Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Subaru Crew Problems & Solutions

1129130132134135385

Comments

  • stockton2stockton2 Member Posts: 3
    Patti/Everyone,
    I have a 99 Forester L that was owned by a lady I know who kept up with all maintenance. I bought it from her and have kept it up very well. It has 98k all highway and has never overheated etc..At 90k I replaced the timing belt (way ahead of schedule) and at that time replaced the water and oil pumps as preventative maintenance. I always take care of my cars that way and use OEM parts. The tech who did the work specializes in Subarus and has had his own shop for several years after several at a dealer. I had begun to smell coolant but with no increase in operating temp. etc. I took it in and he said one of the head gaskets is leaking. I have owned VW's, Ford, Mazda's and an old Volvo and have never had this problem. And these cars were much older than 99 and had many more miles. I was ready to purchase a new car fairly soon but I must say this, along with some things I hear about on this site have put me off Subaru. My wife loved the functionality of the car and the looks, but her frugality always wins in the end. I have friends who have gotten 300K out of their Subarus with fewer problems than I have had(o2 sensor, ram air flow sensor etc...) Please advise.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The angle of the window can be adjusted, in fact someone in the Legacy topic did just that himself. Dealers certainly could do it, too.

    With 98k miles, I doubt you'll get much help. Call 800-SUBARU3 and open up a case anyway. See if SoA will at least pay for part of the repair, maybe just the parts or something.

    -juice
  • mdisaacsmdisaacs Member Posts: 28
    Thanks for the tips. The gouge is a little too big for a grease pencil to work but I'll keep that in mind for when my dog decides to paw the back windows.
    www.tintdude.com has a good write up about how to remove tint and I think I can apply that to a small 2x2 area - if I'm careful. heh.
    thx
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Alittle more on the brakes. I mentioned to the dealer that it seemed kind of early (35K) to do the brakes. He came back saying that he has seen in the last couple of years that the quality of pads has deteriorated. That would explain why from 2001 and on, the brakes are included in the 3 year/ 36000 BtB.

    Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My dad's '97 legacy goes through em @ a rate of ~15K max on the fronts.

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    The new Road & Track has good info on extending brake life (near the back, a response to a tech letter).
    They have info on bedding techniques, proper braking downhill and in turns. They end the letter by saying that it's better to replace brakes than to overwork your tranny and engine.

    -Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm still on my original brake pads at 48k miles. And they look like they'll last at least another 48k.

    paisan: is your dad's an auto?

    I'm always in 2nd for a 90 degree turn, 3rd for highway ramps, but I don't abuse the tranny or anything.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yep it's an L auto. So it has smaller brakes I think than an equivilent GT or OB of the same vintage.

    -mike
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    mike, would aftermarket pads last longer than the factory pads?

    I just ordered factory pads for my 2000 Legacy. The original pads have 55k on them. Based on Mark's comment, I wonder how many miles I'll get on the replacements.

    Yesterday, I purchased Anco wiper blades from Sears. They were the same price as a Trico refill (only) from the Kragen/Schenk/Checker chain!

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I switched over to the semi-metalics that the chain places sell. I might see about some hawks next time.

    -mike
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    My dealer wanted close to 575 dllars for new brakes front and rear and turning the rotors was included. Lots of Bull. As mentioned in ealier post my wifes Forester has had brake problems from day one/ Screeching, growling fadin, spongy pedal just all around uncomfortable feeling and the dealer really never did anything but clean and adjust including, one time when he told me he checked the brakes but never removed the wheels ( I marked the lugs to the wheel). I went and had new Ceramic pads and shoes put on at Pep Bpys and they also flushed the entire system and replaced with new fluid. Rotors were nice and smooth and they said no need to turn them. Big difference in the brakes and no fading or soft feeling as Forester brakes are known to have. I would reccomend the ceramics to any one
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    Pep Boys charge on the brake job was 329 dollars and there is a lifetime warranty on the shoes and pads one on the labor. You don't get from Subaru
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's a low price. We have Pep Boys around me, too, and I recall they had a 30k service for something like $190. I think they added an alignment and a couple of other things for $300, a pretty complete 60k service, basically.

    -juice
  • ken_from_njken_from_nj Member Posts: 105
    question - brake pads/shoes/rotors/etc are not covered by the mfg b2b warranty, right? so basically - the recommendation is to go wherever you feel is the best service/deal for the brake service - i.e. midas/pepboys/local shop/etc/etc. just looking for confirmation. tks
  • originalbitmanoriginalbitman Member Posts: 920
    I'm just hitting 30k miles. Need an alignment, brake fluid replaced, cooling system flush and fill, and fuel filter swap. I did the manual tranny and diff fluids, oil & filter, air cleaner and plugs myself. How difficult is the cooling system flush on the H4? I've done it before on other cars but don't want to end up with any trapped air pockets. Thinking of letting the dealer do it when I take it in for the alignment and brake fluid.

    bit
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    At the bottom of the radiator is one of those twist out plugs that acts as a drain. It's easy to access and use, no tools required.

