Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

socalscooter · July 2005

Hi there. Last month I bought an 02 Outback with 40K miles on it and at that time I purchased the extended warranty, too. Now I'm noticing a very slight "grinding" noise when I turn the steering wheel. I'm not sure if this is worth the trouble of taking it to the dealer. I called them and they were vague about what it might be and whether or not it would be covered by the warranty. Any suggestions? Thanks.

ateixeira · July 2005

The B2B warranty is 36k so it might not be covered, is my guess. Doesn't sound like it's part of the powertrain (engine/tranny) to me. Hope I'm wrong.

-juice

socalscooter · July 2005

Thanks, Juice. I've learned a lot from your postings on the Subaru boards. You're a real asset to these discussions.

ateixeira · July 2005

You're welcome.

-juice

harvpt · July 2005

I had the same problem. Apparently rust corrodes the locking mechanism inside the door (at least that's what the dealer told me). $203.00 (including tax) to replace the rod.

tomz1 · July 2005

98 legacy wagon...80k mileage...all maintenance up to date....put new rear brakes on at 73k...now hear a rumble and or vibration in rear ( I think) when taking hard left or right turns....feels like driving over rumble strips..checked brakes and they look fine..noise either getting worse or getting me more frustrated...any suggestions for a shade tree mechanic?

hypov · July 2005

Your rear diff going or went, or wheel bearings.

-Dave

tomz1 · July 2005

rear diff....easy or hard for the do it your-selfer....wheel bearings i have done although not on a subaru...tom

hypov · July 2005

I've done neither and not had the opportunity to watched either being performed, but I have been told that the diff would be a walk in the park compared to bearings.

-Dave

njswamplands · July 2005

i havent seen much talk about :lemon: s in here. not bad. i still tremble thinking about my cousins fiat 128 ( fun but always in the shop ) and my bros fiat x 1/9 ( great fun but always in the shop ).

rob_m · July 2005

Wow Swamp! Two milestone posts in two days. How do you do it???

Rob M.

BTW, to stay on track: no problems to report with the OBW today.

robosub · July 2005

My wife just had the front axles/CV joints replaced on her wagon (148K miles). Now it seems that when you turn the wheels sharply, like in a parking lot, the front end is wanting to bind or push. It just doesn't feel smooth anymore. The work was done at our regular mechanic not a dealership. Could he have reassembled something improperly that is messing up the front diff? We have to drive over 600 miles on Wed the 27th of july. Any similar experiance or sugestions? We really can't afford a dealership or a new transmission. Thanks for your help.

tomz1 · July 2005

is there a way for the "average joe" to check the CV joints to know if they are bad...have a rumble whenever i turn sharp left or right and it was suggested that could be CV problem...how do i check?

fibber2 · July 2005

Sure sounds like one of these new CV joints is binding. Quite often, axel/cv assemblies are rebuilt and sold at reduced prices to the aftermarket. Usually they are about as good as new, but who knows? I'd go back to your installer and have him take it for a ride.

Steve

mandan1967 · July 2005

I have a 2003 Outback that has recently started shutting down completley in hot weather. The car turns off and there is no power. It will come back on in about twenty min. They cannot duplicate the problem at the dealer so they wont do anything about it. Has anyone else had the same problem

mollyester · July 2005

Finally, I have found some other Subarus that are doing what mine is... stalling at 60mph or so! Just wanted to add my two cents and am wondering if there was any solution to your problem. I have a 92 Legacy with 175K miles and it intermittently stalls (when it rains it seems to be more regular) only one time in a day, usually first thing, but not always. I used to think it was rain related, but it does it in any weather now. I had a loose ignition (had to wiggle the key just so to start) and a mechanic diagnosed that as the problem and it seemed to help for a while, but the problem continues. Both mechanics who've looked at it thought it was electrical, but are perplexed. The car will stop moving-- but usually stays running albeit roughly. Then I start coasting and downshifting doesn't do squat. Very dangerous. Yesterday it died on the exit ramp while I was coasting off. If a sticky valve is causing this, I'd be so happy just to know what it is! The car starts right up and behaves like nothing happened, I get back on the freeway and it's fine...

philliesfan2 · July 2005

I have an 03 Legacy SE Wagon, equipped with a CD Player.

I have found that when I play CDs I have burned on my home computer, the quality is very poor and songs get skipped over or stuck (long delays when nothing gets played).

