The H6 engine uses the same filter as the SVX engine. SOA part 5165109. You will need to visit the dealer, Subaru engines use a one time only crush washer on the oil plug, sorry I don't have the number readily available. The Subaru filter is most likely your best choice, I believe they are US made purolator filters. I purchased a case of filters from the dealer after he matched the online parts stores, he threw in the crush washers free.
Patti, apologies, I have not checked back here recently. I just read your message to me. If you spoke to the dealer it certainly did no good.
I would like to know who to call and where. I may have received a call from Subaru, but the only message I recall sounded like a survey call and made no reference of this issue.
Things have not got any better with Subaru Natick and I do not want to elaborate any more in this forum. I do want to speak to someone though who can help.
I give you my email below to make it easier to contact me.
Sorry I was out of commission for a bit. I did look at your cases and, from what I can see, they really have no idea on what caused either failure. It looks pretty limited in nature but that is why FHI is calling back the parts to try and figure it out. Whenever they see such an unusual occurance with a new model, they get very involved to find the cause and act quickly.
I'm really sorry. Both of your cases are still open and I will follow up on them and make sure you are kept informed as to what is going on.
Thanks for your patience and I'm sorry that the service you have been receiving has not been up to par. I won't bore you with a bunch of lame excuses - there were reasons, but they should not have impacted the way your cases were dealt with.
Hi all! FYI - if you have this squeak in the morning, usually in reverse and only for a few minutes, there is good news. While this is not indicative of a brake problem an does not interfere with braking, we know it is annoying to some customers.
In early Sept. (this is an estimate), your dealer should be able to order a shim kit to eliminate the harmonics issue that causes the noise. So, make sure you contact your dealer in Sept. so they can order the shims for you.
I can't say that I've heard mine squeak lately...it didn't bother me enough to do anything about it anyway. I am at about 12k mi now and lately I haven't heard the usual squeak while backing out of the garage.
I was coming off the Interstate this morning and the electronic toll booth was closed which caused a backup in the traffic. What made it worse was the backup appeared at the end of the blind turn at the top the off ramp. On top of this the road was scraped for construction about 30 yds before the last car.
I was doing 45mph, which is about normal and when I saw the stopped car I braked. On hitting the change in the road the car lost traction, the abs kicked in and VDC light flashed. I kept a straight line and stopped safely.
Got the chance to use the VDC last night. Trying to get to a friends house which involved several fast U turns on narrow roads under high acceleration. I could hear my tires howling in protest as piled on full power and almost full turn but the car went true to where I steered it. No oversteer, understeer or fishtailing. On my 96 I usually have to take some corrective action under such conditions but not on the VDC.
the VDC sedan that they have at my dealer. I'm gonna turn off the VSC and see what this rear-biased H6 can do. Hopefully it will be up to the task of giving me as much fun as my other H6, '88 XT6
Please bear in mind that the VDC off switch on the 2002 will turn the VDC back on at approx. 37 mph. The switch is designed just to be off if you are stuck in mud, snow, or sand. Just picked up my 2002 wagon, and I love it!
So its really a VDC supression switch, not an off switch. I feel better about my 2001 already (I always get envious when next years toys are better than this years). Now I only have to figure out how to install a key light. Its kind of sad but my wifes 88 Accord LX had one of those, and intermittent wipers. Wonder why it takes Subaru so long to get little things like that into the mix.
Hardly surprising. Even in AWD MB and BMW vehicles, the ESP off switch doesn't really turn off the system, but resets it to a higher threshold or disables the torque reduction feature; for the MB M-class the torque reduction feature is disabled and the computer only has 20% of normal capability. It's still possible to do donuts and four wheel drifts.
The switch is not really a big deal since people leave the system on anyway.
Drew Host Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Turning off the VDC or in the case of my ML430, ESP, is the only way I can get up a steep driveway when it's covered in snow. It shuts off the engine power reduction, but still stops a spinning wheel, transfering power to the other side of the diff. The Outback VDC will very likely be my replacement vehicle for the MB. The ML has been a good truck, but service is an hour and a half away.