    I just drained and filled. I'm sure I didn't get 100% of the coolant out, but I'll do it again this year.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    image
  • originalbitmanoriginalbitman Member Posts: 920
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The black thing in the center is the valve. You twist the knob, and it pours right out. You could even get crafty and attach a hose, then drain it directly into a recycling container.

    Given your track record, I expect no less. ;-)

    -juice
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    I'm planning to do this in the next week or two. From the service manual, it's pretty straight forward, but IdahoDoug had some comments about this perhaps two months ago.

    I think it takes the thermostat a little while to fully open giving the temp gauge a brief spike.

    Jim
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Drain it facing down hill, so that's the lowest point in the cooling system. That'll get more coolant out.

    I filled it up, then turned facing up hill, and topped it off. For the next couple of days, I topped it off again. You should probably "burp" the system with that valve we discussed, though, to get it done quicker.

    -juice
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I drained mine last year when I got the car to install a block heater, to tell you the truth I did not do anything special when I refilled and I never had trouble with air bubbles, my heater works just fine.

    cheers Pat.
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    IMHO, it's a gamble. Actually getting anything done on your car is a gamble. I've used American Tire/Tire Associates (NJ) and they have been excellent in regards to service and quality of work (alignments and new tires).

    OTOH, I had work done at Meineke and it was complete junk (the service, the manager and the work). Their warranty was 90 days on the labor and they hosed up my rotors (problem surfaced in 4 months). They didn't even know how to remove the wheel covers on my OBS and each cover is marked with "rotate this way ----> " or something like that. They ended up ruining one without telling me and I made them replace it.

    In the future, I would only use OEM brakes or maybe performance brakes on the WRX.

    -Dennis
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    My '90 Camry V6 had rear disks. First they broke a carrier/caliper bolt and claimed it came in missing. Fortunately I was watching when it happened and saw where the technician threw the bolt head. I entered the shop floor, picked up the head and matched it to the broken stud! They then pulled off the rear rotors without manually retracting the mini-drum parking brake shoes first (rotating the star gear thru the little port). The rust ridge grabbed the shoes tight, damaged the spring retainers on both sides.

    They extracted the broken stud, but I ended up spending 3 hrs repairing the parking brake system in my driveway that night. Never again!!

    Steve
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    The ceramic brake pads (post 6116) sound interesting, may consider that next time. I'm using my Subaru credit card rebate coupons to pay for pads and other parts. 8~)

    Jim
  • haasehhaaseh Member Posts: 3
    In the last year my Outback has had oil leaks repaired four times. It has 88,000 miles. Twice for camshaft seals, once for main seals, and once for the valve cover gasket. It is all under extended warranty but if this is going to be a continous problem, I may have to dump the car which I hate to do because I really like it. Is this an ongoing problem with this car and is there a permanent fix so I do not have to do this so often>
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    just kind of an old car thing, IMO. The only one you have not yet done is the rear crankshaft seal, which is going to be expensive, and if you have a manual transmission, it would serve you well to have this seal replaced when you replace the clutch.

    The camshaft seals are important, because oil can get on the timing belt, but the others you mentioned are not very important, worst that will happen is you will get some oil on your driveway.

    Oil seals wear out on all engines in all cars - this is not a Subaru-specific problem.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • idahodougidahodoug Member Posts: 537
    I disagree with Nippon on that. For a 4 year old engine to have this many oil seal issues is not acceptable to me no matter what the brand. If I knew that an engine was going to suffer that much work before 100k, I wouldn't buy it.

    I believe this engine and year is among the worst Subaru engines ever for oil seal integrity and from what I know your engine will continue to have this problem. It has been discussed on these boards a bit. Apparently, the 2.5 you have was fixed in subsequent model years.

    IdahoDoug
  • stevekstevek Member Posts: 362
    I was talking to a mechaninc friend yesterday about replacing timing belts, I have a 99 Forester on which I think it needs to be repalced at 60K and a '01 Legacy GT which needs to be replaced at 90k. He said since the water pump is driven by the timing belt and it is internal, it is a good practice to replace the water pump when doing the timing belt.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    We kicked this one around for a while last year. I am of the opinion that a well designed water pump can last the life of the engine. So if the belt tensioner is OK and loading does not change much, the pump will never know....