The tech column in today's newspaper had a Q+A about this problem for someone with their home CD player not playing the burned CDs. The writer suggested a Lens Cleaning Disk.

When I stopped at Staples to pick one up today, the salesman warned me to check with the manufacturer about using one on the auto's CD player. And the disk packaging clearly stated it was not to be used on automobile CD players.

Does anyone know or has anyone used one of these lens cleaning disk? Did it improve the performance? Why would they not be allowed to be used on car stereo systems?

Has anyone else had the same problem with home-burned CDs and if so, what has worked

Many thanks for those who take the time to post and offer ideas and advice.
David

subearu · July 2005

Both vehicles (MPV and Forester XT) we have play home made cd's no problem for us. Make sure you're using a decent quality cd and burning it to audio (not mp3/wma). I've made audio discs usign Roxio 7 and Windows Media Player 10. You might try a lower burn speed as well.

-Brian

fibber2 · July 2005

I am also wondering if the problem doesn't lie with your computer, and not the car. Fast burned disks, or a weak laser can result in reduced depth of the pock marks that define ones and zeros. As Brian said, try reducing the speed, and make sure that the disks are certified well above the speed you are actually running the drive in burn mode.

Ask a friend to burn you a disk (different media and computer), and see if it works any better.

I have no experience with disk laser cleaner, so I cannot comment.

Steve

rmorgen · July 2005

When I back up and turn into a tight turn I hear and feel a strong grinding, grabbing noise and vibration throughout the whole car. Went to dealer, no help there only a lecture on my missing the 90K maintenance. I would have to pay them $86.00 an hour just to look at it and then pay them more to fix it. An independent repair shop said it was front axles. Now $700 later it grinds, grabs and vibrates on any turn going any direction. Any ideas folks? I am going back to the independent monday 7/25.

jcolella615 · July 2005

I have an 02 Outback that is POURING water into the passenger floorboards. Something like 1/2" standing water when I use the AC. Please post when you learn more! Jim

:confuse:

robotb9 · July 2005

My '96 Outback seems to need the dreaded AWD clutch pack replacement, given what I've read in this forum. How much is it likely to cost? Should I go to a Subaru dealer, or it this something that an independent could do for less?

njjuliano · July 2005

I didnt think it would bother me, but it irks me more and more. After a maintenance check with the dealer that included a tire rotation, I noticed that my rims were quite scratched. It looks as if the person let the drill get away from them and tagged the rims. Yes, rims, 3 of the 4. This wasnt the first issue with this dealer. Matter of fact, there was too many issues with that dealer. The only thing going for them for me is convenience, 4 minute drive. Needless to say, I dont use them anymore.

Is there a way to repair them, or make them less noticeable? I think the more I see them, the more it reminds me of the aggravation from the said dealer.

ateixeira · July 2005

I use Roxio also and my Forester and the wife's Legacy never have problems reading CD-Rs.

The Miata's CD player does skip more with those, though.

Rims - most are painted, so you could have them sanded and re-painted. But I doubt the finish would be as durable as the original. Maybe powder-coat them? It might get pricey.

-juice

fibber2 · July 2005

I am assuming that it is still under the 3yr/36k warranty.... Ask your dealer to contact the district mgr., or call 1-800-subaru3 and have them contact the dealer. They need to keep the car for a while and figure out what is up.

Steve

slickdog · July 2005

My wife's '01 Outback plays most CD-R and CD-RW discs fine, as does my Mazda6 wagon. However, my last Mazda (a '00 626) began having trouble finding tracks on some of my CD-R discs as time passed, and I suspect it had to do with the lens getting dirty. I never did find a cleaner which could be used in an auto CD player. I believe the issue may lie with the loading mechanism and the thickness of the cleaning discs, as you need to slide the discs through a small slot in a car, whereas you're usually dropping them into a tray in a home CD player.

The quality of the CD-R and/or CD-RW media you are using is a factor in how compatible the discs are with different players. You may want to stick with higher quality media for use in the car.

altasub · July 2005

96 Legacy - Speedo dropped to zero intermittently at highway speed - would recover if gas pedal released and speed allowed to drop. Radio cut out a few seconds after the speedo drop and recovered once speedo started to work again. CE light came on.