It is possible to whip it around and do doughnuts and drifts. You just need a snow-packed ski area parking lot that is essentially empty after a fairly warm day. The warm day melts the top layer which acts as a lubricant on top of the ice/packed snow. I did this in Feb, the first week we had it. I was able to do 4-wheel drifts, and probably could have done a doughnut if I hadn't instinctively corrected. That's where the rear-bias was nice: I've never really learned how to correct when driving FWD. Theo in Colorado
Yes, the ML's four wheel traction control system's brake portion is still active, even with the torque reduction feature turned off. So wheel slippage is still controlled as needed. If you use Low Range, the activation threshold for the traction control to activate is lowered by about 45%, so the system will catch the spinning wheels even quicker.
Subaru's system is a bit different, in that it allows for more play, or more wheelspin (to build momentum) before activating the VDC. Hence the reason why the '01s didn't need an off-switch.
mike, blame those resident high pressure zones sitting off the mainland's coast for your high temps ;-). We've had the opposite here on the west with resident low pressure zones sitting off our coast, not that I'm complaining!
Drew Host Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
oh yeah, I thought about running a VDC sedan in auto-x next season. It should do well, since H-stock is where it would be against a lot of easier cars.
I looked at your case file. It looks like your Rep. (Barb) is still waiting for some clarification on a few issues from your dealer. You should hear from us soon.
I think your Rep. (Chris) is trying to get in touch with you to try and wrap up your case. I did see how frustrating things were. Hopefully, you'll be happy when all is done.
While I was waiting for my new wheels to be swapped out, I had some time to test drive a VDC Sedan. I also saw the new red for the Outbacks....it is basically the same red that the WRX comes in. They had two in that color...a Bean and a Limited. Unfortunately the cladding on the sides makes the red look slightly orange. BTW, they also had 5-6 new WRX's sitting there.
So, back to my test drive. First impressions were: Wow, this car is tight! Most likely due to the shorter length (it seemed to be about 8" shorter than a wagon). As I drove around, I tried to think about my Bean and compare it's feel. Over all, the H-6 seemed to make power a little more smoothly than my Bean. My Bean has a punch when you cross the 3500 rpm threshold. The sedan felt more smooth making power the entire way through the rpm range. The sound insulation that comes as part of the McIntosh sound system made a slight improvement in cabin noise, but it is hard to compare a wagon's interior noise levels to that of a sedan, not to mention the addition of roof rails, etc. So, over all, the VDC sedan did feel quieter. The McIntosh, on the other hand, doesn't come close to the sound of the stock Bean radio paired up with the factory subwoofer. The sound was too boomy with too much mid range. The radio does not offer a mid level adjustment as my Bean's radio does. The boominess of the sub is most likely due to it's shape and size; it is oval, and small. A larger, round sub would soften the bass up considerably.
Now, about the VDC off switch and ignition key light: The VDC did turn right back on at 37mph. Oh, well. The ignition key light is absolute CRAP. It is a cheap looking translucent plastic ring surrounding the ignition switch. Sure, it will do the job, BUT, it looks cheap!
Sounds like the VDC sedan is getting good. Now if they could re-tune the H6 and drop it in a GT, without the VTD portion of the VDC, we'd be in business!
Those were my thoughts exactly! I told the service guy last night that if they'd just drop that H-6 in GT trim: Lower, bigger 17" wheels, lower profile tires, stiffer suspension....etc. That would be an awsome vehicle.
is clamoring for a turbo Legacy GT. But I like the low end torque of an H6 Although before I get a Legacy GT, I'll likely be getting my aunt's '92 SVX with the H6 3.3l 230hp engine
Just picked up my car yesterday, seems to be running fine with the new engine. I was told by Chris that the LLBean protection package should cover my expenses, for Hotel, Car rental etc. He offered me the free extended warranty but since its a lease he agreed to pay two months lease payments for my trouble. Love the car, hope this is the end of my problem. . Since I am in the business of customer service (Computer help desk) I would suggest that the SOA staff be coached in the care and feeding of customers that have a majr problem. I would have offered to immediately cover a car rental until the car was fixed. This would have been well received coming from the dealer who was repairing my car. Just a suggestion
...with VDC and the all weather package (why no heated seats/mirrors in GT wagons?) would suit me fine in a couple of years. Then again if my family gets no bigger I might go WRX if they're still available.
hi all, there's a dealership right around the corner from my house that has one left on their lot. the color is wintergreen/titanium. i'm getting rid of my honda si on friday (someone is buying it). i want to get a sensible 4 door sedan. i'm not particularly keen on driving a station wagon, so the ll bean wagon is out. i test drove the 2002 vdc sedan and loved it. are these cars in high demand? the price i got was $28,400 plus tax and tags. does anybody else have one? if so, how do you like it so far? thanks in advance for the feedback.