    I tend to go this way as on some engine bays the working room for access to the pump is so poor, you put more at risk (as well as the cost) than if you just left it alone and took your chances. I have never done a Subaru, so I cannot comment on what is required (only Toyota). So far I have won, but your luck could always change. You could then face the joy of getting to do it all again!!

    Steve (the other)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    For $150 extra I did the water pump last time I did my timing belts, better safe than sorry.

    -mike
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Mike weighed in with an opposing opinion....

    (Good morning, Mike!)

    Steve
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's Friday, there is an Auto-x tomorrow and Track event on Monday! :) What could be bad?

    -mike
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    additional cost, maybe even a little less.

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Glad to see the legacy is being cared for ;)

    -mike
  • stevekstevek Member Posts: 362
    to replace the pump when the belt is beign replace that you are already paying for labor
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Same goes for the front seals. Go ahead and change those when you do the belt. It's all cheap preventative maintenance.

    Of course on my last car I did the belt at 60k, and skipped the water pump. It was totalled at 107k and the water pump never failed, so it would have been a waste of money. But would it have lasted until 120k, the next timing belt change? Who knows.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Herman: I wonder if they improved the quality of the seals and gaskets. Ask your dealer if he put OE ones on there, or if there have been improvements.

    That does occur on the Phase I DOHC 2.5l once in a while, though most are fine (including mine). The Phase II SOHC design arrived in 1999 on Foresters and Imprezas, and in 2000 on Outbacks and Legacys.

    Keep your oil change intervals short - 3000 miles. Also, do NOT switch to synthetic at this point - it flows better and hence leaks sooner. Stick with dino oil, 10w30 or 10w40, nothing thinner than that.

    With new seals and everything torqued down properly, the odds of it happening again are low. Generally I suggest that people change the seals when the timing belt is swapped, since labor is paid for.

    -juice
  • qualityguyqualityguy Member Posts: 101
    60,000 miles; whatever they do, I can not get proper alighment, left front tire rubs on the body by turns, steering "dances" if road is uneven; if the car gets in the pothole, it feels like hits it with the weight of the whole body. Struts are 7 month old, front and rear. Nobody can figure out what it is. Any ideas from Subaru team?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    My guess is the tires are out of round. You can balance a tire that is out of round, but it doesn't mean it's truly round.

    If it only happened in snow/ice, I'd guess you were getting ice stuck in the wheels, increasing unsprung weight a lot, which affects handling and balance.

    Did you get new OE struts? I wonder if they are too soft for your springs.

    Beyond that, are you the original owner? If not, you may have a bent frame. Hope not, though.

    -juice
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Mine's a '91, but I've replaced the camshaft and crankshaft seals 2 times, with one only lasting about 30K. Thank heavens the rear seal is still holding up OK. If I'd known, I would have replaced it when I did the Klutch, but no one told me.

    When My 30K seal leaked, I had been using synthetic for about 18 months. Went all over. In your case I would avoid synthetic like a plague. Go with a High Mileage oil like Valvoline Maxlife. They are high quality oils and have special additives to maintain the seals better. Change frequently to keep the seal additive levels up. (Say 4 instead of every 5 thousand miles.)

    Don't buy a seal sweller. That softens them too much.

    Engine-RX has been known by some to stop small pinhole leaks.

    And, Yes, at least in the older models, engine seals replacement is not unusual, according to my Subaru specialist mechanic. The only major weakness in the engine IMO.
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    It's going to get all new belts/hoses/plug wires/plugs/and a few more odds and ends this weekend. I think it's the cleanest version of such a car around. And I aim to keep it that way, until the day you fly down here.... :)

    Jim
  • romy4romy4 Member Posts: 17
    I just had the first oil change done on my 2002 Outback. It only has 2400 miles, but I've had it since June. While at the dealer, I mentioned a noise and slipping sensation which ocurred several times when starting to accelerate slowly after having been in reverse. It has also seemed to lag a little on upshifting between second and third.

    The service manager came out and told me that the transmission has a definite "glich" and that Subaru is going to replace the transmission. While I am happy they are going to do this, I am somewhat taken aback that my beautiful, new wintergreen wagon requires such a major operation!

    I researched and test drove many SUVs and wagons and the decision came down to either a 2003 Forester or an Outback Wagon. I finally chose the Outback and am very happy with it overall. I just hope I didn't make a mistake. Does anyone know if Subaru puts in a new or remanufactured transmission in a case like this. I neglected to ask, and am hoping it is new and has the "park-rod" revision already addressed.

    Romy
  • idahodougidahodoug Member Posts: 537
    Who put the struts in and what brand?
    What size tires do you have on it?
    Original Subaru wheels?
    How long have you owned it?

    IdahoDoug
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    It's a tough call at 60k. On MY 2000 the timing belt is changed at 105k and I would definitely replace the waterpump then.

