Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

fibber2

Two thoughts on 'two things'.... (both concerning the center diff issue...)

One: I would start with an ATF transmission fluid flush. I believe that the center differential, physically located as an extension of the tail shaft region of the transmission, uses the same fluid as the tranny body. Contaminated fluid could leave gum deposits on the friction plates, causing them to bind. This is one of those times when true pressure flush with a solvent, and not just a drain & replace is called for. The real problem is how to insure that it makes its way to the very back, as I would imagine that the ports between units are small.

Two: Duty cycle for coupling the front axle to the back is managed electronically. A solenoid somehow squeezes on those friction plates, transfering torque front to rear. The newer (generation II automatics) have a 'fuse' spot in the underhood fuse box that that turns this clutch off (??), disconnecting it from instructions from the TCU. Not sure if the older ones have this also. Possible thought to extend the life of the unit --- shut it off? Down side is that the vehicle would run in FWD mode only, but this would eliminate the front to rear binding, I would think. (Colin - help me out here....).

Steve

fibber2

Gee, I am not insulted or anything...

Seriously, I have the shop manual for my '02 OBW (same engine as yours), but the instructions for most things are vague at best. For example, since you asked about the knock sensor, this is what it says, scant text pretty much transcribed verbatim:

1) Disconnect battery
2) Remove air cleaner case
3) Disconnect knock sensor connector
4) Remove knock sensor from cylinder block
5) Install sensor - 17.4 ft-lbs.
Note: extraction area of knock sensor cord must be positioned at a 45' angle relative to the engine rear. (take a look at the old one and position the same...)
6) Connect sensor connector
7) Install air cleaner
8) Connect battery

The text is accompanied by some vague drawings that really assume you know where everything is located pretty much by braille. Yes, the book is a help, but only for those already in the know. Keep asking questions on this and other forums.

Steve

204meca

"...you should redline the car once each tankful to help prevent carbon deposits from forming inside your engine. We used to call that an Italian tune-up."

Ditto that. Not only do these work, but they are far more pleasant than banged knuckles and grease under the fingernails!

One more thing, if you use Chevron or Shell fuel with Tier one additve package, you probably won't need to buy that bottle of Techron every 3K. :shades:

crashton6

Quote > Miata enthusiasts say you should redline the car once each tankful to help prevent carbon deposits from forming inside your engine. When they form, they occupy space and effectively increase your compression ratio. That can cause pinging in extreme cases.

I'm a Miata enthusiast & don't really subscribe to the idea of red lining to keep the carbon at bay. It takes a whole lot of carbon to change the compression ratio, although it can happen. What usually happens is the carbon deposits will heat up & glow like a glow plug causing spark knock. Techron is a very good product for removing carbon deposits. Running a few bottles through will most likely help if carbon deposits are the problem. I also recommend running a bottle through at every oil change as a preventative measure. Carbon isn't as much of a problem as it was in the old days of leaded gas. Engines really do stay cleaner than in the good old days. For my money it's probably a problem with the knock sensor & not carbon. One more thing.....bad fuel injectors can make the same pinging as a carboned up car. On my wifes old Acura I had what I though was a case of spark knock. I used a stethoscope to listen around the engine & found the injectors were clicking like castanets. Four new injectors & all was quiet again.

Chuck

fstevensne

I had been hearing some kind of rattling in the rear of my Forester for a couple of weeks - assumed I had something loose in one of the storage cubbies on each side, or perhaps in the spare tire compartment. Then I heard an awful noise for just a second when closing the sunroof, like something was caught in it, just as the roof closed completely. Now it won't open at all (well, maybe it moves 1/4 inch or so). Any thoughts before I take it in for a repair?

I had been thinking about selling/trading a few months ago, but decided to wait until next year. It appears that my Subie read my thoughts about getting something new and decided a monetary sacrifice is in order . . . It could be worse - it would be stuck open.