That sounds like a decent price given the VDC sedan invoices at $28,025. The sedan is new for 2002 so you may not find to many people with one yet.
Given my driving impressions of the 2001 VDC wagon, the sedan should be just as smooth and refined. I'm going to guess that the sedan is even more quiet inside compared to the wagon.
I'm not sure if the VDC models are in high demand right now. Perhaps someone else can comment. There was an initial rush for them last year but I think it's tapered of somewhat.
Good Morning! Actually, our CS folks are trained a lot (a major part of my job). Just sometimes, one escapes my attention and foul ups occur. Your case was surely not handled right. Also, you are entitled to a rental and the dealer should have provided that from the beginning.
The good news is that you brought this to my attention. The folks involved understand how and what the errors in your case handling were. I'm glad things are better and, once again, I am really sorry.
Just ordered a VDC Sedan! (Unfortunately, I did so for my mom, but at least I will get to drive it.) It is a very nice car, very tight and quiet. The H-6 is very smooth. Wintergreen is a gorgeous color, too.
Yes, I got a call from your rep. Message said that the owner of Subaru Natick would be calling.
Instead got a call from the sales manager who asked me for the "sales issue". I told him I do not know what a sales issue is and so I told him all the issues. At the end he said they were not his issues. He said he would need to go talk to someone and get back to me. At this point no call has been received in over a day.
At this point the issues were/are:
1. Wheels not balanced. Completed after making me wait for 2 hours and telling me the car was in process, when I could see it in the lot.
2. Speedo inaccuracy. The speedo was out by more than 6% (70.5/75 = 6%) after they looked at it, when I got it back it is now exactly at 4.5% inaccuracy. Dealer claims no work was done. I can only conclude that possibilities for the difference are:
1) it adjusted itself 2) adjusted by the dealer, in which case why not just fix it right.
Either way, Subaru may say this is no longer an issue. For me, because of the way it was handled, it will never cease to be an issue. It annoys me every day, I want to do 65, I need to go a bit faster etc.
I also have my 4 or 5 other gripes that fall under the "bad dealer" category. Would love to write a letter to someone in SoA just as an FYI. I would feel better anyway.
Patti, thanks for your help. You can close the case as I give up and I never want to hear from them again. Some companies don't care about customers and I have learned you can't win with people like that.
This dealer will never see me or the car again. This is reflected in the dealer survey, in which, with great self restraint, I declined the incentive of a free oil change and a month of car washes to only say good things about them. I opted for the truth.
I am looking for a new dealer to form a hopefully more 'healthy' relationship.
That happened to me with my Isuzu. Found a great dealer about 40 minutes away. Well worth the trip. There are a lot of bad dealers out there, just have to find a good one.
Allow me to rant -- bad dealers are the bain of car makes like Subaru. Such a great car, but not a big seller, so SoA cannot "influence" the dealers like Ford or GM could (not that they do, except when it's time to kill a franchise like Olds or Plymouth.)
I'm sure Patti and her SoA folks worked hard on the most recent case mentioned above, but obviously the dealer and his sales manager could care less about your woes. I read somewhere that SoA is the only brand that has a company rep on the website ready to help out. That says a lot for the company. Moreover, judging from Patti's posts, I think she does a great, sustained job. I'm continually impressed by her earnestness and follow-through.
Now, if only the dealers could live up to the Subaru brand as well as the product and the company does, we'd all be a lot better off. These guys obviously don't believe repeat business is a goal to be sought after -- yet my dealer has treated us wonderfully, and we have responded by becoming repeat buyers eight times over, and we and made two referrals as well! It's a win-win that, I guess, some of these boneheads in plaid sportcoats have yet to figure out.
