Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Didn't know Costco carried one, I'll have to check it out.

    Of course borrowing Bob's is cheaper. ;-)

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I had more wear on the insides of my Duelers on my '98 Forester, still got 28k out of those. But the Nitto NT460 I have on there now are wearing evenly.

    My wife's RE92s on her 2002 Legacy seem to be wearing evenly, as well.

    Any alignment experts wanna offer advice? Would a camber adjustment help?

    -juice
  • mlouttitmlouttit Member Posts: 19
    Juice,

    Thank you for the response. Given I put 80,000 miles on the 94, 93,000 miles on the 96, and (so far) 64,000 on the 99, the cars have been aligned almost 40 times by 4 or 5 different shops. I would hope the camber would not have been wrong every time. It's not driving style either. My wife was the primary driver of the 94, I was the primary driver of the 96, and we have split the 99.
    Thanks again for the response.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm not sure, but don't they specify a range for stock camber? It might be within the range, but still not at the ideal setting.

    Now that I think about it, my front tires wore more quickly on the outer edges. Probably just a lot of hard cornering.

    -juice
  • rob999rob999 Member Posts: 233
    I read the original post and was gonna suggest the trailer at Costco, too. It's actually made in Canada - I believe the brand name is 'White Bear' or something like that.

    I've been eyeing these for a while. Seem to be exceptionally well made and a super deal at the Costco price.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What size? Now I'm gonna look it up...

    Not found on Costco.com, oddly enough the only trailer they have there is built to be pulled behind water craft!

    -jucie
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I've seen trailers there. Frankly, I'd be a bit leery of buying a trailer from anything other than a trailer dealer. If you have problems or need something Costcos or Sams won't be able to help you.

    Bob
  • mlouttitmlouttit Member Posts: 19
    Juice,

    Thank you for the response. Given I put 80,000 miles on the 94, 93,000 miles on the 96, and (so far) 64,000 on the 99, the cars have been aligned almost 40 times by 4 or 5 different shops. I would hope the camber would not have been wrong every time. It's not driving style either. My wife was the primary driver of the 94, I was the primary driver of the 96, and we have split the 99.
    Thanks again for the response.
  • ozman62ozman62 Member Posts: 229
    The unusual tire wear you've experienced certainly would indicate an alignment problem. Have you ever had your car aligned at a Subie dealer? They're probably most experienced at Subaru alignment(obviously) and would know that a 4 wheel alignment was mandatory. Not sure if you mentioned that. For your problem, my guess would be a toe-in or camber issue.
       AWD = greater tire wear is really a myth, IMO. With proper inflation checks and regular rotations, and immediate attention to alignment problems, Subarus should wear tires actually more evenly than single axle drive vehicles, particularly front drivers.
       Oh yeah, don't hit Refresh after you post your message, it duplicates it.
       Hope this helps,
    Owen
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Actually I've had a similar experience on my 00 OB. I have 60k miles and am on my 3rd pair of tires. Admittedly, these last tires were purchased after I had a blow out, but I had noticed uneven wear on the tires both times. Matter of fact, Paisan pointed it out to me back in Feb. When I've gone for an alignment, the first time they said the camber was off. The dealer though said it was within specs. The owners manual does give some leeway, which could account for wear.

    Mark
  • mlouttitmlouttit Member Posts: 19
    My local Subaru dealer did not do alignments until they just recently built a new dealership. I recently had it aligned there for the first time and I have my fingers crossed that this will be better. All previous alignments were 4 wheel.
    Thanks for letting me know what was causing the duplication of my posts. I was wondering how that happened. Sorry for the duplication.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I got about 30k out of the OEM Wilderness tires on my '00 Outback with 6 month rotations (about 4-6k miles). They wore evenly and probably could have lasted 5k more miles, but winter was coming and I wasn't going to take the winter with crummy tires. In the 6k I got out of the replacements (Tiger Paw Touring) before I traded it, they were wearing evenly as well.

    If the insides are wearing, it's toe that's at fault, IIRC. Some vehicles have a toe-out /------\ to help cornering, as the tire will straighten out in a turn making better grip. Toe-in looks like \----/

    A good alignment shop should be able to set things straight (pun intended). Hunter equipment is generally the best for alignments and balancing...