Thanks,
Faye

lastar

I have a 2003 Outback Limited Wagon Automatic Transmission 4 cylinder and we are considering buying a Fold Down Camper weighing about 1,900 pounds.
Has anyone had any problems with towing creating engine or transmission issues?
Thanks

stellab

Hi everyone. Any ideas with this would be of great help.
I have a '01 Subaru Outback 4cyl. 2.5L A/T with 93,400 and I've loved this car as you can see by how man miles are on it!
Beginning of July- my check engine light went on and I brought it in -PO136 came up so the dealer replaced the rear o2 and I thought I was good to go. When I left the dealer, car all of a sudden was sluggish on acceleration, bucking intermittently and seemed like it was going to stall out at stops (once you put the gas pedal to the floor the RPM's would rise and it would seem to cough it's way out of it) and then at times it would drive so well! I was baffled.
Got the tranny checked, all new wires, plugs, air filter, fuel filter, oil change but car was still acting funky. Then the CEL came back on. I brought it to a friend's shop this time and once again the Rear o2 sensor code came back on. He checked it out and said to could be the air idle control (b/c at standing idle car also seems like it will stall) but something def. seemed to be tripping that o2 sensor. Suggested I take it back to dealer since same code was coming up and I just paid them to diagnose and fix it. Subie said they wouldn't charge me to re diagnose since it was repeating the code. I was psyched. Some other friends thought it might be a clogged catalytic converter.
Well, my car has now sat at Subaru for 2 full days and they don't know what it is. I was told could be wiring harness or ignition something or other ( I had no issues with ignition and couldn't understand how they came up with this UNTIL yesterday when I picked my car up again- now it seems to be having a little more trouble catching). I also remembered about a month ago my radio buttons were all screwed up- volume was now CD disc switch and moving between songs was no longer possible, it turned the radio back on. I thought this was weird, but it has pretty much corrected itself most of the time. I also have been leaving the same station on though.
Needless to say, I haven't got a clue here. I'm thinking maybe all of these electrical/mechanical things are related somehow, but not sure and neither is Subaru which is scary. They keep looking into the National database and seeing which other Subaru dealers have faced similar issues and are going with what "fix" worked for them. When I asked what would happen if they replaced the wiring harness and it didn't do the trick, he said "good question". When I asked how much the harness and labor would cost, he refused to give me an answer only saying they would work with me b/c the CEL keeps coming up with the same code. I can only imagine. Anyone know a ballpark figure? ANY IDEAS??? I would really love to hear any feedback since the wiring harness comes in tomorrow and I have to bring them back my car.
-Stella

once_for_all

if Subaru is befuddled by the problem, all us arm chair experts can do is provide comfort. Courage, you will get your beloved Subaru back in good shape. And, it sounds like the dealer is doing their best to service you.

John

rsholland

The tow limit for you car is 2000. You will need trailer brakes. Check your owner's manual for towing info.

Bob

fibber2

Stella,

You, unfortunately, are experiencing first hand one of the shortcomings of the present OBD (on board diagnostics) system. Because there are no redundant components to compare with when something goes wrong (like in aerospace apps), the system can only compare with lookup table values and make a best guess. It is generally quite good at indicating a first place to look, but is far from comprehensive in diagnosis. In this case, it sounds like the techs may be being lead astray.

P0136 is rear O2 sensor ciruit - a non-specific code. It could be the sensor, or the wiring. Some of the other codes are more descriptive and give a better place to start looking. The odd thing here is that the rear sensor monitors catalytic performance, but doesn't generally play into driveability. The front one is actively involved in fuel mixture determination, and that can play havoc with how the car drives (hesitation, stalling, etc.). Also very strange is your comment about the radio. Did you let them know about this also? Sure sounds like some unusual noise on the line, possibly a bad grounding point. If I were there, I would be looking for corroded grounding connections. There are a lot of sheet metal screws attaching wires to the body & various mechanicals, and I would be cleaning as many as possible.

I hate to suggest this, but some have reported improvement in overall driveability with some supplemental ground wiring. I doubt that a dealer would go with this approach - it is not in the "book".

Steve

royallen

I would add an auxiliary transmission cooler since camper towing tends to be a summer activity when hot weather leads to AC use and the extra towing load on the engine and transmission puts the transmission at risk for overheating. Roy

kev_xt_owner

While the transmission cooler may be useful, I didn't need one. With my 2004 Forester XT (AT) I towed a 1500 pound cargo trailer with load from Kansas to California (So, through mountain ranges). The only time the engine seemed under load (as indicated by rising coolant temperature) was going up large hills/mountains while attempting to remain at high speeds; at times I had to slow due to the rising temperature. On the return trip I remained slowed down to the recommended towing speeds (generally 10 or more miles per hour slower than normal) throughout the leg and never saw an issue with coolant temperature rising.