I've worked with consumer product companies that have multi-tier distribution systems, and one of the usual aspects of the arrangement is that the manufacturer usually has a panel of his wholesalers or retailers or both to serve as advisors.
One of the unusual aspects of the Subaru brand is that many of us are far more than owners, we're real supporters of the car and want to see SoA only do better in the future. Not every car brand can brag about owners like Subaru can. Subaru has a reservoir of goodwill among its owners that even the luxury brands would die for. And maybe it's time for SoA to draw on it.
So, my whacko proposal is for SoA to form an advisory cadre not of dealers (they probably already have one), but of owners. This could be done "virtually" (read that as few or no meetings) through e-mail chats, questionnaires and similar. All input from these advisors would be shared with dealers. Don't just draw these people out of a hat; set some standards and actively recruit them. Rotate them on and off the board yearly. I am not suggesting a set of people who merely respond to surveys, but active brand ambassadors of sorts.
Want to get even crazier? You could have these advisors call customers at random, explain their role with the company (not an ombudsman or survey interviewer, but an ambassador who merely wants to know how's the car, how's the dealer, how can could things be made even better.) A lot of companies are coming to use selected employees in this role; Subaru has an unusual if not unique opportnity to actually use customers (who presumably would have even more credibility than employees.)
This is not a dealer-beating tool, although it would surely turn up the volume as to dealer satisfaction. Like gmcmkin above, I've been handed the survey then begged/told/cajoled to give the dealer and the salesman nothing but A+ ratings. Total waste of time, except that it tells how brazen and sleazy some dealers can be. (Once had a BMW salesman beg me for A+'s but his service department was trash -- so I trashed it. BMW apparently did follow up with a "scolding," and the dealer acknowledged it, but nothing substantive was ever done.)
And one last note -- Patti, if you're reading, and I'm sure you are -- please in no way feel obligated to respond to this. But if you want to slip it under the door of some enlightened veep of operations at SoA, feel free.
For the most part SOA already does that. The Owner's Club area on Edmunds has activities, and goes out to promote the cars. Very grass roots effort. I do the same for Isuzu, since I'm an owner of both an Isuzu and a Subaru.
On a side note, If you guys haven't seen the post in the owner's area, I'm running a Subaru/Isuzu trail ride down in the Pine Barrens area of NJ on Sept 15th. We so far have about 20-30 maybe more subarus coming and probably 10-15 Isuzus. Should be a fun day for everyone!
It's not the navigation system though, but just the emergency response system. Acura's GPS is not really special. It is made by Alpine, and you can easily get an equivalent or even better model custom installed in any vehicle.
but it's a 2000-3000 option out on the street (i don't think that includes install either) not that the one from acura is any cheaper (it's about $2500)
I was pricing out the parts @ Crutchfield about 6mo ago. By the time I got the head unit with 5" screen, all the proper CDs with the roads for the entire US, CPU, antenna, etc. etc. it priced out over 2K. Prices may have come down now.
Comments
Keith
I would like to know who to call and where. I may have received a call from Subaru, but the only message I recall sounded like a survey call and made no reference of this issue.
Things have not got any better with Subaru Natick and I do not want to elaborate any more in this forum. I do want to speak to someone though who can help.
I give you my email below to make it easier to contact me.
Gary
email: garymcm@yahoo.com
If you want to hear some horror stories about that dealer, e-mail me. They're unbelieveable.
Glad your back "on the beat."
Don
I'm really sorry. Both of your cases are still open and I will follow up on them and make sure you are kept informed as to what is going on.
Thanks for your patience and I'm sorry that the service you have been receiving has not been up to par. I won't bore you with a bunch of lame excuses - there were reasons, but they should not have impacted the way your cases were dealt with.
Patti
Thanks!
Patti
In early Sept. (this is an estimate), your dealer should be able to order a shim kit to eliminate the harmonics issue that causes the noise. So, make sure you contact your dealer in Sept. so they can order the shims for you.
Patti
All good news, thanks Patti.
http://www.oit.gatech.edu/oe/design/rob/wheels/wheels.htm
LMK what y'all think of that! BTW the dealer called me yesterday to let me know the new wheel is in.