I took car to a Subaru dealer who read an engine speed sensor fault (P0500). They checked connections and cleaned ground and fuse holders then ran car for 10 km with no problem. Next day I drove for about 100km without problem, then the symptoms re-occurred. I had to continue driving 50km to next town and noticed that the speedo would recover once speed dropped below 80km/hr, then cut out again a couple of minutes later. CE light came on. Speedo problem became moere and more frequent and eventually several warning lights would come on each time the speed cut out - seemingly random ( seatbelts, at-oil-temp, airbags, etc). Symptoms worsened when headlights turned on. Eventually the car died entirely with no power to dash when ignition turned on - however radio still worked.

My thought is that this could be a malfunction in the engine speed sensor causing an intermittent (possibly now permanent) short to the dash power. Does that make sense?

philliesfan2 · July 2005

Many thanks to all who responded to my initial inquiry.

After reading through the responses, since I have been using Imation and TDK disks (which I trust are quality disks), I thought I would try burning a CD at a much lower speed (4K instead of 40K and I have been using Roxio for years) and the CD I burned at a lower speed played perfectly.

It appears that I may have been burning them at too fast a speed and getting inconsistent quality as a result.

I'll try burning some other favorites at the lower speed and hopefully will find that appears to be the key.

Thanks again for your ideas and help. Hope I can return the favor in the future.

David

slickdog · July 2005

I'm using run of the mill TDK CD-R media right now, and they seem to be good enough to read in any of my equipment, and I have some rather old CD-ROM drives and CD players which provide a good test. I've also used Imation media in the past and that seems to work ok in all my hardware too.

In my experience, the relationship between burning speed and quality depends on the hardware and software used to write the discs. As an example, I have a burner now which almost always makes coasters when used at max write speed so I have to take it down a notch or two to get usable discs out of it.

famof3kids · July 2005

Well, I think the oppresive summer heat wave has gotten the best of my sunroof shade. When I pulled it closed today it seemed to drag. It was 100F here in VA mountains. Upon closer inspection, the glue that holds the fabric to the liner has come loose. I pressed it back, but, it wouldn't stick. To close the shade (front shade, btw), I pulled down easily on the liner and closed it. I'm a little annoyed that Subaru trusted 'glue only' to hold this fabric around the sunroof opening instead of a rubber/vinyl strip to hold it like most manufacturers use.

I hate to have to return to the dealer for warranty work. This would be my first visit back, but, still dread it. Anyone have this problem? Also, anyone know if this will be covered under warranty? 2003 with 25k miles. :shades:

Mark

fibber2 · July 2005

Mark,

Disappointing, but I am sure that it would be covered in the 3yr, 36k warranty.

Steve

macinva · July 2005

Sounds like you bought a demo vehicle. I have an '05 GT that has been flawless. I drive in DC traffic everyday and have no rattles, no CD skips, stops on a dime, and it certainly didn't come brand new with dents and scratches. By the way...the technicians at the dealer are more likely to compound your problems rather than fix them. I wouldn't add "copius" amounts of foam behind the dash. As electronic gauges and other components become smaller and more powerful, they also emit more heat. You may have yourself a nice side of the road vehicle fire if you're not careful. Open your in-dash storage compartment and read the temperature warning.

jazz01 · July 2005

Yet another 2000 Subaru Outback that needs a new transmission. The problem started with my husband's car at about 86k miles. There are times it won't shift into drive. Sometimes it feels like the transmission slips and the car lunges forward a bit. We've taken the car in for all the recalls and had it serviced in Jan. at which time they changed the differential fluid. The dealer claims the problem is the differential fluid and transmission fluid are switching and there is no developing pressure in the clutch packs. Seems to me there is a manufacturing defect somewhere. I've never owned a vehicle that needed a transmission replaced, especially one that is only 5 yrs old with 80+k miles on it. I contacted Subaru at the 1 800 number and was told I'd get a reply tomorrow but the rep said she never heard of any substantial "good will" by Subaru for something that is out of warranty. Will it take a major accident to get someone's attention? I've read about this very same problem on the NHTSA. com site too.

ateixeira · July 2005

I've seen a lot of tranny failiures at that mileage with others makes. That's about the average life span of a Dodge Caravan tranny, actually.

The Subie trannies tend to be robust, but it's not unheard of I guess.

-juice

izzaboo · July 2005

Coming into this discussion via google search.

My wife's car ('98 OB) is having same problem as described in the original post. I'm wondering how nick made out with this...and if Dave might be able to add to his description of the button's location...