You'll see a significant improvement in miles per gallon (MPG) by going those slower speeds. That improvement is due to less air resistance of your vehicle and trailer that the engine must overcome as it travels at the slower speed. My MPG improved by about 3 on that return trip compared to the first leg.

macarius

I have a 2002 Forester and I just installed an aftermarket radio/CD player. I notice that my radio signal is very weak whenever I approach the outskirts of the city. It's hard for me to get any AM stations unless I'm elevated. It seems that my the antenna for the Forester in on the passenger rear window. Does this antenna really work? Is there a way for me to boost the signal so that I get better radio reception? Any help is greatly appreciated.

captkirk1

While driving my 1986 GL wagon the gauges quit working and the car stalled. I was able to drive the car home however it will stall when you stop. The alternator tested undercharge so I replaced it-still the same. I noticed the heater fan dosen't work now either.The wiper's,fuel gauge and lights all work. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

fibber2

Kevin,

I think that you might be missing an aspect of transmission cooling (based on your reply). The question is not the impact of the load on the engine cooling system, but on the ability of the transmission cooler to transfer its heat to the engine cooling system. Let me explain...

The engine radiator has a variable coolant flow, regulated by the thermostat. Heat removal is supplemented and regulated by the electric cooling fan. It has plenty of capacity, and can maintain the coolant temp pretty steady over a wide variety of load conditions by varying the t-stat and fan. The transmission system is not so well endowed. The transmission cooler is a small set of transfer coils located within the engine cooling system radiator (liquid to liquid cooling). Its transfer rate is fixed by the surface area, and the engine coolant temperature. Yes, it will move more BTUs between systems if the transmission temp rises sharply, but not with any great speed, as there is no reserve capacity. Thus it lags way behind, and it doesn't take a large spike in temperature to coke the fluid. A supplemental liquid to air cooler provides that extra margin to directly shed the heat.

Another thing to consider is the vagueness of the dash temp gauge. It is extremely buffered - you see very little change as you drive. When I got my laptop OBD tool, I monitored real time the temp readings being sent to the ECU, and it does change as much as 10'F as the engine load changes. Yet the gauge movement during that time was zero!

I tow a utility trailer a few times a year to the garden center and back. I have not added a cooler, but it is usually just me and the wood chips. If I were going on vacation with the family (loaded car), I would consider adding one.

Now in the winter, it might work against you. The tranny can be sluggish longer as the fluid is kept cold. In this case, the 'cooler' in the radiator acts like a re-heater to help raise and lock in the temp into the right range. I used to have this exact problem with my old pickup truck.

Steve

c_hunter

Did you wire up the power antenna lead?? I am guessing no!

While the Forester does not have a traditional up/down power antenna, it does require power be supplied to the antenna circuit. All in-glass antennas have a signal amplifier that requires power. They are normally powered via the "power antenna" lines on the radio harness.

Many people install radios on cars with in-glass antennas, and skip the "power antenna" wire thinking they don't have a power antenna. But it's important!

If you bought a harness adapter, you should just need to connect the power antenna lead from the harness to the power antenna lead coming out of the radio.

Good luck!
Craig

c_hunter

Yeah, time to buy a new car! (just kidding, I love those old GLs)

Have you checked all fuses, including the ones under the hood?

Craig

macarius

Thanks so much for the information. I do have a harness for my radio and I will check to see if I connected the lead from the harness to the power antenna lead from the radio.

Hopefully this will do it. You've been a great help. :shades:

stefanies

Hey Juice,

I took my car to the dealer yesterday and told them the problem and what you told me about the roof rack being installed backwards.....that was exactly the problem! They fixed it and now no more whisteling noise Yaaaaaaayyyyyy!

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it!

Stefanie

devore420

Hi,

I've got a 2004 XS, with moonroof. About a month ago, the moonroof motor started working intermittently - to open the moonroof we had to hold the button down rather than pressing it once. When closing the moonroof, it only moved two inches at a time, then stopped. We had to close the moonroof with a series of button presses until it shut completely.

We took it to our local Subaru service center. Initially they told us the motor was bad and they'd need to order one. The part arrived today and we dropped it off for them to install the new motor. This afternoon I got a call from the service center and they told me they needed to order tracks and a bunch of other parts. They needed to order these parts because apparently the tracks are "bent."

My questions:

1. Anyone else had this motor problem with their Subaru?

2. Anyone else had their moonroof tracks get bent as a result of anything you could possibly do to the car short of screwing up the installation of a moonroof motor?