-r
http://www.oit.gatech.edu/oe/design/rob/wheels/wheels.htm
LMK what y'all think of that! BTW the dealer called me yesterday to let me know the new wheel is in.
-r
Greg
I was doing 45mph, which is about normal and when I saw the stopped car I braked. On hitting the change in the road the car lost traction, the abs kicked in and VDC light flashed. I kept a straight line and stopped safely.
Sweetness.
-mike
Lake Tahoe, CA
-r
-mike
The switch is not really a big deal since people leave the system on anyway.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Cheers
Pat in NC
Theo in Colorado
-mike
Subaru's system is a bit different, in that it allows for more play, or more wheelspin (to build momentum) before activating the VDC. Hence the reason why the '01s didn't need an off-switch.
mike, blame those resident high pressure zones sitting off the mainland's coast for your high temps ;-). We've had the opposite here on the west with resident low pressure zones sitting off our coast, not that I'm complaining!
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
hmm how to bring this back on topic...
oh yeah, I thought about running a VDC sedan in auto-x next season. It should do well, since H-stock is where it would be against a lot of easier cars.
-mike
Patti
Patti
So, back to my test drive. First impressions were: Wow, this car is tight! Most likely due to the shorter length (it seemed to be about 8" shorter than a wagon). As I drove around, I tried to think about my Bean and compare it's feel. Over all, the H-6 seemed to make power a little more smoothly than my Bean. My Bean has a punch when you cross the 3500 rpm threshold. The sedan felt more smooth making power the entire way through the rpm range. The sound insulation that comes as part of the McIntosh sound system made a slight improvement in cabin noise, but it is hard to compare a wagon's interior noise levels to that of a sedan, not to mention the addition of roof rails, etc. So, over all, the VDC sedan did feel quieter. The McIntosh, on the other hand, doesn't come close to the sound of the stock Bean radio paired up with the factory subwoofer. The sound was too boomy with too much mid range. The radio does not offer a mid level adjustment as my Bean's radio does. The boominess of the sub is most likely due to it's shape and size; it is oval, and small. A larger, round sub would soften the bass up considerably.
Now, about the VDC off switch and ignition key light: The VDC did turn right back on at 37mph. Oh, well. The ignition key light is absolute CRAP. It is a cheap looking translucent plastic ring surrounding the ignition switch. Sure, it will do the job, BUT, it looks cheap!
That's it. Sorry for the long post.
Robert in Atlanta
-mike
Those were my thoughts exactly! I told the service guy last night that if they'd just drop that H-6 in GT trim: Lower, bigger 17" wheels, lower profile tires, stiffer suspension....etc. That would be an awsome vehicle.
Robert in Altanta
-mike
Ed
Greg
there's a dealership right around the corner from my house that has one left on their lot. the color is wintergreen/titanium. i'm getting rid of my honda si on friday (someone is buying it). i want to get a sensible 4 door sedan. i'm not particularly keen on driving a station wagon, so the ll bean wagon is out. i test drove the 2002 vdc sedan and loved it. are these cars in high demand? the price i got was $28,400 plus tax and tags. does anybody else have one? if so, how do you like it so far? thanks in advance for the feedback.
Given my driving impressions of the 2001 VDC wagon, the sedan should be just as smooth and refined. I'm going to guess that the sedan is even more quiet inside compared to the wagon.
I'm not sure if the VDC models are in high demand right now. Perhaps someone else can comment. There was an initial rush for them last year but I think it's tapered of somewhat.
Ken
The good news is that you brought this to my attention. The folks involved understand how and what the errors in your case handling were. I'm glad things are better and, once again, I am really sorry.
Patti
Yes, I got a call from your rep. Message said that the owner of Subaru Natick would be calling.
Instead got a call from the sales manager who asked me for the "sales issue". I told him I do not know what a sales issue is and so I told him all the issues. At the end he said they were not his issues. He said he would need to go talk to someone and get back to me. At this point no call has been received in over a day.
At this point the issues were/are:
1. Wheels not balanced. Completed after making me wait for 2 hours and telling me the car was in process, when I could see it in the lot.