I can *not* find such a button. I spent 20 minutes contorting my body into shapes it hasn't been in since working on my junker cars in high school and college. If that button is there it doesn't want *me* to find it.

So who's got pictures? Who knows how to just disable the whole stupid system (one keyfob is lost, the other is junk) so we never have to deal with it again.

It is 2005 going on 2006. We've been operating without the keyless feature for more than a year, but now this 7 year old device has become a pox on us!! For all the convenience it used to provide it is now demanding more in return. Evil! Evil! Pure Evil! Or maybe it just needs to go to a nice home where everyone is dressed in nice white coats.

Okay. I feel better now. Anyone got any suggestions?

Emails to ghaas@fiberpipe.net really, really appreciated...

Cheers,
Greg

izzaboo · July 2005

Don't know if you'll still be reading this now that you've solved the problem. But I'm wondering how you disconnected the keyless entry module. At the module or some other location?

Did you ever find the button?

Funny, too, is that on my module there is a yellow circular sticker that says "remove before use". I presume that means use of the module and not the sticker. heheh. Either way, its still on there. Maybe I should scrape that old hardened thing off and all will be good in the world...

tia,
Greg

izzaboo · July 2005

I finally found the button waaaaayyyy up inside, above the module (which was mounted on the sidewall).

Others might find this url helpful:

http://autorepair.about.com/library/faqs/bl036e.htm

Cheers,
Greg

izzaboo · July 2005

I finally found the button waaaaayyyy up inside, above the module (which was mounted on the sidewall behind the hood release lever bracket).

Others might find this url helpful:

http://autorepair.about.com/library/faqs/bl036e.htm

Cheers,
Greg

hypov · July 2005

Good that you found the button, and pics too

I was digging into my memory...
guess it is faint as I no longer have my '98 OB.

-Dave

mgs1 · July 2005

Went to start wife's 96 OB wagon today and initially it would not start (just a slight click, as if battery were dead). Turned key off and on a couple of times and with a slight protest the engine fired but sounded really strange. Popped the hood, couldn't see anything amiss, went to switch off, and to my horror found that the starter was PERMANENTLY ENGAGED and running. Even with the key in the off position or even OUT.

Grabbed a wrench and took off the negative battery terminal and was then able to turn off engine by turning key to off. Slight smell of HOT WIRING in the air but at least no fire. Starter was probably running continuously for 3 mins or so(!). Reconnecting battery did not cause the starter to immediately run and I have not tried to start the car since.

So what's going on? If the battery were LOW as it seemed at first could that cause the starter solenoid to stick somehow?? Or maybe the solenoid is fried? I plan to put the battery on charge before trying to start the car again. Needless to say my wife would freak if that happened to her, so any input appreciated.

Thanks.

- Malcolm.

fibber2 · July 2005

Greg,

Just a suggestion - keyless fobs are rather cheap on e-bay. You might want to consider keeping the system and adding a new fob.

Steve

altasub · July 2005

Got the car home and checked it out - turns out it was the alternator. Broken pigtail on one brush causing intermittent voltage fluctuations.

cptplt · July 2005

"I've never owned a vehicle that needed a transmission replaced, especially one that is only 5 yrs old with 80+k miles on it"

then you've never had a recent Ford !! 95 windstar, new tranny at 45k. 00 windstar new tranny at 38K, and at 60 K something is going wrong again!! why would I get another windstar after the problems with the first?? because Ford bribed a whole bunch of windstar owners so they didn't get a class action law suit because the engine was even more garbage than the tranny! FWIW caravan and odyssey owners have had lots of tranny problems too.
I'm on my 3rd AT legacy and also have a MT WRX, never had any tranny problems yet. sorry to hear you are having problems with yours.

rob_m · August 2005

About a week ago I noticed a lot of brake dust on the front drivers wheel on the dw's 2003 Outback wagon. Washed the car, and within 100 miles, the rim is black again.

Rotor is scored, and pads are not wearing evenly. My guess is the caliper got stuck on the slide. Car goes in to dealer on Wednesday. I am expecting pads and rotors. At 20,100 miles, would this be covered under warrantee? Thanks! Rob M.

ribbons · August 2005

Hi sooby1!