3. Isn't it far more likely that the Subaru service center bent my tracks when trying to install the motor?

Basically, I want to know if there is a certifiable defect, and I also want to know how hard to push the service center. I'm fairly certain I'm being outright lied to, but it seems hard to believe a dealer service center would be that blatant. Here's the relevant portion of our conversation:

"So we need to order new tracks, because they're bent, and they're burning up the motor."

"Okay - can you tell us how to avoid bending them in the future? Just seems sort of hard to bend a metal track bolted to the top of my car underneath a plate of glass."

"Well, that's how it is, they're bent, and we need to order them - otherwise we'll just burn up the new motor we put in."

"So the tracks just sort of bent themselves spontaneously?"

"I know that's weak, but that's what it is."

(Bear in mind 1) the symptoms we experienced never sounded like a burning out motor, much more like something wrong with the switch, and 2) they didn't mention the "bent tracks" on the initial visit when they said I needed to new motor.)

xwesx

I may be over thinking this whole thing, but if you ran a supplemental tranny cooler in series to provide maximum cooling power while towing, you could always install a bypass line with a pair of T valves on the radiators' intakes. That way you could open up the additional cooler while towing and shut it down while not towing. Granted, you would have to remember to switch both the valves (and make darned sure you installed it correctly!) based on duty and season, but it would provide for a permanent install with none of the trade offs...... *shrugs*

-Wes-

xwesx

Hmm.... I wonder if it isn't the tracks alone. Perhaps the roof was binding on one of them and causing the system to bog down. I would imagine that it is set up with some sort of safety feature to shut down the electrical (motor) in the event that there was increased resistance. After all.... we wouldn't want our kids horsing around in the car and end up being crushed by the power moonroof! Well, not most of the time, anyway... hehe.

When the button was released, it would reset the emergency shutdown and it would move again until the resistance increased to the point that it shut off once more.

It almost reminds me of an incident when I was a kid. I had run my dad's truck out of fuel 11 miles from home and hiked it the rest of the way. I grabbed a can of gas and my brother, and we headed back to retrieve the truck. I drove the car there and set the E-brake. I drove the truck home..... A few miles down the road my brother pipes up on the CB: What's wrong with the cruise?! It won't stay set..... turns out he forgot to take the E-brake off and had pretty much smoked the rear drums on our '92 Camry by the time we made it home.

It'd bet on the tracks and guess that there's nothing wrong with the original motor. Should be a warranty repair but don't expect the dealer to know how the tracks "bent." They probably DON'T know why..... Maybe because one of them stuck momentarily for some reason early on and it torqued it just a little. Then, as it tended to torque because of that spot over time, it just bent a little more, and a little more..... ?

-Wes-

fibber2

Wes,

I have had tranny coolers on two vehicles. Both were made by Hayden. They came with rather cool zip spacers and mounts that made installation a breeze. I mounted them low on the radiator, and simply stuck a paper bag (doubled grocery brown bag) in front during the winter to decrease the airflow.

Steve

mnf

No issues with my 04XS Moonroof after 33,000miles I have had no problems opening or closing. Sounds like yours may have had a issue from the start and it just now is coming out. It weird I cant see how the track could get bent otherwise good luck .... M/F

agent818

i have a legacy 1990 and when it rains i can't open the window is there anything in after sales for this as i smoke with the window open and if it has been or still raining this is a problem as i live in scotland where it rains all the time i know the simple solution is to stop smoking i have seen some imprezas with something around the top of the windows but can't find any on the net

xwesx

Haha.... leave it to you to come up with something simple, yet effective!

mike_p

My wife lost her remote from her key chain (just the remote, not the keys) so we need to replace it. I have the other one with the serial number on it...can this be done online? Do I have to go through the dealer? Thanks.

dkny1972

How well does it work. My Subaru is a little over 10 years old and it seems as if the accelerationis a bit sticky, but not consistently. Every once in a while. The spark plugs are in good condition as well.

~Dayna

fibber2

Mike,

Check out e-bay. Remotes (newer oval and older square ones) are a pretty regular item listed. I've seen them go for around $15, way less than new. Programming instructions are in your owners manual.

