? Thanks
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It could be the front anti-roll bar squeeking. It slides through two rubber bushings, and can squeek if it dries up. You'd need some lithium grease on that bad boy.

    If not then maybe another part of the front suspension, I'd guess.

    Just drive fast! ;-)

    -juice
  • 20llbean20llbean Member Posts: 83
    My 2001 OB LLbean is 5 weeks old. I just washed it yesterday with Mequiars Gold car wash. When is a good point to wax a new car since the finish was covered up until delivery? Two months after delivery? Doesn't matter? Thanks.
  • nematodenematode Member Posts: 448
    Thats 10 times in less than 2 years for our 2k Outback Ltd. (including 1 recall).


    This time:

    *The brakes. One has to push the pedal near the floor to get any kind of stopping power. Go here: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/. It appears other have already complained about the same problem.


    *There is a loud rattle when accelerating (sometimes). I dont think its engine knock as its much louder. It better not be the transmission.


    Still like the car but the reliability has been horrible.

  • originalbitmanoriginalbitman Member Posts: 920
    I think you have waited plenty long. A month to 6 weeks after the build is what I have always heard. Did mine at a month.

    bit
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    The only reason why you don't want to wax is if the paint job has not cured yet. Typically this takes about 30 days. However, paint can also be heat cured, in which case, it's pretty much ready to be waxed.

    I'm not sure if SOA heat cures, but chances are 30 days pass by from the time your vehicle gets it's paint until it shows up on your dealer's floor.

    Bottom line -- wax away! Frequent washing and waxing is the best thing you can do to keep your paint job sparking!

    Ken
  • mikezakmikezak Member Posts: 95
    When I picked up my 01 OB, the dealer had it waxed and polished when they delivered it to me.

    The car was made in late January, and I brought the car in late March -- so that is approximately 60 days. But the dealer (Don Jacobs in Waukesha, WI) told me that they do this in their normal 'prep' for all new cars...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Rich: factory paint is baked on and cured at the factory, so you can wax it right away. Even a repaint cures within 6 weeks, so it's time. Wax away! :-)

    Sorry to hear that, nematode. Please keep us posted, and we'll put Patti on their backs if the dealer is uncooperative.

    -juice
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I need to bring back my 01 OB for its free oil change. But, they also need to fix my rear outlet and heated seats which do not work. Same circuit, fuse good, heated seat switches have power (light is on). Probably disconnected near switches. So for a new car that makes a cracked lense and cargo cover, warped rotor (both should have been picked up during prep) and now inoperable rear outlet and heated seats. If you look at various quality surveys, they put the Subarus as low on the initial quality, but, high on long term reliability. So far my experience supports this data. Sorry Subaru, you need to hire a quality guru from Toyota. However, having said that, my issues are small with nothing major and I expect once I get past these I will have a reliable car. Overall, I really love this car.

    Greg
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    where is front anti-roll bar? how does it look like? will i be better off taking it to the dealer to address this?
  • rackerpackerrackerpacker Member Posts: 14
    Rear door hatch isn't lined up properly after several tries of fixing the locks--we discovered the entire door is out of line and they knew it all along and did not tell us and there we were wondering why they sent it to the body shopbut they still weren't able to fix it--its still out of line and back in the shop again---this car has spent more time in the shop than in my driveway since I bought it---am very discouraged and thinking of getting rid of it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's a thick metal bar that runs across the bottom side of your front suspension, under the engine.

    Hmm, I can't find a photo of the front sway bar, not in my photo album, nor on i Club. Here is my rear sway bar, though:

    image

    It's a curvy black metal bar. On the sides, it bolts to each side of the suspension. Further towards the middle, there are two rubber bushings (inside the metal cover I am bolting on in that photo) that allow the bar to slide side-to-side as the suspension flexes. Note that mine are greasy around where they meet the rubber bushing - I put lithium grease on the rubber bushings so they can move around without squeeking.


    Or let the dealer have a look-see, just mention it to him as a possible cause (along with other components in the front suspension).


    -juice

    PS Elsie: I would change dealerships. They do not deserve your business. I bet it was damaged at the dealer and they tried to hide it.