    -Brian
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    Brain cramp earlier... Home Depot has 'em as well.

    Costco usually has 'em on the floor... usually with a lawn mower sitting in it. Unfortunately, it's not buy one, get one free :)

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    In the old days of RWD, I thought it was common to set the front tires with slight toe-in. The drag of moving straightened them out.

    I ran the original RE92 for 40k and replaced them with RE92 take offs from a WRX and got 40k on those also. Relatively even wear.

    Almost want to run downstairs and check the current tires! 8~O

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

    Typica 6'x4' utility trailer runs about 180kg (say 400lb) and will rate for carrying 500kg (half ton). Slightly heavier duty wieghs about the same and will carry 750kg (3/4 ton). Both fall below the 1000kg tow weight although once you get above 500 kg towed, you start to know it in any vehicle.

    Usual ground rules aply. Drive slower, allow plenty of stopping and turning time and remember the trailer has no brakes. Practise backing up before you actually need it

    Cheers

    Graham
  • K9LeaderK9Leader Member Posts: 112
    The driver's side rear seatback latch on my 2000 OBW creaks and groans, a lot. If I hit it with silicone spray it quiets down for a few weeks. But it always starts creaking and groaning again. Passenger side does not do this.

    Anyone have any words of wisdom? The lubrication thing is just a temporary band-aid, and I really want to find a longer term solution.

    --K9Leader, Newark DE
  • franklanfranklan Member Posts: 2
    I'm interested in how you removed the center headrest. I have a 2002 Outback VDC sedan, and I'd like to do the same. However, I don't see how it's secured.
  • joyridea4joyridea4 Member Posts: 48
    My 2001 LL bean outback wagon had fold down rear seats. All three head rests were removable with a small push in button that allowed me to pull the head rests out.
    I am not sure if your rear seat will fold down. I see the 2005 sedan does not, this could be the difference and why you do not have the ablity to remove the head rest.
    Don
  • mchinmchin Member Posts: 22
    Hi all,
      When I drove our 04 OB sedan, my wife heard a studdering sound from the rear of the car. Could this be a sign of warp rotors? Thanks.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Dano,

    Here are a couple of units I looked at when buying a trailer for my OBW. Remember that these do not have trailer brakes as std, so take it easy....

    http://www.carry-ontrailer.com/ These 'landscaper trailers'are available at Lowes Homecenters (like Home Depot) and is what I eventually bought in the 5'x8' size for $575. I liked the drop down gate for driving my lawn tractor, rototiller, etc onto. I added $50 worth of plywood for floor and sides to box it in for wood chips, etc, plus some tie down hooks for attaching tarps, lashing down the mower. It is 2000lb GVW, with about a 1450lb payload.

    http://www.snowbear.com/html/trailers.html Variants of these are available at Home Depot, BJ's, Sams, Costco. Already boxed in, they are easier for loading wood chips, but harder for loading lawn equipment.

    http://www.matrailer.com/html/single-axle.html These are more typically sold at trailer dealers - two places near me carried these. Probably better for professionals, maybe overkill for average homeowner use. Better built, but more expensive.

    Steve
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Steve, good links, thanks. :) As you can see, trailer brakes are MIA (not even optional) on many of these small trailers that are rated under 3000 gvw. This is typical within this weight class of trailer.

    Bob
  • tehenntehenn Member Posts: 1
    I'm shopping for a used Outback or Legacy, and today got advice from a mechanic I trust immeasurabley who mostly works on Subarus NOT to buy any Subaru with the 2.5 dual overhead cam engine... that he's forever seeing them in his shop with head gaskets gone, or shot valve guides or warped heads. I checked back in the past few years of Consumer Reports but didn't see anything that spoke of this. Anyone here agree or disagree?? Or have advice about where to find out more? thanks.
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    My 99 GT with the 2.5 DOHC has 105k and has not a single problem other than some minor oil leaks, and normal maintenance. Rob M.
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    model years and DOHC engines. There should be more knowledgable people than me here.
    It might be 98 and 99 but I am not sure.

    Krzys
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Every automaker has an achilles heel, and headgaskets seem to be a problem on Subaru. I don't think anyone has hard numbers to post, but HG issues were probably one of the high flyers on this and several other boards. Maybe it becomes noteworthy as it stands out in the absence of many other issues? Is it a 1% problem? More? Less? You tend to hear about those who get big bills ($1500 seems to be a common price), not those who drive trouble free for years.

    When a friend of mines DOHC went, I refered him to a shop specializing in Subaru. The owner/mechanic was a former district rep of the company, and told me that this was probably the number one single big problem he dealt with. Yet he and his wife drive Subaru's, and he wouldn't buy anything else.

    Even those of us with the newer design SOHC have had fails. Mine leaked at 15k miles. Disapointing, yes, but not tragic.

    There is a new gasket available for the DOHC (4 layers rather than 3, IIRC), and a coolant additive in use for the SOHC.

    Bottom line - do your homework and find out as much as you can before you buy. Have your friend look over the engine carefully for indication of prior damage, current leaks, gasket replacement, etc. But they are still good cars, and the incidents of failure and major expense looks to be low.

    Steve
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    Funny you mentioned the problem with the rear seat latch. I'm taking my 02 outback to the dealer tomorrow to have the seat latch replaced . It make a creaking/knocking noise . I'm also having my drs window regulator replaced . I have had it tightned 2 other times b/4. This time they are just replacing it . My window never stayed up it would drop down a little and rattle . I'm also getting the expansion valve replaced in the a/c . For the last month I have been getting a fog horn noise from the a/c . I'm hopping this fixes the erractic a/c operation ,blows cold then warm then cold . I'll let you know if the fixes work . All the fixes are no charge even though I'm out of warranty. 45K miles . I have an extended warranty but they are not using it .

    Mike
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    The other big $$$ achilles heel is piston slap. Like Steve said I have no idea what percentage is effected by it, or what the long term damage to the engine might be. I do know that Subaru has replaced many short blocks due to consumers complaining about this issue, including mine.

    Someone else can hopefully comment on the smaller $$$ seal/gasket/o-ring leaks.

    Karl
  • 3subeowner3subeowner Member Posts: 9
    Both of my Sube's suffered blown head gaskets a year-and-a-half ago, winter '03. Now they both seem to be suffering the same hesitation problem when accelerating. I thought it was summer heat & gasoline-related so have added a fuel cleaner every few thousand miles. It has helped and also improved fuel/mileage performance, but lately, with the '98 Legacy Outback wagon, manual trany, 109K miles, the cleaner only lasts through one tank of gas and the sputtering seems to be getting worse. It is not idling rough, but has poor acceleration, poor gas mileage. I was wondering about replacing the oxygen sensor.

    I'm surprised that my '01 Legacy GT, also a manual trany, 80K miles is showing signs of the same problem.
    Anyone else experiencing this?
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    I assume you replace your fuel filters regularly? A bad batch of gas could cause this problem.

    Jim
  • sugardogsugardog Member Posts: 41
    I want to share my experience with the drivetrain warrantee from Subaru.
    I have read many complaints in this forum about the response from Subaru on warrantee issues.
    I recently took my 1999 Outback wagon to the dealer for drivetrain noise. I had one month left on the drivetrain warrantee, and 43000 miles. The dealer did not give me any hard time, they checked out the problem, they replaced the rear differential and overhauled the tranny mainshaft, all under warrantee at no cost to me. The car is now quiet as a mouse, to quote the Asst. service Mgr at the dealer.
    I say KUDO's to Subaru on their response to my problem.
    The dealer is Ellacott Shaker Subaru in Warrensville Hts, Ohio, suburb of Cleveland.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Glad to hear it. That's the way it should be!

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Thanks for sharing, sugardog.

    I have a DOHC engine in my '98 Forester and at 65k miles right now it hasn't cost me a penny in repairs. I paid cash for it so it's been a very nice seven years with a total bill of exactly $0.

    Can't complain. And I'm not selling it any time soon, either.