Steve

bfoster123

As we were leaving an oil change the car sputtered and stalled. The only way to operate was at above about 2000 rpm's. Use the brake to get the rpms up an then take off. A freind said it could be a faulty Idle air motor or similar component.
Any ideas?

cptplt

maybe they knocked a vacuum line loose doing the oil change, or more likely its just loose as mine was totally knocked off and the engine would stall on starting.
why I never do jiffy lube again (though I did get a very nice torque wrench out of it they left in my engine compartment!)

locke2c

I find it shocking and interesting that you didn't IMMEDIATELY address this with the servicer.

It's a vacuum hose, and the untrained monkeys at quicklube places (and Wal-Mart) can actually do worse to your car.. like drain the transmission and overfill the oil, or vice versa. that's a popular one

~Colin

bfoster123

I did immediately suggest that was the problem and have seen it before. I could not find a leaking hose. Could resetting the ECU by disconnecting the neg battery cable be a fix?

bfoster123

I did immediately suggest that was the problem and have seen it before. I could not find a leaking hose. Could resetting the ECU by disconnecting the neg battery cable be a fix? Is there a way to help detect a leaking vac connection?

locke2c

it's going to be a disconnected hose, not leaking. there's one or two of them hidden under the airbox, if they changed or inspected your air filter that's a popular thing to goof up.

I'd go to a dealer. they will probably find and fix it in minutes.

~Colin

subaru_repair

Is this an H6 or four cylinder? On the H6 (six cylinder), check the vacuum hose on the left side of the airbox (top of the motor.) It should be connected to the left head. It can easily be pulled off the manifold, causing poor idle conditions. Pretty much the same thing applies for the four cylinder. Check the airbox vacuum hoses. I do believe it has a right and left. (The '06 setup is a little different from previous years, so I'm guessing.) That's usually where the problem lies. If you can't see anything wrong there, check your electrical connections. Is it possible, they might have disconnected an oxygen sensor?

subaru_repair

All you need to do is cycle the moonroof. If you hold the up switch with the open and then close (hold "open" during open and "close" during close) until it completes an open and close cycle, it should fix your problem. But keep in mind, if you let go of the up switch during this fluid motion you will have to re-start. It will jerk until the process has been successfully completed. (like you describe) It sounds like you accidently started the cycle (teach) mode. This is done to teach the moonroof the travel of the open and close stops for the child safety feature. If it encounters resistance before the close stop, it will reverse and open. At least, that is how it is on the Legacy/Outback sedans. Unfortunately the dealer is a greedy liar.

subaru_repair

Assuming that you have not replaced the TPMS valve stems, the Subaru Tire Pressure Monitor System will not have to be reset. If all tires are above the low end pressure range, it will re-set after a short 20mph drive. Low pressure, temparture change, and the occasional curb or pot hole will make the light come on. If the light stays on and the tires are within spec, the valve stem with have to be changed by the dealer and the new id will need to be entered into the TPMS unit. (Each valve stem has an RF id number.) The system constantly monitors all four tires in motion. (not the spare) No problem, no light. So there is no need for a re-set button. By the way, the valve stem is good for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

captkirk1

Where do I find fuses under the hood? This car is in fantastic shape.My wife hates it and say's it's the uglest car she has ever seen-just more the reason to keep it! Thanks for your input!

cptplt

so when I get my new Subaru, does that mean every winter when I change to snow tires I need to reset the TPMS??? And I guess the only people who can do this is the dealer???

catep

First time posting here, but wanted to share my nightmare with other owners. Bought the 1998 Forester in 2002. Everything was fine until 2005. This year I have had new a short block engine put in due to blown head gaskets and other leaks. New radiator. Replaced transmission with used one. Replaced rear wheel bearings. It seems like everything went wrong this year and I have spent close to $7,000 in repairs. Now the transmission is going again and I had fluid leaks. Leaks fixed for $100 and now transmission is slipping from first to second. I'm about ready to give up on this car and Subaru. Local dealer is a sham. I'm not in a position to buy a new car. Should I replace transmission with rebuilt for $2500? Or should I say goodbye to this nightmare and get a late year used car? Any recommendations?

fibber2

I am sure that opinions will vary, but when my 7+ year old Toyota Corolla began to cost me very serious money (purchased new and basically faultless until approaching its 7th birthday), I knew that it was time to bail out. That is about the age in which major subsystems begin to cry out for renewal.

You had the additional jeopardy of not knowing how well it was taken care of during the first 4 years. Used cars are such an unfortunate gamble in that regard. The upside is that you probably bought it at a depreciated price being that it was used (50 to 60% of new price), so you are bound to have to pay some of that back in higher repair bills as the car approaches end of life.