My 99 Outback Legacy Wagon started doing the exact same thing very early this year (overheating randomly, coolant backing up into reservoir). After 3 mechanics, :mad: a change in radiator, plugs, thermostat, etc, they opened her up looking for a head gasket and found a tiny hairline crack in a cylinder.

After speaking with a parts guy at a Subaru dealership, the 1996-1999 dual overhead cam motors all have problems with overheating. In fact, he told me I wouldn't have much luck looking for a used engine because everyone in the world has sort of used them up replacing engines just like mine. He stressed that the 2000 (onward) engines were changed by the manufacturer because Subaru had no idea what was causing the overheating and probably didn't want to take the risk of a major recall. :sick:

A mechanic I used to date has advised us to find an attorney and to contact Subaru HQ directly (they deny everything of course). Thus, I pass that information on to you.

Good luck!

PS: If anyone else has had this problem, I would like hearing from you. It's taken us almost 5 months to figure this all out!

fibber2 · August 2005

Rob,

If you are still within the 3yr/36k basic warranty, a seized caliper should indeed be covered, plus any damage it causes (trashed pads and rotor).

Steve

famof3kids · August 2005

My sisters 95 Legacy did the same thing Saturday. Was the first over heating problem (first problem at all in over 100,000 miles

), she has had with it, 187,000 miles. She did tell me, however, that it has been using coolant for a year or so now. I suspect the same problem.

Mark

jimmyjames4 · August 2005

Just bought a used 1999 Outback with 80K miles 2 weeks ago and I've got the same tranny problem. Test drove the car several times prior to buying, and even had it ok'd at the dealer too, but somehow this still got past me and the technician.

I first noticed it as a hesitation when going into drive, and since I've never owned a subaru before... thought it might be kinda normal. This past weekend it, though, it took ~3 minutes to drop into drive after backing out of a parking space. Called the dealer today and he said it sounds like a low/reverse piston seal in the transmission... a $2500 repair. Needless to say, I'm pretty mad at Subaru right now.

Does anyone know whether it will hurt the car to keep driving it like this? Also, would a tranny flush help any, or is it just a temporary band-aid? And finally, should I just get a remanufactured transmission, or let the tech do the rebuild?

Thanks.

xwesx · August 2005

Just a reminder: '96 OBW, 190K miles

Okay, so I should probably be thankful that my car has been so reliable (meaning that I only have to do a major repair about once a year or less) thus far, but darn it all. While I am right in the midst of trying to fully diagnose a probable head gasket failure, my darned heater fan goes on the fritz. Now, I can live with junk head gaskets but winter is coming all too fast (today is August 1, so less than 60 days away!) and I cannot start the car up at -30F to find that the heater fan isn't working. At first I thought it was very straight forward: the fan is finished. When I turn the fan speed selector from 0 to 1-4, I can hear the relay engage somewhere within the dash. However, about 35% of the time the fan does nothing. Then (I initially thought it was random), the fan will turn on out of the blue and blow like normal, except that it has this speed-sensitive ticking sound similar to putting a card in the spokes of a bicycle. This all started on Wednesday afternoon while we were returning from a 1,200 mile dipnetting trip down to Soldotna.

This morning my wife was supposed to have the car, so she goes out to start it while I am inside doing the "morning routine" with our little man. After a few minutes (remember, she was just starting the car!), I begin to wonder what is taking her so long. Eventually, she pops through the door and apologizes, but "the heater fan wasn't working and I had to get it going." I asked her what she did to get it going, and she responds "the same thing I did for the last couple of days." Oh! News to me..... so it turns out that if she engages the AC, the fan will blow without fail but that it will only keep blowing after AC is off about 10% of the tries. So, she keeps turning the AC on, then off, then on.... until the fan finally stays on while the AC is off. :confuse: I tried that, and no luck - the fan came on when it randomly wanted to come on. It does work for her though - seemingly without fail. I guess she has the magic touch to which our buggy Subaru responds.

Whew. Okay, any suggestions on what might be the root of the problem? I originally thought it would be a simple fan replacement, but with all the flippin' electrical gremlins in this car, I should have known by now that nothing is ever simple with Subaru electrical. :mad:

Thanks, folks!

sonnysayshi · August 2005

Just curious whether anyone knows if turbocharged engines generally compare favorably in longevity and reliability compared to non-turbos. Legacy GT gets heaps of praise, but I've never owned a car with a turbocharged engine . . . thanks

Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagons Maintenance & Repair

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles