Differential Flush Needed?

[TCRobin]

I brought my 2022 Outback in for the 30,000 mile service and they recommended that I also do a...

DIFFERENTIAL FLUSH - FRONT & REAR : FRONT AND REAR DIFF SERVICE

A car friend of mine said that it was hard to believe that my car would be in need of this service, so I declined it. Now I received an email offering me 5% off if I have this done. So I'm now curious what other people think about having this service done. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Lou O.]

Do it!
Cheap insurance.
It's good for the bearings and gears!

 

[kw7pd4]

My dealer wants $289 for each diff to drain and refill. That's out of the question. Do it yourself, especially the rear is very easy.

 

[Rudra]

Same here... they gave me a list of things to do as a part of 30,000 miles maintenance recommended by Subaru. Total was around $800.

 

[Lou O.]

Or, have your local mechanic perform the work!

 

[keith3267]

The rear is easy to do but unnecessary. The diff oil doesn't get that hot. The front is a different story. The diff is sandwiched between the engine and the transmission so the oil gets a lot hotter and is subject to more breakdown.

The front isn't that hard to do, BUT there is a high potential for making a catastrophic mistake. You could inadverdently drain the transmission instead or put your fresh gear oil in the CVT instead. So many drain and fill plugs in the same area.

However, I have a 145k on my 2014 Legacy and haven't done either and I don't worry about it. Sometimes less is more.