Personally, I think you should move on. Good luck with your next used car purchase (whatever brand that might be). I hope you fair better.

Steve

stellab

Hey Steve,

Thanks for the detailed post. I will mention the radio to Subaru and ask about the grounding wires. Overall, I have to say, they've been helpful in the fact that they are willing to work with me and have not charged me for the 2 days it took them to potentially rediagnose what they think is the wiring harness. They're also paying for a rental car when I bring it in this Wednesday to get it fixed. For a car that is no longer under warranty and has 93, 400, I think that's a good show of customer service on their part.

People keep saying it could be the catalytic converter. If the rear o2 monitors it as you said, why aren't they checking into this? Can't a clogged cat cause driveability issues, too?

On a last note, after my previous post I was thinking of all the things I've had done to this car. I did have the dealer replace the alternator this past April. You don't think that might be a cause of any of these seemingly loss of power type issues?

Just trying to be patient and hoping their fix works. Want my car back to normal and out of shuddering phase!

Again, thanks for the advice. It's good to hear different opinions other than just the dealer.
-Stella

stellab

Thanks John. Hopefully I'll have more news this week when I bring it
in on Wednesday. I'll keep everyone posted....
-Stella

fibber2

Stella,

Wish I could offer you more words of wisdom, but I am at a loss. I did think about the possibility that the rear sensor was on target and that the cat was clogged, but you reported that sometimes the car ran so well. In my (limited) experience with this issue, driveability problems related to high back pressure don't suddenly dissappear. The car runs bad until you cut the pipe!

You introduced another item of interest, related to electrical systems - namely the alternator. I would be checking for damaged wires, loose connections, etc. Do you get static on AM that varies with engine speed that you never heard before? Ever have dash lights come on, or glow dimly? It could be a bad unit. Unfortunately, we are shooting in the dark here!

Steve

subaru_repair

There are 5 major components to the tpms system... the tpms unit (the brain/receiver) and the four valve stems (the tire pressure sensor/transmiter.) If the only change is the tire, then the system will function as normal. The light will re-set if the pressure is within spec. You need to do nothing else, just drive the car. Lets say, you decide to change the complete tire and rim combo for the winter season. I imagine that is what you are asking here. You have about three options. 1...Deal with the light on during winter season. 2... Transfer the tpms valves over to the winter setup (then back again to the stock in the summer.) 3...Purchase a new set of tpms valve stems from the dealer for the winter tire/rim setup. You'll have to get the dealer to scan and upload id's with every season change. The id's are nessecary to keep the system from falsely reading other Subarus passing by. I don't know how much the valve stems or the dealer upload will cost you, but I bet they won't be reasonable. Maybe you could deal with the light on for the winter. It only warns of low pressure. It will not cause any driveablity issues other than the amber glow from the tpms light. By the way, tpms is not on every Subaru model. It currently is standard on the B9 Tribeca and available on certain Outback H6 wagon and sedan trim packages for '06. So if it doesn't have an H6 engine, you won't have to worry about it.

dinosaur

Interesting comment on the Corolla. Mine was the same way, although it happened quicker. I put about 35k on per year, so I guess that was expected. I didn't spend a penny on repairs since new, then within a few months, I had engine problems, emissions problems, and a broken door handle, each of which would have been quite expensive. I bailed at that point, since I also needed brakes and tires and the miles were getting very high. On the Subaru in question though, its a tough call. The money is already invested and these are all the major known trouble spots on the car. I might be inclined to stay with it.

c_hunter

Boy, that sounds like a tough round of repairs/problems.... you have my sympathy. I wonder how much of it is due to poor work at the dealer? (maybe all!) How many miles are on the car now? How many when you bought it? What is the book value of the car?

In my experience, Subarus have been very reliable, but problems do crop up on ocassion. A poor or dishonest dealer can take minor problems and turn them in to major ones, either by doing unnecessary work and breaking stuff in the process, or by creating new problems when they fix old ones. I hate to hear about situations like this, because it really gives Subaru a bad reputation.

Craig

dinosaur

Good point. Excellent vs. bad service can make all the difference. There are some good Subaru service departments out there, but in general Subaru doesn't seem to excel in this area. I think its because almost all Subaru dealers carry the brand as a secondary line. If Subaru continues to try to move upmarket, they really need to upgrade their dealer network.

c_hunter

I agree completely. That has been my observation as well.

Craig