Never ending Subaru Problems!

[Sam]

Hi,

Wanted to see if anyone else experience the following onslaught of issues
with their Subaru.

I bought a brand new 1999 Outback wagon (back in 99). The following is a
list of issues (in almost chronological order )

1. Key less entry does not work. (this was day 3, I should have returned the
car). They replaced the whole system including the door locks.
2. Does not drive straight. After numerous alignments and tire changes it
finally drives close to straight.
3. Exhaust rattles -- required replacing all the exhaust manifolds.
4. Mysterious rattle at 2400 RPM, ended up being something on the firewall,
they wrapped it up in foam (hardly a fix if you ask me, but at least I know
what it is).
5. Clutch bearing went bust. Replaced clutch and fly wheel.
6. Engine light kept coming on, misfire in one of the cylinders. This one
took some time to fix. But fixes included taking the engine head apart and
machining it. Changing sparkplugs and wires. Endless number of tuning.
Finally they changed the computer and things seemed to get better. At least
it has not comeback yet.
7. Speedometer stopped working.

I think I got them all. But I maybe forgetting one or two. Just curious if
anyone else had similar problems. I suspect that they had a batch of bad
cars come of the production line, and they put a lid on it, cause they would
always find a solution to my issues after calling around to other
dealerships and regional mangers. But to me they would always say I was
unique and they/anyone else has never seen any of these issue before. I am
starting to feel like I own a Ford Pinto

 

[Josh Assing]

Sounds like you got a lemon and a bad dealership....

and now 4 years later your bitter about it - you should have returned it right
away and asked for a new car...

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Probably too late now but a discussion with the 'zone rep.' guy might be
in order - ask for an extended warranty. Best lines to use - "How would
you feel in my place?" "What do I tell my friends, relatives and
coworkers when they ask how I like my Subaru?" "If this happened to you,
would you buy another Subaru?" "Maybe what happened to me is 1% of your
customers - but its happening to me 100% of the time."

good luck

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Ragnar]

Gee, you've had some hard luck. But why wait 4 years to whine about it?

Ragnar
2000 Outback Sport with ZERO defects

 

[Sam]

Not to be defensive, but I did try the lemon route, as it turns out, that is
much harder then it sounds. Also all the repairs were under warranty, so at
the end of the day it did not cost me anything, except headache. The thing
that got me going again is that the speedometer stopped working, and the
warranty is no longer valid. Either way, I was trying to figure out if
others had similar experience, cause I can not believe I am the only one.

 

[Sam]

Not really whining. More like death by 1000 cuts . Just trying to see if
anyone else had the same hard luck. Either I am truly alone (as the dealer
claims) or there are others. Just looking for the "broken down" Subaru
support group .

 

[BoB]

Not to be defensive, but I did try the lemon route, as it turns out, that is
much harder then it sounds. Also all the repairs were under warranty, so at
the end of the day it did not cost me anything, except headache. The thing
that got me going again is that the speedometer stopped working, and the
warranty is no longer valid. Either way, I was trying to figure out if
others had similar experience, cause I can not believe I am the only one.

First year models were not a good choice in the old days but the
chances of unknown problems still has potential today. Against my
better judgement I bought the first model Legacy sedan, 1990. Did
not even consider Subaru's before then. I was amazed at how perfect
the car was for a first model design. But you can't win 'em all.
Forester problems diminished considerably after 98/99 but I waited
until '02 to buy one. There was talk of major design change for '03
so decided I'd better not wait any longer. Been real happy with it
as I also was with my '95 Legacy wagon. Better luck next time.

BoB

 

[Dominic Richens]

Hi,

Wanted to see if anyone else experience the following onslaught of
issues with their Subaru.

[...]

Sounds like maybe your car was made first thing on a Monday or just before
quitting time of Friday

I guess my 95 Legacy (160,000km) was made on a Wednesday because this is its
list:
- vibration at 100km/h - factory tires needed re-balancing
- clutch slipping (at 80,000km) - new clutch needed (saw new and old clutch
together - not a manufacturing problem)
- oil pump gasket leaking (at 100,000km) - replaced gasket, leak stopped
- passanger side mirror missing - that branch from the ice-storm finally
fell out of the tree!
- right front drive axle (at 120,000km) - replaced with a re-built
- heat sheild rattle (at 160,000km) - removed heat sheild
- plus the usual stuff replace as per the service schedule.

I agree, I got lucky, but it shouldn't have to be up to luck. All that time
with the car sitting in the shop when you excepted to be able to use it,
isn't right.

If the problem was that everyone was lazy the day your car was made, then
they should admit to this after a certain threshold of problem, and agree to
re-build the engine and re-install the transaxel, to ensure that all gaskets
and seals are proplerly done etc...