    Had a waterpump bearing fail on an old Honda Civic. It cost less than $50. But replacing it required removing the main pulley, timing chain, covers, and other parts. An absolute nightmare. (And I'm a former Fiat owner!)

    Jim
  • brad5280brad5280 Member Posts: 11
    My friend just bought a 2003 Outback Wagon. She is 5'2" and must have seat fully forward in order to reach the gas/brake pedals.

    She is very concerned with the min. distance she should be from steering wheel (internet posted is 10"; is that correct?).
    She has owned a '97 Loyale wagon for 12 years and never had this problem on long trips. Likewise with rental cars prior to buying this new vehicle.

    She contacted the dealership purchased from and the service manager was quite abrupt and rude to her bringing her to tears, and not listening to her problem. The service manager even insinuated that she was yelling at him (so others in the office would hear him say it such that they would attest to it) but she NEVER raised her voice, and was very polite, etc. She got the feeling that the service manager knew exactly what she was talking about and said she was handicapped and didn't know what she was talking about.
    < She had researched and found on the internet that the newer Outback wagons were not suitable for SHORT people because they need to be right against steering wheel thus a safety hazard if airbag deployed. In addition, she has back problems and due to a slight bulge in the middle console nearest gas pedal, her right leg is slanted such that after long trips (1 hr +) she has extreme back pains.

    The dealership would not help her, despite the fact that she WAS a customer of this dealership for more than 12 years, doing all recommended service and spending 1000's of dollars in repairs on her '90 Suabru Loyale. They said the NEW car needed to be handicapped modified. She is reluctant to do this possibly spending $1000 or more, so she asked them to "buy back" the car and she would take the substantial loss in value depreciation. They never got back to her. She summizes that if they bought the car back they would be admitting guilt and the fact that they knew about this problem but never told her.

    Now, she either has to
    a.) Find an appropriate company in the Boston/north shore area to retrofit the gas and brake pedals, or
    b.) trade car in for a NON-SUBARU product. She insists on having a WHITE car for safety reasons, and the Forrester does not come in white. She also needs a wagon (she is considering a Saturn).

    If anyone in the community knows of a bonded/insured company that can quote retrofitting the vehicle for bringing brake and gas pedal closer to seat, please e-mail me at bchap5280@aol.com. If a SUBARU representative can contact me with some help, that would be great.

    (I too am a Subaru Outback owner, purchased my car from the sale dealership, and will NOT take my car back to this dealer for service in protest of the dealership's rudeness and insensitivity to my friend).

    Very sorry for this long post, however it has been an extremely upsetting ordeal for my friend after spending $25K on a new car.

    Regards,
    Brad
  • romy4romy4 Member Posts: 17
    Didn't your friend take a 2003 Outback model for a test drive prior to purchasing it? It would seem it would have become evident that she could not find a comfortable seating position.

    Where on the internet did she find information that newer Outbacks are not suitable for short people? I must have missed that one in my extensive research before buying my 2002 Outback. I'm 5'4" so would like to know.

    The Forester does come in white. When I was looking this past summer there were several 2003 white Foresters on my dealers lot, they had already been sold to a local TV station. Both the Forester X and XS with the premium package are available in white.

    It's not that I don't sympathize with your friend, but not all cars are comfortable for all people. If she is comfortable in a Forester, perhaps the dealer could cut her some slack and let her trade for a Forester. Especially since she has been a loyal customer for 12 years.

    This seems like a classic case of buyer's remorse.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Fiat? That says a lot! LOL

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I checked my oil this weekend, and definitely no leaks on my '98 (48k miles). It's been about 1500 miles since I lasted changed the oil. Make sure you check on a level surface, FWIW.

    Romy: we own almost the same car (2002 Wintergreen, but 5 speed). That's not a common problem so I imagine that the replacement tranny should be fine. Besides a recent hiccup and recall that affected 800 units, they are very robust.

    Brad: there is no excuse for treating a customer rudely, so I'd boycott them, too.

    There are pedal extenders, though. I'd try a local auto parts store like Trak Auto, NAPA, or Pep Boys. If that fails ask your mechanic to build a custom solution, maybe with spacers or something.

    Romy is absolutely correct, you can get a Forester X in Aspen White with the slate lower cladding, or a Premium that is monotone white (with cloth or leather). The only model not offered in white is the XS without the premium package.

    -juice
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    "Former Fiat owner" means I'm used to working on a car. At least the Fiat was very straight forward to repair or modify (ie. dual Weber carbs - one throat feeding each cylinder!).

    The Honda was just a pain for mere waterpump.

    Will continue with the 60k tune-up on the Subie in the next couple of weeks. That was a really good checklist juice posted here some time ago.

    Jim
Sign In or Register to comment.