By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
The original Bridgestone RE92's on my current '03 Outback A/T have 38k miles with plenty of tread remaining; rotated every 7500 miles. No alignments to date.
I have no idea why your tires don't last. :-(
What type of driving do you do?
DaveM
Are you getting all your alignments at the same place? Maybe their rack is out of calibration and you are getting bad alignments.
Also, what is the treadwear rating of the tires you are using? If you have low TW tires, they can wear out pretty quick.
BTW, I only get alignments when I get new tires or there is a noticeable steering/tracking problem. So I tend to go 2-3 years or more between alignments.
Craig
Thank you for your reply. Your tire wear is amazing! I don't think my driving is out of the ordinary. It's a combination of city and highway. It's not just one driving style either. My wife was primary driver on the 94, I was the primary on the 96, and we have split the 99. The results are the same.
I estimate that we put 7 sets of tires and had 12 alignments on the 94 in only 65,000 miles. We put 8 sets of tires and had 16 alignments on the 96 in 93,000 miles. We have put 5 sets of tires and had 11 alignments on the 99 in about 68,000 miles (so far). Add that up....
As for the question in the other post.....I have tried so many different tires trying to find something that has worked. I have tried multiple Goodyear tires, Michelin, Dunlop, .... all the same.
I have also tried alignments at 4 different garages and the dealer.
Now, we are talking about western Pennsylvania roads which are horrible but, as I said, I haven't had this problem with other cars that I have owned. We need to get alignments more often than most people that have good roads but I've been able to get decent wear from tires on other cars.
I would like to consider the new Legacy but I am cocnerned that the new 2.5 GT will come with a tire size that will limit my choices to higher speed ratings and softer compounds that will only make things worse (although I haven't confirmed the tire size yet). I may go to the Honda CRV just to get tire wear!
Well, my tire wear is on horrible eastern Potholesylvania roads.
One other thing. Do you run the tires at Subarus recommended pressures? I always run my fronts at 4 to 6 psi and rears at 2 to 4 psi above the recommended pressures.
DaveM
I've replaced RE92s at 40-45k because I want tires with good tread in winter. They could have gone much longer.
Jim
Put Michelin mxv4's on my 99 GT Sedan - currently have 72k on them, and the local tire shop says I can go another 10k. One alignment in 6 years, and rotate every 7k.
Yes, I always have run the recommended pressures.
Mike
No company has ever prorated the tires because the wear has always been uneven. They all say this invalidated the warranty. I even responded that they were the ones that did the alignment but they all say that I could have hit something that knocked it out and they are not responsible therefore.
Mike
Thanks.
senturi
The electrical load on the battery is irrelevant. But overcharging can cause excessive gassing which could cause a fine mist of acid to emerge from the vents. It will also shorten battery life.
Remove the affected parts, scrape off any loose or peeling paint and use an alkaline solution of bicarbonate of soda (baking powder) to neutralize the acid and clean the metal parts and the top of the battery. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection, and be careful not to get any alkaline inside the battery. Repaint the battery clamp and any other metal parts that need it with good quality oil-based paint (such as Tremclad Rust Paint).
Of course, if your battery is actually leaking, this won't help much.
There is a fully illustrated document in another forum - unfortunately, I am not allowed to link from here.
[editorial on]
please, mr host, don't slap my hand
[editorial off]
Hint: If you google scooby and mods together, you may happen across it.
Good Luck! Rob M.
Not sure how to build a link here, so hope this suffices.
Cheers!
Paul
To link to a specific message, just right-click on the blue highlighted message number, select "copy shortcut" from the menu, then paste (control-v) into your new message - presto! You get what juice posted.
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
I am trading on a 2005 Limited. Outbacks are great!
Kiko
--jay
It's supposed to go on when you have 2.3l gallons left, at least on Foresters. But it's actually better not to run out of fuel because you're using all the sludge from the bottom of the gas tank if you do.
Good luck shopping for the new one. Gas mileage is even better, 22/28 or 23/28 depending on the tranny. Gas tank is the same size.
-juice
Any ideas what the issue can be ? It is very confusing it got better after a spark plug change but than worsened again.
The ones on my Miata didn't last 30k miles.
-juice
Too be honest, other than the starting issues, I absolutely love this car!!