 

[L. Kreh]

If you really want info about reliability that has some statistical
value, you need to do some research on Consumer Rpts, Edmonds, etc.
For what little it's worth, I have the same car. The only non-routine
thing that has ever needed fixing is, coincidentally, the speedometer.
Beginning about a month ago at 107K, it started working only
intermittently (along with the odometer, of course). I'm told it
needs a new speedo head, which costs about $150 parts + $150 labor.
I'll probably hold off until spring to fix it.

All in all, I'm very happy with the car.

 

[Mike Deskevich]

i've not been very impressed (actually quite disappointed) with my '99
legacy either, but i'm not going to bitch about that again, you can
probably search for my posts. i just wanted to comment on your
'doesn't drive straight' situation. i had a similar problem when i
first bought my car. it's still not perfect, but i noticed that it's
very dependant on the surface i'm driving on (there may be some
interaction with the all wheel drive). when i'm on a concrete
highway, the car drives perfectly straight. i can drive for miles at
a time without touching the steering wheel. but if i'm on pavement
then it pulls slightly to the left. don't know what's up with that.

mike

 

[Cam Penner]

Probably too late now but a discussion with the 'zone rep.' guy might be
in order - ask for an extended warranty. Best lines to use - "How would
you feel in my place?" "What do I tell my friends, relatives and
coworkers when they ask how I like my Subaru?" "If this happened to you,
would you buy another Subaru?" "Maybe what happened to me is 1% of your
customers - but its happening to me 100% of the time."

Those are excellent lines. Make sure that after you ask
the rep the question, you wait long enough for them to
reply. Silence is one of THE most effective bargaining
tools.

 

[Bruce Hoult]

I guess my 95 Legacy (160,000km) was made on a Wednesday because this is its
list:
- vibration at 100km/h - factory tires needed re-balancing
- clutch slipping (at 80,000km) - new clutch needed (saw new and old clutch
together - not a manufacturing problem)
- oil pump gasket leaking (at 100,000km) - replaced gasket, leak stopped
- passanger side mirror missing - that branch from the ice-storm finally
fell out of the tree!
- right front drive axle (at 120,000km) - replaced with a re-built
- heat sheild rattle (at 160,000km) - removed heat sheild
- plus the usual stuff replace as per the service schedule.

I agree, I got lucky, but it shouldn't have to be up to luck. All that time
with the car sitting in the shop when you excepted to be able to use it,
isn't right.

Here's what's gone wrong so far with my 1995 Japanese Legacy 250T (2.5,
auto, wagon), which I bought at 100,000 km, and now had 153,500:

- blown stop light
- wore out a set of tyres
- hole in exhaust, welded up

It's also had the ocassional gurgling in the dashboard for most of the
time I've had it, and it's getting worse, so I'll probably get that seen
to sometime (especially if the aircon stops working or something...).

-- Bruce

 

[null_pointer]

It's also had the ocassional gurgling in the dashboard for most of the

time I've had it, and it's getting worse, so I'll probably get that seen
to sometime (especially if the aircon stops working or something...).

-- Bruce

Gurgling in the dash area often indicates that the drain for a/c
condensate (water) is plugged up. Not sure about your car, but there
is usually a small rubber hose connected to a nipple on the bottom of
the air box in the passenger footwell. This hose goes to a hole in
the firewall where it dumps water on the ground. If you pull the hose
off, be prepared with a container to catch what could be a quart or so
of water

 

[Sammy Lee]

This sounds like a troll.

Sounds like you got a lemon and a bad dealership....

and now 4 years later your bitter about it - you should have returned it right
away and asked for a new car...

 

[Sam]

Mike,

I have to say that out all of the issue the "Not driving straight" was the
most frustrating one. Because it would get so bad at time that if you let go
of the wheel it would change a whole lane in a matter of 10 seconds or so.
At any rate, I am not going to bitch much either . I actually think it
has something to do with the all wheel drive system and uneven power
distribution as it will cause uneven tire wear, unlike the wear you would
see with alignment problems. I would have 3 tires with normal wear and one
tire with 30% less wear then the other three, as if it was not get as much
power as the rest. But like I said, water under the bridge now. Better luck
next time.

-Sam

 

[Sam]

More like on Sunday when no one was around

Hi,

Wanted to see if anyone else experience the following onslaught of
issues with their Subaru.

[...]

Sounds like maybe your car was made first thing on a Monday or just before
quitting time of Friday

I guess my 95 Legacy (160,000km) was made on a Wednesday because this is its
list:
- vibration at 100km/h - factory tires needed re-balancing
- clutch slipping (at 80,000km) - new clutch needed (saw new and old clutch
together - not a manufacturing problem)
- oil pump gasket leaking (at 100,000km) - replaced gasket, leak stopped
- passanger side mirror missing - that branch from the ice-storm finally
fell out of the tree!
- right front drive axle (at 120,000km) - replaced with a re-built
- heat sheild rattle (at 160,000km) - removed heat sheild
- plus the usual stuff replace as per the service schedule.

I agree, I got lucky, but it shouldn't have to be up to luck. All that time
with the car sitting in the shop when you excepted to be able to use it,
isn't right.