    You hear about head gaskets here because people seek out these forums for help when they have a problem, naturally. And yes, CR would have had a big black dot for the "Engine" category if it were much more common than the average engine, though it's not rare, either.

    -juice
  • coopcoop Member Posts: 3
    Thanks, Steve. I just realized that I said the '05 could tow 1,000 KG. It's actually only 1,000 lbs -- that's a big difference. The weight of the utility trailers at Home Depot, Snow Bear, etc. is around 500 lbs. which doesn't leave much room for even a half cubic yard of earth.

    How do you manage to exceed that weight limit without hitting the car in front of you when you try to stop?

    Dano
  • coopcoop Member Posts: 3
    Thanks, Graham. I just realized that I said the '05 could tow 1,000 KG. It's actually only 1,000 lbs -- that's a big difference. The weight of the utility trailers at Home Depot, Snow Bear, etc. is around 500 lbs. which doesn't leave much room for even a half cubic yard of earth.

    More importantly, these utility trailers do not come with brakes!!

    How do you manage to exceed that weight limit without hitting the car in front of you when you try to stop?

    Dano
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    all H4 Outbacks can tow 2700lbs and H6 3000 lbs (sedan too).
    Funny thing is that Legacy brochure mentions nothing about towing (I might be blind).
    It also states class I for towing.

    Krzys
  • gardencargardencar Member Posts: 293
    Does anyone know what year engines and from what vehicle models could be interchanged with a 1993 Legacy wagon that has a 2.2 liter engine?

    Some one I know in Hawaii is looking to replace the engine in his wagon, and even the local dealer isn't sure. Thanks in advance for any replies.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Tough question. The EJ22 engine was used all the way up to 2001, in the Impreza line. The catch is the harness and the ECU may be different, so I'm not sure they would just plug-and-play like that.

    Is mike around, paisan I mean? He has a 2.2l and knows much more about those than I do.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Yeah, but that's with trailers with brakes. Read the owners manual. That will give you all the info, including braked and unbraked tow ratings.

    Bob
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    have only had problems with 1 of my 4 Subes so far, bad toe in wrecked some not so cheap Michelin Pilot XGTs on my 98 Legacy in a year.
    IIRC I read something at nabisco that you can't change one of the alignment parameters on Subes on either the front or back wheels easily. Shops which are not used to Subes may think they are making a change but they aren't.
    You want to talk about bad wear, my little Rialta RV has worn through half the tread on the front tires (its essentially a Eurovan with a Winnebago body) in 4K!Rear tires look new though. Admittedly these are Nokians so maybe they are a little soft for a front drive pulling 7000lbs!
  • firstovfirstov Member Posts: 31
    this morning when I started my 03 LL Bean (17K miles) I've heard loud high pitched squeaky-squeaky noise coming out from the engine area. The AC controls were in Auto Econ mode.
    After I drove it for 15 minutes the noise almost disappeared. It's now less pronounced high pitched noise and it's steady.
    The car was parked outside last night and it was heavy rain.
    Please help to find what could that be. I'm afraid dealer will not be able to hear it.
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    First guess would be a wet drive belt. Could need to be re-tensioned or replaced. Rob M.
  • jnr1675jnr1675 Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2001 Legacy Wagon that I bought brand new. It has clearcoat damage and cracked paint on the hood, which appeared after I had the car for a year and a half. I was told that it wasn't covered under warranty, and I couldn't afford to repair it privately, so I didn't pursue repair then.

    I recently visited 2 body shops and was told by both that the area had obviously been re-painted and poorly spot-repaired, and the whole hood would require re-finishing ($635). The dealer who sold me the car claims to have no record of transport delivery and re-painting by them. I have e-mailed a complaint and request for proper repair to Subaru, but have not yet received a response. Has anyone else heard of this happening before?

    Thanks in advance for your input!
  • vetmatsvetmats Member Posts: 71
    I have a bird stain that has etched into the clear coat on the hood of my Outback. I have tried to use some Bug&Tar remover, as well as some Scratch-out to remove it, but it's still there.

    Anybody have an idea if a professional detailer would be able to remove it? And how much it should cost?

    Thanks,
  • Acid etching is a tough one to remove. The only way to remove it is the same method as a scratch: buff down the surrounding clearcoat with a mild grit until the surface is even with the etched portion. A pro detailer will definitely be able to do it for less than $75, and he/she will be more skilled at not taking the clearcoat down too thin. Unless you have the experience, tools, and products, I don't recommend buffing out the car yourself.

    Be warned though, that buffing down your clearcoat does make it thinner, and you don't want to do that unless you have to. If the clearcoat is ever buffed completely away, you'll need a re-paint to restore the luster.

    Another option is to fill in the etched area with wax. It won't be perfect and will require regular re-waxing, but it will help with the appearance a bit and keep your clearcoat as thick as possible.

    The best way to prevent future etching is to keep your wax thick and fresh, and quickly clean up any droppings. Storing a bottle of instant detailer and a terry cloth rag in the car makes the clean up simple.

    Good luck!

    -Ty
  • litespeed4litespeed4 Member Posts: 11
    I recently had maintenance done on a 2000 Outback Wagon. The water pump was leaking so I had it replaced, did the timing belt at the same time. I also had them change plugs/air filter/fuel filter/etc and do an engine tuneup.

    When I got the car back, it ran great, but has loud noise, which sounds similar to an exhaust leak but comes from under the hood. Under normal driving it is not bad, but get it up around 4000 rpm and it is very load. I took it back to the shop, they said it was something with the air intake diaphragm. The mechanic pointed to a black plastic box up top near the dash with what looked like air ducts going into it, and said it was in there. He said the noise wasn't unusual, but then 3 days later the check engine light came on. The code was for something related to the catalytic converter. They tried adjusting air flow rates with the computer but it is still loud. Any idea what the problem might be?

    I think the mechanic was a bit baffled by it.
  • ozman62ozman62 Member Posts: 229
    an improperly installed air filter? Or maybe they didn't get the air filter box closed properly. I've heard (no pun intended) that that could cause a weird sound, and a CEL.
    HTH, Owen
  • joesydjoesyd Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 Outback with 25,000 miles purchased new in July 2001 has been into Subaru dealership 4 times with a still unsolved problem: wheel vibrates (especially so when started in morning) when pulling out of garage and turning wheel sharply to left or right. Initially dealer replaced hoses with "narrower" ones which helped for six months. Problem reoccurred and dealer then replaced power steering unit and hoses again as well as checking front end for alignment and tires as well. This helped for two years but this past April I noticed reoccurrence of vibrarion in the wheel when turning. Service manager (who has been very helpful throughout--all repairs were under warranty) acknowledged vibration but said Subaru can do no more. Just last week vibrations became more pronounced and a noise now accompanies the vibration. Car just came off warranty. Any ideas?
  • I believe ozman62 nailed it on the head. That type of noise at those RPMs is a classic indicator of a misaligned airfilter cover. The Subaru air filter cover is a little funky, with two tabs that have to align with two holes on the bottom of the cover. If you don't stick the tabs into the holes, then the cover doesn't close all the way. You won't notice it until around 3,000 RPM, when you get a loud intake noise and some vibration.

    Pull the air filter cover off and reattach it, making sure the tabs are inserted fully into the holes before latching it down.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    It was probably the belt. My Bean ocassionally made belt noises in damp weather. I replaced the belt at the 30,000 mile service and the new belt was much quieter.

    CRaig
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    This happened on both of my previous Outbacks (nickel-sized spots on the hood) and my WRX (much smaller spot on the rear spoiler). You have to be super vigilant and wipe bird droppings off right away. Modern lead-free paint/clear is not very robust. Each time it happened to me, I was away from the car for a few days and was unable to clean the droppings off in time.

    As previously posted, you can use some 2000 grit wet-sand paper to make it look better, but that's a 50/50 proposition in my experience. Best thing is to wax it good and leave it alone. In the future, if the paint starts flaking, take it to a body shop and see if they can do a spot repair (may not look good, but I would do a full hood repaint as a last resort).

    Craig
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