I don't think that it is an issue of getting maximum performance with premium; the Outback simply requires premium gasoline to operate properly.
One of our company cars is a Nissan Altima that requires premium gasoline. If you put a lower grade in it, it hesitates and knocks.
Requiring premium gasoline is just a feature of the car. Unfortunately nothing can be done about it.
Don't know about the hesitation other than to say the engine can act fussy after a tough start like you described. If you start using the above procedure, it ought to eliminate several problems.
I think the H6 has a sensitive fuel injection system, so it helps to baby it a little on startup.
Craig
susie: welcome, I remember you from the chat.
Indeed, premium fuel is recommended for that engine, and all the time, not just for hard driving. You *can* use regular fuel in a pinch, but it's not designed for extended use on low octane.
Sorry to hear your dealer wasn't more clear about that, technically they should have covered that during the PDI (delivery).
-juice
Paul
Subaru rotors are junk in my opinion. Steering wheel shimmies and brake pedal vibrates when I apply the brakes. I had the rotors “cut” at around 3,500 miles. The rotors were ok until 6,500 miles. I am now back to “square one” and need the rotors resurfaced. Anybody have any luck with Subaru replacing the rotors? I don’t want to bring this car back every 3,000 miles to have the rotors resurfaced. Any suggestions as to what is causing the rotors to warp? I have an appointment this Saturday to have car looked at.
For the cold start, I'd consider a battery warmer and block heater. Pat has one (he's in Canada) and he swears by them.
-juice
Problem lies elsewhere with cold starting.
Anybody know how many pounds of pressure the dealer should use to prevent the rotors from warping?
Anybody know how many pounds of pressure the dealer should use to prevent the rotors from warping?
I had warped rotors on my 00 Outback and my 02 LL Bean. I think the rotors were not good on the 00-04 models (seem to be OK on the 05s). But I am also inclined to think that over-tightening by dealers is a major contgributor. I always checked my lugs after a dealer service, and the torque was WAY too high. In fact, if I got stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire and the stock wrench I would have been screwed -- it took a long breaker bar to get the lugs loose one time when I was rotating tires in my garage.
Bottom line is that it's covered under the 3/36 warranty, so keep after Subaru to take care of you.
On both my 00 and 02, I had the rotors turned early on (2000-8000 miles) and then they were OK from then on. I traded the 02 at 45000 miles and the rotors were still doing great.
Craig
My 96 Outback had the fronts replaced at 22k, the backs replaced at 44k, the fronts replaced again at 65k, and the backs where warped when I traded at 85k. The dealer fully blamed my wife and her driving habits for the warpage.
My 99 GT sedan had over 80k when I had the front rotors turned. The back rotors were replaced at 84k. Not for warpage, but plain incompetence on the part of the dealer. At 80k I was told they were ok. At the next oil change they were supposedly checked and ok. 50 Miles later, I was running full metal on metal. Almost 30k later, they are still fine.
Called Subaru to get a case number but no resolution yet.
There were issues with early failure of alternators in the early Outbacks. My 96 was under a recall in late 1999/early 2000. I had already replaced the alternator in the summer of 99 at 58k. SOA reimbursed my out of pocket expenses as part of the recall.
Keep all the documentation, I would even ask to be reimbursed for the tow. They should have tested the alternator before they even concluded the battery was bad (it may not have been).
-juice
I did get a case number from SOA. I'm going bring the car into the dealership Friday to check it out one more time before I call SOA back. I was suspecting there was something wrong elsewhere with the car. Last time the alternator failed I got the service manager (20+ yrs experience) and the master electrician at the dealership to check the entire electrical system. They didn't find anything wrong.
Document as much as you can about the times you experienced failures, to help them solve this riddle.
Good luck.
-juice
A friend of mine with a Forester has had recurring rotor warping. I think he's swapped out three sets in 100K miles.
Ken
-juice
KarenS "Subaru Crew: Official SOA Presence (aka Patti)" Nov 3, 2004 4:11pm
Sounds like there is another problem or they are really bad at installing alternators. They definitely should have reimbursed you after charging $180 for a battery!! That is completely nuts.
I wonder if it's an issue with the drive belt system?? Are there any other symptoms other than the lights?
Craig