2. Speedo inaccuracy. The speedo was out by more than 6% (70.5/75 = 6%) after they looked at it, when I got it back it is now exactly at 4.5% inaccuracy. Dealer claims no work was done. I can only conclude that possibilities for the difference are:
1) it adjusted itself
2) adjusted by the dealer, in which case why not just fix it right.
Either way, Subaru may say this is no longer an issue. For me, because of the way it was handled, it will never cease to be an issue. It annoys me every day, I want to do 65, I need to go a bit faster etc.
I also have my 4 or 5 other gripes that fall under the "bad dealer" category. Would love to write a letter to someone in SoA just as an FYI. I would feel better anyway.
Patti, thanks for your help. You can close the case as I give up and I never want to hear from them again. Some companies don't care about customers and I have learned you can't win with people like that.
This dealer will never see me or the car again. This is reflected in the dealer survey, in which, with great self restraint, I declined the incentive of a free oil change and a month of car washes to only say good things about them. I opted for the truth.
I am looking for a new dealer to form a hopefully more 'healthy' relationship.
Gary
-mike
I'm sure Patti and her SoA folks worked hard on the most recent case mentioned above, but obviously the dealer and his sales manager could care less about your woes. I read somewhere that SoA is the only brand that has a company rep on the website ready to help out. That says a lot for the company. Moreover, judging from Patti's posts, I think she does a great, sustained job. I'm continually impressed by her earnestness and follow-through.
Now, if only the dealers could live up to the Subaru brand as well as the product and the company does, we'd all be a lot better off. These guys obviously don't believe repeat business is a goal to be sought after -- yet my dealer has treated us wonderfully, and we have responded by becoming repeat buyers eight times over, and we and made two referrals as well! It's a win-win that, I guess, some of these boneheads in plaid sportcoats have yet to figure out.
I've worked with consumer product companies that have multi-tier distribution systems, and one of the usual aspects of the arrangement is that the manufacturer usually has a panel of his wholesalers or retailers or both to serve as advisors.
One of the unusual aspects of the Subaru brand is that many of us are far more than owners, we're real supporters of the car and want to see SoA only do better in the future. Not every car brand can brag about owners like Subaru can. Subaru has a reservoir of goodwill among its owners that even the luxury brands would die for. And maybe it's time for SoA to draw on it.
So, my whacko proposal is for SoA to form an advisory cadre not of dealers (they probably already have one), but of owners. This could be done "virtually" (read that as few or no meetings) through e-mail chats, questionnaires and similar. All input from these advisors would be shared with dealers. Don't just draw these people out of a hat; set some standards and actively recruit them. Rotate them on and off the board yearly. I am not suggesting a set of people who merely respond to surveys, but active brand ambassadors of sorts.
Want to get even crazier? You could have these advisors call customers at random, explain their role with the company (not an ombudsman or survey interviewer, but an ambassador who merely wants to know how's the car, how's the dealer, how can could things be made even better.) A lot of companies are coming to use selected employees in this role; Subaru has an unusual if not unique opportnity to actually use customers (who presumably would have even more credibility than employees.)
This is not a dealer-beating tool, although it would surely turn up the volume as to dealer satisfaction. Like gmcmkin above, I've been handed the survey then begged/told/cajoled to give the dealer and the salesman nothing but A+ ratings. Total waste of time, except that it tells how brazen and sleazy some dealers can be. (Once had a BMW salesman beg me for A+'s but his service department was trash -- so I trashed it. BMW apparently did follow up with a "scolding," and the dealer acknowledged it, but nothing substantive was ever done.)
And one last note -- Patti, if you're reading, and I'm sure you are -- please in no way feel obligated to respond to this. But if you want to slip it under the door of some enlightened veep of operations at SoA, feel free.
End of rant
Al -- St. Louis
'course this is just my o
On a side note, If you guys haven't seen the post in the owner's area, I'm running a Subaru/Isuzu trail ride down in the Pine Barrens area of NJ on Sept 15th. We so far have about 20-30 maybe more subarus coming and probably 10-15 Isuzus. Should be a fun day for everyone!
-mike
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
-mike
-mike