If the problem was that everyone was lazy the day your car was made, then
they should admit to this after a certain threshold of problem, and agree to
re-build the engine and re-install the transaxel, to ensure that all gaskets
and seals are proplerly done etc...

 

[Robert Baratono]

Hi,

Wanted to see if anyone else experience the following onslaught of issues
with their Subaru.

I bought a brand new 1999 Outback wagon (back in 99). The following is a
list of issues (in almost chronological order )

[list of problems snipped]

Here's my list...

2000 Outback Wagon w. man. trans - 61,000 miles w. all regular maintenance
performed.

-Driver's side head gasket started leaking coolant the first time at 30,000
miles, repaired under warranty. It's in the shop again right now, it
started leaking again at just over 60K. Dealer says it isn't under warranty
any more -- but I'll be damned if I'm paying for it...

-On it's third set of brake rotors due to warping -- set #3 were aftermarket
units, which are fine so far. Yes, I own a torque wrench and I know how
to use it. I've also had several brake calipers "freeze" which I'm sure
contributed to the warping problems.

-The radiator's been leaking when cold at the core-to-top-tank junction
for the last year. Gotta swap it out pretty soon, I'm getting -really-
sick of smelling antifreeze.

-Leaking oil -somewhere- on the bottom end of the engine (I get drips
on the garage floor). Hard to tell where it's coming from with all the
antifreeze leaking...

-Pulls to the right, but only with the factory "Wilderness" tires -- with
the Michelin Alpins on it the winter it's just fine. Alignment is right
on spec.

-The clutch chatters bad enough when it's cold to loosen your fillings.
A few "hard" takeoffs cures it until the next cold start. Dealer says
it's "normal". Bullcrap...

-Exhaust rattles a-plenty. Mostly just heat shields rattling that the
local muffler shop tack-welded back in place, but now I've got a loose
baffle in the muffler that constantly buzzes at around 2500 RPM.

-While it's at the dealer (again) they're supposed to take care of the
latest recall (corroding rear suspension parts).

My closest dealer is 120 miles away, so it's a real "ball" every
time I need to haul the thing back there.

I've owned several Subarus over the years, this is by far the most
trouble that I've ever had with any of them (and it's the first
new Subaru that I've bought). Even though I -love- the Subaru AWD
system for winter driving up here in Upper Michigan (at least the
manual transmission version), I'm seriously looking at other makes
for my next car purchase because of this 2K Outback's endless problems.

Bob

 

[MDCORE]

Well, since everyone is piping up with their troubles, here I go.

2001 VDC wagon (first year model)- in 25 months and 66,000 miles (was the first
60K service the dealer had done on an H6).

The center AC vents "drifted" when the AC was on. Replaced under warranty, the
new ones drift a little also.

The thermostat blew at around 45,000 miles. Replaced under the extended
warranty I got (this is a first year model- I figured if anything in the VDC
went it would have cost a fortune to fix).

Ah well.
That's it.
I feel that's not bad for how fast I'm piling on the miles.

This car just ROCKS!!!!!!!!!! (And it was made in Indiana)

Dukephoto

 

[Ken Teich]

Well, since everyone is piping up with their troubles, here I go.

-I posted about this once before but didn't see any comments on it. Here's
an update:

I had a recurring problem with my 01 Outback VDC. Occasionally, while
driving, the VDC & ABS lights came on and would stay on until the car was
restarted. I understand that there are some folks out there who experienced
similar
behavior but were able to have the problem corrected.

Dealer (Jack Miller Subaru in Kansas City, MO) tried to solve the problem a
number of times. Replaced everything from sensors to the whole VDC computer
(if I understand correctly (and I don't claim that I do!)). They even had
some regional service guy get his hands dirty. No luck. This took a bunch of
visits over a few months. Dealer was very cool about it; even though they
hadn't sold me the car they
treated me as one of their own. Complimentary rental car each follow-up
visit, very flexible times, etc.

As I was approaching 30k miles I was getting more than a little frustrated
and worried. Dealer's service dept got together with Subaru of America to
work something out.
It took a bunch of aggressive follow-up on my part, but once they got the
ball rolling things went very well. I did a straight trade of my 01 VDC with
30+k miles for a '04 Forester XT. Plus SOA is throwing in a thousand dollars
credit towards future parts and labor.

I've got a couple of thousand miles on the XT now and I LOVE it! More
comfortable for me, quick as hell and very low key visually.

Only complaints so far- telescopic steering column and better sun visors
with extenders would be nice. Wind noise in the car is OK by me and my wife-
though it is louder than we would expect, we like the noise esp when the
turbo kicks up!

If anyone is interested in further details or anything I will be watching
for follow-up posts.

-Ken

 

[Mike Cook]

99 Outback:
brake job every 30k miles (I drive down a mountain every day)
oil leak developed at 85k miles
some of the dashlights have gone out

That's about it.