  • sagrestasagresta Member Posts: 39
    I've posted about this before, but my car still has a stutter problem. It's at the dealers now for the 6th time (we just bought the car in Jan.). They've been unable to repair it and the regional guy is looking at it today. He's going to download some info. off the cars computer and send it to SOA. Since they've tried all sorts of things and nothing works, I'm skeptical. I'm meeting with a lawyer next week to discuss options for getting them to give me a refund or a new car (right now we meet our states requirements under the lemon law). In any case, it sounds like others have the same problem. My car is a 2001 h4 automatic. Please let me know if anyone else has had similar problems and any luck. Thanks
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Sorry to hear about all the problems you have had. However, I want to say thanks for the headsup about the complaints about the brake pedal at the nhtsa site. I am glad to see that I am not the only one to have had a brake pedal problem, although thankfully not as bad as those posted. I think it is time to give the dealer another call.
    Other than the brake pedal though, after 11 months, I still love my 2000 base OB.

    Mark
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    kinda early for a new car to start squeaking, don't you think? but i guess it happens...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Definitely early. Maybe they skipped the grease at the assembly line? Who knows.

    -juice
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    The squeaking noise may very well be the Anti Roll Bar binding a little in the bushings. It is a five minute job at a dealer to lube it. I had this problem when new. Its not however an item to get hung up over. It is just one of those things which happens in assembly like when you buy a new shirt and find the label rubs your neck. Irritating but easily fixed

    Cheers

    Graham
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    One of the major amusements of watching Americans (if you come from somewhere else) is the unthinking rush to lawyers when things are even a little inconvenient. We can't figure out why apparently intelligent people have not figured out that you do better by talking directly to the supplier, resolving the issue without someone else taking a cut from the dispute. You get better results that way.

    Don't you think it would be smarter to call Subaru and outline the problem. Patti Mickel of Subaru posts regularly on these pages and the Subaru Club - meet the Members pages. Why not try that first.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • jolmstedjolmsted Member Posts: 3
    It took less than 24 hours of owning our Outback to chip the paint.

    It happened when removing a NEW, in the box, lawn mower purchaed from Costco. The over sized box was slid over the back bumper.

    Damage: noticeable scratches and a big chip.

    Where can we find Outback paint to cover this up?
    What can be done about the scratches?
    What can be done to prevent this from happening again?
    When buying your car, where you warned about little things like this? If so, what?

    Another note: After two days of ownership, the dealer has not processed our paper work with Subaru. Which is preventing us from becoming members of the Subaru web site. How long did it take the dealer to process your paper work?
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I think I will seek legal help against your damaging remarks about Americans and lawyers. ;-)
    he,he,he - only kidding. However, I do agree with you. Although there are appropriate times to use their service, they are used to often many times because someone cannot take responsibilities for their own actions. (Sharon - this is not intended for your post, just a general statement. It seems SOA is working with you so hang in there. Everyone I know who owns a Subaru says nothing but good things. I wish you well)

    Jack - Sorry to hear about your first scratch/chip. I had mine only a week when I went through a construction site and a stone gave me my first chip on the hood (although it is very small). I now have a hood deflector installed. You can get touch up paint at your dealer. Maybe some wax on the scratches will help. As far as it happening again - there are no promises, but some here think it adds character and goes with the OB image. Paperwork - 2 days is not enough. I believe I got my initial paperwork in the mail with my ID 4-6 weeks later. Have some patience and enjoy driving your new Sub. Welcome to the club.

    Greg
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Jack,

    Ouch! Sorry to hear about that. It's always the first scratch that hurts.

    Fine scratches can be removed fairly well using wax. I'd first clean the area and apply some wax to it to see how it looks. Deeper scratches and chips will require touch up paint. You can buy this from your dealer in little containers. When applying the paint don't use the built-in brush. It's way too big and will leave globs of paint. Buy a very fine brush to do the job instead.

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Jack: there is a rubber bumper cover sold as an accessory that I strongly recommend. It may even cover the paint damage, and it's plastic so you would not even have to touch it up (since it won't rust). My Forester has one and it's a durable surface, and looks good even after 39k miles of abuse (I stand on it often, even to wash the car).

    Dealers have touch-up paint for about $5, if you do end up needing it.

    -juice
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles