Types
Brands
- Acura
- Afeela
- Alfa Romeo
- Alligator
- Apollo Automobil
- Aprilia
- Arch
- Arctic Cat
- Aston Martin
- Audi
- Bentley
- BMW
- Bollinger
- Boss Hoss
- Buell
- Bugatti
- Buick
- Cadillac
- CanAm
- Caterham
- Chevrolet
- Chrysler
- Citroen
- Cleveland CycleWerks
- Curtiss
- Dacia
- Dodge
- Ducati
- Ferrari
- Fiat
- Fisker
- Ford
- General Motors
- Genesis
- GMC
- Harley Davidson
- Honda
- Husqvarna
- Hyundai
- Indian
- Ineos
- Infiniti
- Jaguar
- Janus
- Jeep
- Karma
- Kawasaki
- Kia
- Koenigsegg
- KTM
- Lamborghini
- Land Rover
- Lexus
- Lightning
- Lincoln
- Lordstown
- Lotus
- Lucid Motors
- Maserati
- Mazda
- McLaren
- Mercedes
- Mercury
- MG
- Mini Cooper
- Mitsubishi
- Moto Guzzi
- MTT
- Nikola
- NIO
- Nissan
- Pagani
- Peugeot
- Piaggio
- Polaris
- Polestar
- Pontiac
- Porsche
- Ram
- Renault
- Rimac
- Rivian
- Rokon
- RollsRoyce
- Royal Enfield
- Saab
- Saturn
- Scion
- SEAT
- Ski-Doo
- Skoda
- Smart
- Spyker
- Subaru
- Suzuki
- Tesla
- Toyota
- Triumph
- Vauxhall
- Vespa
- VinFast
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
- Yamaha
- Z Electric Vehicle
- Zero Motorcycles
Article Categories
- Acura News
- Alfa Romeo News
- Aston Martin News
- Audi News
- Bentley News
- BMW News
- Buick News
- Cadillac News
- Car News
- Chevrolet News
- Chrysler News
- Dodge News
- Fiat News
- Ford News
- GMC News
- Honda News
- Hyundai News
- Infiniti News
- Jaguar News
- Jeep News
- Kia News
- Lexus News
- Lincoln News
- Mazda News
- Mercedes News
- Nissan News
- Porsche News
- Subaru News
- Tesla News
- Tips and Tricks
- Toyota News
- Volkswagen News
- Volvo News
More Articles
Buy Subaru Automobile 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Find big savings on Subaru Automobile(s) at Auto Helpers. Low Prices.
The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is Subaru’s newly introduced hybrid version of the Forester, combining the brand’s staple full-time all-wheel drive and SUV practicality with an electrified powertrain for improved efficiency. It retains the open-feel, elevated ride height and usability of the Forester while offering better fuel economy and lower emissions.
Powertrain & Performance
The hybrid system pairs a 2.5-litre Boxer four-cylinder gasoline engine with one or more electric motors and a small lithium-ion battery pack (around 1.1 kWh in some specifications).
Combined output is around 194 horsepower in many markets.
A continuously variable transmission (CVT) remains the gearbox, and all-wheel drive comes standard, preserving the Forester’s heritage of traction and versatility.
Fuel economy is significantly improved compared to the non-hybrid Forester. Some Canadian dealer estimates suggest ~6.8 L/100 km in city or combined use.
Because the gasoline engine is supplemented by electric drive, the Hybrid version offers smoother transitions, quieter operation and improved efficiency particularly in city or stop-and-go driving.
Interior & Features
The cabin layout and seating capacity remain unchanged from the standard Forester: five seats and a practical cargo area.
Features such as large-format infotainment screens, wireless smartphone integration (Apple CarPlay/Android Auto), and modern driver-assistance systems are included or available.
Standard full-time all-wheel drive gives the hybrid the same versatility as its purely gasoline sibling in terms of light off-road capability, bad weather use and adventurous contexts.
The battery pack is mounted under the cargo floor (or under the vehicle floor) to minimise intrusion into cargo or passenger space.
Strengths
Improved fuel economy and lower emissions compared to the conventional Forester, making it more efficient for daily commuting and mixed driving.
Maintains Subaru’s hallmark all-wheel drive system and higher ground clearance, so you get versatility for weather/mixed-road conditions without losing the Hybrid benefit.
Good value in its class: for buyers seeking an AWD compact SUV with better economy and green credentials, the Hybrid variant offers a differentiated choice.
The electrified system adds refinement: quieter engine/brake transitions, smoother operation in city driving, and a more composed feel.
Trade-Offs / Things to Consider
Although the power output is acceptable, the 194 hp figure means the Hybrid Forester may feel less punchy or sporty than some rivals or non-hybrid trims with stronger engines.
The use of a CVT and a focus on economy rather than performance means driver engagement is moderate rather than high-sport.
While cargo and seating remain practical, the added complexity (hybrid system/battery) may affect long-term ownership, maintenance planning or residual value in ways that differ from simpler ICE variants.
The premium for the hybrid-version (higher purchase price) may take some time to recoup in fuel savings depending on driving patterns, so buyers should consider total cost of ownership.
As with all hybrids, real-world efficiency gains depend on driving habits: frequent highway driving at high speed with full loads may reduce the advantage.
Ideal Buyer Profile
The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is best suited for someone who:
Drives regularly in varying road and weather conditions (snow, rain, light off-road) and values AWD capability and higher ground clearance.
Commutes daily and would benefit from improved fuel economy but still wants an SUV’s versatility rather than a compact hatch or sedan.
Prioritises practicality (five seats, cargo space) combined with better efficiency and lower emissions—not necessarily a performance-focused buyer.
Likes the idea of a more refined driving experience (smoother, quieter transitions) and is comfortable paying a bit more up front for the hybrid system.
Does not require extreme performance or towing capability; their use case is more about daily utility, family/car-pool driving, road trips and weather readiness.
Manufacturer: Subaru
MODEL: 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
MSRP: $44715.00
Related Error Code Pages:
Subaru Automobile Error Codes,
Related Troubleshooting Pages:
Subaru Automobile Troubleshooting,
Related Repair Pages:
Subaru Automobile Repairs,
Related Parts Pages:
Subaru Automobile Parts,
Buy Subaru Automobile 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
I have a 2011 Outback and I first had to add a quart of oil around 95K miles. My son in law said that they probably didnt fill it full when my oil was changed last. So I think anything of it although I told them about it and brought it for an oil change. They didnt bother to tell me about excess oil consumption while I was under an extended warranty. So I got the full synthetic oil change and was told the next change is due in 7K miles. At 4000 mi. the oil light came on and it was 2 quarts low! I am furious that I was not told about this while was under a warranty! Now I have 103K mi. and they probably wont offer any assistance.Also, it almost dies (like a slow idle?) when I stop for a stop light or even a stop sign. It has done this since 39K and they can never diagnose it. It is getting pretty persistent. Does anyone know what this could be? They say it doesnt happen when they test drive it and the computer does not show anything. My guess is, now the warranty is over, they can diagnose it right away! Never another Subaru!!
Me and my 12 year old had a lady pull out in front of us in my 2012 Subaru Forester. We ended up hitting a telephone pole on the drivers side. Thank goodness but my side impact air bag did not deploy, I was slammed into the pole very hard and I was doing 20mph when I started down the hill, factor in the velocity of the slide on ice and snow and I was doing well over the 8mph needed to deploy the air bag. I hit hard enough to crumple the rocker sill inside the door and snap the bumper clips and flatten the front tire. We had seat belt bruises of course, my daughter hurt her knee on the door, I injured my arm and shoulder, and slammed my head violently. When I contacted Subaru about this, they did not seem overly concerned, Im still yelling at them about this. I dont know about anyone else but I feel this is a serious malfunction. Ive had other problems too, faulty seatbelts, engine running rough and smelling bad, brakes going bad, stalling, loss of power. And every time I take it back to the dealer, they say we cant do anything, the check engine light is not on. To say the least, this is the most frustrating thing Ive ever heard it makes me want to pull my hair out. I bought my Subaru because Ive owned 3 older ones like 80s and they were good old beaters ya know, so I figured Id buy a newer one. Mine only had 20,000 on it, like new. I wish Id never bought this car, what a mistake.Anyone else feel this way, these big companies always getting away with rooking us little guys? I even contacted a lawyer, he said good luck. Im like really? they almost killed me. I think Im going to try to take them on myself!!! Anyone else interested? If you are write to me **. Im so sick of these guys rooking everyone. You pay 30,000 for a car, it shouldnt be a piece of junk death trap that stalls and does hesitates when you step on it so you can get hit by people real nice. But ya know the check engine light isnt on so we cant fix it. Hey I have no brakes. Well the brakes look good to us we cant help you. Really??? God, such crap.
I bought this low- mileage 2019 Forester used and admittedly have only 4 months experience with it. Most things seem fine except for one BIG issue: from time to time there is no response when I press the accelerator. After 2-3 seconds it picks up again, but by then I could have been rear-ended! This is the same issue described by Margaret of Harrisburg and is not new. I found other websites dating back to 2015 with dozens of complaints about this same problem. This is a clear safety issue and should be the subject of a recall. I bought a Subaru because it used to be highly rated but, as I research this problem, I now find more and more complaints about this and other issues.Other things I don’t like include the auto-shutdown at stops. I had to turn it off because it caused a hesitation and was annoying. And the drivers manual is a mess — 550 pages with supplements and I can’t find how to, for example, dim the dash lights. It seems there’s never one spot that fully describes a function. Pages referring to other pages, referring to other pages that eventually come full circle. And the index is almost useless. Think “dashboard light dimmer” is there? Nope. This is only one function for which I find Google much more helpful.
Gas mileage rated 27/36. I am getting 21/27. What is going on? I got rid of a 2011 Kia for the same reason. Now, what do I do? You can contact me by email. Thank you.
2015 WRX engine failure, 5600 miles - I have had my car about 4 months, leased as new car. On 4-18-15, engine light blinked on, I stopped car to check manual, it said to slow down reduce load on engine, and get to dealership ASAP, that was Saturday eve. Manual said it was ok to drive. I ran some close by errands Sunday. Took to dealership Monday AM. After a while, I was told that a plug had lost its tip and was misfiring... ok, quick fix. Wrong... service mgr informed me that there was a hole in the cylinder, that I would need a new engine. LUCKILY, under warranty. Down time 2-3 weeks. They rented me a car, they were very nice at the service dept. Hopefully no problems after this is fixed.
I really believed that Subarus were reliable cars. I still owe $11,000 on my 2013 Legacy thats now worth $5,000 now and my transmission went. Since I have 121,000 miles on it, Im out of luck. Subaru is aware of issues they have with their CVT transmission and in 2017, extended their warranty to unlimited miles. That extension expired on 7/31/18. Their response is that they can offer me a $500 coupon off of a new car. I completely lost faith in them. I thought that my car would last until 300k miles at least.
The company had a problem with the sunroofs of 2014s. They did provide new carpeting the first time our car flooded, which is an admission its the companys fault. But now nothing and were left with a flooded, mildewed car, which by the way induces asthma. Terrible response from the company. Will not buy a Subaru again.
As I said, I lease this vehicle. Checked the passenger side, soaked. Brought to Quality Subaru, 3 days later, still leaking. Call SOA to file complaint. Goes back to dealer tomorrow, 2nd time. Give new car/or out of lease.
Headlight issue: I have 2010 Subaru Outback. I have replaced all the lights approx. 8x. Something has to be wrong!!!!
Great vehicle. Runs great and has good gas mileage. I love the heater and air conditioner. Also, I have friends that have bought the same model and they spoke highly of it. I definitely would not want to trade or sell it. Would recommend it to a friend and would definitely purchase another one.
I have been a loyal Subaru owner. I have owned 4 Subarus. In the last 6 years I have leased 2 outbacks and am planning on leasing my third. I have called and asked for my $500 Loyalty Reward which I used on my 2016 lease. I keep getting the runaround, transferred from one department to another with no results, how much more loyalty is needed! I will continue to try for another week, but I will lease a Toyota and become their loyal customer! Shame on Subaru!
I bought a 2015 Subaru brand new thinking it will last forever. Just told I need a new transmission and itll cost 7000 dollars. I still owe 10000 on it. What a joke. This car should last 300,000 not 130,000.
My son and I purchased a 2016 Forester. When I fill up the car will only take 11 to 12 gallons of gas, even being as low as 30 miles left. Then I fill it up. At first I would drive just away from the service station and it would go from 280 to 240. I took pictures, showed dealership. They said its normal. Then it started about April I would fill up and now put gas in. Clear everything. I can drive and gain miles in my tank. I told them numerous time not miles per gallon. If Im traveling I can fill up have 260 lets just say drive 20 mins I will have 300. I have never had any car ever do this. The Dealership here in Jacksonville are rude. The guys tell me its normal. Then I started having the tire sensor lights on. Nothing wrong with pressure. And once again told me I was lying because its not picking up on the Subaru starlink system. So again I take pictures. Now today no one in passenger side the light kept going off.The dealership I live in a lemon law state Im thankful but something is not right and dealership says its ok. All these complaints except for the seat issue has been numerous times addressed with Subaru Headquarters . My Starlink never said I needed a oil change. When I took the car in I waited. The car was checked in at 1230. I went out to talk on phone. My car was outside. It was 29 mins. When I asked did they rotate the tires and change the oil. They said yes even though on my ticket says they only checked air pressure. Then service manager Tom said Subaru only pays for 30 mins to rotate all tires and change oil. Please let me know if anyone has this issues.
I just bought a brand new Subaru XV in Turkey and on the way home check engine light came on and took it to several service stations over the last month but no luck so far. I requested them to replace the car but Subaru Turkey is worse than second hand car dealers... I called Subaru Japan but have not heard back from them either... Vehicle VIN: JF1GP3LC5EG204801, Vehicle Manufacturer: Subaru, Fault codes: P000A,P000B and P000C. I will never buy a Subaru again...
Subaru Outback 2011 Transmission Problems - ** My youtube video catches the problem, but the transmission doesnt always engage when Im on the interstate. This has happened to me several times when Im in the mountains. Subaru claims they have to replicate the problem for them to help me. Its very dangerous, sometimes it gets down to 45 mph while going downhill.
My vehicle is out of warranty and software on my head unit is out of date. There is a TSB to update it and fix multiple major bugs and in addition to allow mobile devices to connect. Some bugs can even be considered safety issue (e.g. backup camera lag - it takes 8 seconds for camera to turn on when car put in reverse). Based on Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies act passed in 2014 car manufacturers cannot block car owners from updating their cars software on their own. I understand that such updates are done at my own risk and can possibly void warranty, which I don’t have any longer, so warranty coverage is unrelated to this case.3 other makes I own since 2014 allow owners to update head unit software and make all of the update downloads public. Subaru of America also had updates published and available to public until they removed it few month ago. I sent multiple inquiries to Subaru HQ and received a reply that I MUST go through authorized retailer service in order to receive updates. When I contacted retailer they stated that such updates can only be done for a fee and they can’t provide update media to a customer even when I agreed to pay for it. This is direct restriction of customer’s rights and it is done only for the purpose of making it impossible for customer to update their software on their own, forcing people to go through retailer services so Subaru can make more money. I love the company and this is 2nd Subaru vehicle I own, but this new business model is just unacceptable. It shows how Subaru as a company cares less about laws and its customers.
We purchased a 2019 Ascent and love many things about it. The one thing we DO NOT is the MPG. We have carefully monitored the MPG in all sorts of circumstances, even trying to drive at the speed limit on cruise control for several hours in 8th speed in the manual mode. That is where we got the best MPG at 19.2. At no other time have we been close to the quoted number. Our average has been 17.2 city and 18.8 highway, which are very different numbers from what the window sticker numbers showed. We have tried endlessly to work with Subaru of America and have had little to no help as they are not taking ownership of the discrepancy and they just keep trying to put it back on the dealership. Clearly this is a corporate issue as they build the vehicles and the dealership just sells them!
To say I have had a bad experience is an understatement. Week one, battery dies leaving me unable to open the rear hatch to access my dog crates. Month 2, my AC dies (in the summer... I live in Texas). Battery continuously dies, replaced multiple times. Advised that battery drain has been addressed, pure lies. Tailgate latch breaks (remember dog crates mentioned before?) 17 months, Transmission goes out- even though multiple sources prove that the 2019 has multiple tranny issues, dealership tried for 2 weeks to make me pay for the entire new transmission. These are just a few of the issues Ive had. ***Not a dog friendly car!!!
I am having issues (multiple) with 2011 STI. When I’m driving in the rain and don’t touch my brakes for 5-15 minutes and go to apply them, they act like they don’t work. The engine knocks when it sits for 2 days. It makes the most horrific noise when it’s started and cold (I have video documentation of the engine noise). I spoke with a Subaru Rep named Bob **. He was very kind in setting up my appointment (took 3 days), but everything afterwards has been below average. I took my vehicle into the dealer he scheduled and after the technicians looking at my car, they said there was no problem. Allegedly, the brakes were fine as far as they looked (but they never got the brakes wet). The technician Kurt said he’s never heard that noise before from the engine. I spoke with Bob ** and he said that the dealer’s service manager had talked to me and told me that everything was okay. Well, either Bob ** is a liar or Jeff the service manager from Suburban Subaru is a liar because I never spoke with Jeff ever, other than to ask what him and Bob spoke about and he said that he was just told to fax the info over. Bob said that Jeff had told him they found nothing wrong with my car and since they have found nothing wrong with it, they won’t send out anyone to look at it. I have a safety concern that others are having and they won’t even look at it? Seriously?! I have researched the web and found tons of others complaining about the brakes not working when it’s wet. So this is a problem that Subaru is aware of but won’t acknowledge. I don’t feel safe driving my car when it’s wet because in an emergency situation, I won’t be able to stop and I could kill myself and someone else. All I want is a Subaru rep to come out and take a look but they won’t. I was repeatedly lied to by Bob **. I will never buy another Subaru again.Another thing to add, I took the technician for a drive to show him how my diff clunks when I’m shifting under hard acceleration. So I took it up to 6000 rpm and shifted the car. The gears and the clunk were heard. The technician then said You’re putting this under a lot of stress. How am I putting the car under stress? People rev there STIs up to 5000 rpm and dump it, bounce off the rev limiter, down shift from 6th to 3rd. All I was doing was shifting going in a straight line down the road. The car can’t handle 6k rpm shifts? Why does the motor rev to 6k rpm then? Why it isn’t electronically governed? Subaru is the worst auto company in the world. Never buy a Subaru because from day one, they will screw you. I bought the most expensive car they have and they treat me like crap!
I have owned Subarus since 1972. Of course, then you had to shift into AWD. I have had a 1996, 1999, 2011, and 2017 Outbacks and a 1998 Forester. My son has had two Subarus Impreza sport, and a Forester. and my daughter has a Forester. We all feel safe in these and love the way they drive and handle. Presently my wife and I have the 2011 and 2017 models that we bought after they we turned in off lease by other owners. Both cars have been trouble free.
Recently we purchased a 2007 Subaru Outback, our 14th Subaru. This is the worst SUBARU that was ever made! It had 107,458 miles on it, so we thought we would be driving it at least to 250,000 or more. However, on day 6, the engine caught on fire in Virginia, 699 miles from home. SO we paid to have it towed home, another engine was put into it and guess what. That is now gone too. In between these 2 engines the brakes had to be replaced because the lines rusted and broke causing fluid to leak all over the place, but because Im the 2nd owner SUBARU of AMERICA will not help at all.EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED, especially finding out that they have been having engine problems and brake issues with these vehicles. BOTH issues have been causing these 2007s, vehicles to catch on fire. SHAME on you SUBARU of AMERICA, consumers need to know these vehicles catch on fire because of engine and brake issues. WE were a SUBARU family, but this month I bought a TOYOTA and a CHEVY, its the first time in 26 years that I DIDNT BUY ANOTHER SUBARU. Clean up your ACT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT or even KILLED!!!
I bought a brand new Subaru Outback 25i limited in 2011. Ive had regular oil changes and followed the maintenance schedule religiously. I had 55,000 miles on the car. I wasnt super pleased with the interior because I have dogs and though Subaru claims to be dog friendly, their thin plastic fabric below the windows rips very.... Ok.. I thought kind of cheap but I put up with it... Then, three weeks ago, my check engine light went on.... I called the dealer who told me not to panic, that it was probably nothing but to get it in. I got it in the next day (the light had gone off by then but I brought it in anyway). Turns out there was no oil in the engine and the brakes had rusted. They told me I neglected the cars maintenance. My neighbor has the identical car and the exact same thing happened to her but hers was still under warranty. They rebuilt her engine. They claimed mine was neglect. They would not help me. I dumped the car. Took a major hit because of the issues but I no longer trusted it. Ill never buy another Subaru or recommend them to others.
While I love the car I purchased in November 2013, I have yet to have the dealership iron out my motor vehicle tags. Id like to escalate it to the CEO because Im tired of wasting my time. If you have located the email, please send it to me.
I owned 2 Subarus, 1 WRX STi 2005 and one FORESTER 2007. Both of them have been really great. The STi I only done maintenance on it thats it! The Forester I did a couple of small repair like front links and ball joints... nothing major. Really good cars, the only really big complaint is on the IMPREZA WAGONS of 2002-2007. THE BACK STRUTS TOWERS RUST COMPLETELY at the point the struts will pop inside. I seen from my own eyes and heard of this everywhere.
I like the cars performance in bad weather like rain, snow and ice. The car keep me comfortable. I also like the all-wheel drive and heated seats. But I am disappointed with my Subaru in the cost of repairs. They are very expensive. Also, the windshield has been a bother and has broken numerous times. Rocks hit it and instantly put holes in the window. We have replaced the window five or six times.
The car is a 2017 Outback and has served us extremely well for almost a year. We travel a good deal and the car has always gotten us to where we are going; in spite of the navigation system. The navigation system, which I have nicknamed Miss Direction keeps trying to kill us. It consistently tells us to enter I84 in Ontario, OR on the off ramp. On our way to Sun Valley, it tried to route us on cow paths and insisted we turn around or turn right into a river. The system said the direct route (ID 75) was blocked by a rock slide (which kept moving ahead of us) and would take three hours to traverse. I took it anyway and arrived in twenty minutes without difficulty. The entire time, the system kept trying to divert us and finally relented when the motel was within sight. The car is superb but I cant trust the navigation system.
I have only 160 miles on my 2014 Subaru Crosstrek. Last week, while running the air conditioning, the engine started chirping & squealing. Took it back to the dealer I leased it from, and the tech told me its a defective Serpentine belt, which is COMMON for their Legacys & Outbacks, but this was the first time shes seen it on the Crosstrek. And best of all, they DONT have the belt in stock (IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED). So, they have to ORDER it and I will have to be inconvenienced once again to bring it back so they can replace it.
I have owned Hondas, Mazdas and Saabs and there is no question that the Subaru Outback is the most uncomfortable and annoying car I have ever owned. I just traded it in after only 2 years, and I am so relieved and thankful to have gotten rid of it. Just so that you know the importance of this, I always keep my cars 15 years. I have never, ever in my life traded in a vehicle. I usually keep my cars for 15 years and then sell them to a private party for a couple thousand bucks at the end, usually b/c they are in such great condition. I am writing this because I want to help others avoid making the same mistake I made, a very expensive mistake.I had a 2014 Subaru Outback, the Limited version, with the 2.5 engine, auto transmission. I was interested in this car because I had always heard how great Subarus are and I wanted a comfortable and larger car that was dog-friendly. I test drove this vehicle three times before I bought it. ***None of the issues listed below are either evident during a one-hour test drive, and/or become annoying until you have driven the car for a few months.*** I recommend that you ask for (at least one) day-long test drive of any Subaru, especially the Outback, before you buy one. Heres why I got rid of this car (NOTE: All of the issues below I addressed with the dealers and they told me this is all normal behavior for these cars; also many of these issues are common complaints from owners):Worst transmission in the industry. I do not know how anyone can stand to drive this CVT transmission day in day out. I had an automatic. Imagine stepping on the gas and the car feeling like its about to choke, like the transmission is failing. It is especially bad when the car is cold. I did not notice this during the test drive. I believe you have to have a few thousand miles on the car, and/or be in normal traffic or driving conditions to understand how bad this transmission feels. Rough, choky, sputtering doesnt even begin to describe it.Worst A/C in the industry. When you are in Arizona (or DC or Florida or anywhere where it gets hot) and its 108 degrees, the last thing you want is a car that doesnt cool. The A/C on these cars STOPS COOLING when you step on the gas. Dont believe me? Put your hand in front of the A/C vent and step on the gas. The A/C keeps blowing but the air is warm. Ridiculous. Worst seats in the industry. If you have even the slightest back problems, do not buy this car. Also do not even think of long road trips in this car either. The seats will kill you.Worst handling in the industry. Speaking of long road trips, another reason why you will not want to take long trips with this car is the fact that the car wanders on the road. You are fighting with the steering wheel constantly to stay in the lane. Yes, again, all this is normal behavior for this car, according to several Subaru dealers. And this wandering is among many issues with steering/handling that people have complained about on this forum, with little to no resolution. I rented a Ford Escape last weekend and I was shocked at how well that SUV handles, compared to Outback, which costs $10,000 more. (The Escape has other negatives, however.)Worst infotainment system in the industry. If this is important to you, keep shopping. DO NOT buy this car unless you get the navigation, which comes with a big infotainment screen. Otherwise you will be dealing with a tiny little screen that is smaller than your phone. If you have an iPod or a USB drive full of songs, good luck trying to get the Outback to play the songs, or specific songs. Want to find Dave Mathews Band? The song search is pretty much impossible. The Bluetooth is crackly and terrible (another common complaint). The audio sound is awful, but I know nobody buys these cars for acoustics and audio sound. Speaking of sound, also, the car is very very noisy, but I know no one buys these cars for the soundproofing either.Worst backup camera in the industry. The resolution of the camera is so bad, I dont know why they bothered with the backup camera to begin with. Dont expect to see much of anything from that camera if its raining. Worst auto body in the industry. When I go to Costco or whatever, I park my cars away from other cars, in the farthest space possible. Thats just how I roll. And yet this car already had several door dings and chips and scratches. The exterior paint/metal will not last 15 years. In fact, it looked like junk after only 2 years. The Subarus are also no match for bird poop or tree sap; both had already damaged the hood.Horrible fuel economy (I never got more than 19.7 mpg) despite being a supposedly green automaker. I only did city driving, but thats what I got. Also, the major reason why I did not buy the larger 3.6 engine is because I did not want to buy a gas guzzler. But in fact the 2.5 is also a gas guzzler. So I ended up with a really slow, under-powered car (read: zero pickup off the line) that guzzled gas.I do have two good things to say about this car. A, it doesnt require premium gas. And B, it has excellent resale value (because I guess theres a lot of people out there who dont care about the above-mentioned things and just want a car to haul stuff uphill or in snow). If your only interest is having a very basic AWD hauler, then this may be the car for you. If drive quality, comfort and fuel economy are important to you, arrange for full-day test drives, preferably several of them, before you buy. I feel like Subaru, especially with the Outback, tries to market itself as a step above other compact and intermediate SUVs. They should give their marketers a raise, because they sure conned me. Hope this helps someone avoid making the pricey mistake I made.
I went from a 2007 Jeep Compass. Not the best car - but what I found was that the Compass was miles ahead technology wise - from the 2012 Subaru Outback. Every time I get in the Outback, I curse that dashboard, air conditioning panel and radio. Why must lights and windshield washers be so complicated? Ive about wrecked trying to adjust the AC - because that panel requires your full attention to make a change. If I have a low tire - the Jeep told me the pressure of all tires and which tire was low - the Subaru - tells me, You have a low tire - go find it! Who puts the gas tank on the passenger side - Subaru. Next winter Ill be outside freezing while pumping gas. Plus - why do I have to unlock the cap inside the car before I can get gas. The locks are a major malfunction too... They dont lock automatically when the car is moving, if the car is locked - I manually lock them since it wont lock automatically - I cant just open the door. Nope its locked!The Jeep radio simple - I had 5 buttons for programming radio channels I could put 3 channels on each button - I just pressed the button again. I had Satellite on the Jeep too. With the Subaru - you have to take your eyes off the road again - press FM button till you get FM 1, 2 or 3 then you can select your button. I love the gas mileage, the low profile, the roominess of the Subaru Outback. I HATE the dashboard, lights, wipers, the AC and the radio. Why must everything be so complicated!!! My 2007 was far superior electronically to this!
I dont think I will purchased car Subaru again after I had a bad experience with Subaru located in Troy, MI. They had an advertisement said that if you had a test drive at their location, you earned $50 gift card, no purchased necessary. So I and my husband decided to go to have a try with this brand name at their location instead the dealership on Hall Rd. We went there, did a test drive, even purchased their car. After 1 hour, I asked them about the $50 gift card. They said they would mail it to my house. It has been 2 months now after I made the purchase, I received nothing. I called the salesman, emailed him, left voicemail, nothing, no response. I called his manager and left a voicemail, no response either. I think we did purchase the car, they dont care about what they promised and their customer anymore. I should never trust them. Worst service ever. Never come back.
I was so excited to get a backup camera but the one on my 2015 Forester is worse than not having one. It makes everything look so much further away than it really is. And today I glanced into it before backing into my space and right into the side of my husbands car. I waited 15 years to get a new Forester and I am so disappointed in it. This would have never happened using the mirrors. You know, it warns you if youre too close to something in front of you, when what you really need is a warning if something is behind you. My daughter has a Kia and the backup camera is 100 times better than my Foresters. Please correct this before it is a little child someone doesnt see.
Due to limit of words everything in detail cannot be told. Car has had issue upon issue since new. Subaru knew this car was a lemon offered warranty. Now it has an internal engine PROB CLAIM BEING DENIED.
I bought a brand-new Subaru in Silverthorne, Colorado. The dealer has provided the most incompetent, inconsistent service over the years; costing me time and money. Several times, they failed to clip something back in the car after it was serviced causing irreparable damage to the part. They refuse to replace it or take any responsibility even though the problem was brought to their attention right away. Subaru Corporate Headquarters was contacted numerous times about this, and they just sent emails thanking me for my feedback and that they value their customers. If they valued their customers, they would do something.My last experience at the dealer involved a botched oil change that they admitted to. They promised to credit my Visa card when I had no choice but to ask for a refund and assured me it was done. When I called to follow up 3 weeks later because my bank confirmed a credit in fact did not post, I was treated abominably by their latest manager, **. This, too, was reported to Subaru Corporate Headquarters. I asked them for the name of ** superior three times. They wrote back, thanked me for my feedback, and refused to answer my simple question. I have years of documentation to show what I have been through with Subaru. They were nice when I bought my car, but since then, they have proven time and again that they do not care about their customers.
Hi this is Subhkarmanjit **. I’m from Barrie Ontario. I bought Subaru Impreza WRX 2015 pre-owned certified hardly 4-5 months ago. I maintained my car properly did services on time. I got it on 95,000 kms and driven it all way to Vancouver hardly 4400 km one way. I heard some weird noises. I checked everything. I thought it was just driving it too much then after everything was ok I kept driving it until I driven back from Vancouver again 4400 kms all the way to Barrie Ontario then it’s also my daily drive car and I work in Brampton so I drive it from there to Barrie daily. Like 2 months ago I started having issues with my car. The engine lights started showing up and then my car started smelling like something like burning rubber and out of nowhere. And the rpm was like going up and I felt like clutch was slipping on 100 kph and high rpms and my gears were little stiff. It’s not like that I never driven standard car before. I know how to drive standard. This is my third Subaru. I had 2001 Subaru Legacy before twin turbo then 2004 WRX and this is my 4th manual car. I sold my Jeep and got this WRX. I have this extended warranty from Subaru dealership when I bought my car for almost $3400 and I took it to dealership as I was told everything is covered in warranty so I went there. They diagnosed my car and after an hour service department told me it was just faulty o2 sensor and my clutch was started roasting and gears were stiff. When I asked them will they fix everything they said no they can’t fix o2 sensor until it completely dead and clutch is not covered as bumper to bumper warranty or my full warranty says everything is covered and they did nothing. They just erased my all the faulty lights and charged me $121 for just looking at car and I had to pay ask them to fix my clutch in few days because they asked me to pay either for parts or labor and they told me they will give me appointment for another day so I can come and show my car again and get estimates. I waited. They never contacted me or called me. Then on 3/12/2018 I was on highway 400 at midnight around 12 am. I was coming from Toronto back to Barrie when I was changing my lane from right to left suddenly there was big blast under hood and my whole motor was blown and it was big black smoke on whole highway. I couldn’t see anything and also smoke was inside car. I was on 100 kph and suddenly motor started making weird noises. I was so scared and was alone. I pulled it over to side and opened my hood. Saw big crack in engine near the alternator and everything was hanging even belts pulleys and was big crack in motor and oil spills coolant everywhere. I called my brother and other friends because I inhaled smoke and then my car was broke and I was alone. I called tow guy had to pay him $200 to tow it back. Next day I Went to Barrie Subaru dealership and they told me they will cover everything as I have full warranty and they will take report to SPP and they said they will contact me but they didn’t. I took all my tools and stuff from my car and got rental car. Since then they didn’t contact me. I had to contact them and now the thing is they said spp checked and they approved my repair and said motor will be replaced. I checked everything online did research and asked my friends as new WRX motor cost from $6500 to $10000 and with transmission and used ones from $4500 to $7000. I called Subaru dealership on 22/12/2018. They said they can’t fix the car. The repair cost they is gonna be $23000 and if I pay $6000 from my Pocket they are ready to fix it. They told me my car market value is on $15000 and that’s wrong. I got my car valued before and from Barrie to Oakville dealerships. My car still value still stands at $20,000 to $22,000 and I’m so pissed hearing it. At this point that it’s been almost 23 days my car is standing at same spot. It’s not neither getting fixed or took cared. It’s snow season and my car is almost started catching rust and other things is how can a car repair cost $23000. I’m mechanic too. I know everything I have 3 yrs experience too worked in 2 different countries. This is my biggest mistake. I bought Subaru. I wish I would’ve never bought it. It’s not getting fixed anytime soon almost gonna be month. I’m moving soon to other province. I tried to reach everyone. No one is ready to hear me so I’m writing this email. Please help me up with something or I will take this to court. I’m already so stressed about my life and then my car. I already have so many problems to deal with. Please do something soon or replace my car or something. I’m totally tired to going to dealership and contacting them again and again. Thank you.
Several months after purchasing my 2016 Outback I experienced an occasion when my engine stalled when I was trying to move into moving traffic. At first I assumed it was just a one time incident but I had the same thing happen a couple more times over the next few weeks. I drove the car to Armstrong Subaru and discussed the issue with Terry the service manager who told me that Subaru is aware of the problem that is in the computer module. He said they were expecting to come up with a solution within the next five months but in the meantime there is nothing they can do. The problem has continued to plague me and I fear that it could possibly cause an accident. I called Subaru America and the lady at that number pretty much told me the same thing. I waited several months and called Terry again only to learn that they are still working on the problem.In todays internet issue of Consumer Affairs I learned that the Impreza has been recalled for the same issue but there is not mention of the Outback. I am very disgruntled to say the least. I guess I will be forced to wait until all the Imprezas are fixed before a recall is issued on the Outback. Ill just continue to keep my fingers crossed because I have to have my car for transportation and cant just park it indefinitely. No more Subarus for me.
I purchased a 2009 Forester XT in April of 2008. Three days after purchase, Subaru announced a stop sale order on turbo Foresters made after Jan 1, 2008 (mine was mfg Jan 26th 2008). They issued the stop sale order because of manufacturing defects in the engine that led to knocking and then catastrophic engine failure. My car had knocking at 1030 miles and now at 92K the engine has had the catastrophic engine failure. Subaru refuses to answer the question if my car was affected by the stop sell order and takes no responsibility for repairing my car.
Extreme Disappointment - Atrocious Quality; First time Subaru Owner - brand new 2015 Legacy 3.6R - purchased Dec 2014. Major Safety and Quality Issues - Awful. Whomever is in charge of Quality at Subaru should be fired. It is evident Subaru failed to Quality test this model before production.1. Burning smell from engine & snow water entering engine bay. Discovered snow/water entering engine bay/compartment while driving in snow. Serious safety risk; water all over electrical components I believe leading to burning smell. Contacted Subaru of America, no response yet. Filed N.H.T.S.A. complaint. The water/salt stains are evident under the actual hood and the engine compartment and already see signs of rust on electric connectors. 2. Water leak in foot well of cabin. 3. Starting issue - numerous time required 4-5 seconds for the engine to crank/turn over finally started. Dealer replaced fuse relays per Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)4. Display - frozen numerous times - Dealer replaced fuse relays per TSB. 5. Fuel Filter door froze numerous times; unable to open; Dealer fixed per TSB. 6. Awful wind noise driving above 40mph. Door/window moldings replaced on all doors and 2 front triangle windows replaced by dealer per TSB. Vendor made faulty moldings and glass.7. Moon-roof - above 60 mph moon-roof whistles loud - seal issue like door. Exterior moon-roofs black seal/molding towards back near center dome light, is raised up above the sheet metal not aligned/flush - adjusted by dealer. 8. Lumbar - when pressed to increase lumbar, it only enlarges on the left side of the seat back only, then when you press decrease it shifts to right side and almost even outs then goes flat. Dealer inspected and found defective seat from factory; parts on order.
I have never owned a Subaru before. After this car I will never own a Subaru again. What a piece of crap this car is. The only good things about this car are the generous cargo space, the (so far) lack of repair bills and the resale value. That is it. Everything else BLOWS. The acceleration is abysmal. The braking is ridiculously soft and bad. The handling, well, there is no handling on this car and good luck taking it on road trips; you will spend 75% of the time fighting with the steering wheel to keep the car from wandering all over the road. Oh and dont even think about taking a corner fast with this car! The A/C is adequate, but god forbid you step on the gas, IT WILL STOP COOLING! The CVT transmission hesitates, is jerky and Subaru says thats perfectly normal! The sound system and entertainment screen is just an embarrassment. The backup camera of course is very LOW-RES. The MPG on the sticker is a BIG LIE; I have never gotten anything over 24 miles per gallon with this car. I wont even keep typing, as Subaru doesnt deserve for me to spend another second writing about this substandard vehicle. Make sure you test drive this vehicle many, many times before you buy it, and for the love of god do not even think about buying the 4 cylinder, unless you like to be blown off the interstate by trucks since your car will not be able to accelerate enough to merge. This car is for people who are not drivers. At this point I am just waiting for the car to start burning through oil, as 99.9% of the Outbacks are doing. The car is only good for hauling stuff in the snow. It gets two overall stars from me for that. Thats about it.
I just recently got a 2005 Forester. I love it. I have only had to do a couple very minor things with the engine, and it runs smoother than ever. @Dan from NC, you can ship that car up to Michigan if youd like, haha. Im wanting a WRX motor for my Forester anyway, lol.
At 54,000 the original CVT transmission on my 2012 Subaru Impreza Limited failed. A Subaru reman CVT tranny was installed. After 8 days and 200 miles that replacement CVT tranny failed suddenly and with no warning. It is back at the Subaru dealership for its 3rd CVT transmission right now.
Purchased my 2013 Subaru Outback in November of 2012. Had concerns about having to use synthetic oil (price being about double regular oil), but was told by the salesman that there was no worries because I only need to change oil every 7500. I have had 4 oil changes and every time in between changes the oil light comes on and I have to add oil. The dealership states that this is common and the nature of the beast. The dealership said I can bring the car in to the shop when the oil light comes on and they will add, but I will be charged. How can a car company get away with something like this? You are sold a car that you believe only needs oil change every 7500 miles but it can never make it that far without adding. I have a 2005 Kia Sorento that has over 270,000 miles on it and has never used a drop of oil (when I get my oil changed its always on full). Guess that tells me I should stick to another car company other than Subaru.
Upon my Dads passing, given a 2008 Subaru Forester (LL Bean-edition). This car has less than 50,000 miles on it and was just diagnosed with a head gasket issue! Contacted Subaru and asked to go through hoops, including having their dealership review the problem. A review of their brand indicates a litany of issues with this company. Yet they want to tow the company line and state that there are no recalls on this model. Would have been made to take time off work to their far flung dealership locations, pay inflated dealership rates to diagnose an issue they (Subaru) states is not an issue. Getting a diagnosis from dealerships and paying for the privilege is what takes the cake. Also, would you pay to have the fox watch the chickens in the hen house???? No integrity with this company and this was not a cheap car. They do not stand behind their product and I have taken this first of many steps to let anyone I know considering buying a Subaru of the substandard product and joke that they refer to as customer service!
I bought a 2004 Impreza WRX from Grayson Subaru in Knoxville Tennessee , with an extended warranty with only 37,976 miles than at 41,890 miles. Major engine repairs costing $3152 than at 50, 052 miles, major engine repair costing $6,037.93 than an inspection of there work costing only $51.07 than at 58,061 miles. Needed a new turbo costing $1,600 than at 60,824 miles oil leak costing $845.09 than at 62,634 miles same oil leak costing $1,331.40, and now the car has had major engine failure again including the turbo. I change the oil when its needed between 3000 and 4500 miles. And now youre telling me its my fault . Can someone help me out for me to a good east Tennessee lawyer that can help me out to claim my money back from Grayson Subaru in Knoxville Tennessee?
I have owned 4 Subarus but I must say, I am done with the company. My 2002 Outback had the leaking head gaskets but was not part of the recall. Subaru paid for the repair (as they should have) and I was told the head gasket issue had been resolved on the newer model Subarus. When it was time to purchase a new car I bought a 2007 Outback thinking I would be OK because SOA promised the head gasket thing was resolved. Imagine my shock when I was told I had oil leaking from my head gasket. Then soon after the antifreeze started leaking. I wrote to SOA and was told this was normal wear on a car with 139000 miles. Shame on you Subaru. I have since found many people with the same leaking gasket issue on different model/year/mileage of Subarus. A google search will show you or just ask any mechanic or your Subaru owning friends. I wish I had done better homework. I love my AWD wagon but never another Subaru.
(Am not a car expert so forgive the terminology) In 2010 we leased brand new 2010 Subaru Forester and it sometimes would not start and had weird electrical issues. Gas tank meter would sometimes not register when I filled tank. Engine/oil and other lights would start flashing randomly--was not able to establish a pattern or pinpoint reason. Once I was not able to fill tank and gas station attendant pushed hard into gas tank opening and gas spilled out. Dealership supposedly fixed it--something with the sensor. But electrical issues continued to happen sporadically and dealer kept saying to bring it in when it happened--but of course it would never happen when I could bring it in. We returned that car thinking it was a lemon.In 2013 leased another 2014 Forester because we love how it performs in the snow and ice. Well, this one is also giving us problems right after the 3-year warranty mark. This past winter it didnt start in about 7 or more different occasions (lost count) leaving me stranded in the cold, sometimes alone or with kids. We are never, ever getting another Subaru--I dont care how well it performs in the snow.
My customer information reflects items required to acquire notifications of service: both acquisition and notifications of appointments, and potential notifications of recalls. I attempted to notify Subaru of changes in (1) email address and (2) snail-mail address. In my opinion, such an attempt on my part should be available on *one* website, and should, when made, cascade *throughout* the sophisticated Subaru bureaucracy.As it turns out, Subaru has three levels of databases in which these items are stored: national, regional, and local dealership. For each of the two items, I attempted on several occasions on national and local websites, via multiple national and local phone calls, multiple snail-mail requests, and multiple face-to-face visits to acquire the changes. In spite of my attempts, materials from Subaru continued to arrive at the *old* email and snail-mail addresses! All this took place over a period of 9 months. The issue has *still* not been fully resolved. For my own security, I feel I must make face-to-face appointments for maintenance. (The vehicle is still under warranty and a regimen of maintenance is required to maintain terms of the warranty.) I must describe Subarus information processing as primitive at best.
We finally decided on a new car after buying used for well over 20 years. Finally narrowed it down to a Subaru based on customer satisfaction. Well let me tell you this customer is FAR from satisfied. Started at 14000 miles, when the dealer tells us the tires are down to the warning tread and need to be replaced. REALLY? Mind you all services had been performed at the dealer. So the dealer went to bat for me and got Subaru to replace all 4 tires no charge. Ok cool. So here we are 15000 miles later and guess what? Yep the tires are shot again, this time they check alignment and frame etc. nothing wrong. This time I have to call Subaru customer care. They balk, I argue, they finally agree to replace 3 of the 4 tires. I have to pay for the 4th one. So in 1 year and 30000 miles this Outback is on its 3rd set of tires!!They still cannot tell me why the tires are wearing out every 15000 miles. Tried to blame driving habits. Sorry, but if it was that then my other vehicles would be chewing up tires too! (They are not.) I cannot afford $800+ worth of tires every 6 months!! As soon as I can I will be trading in this hunk of junk for a Ford or Toyota. Never buying a Subaru again!
Soon I will be rid of this 2012 Subaru Forester and will never buy a Subaru again. The oil consumption has been a quart per 1,000 miles. The manual said that this is normal. The dealerships have been unconcerned and unwilling to try to stop the consumption as it is normal. The car has 26,000 miles and 26 quarts of synthetic oil have been poured in it between the recommended oil changes. All sorts of excuses for the consumption have been given; however, I have owned very many other models of cars and trucks (probably over 50) and never had one that consistently used over a quart between changes even though some had over 200,000 miles on them. This poorly designed and supported car is unacceptable. Subaru got me once never again!
I bought a used 2012 Subaru Legacy from a non-Subaru dealership and 4 days later there was something wrong with the transmission. The dealership at first couldnt identify the problem. So I googled it and discovered what was wrong. Thanks to a YouTube video. They then didnt want to help fix it and my warranty doesnt kick in till 30 days after date of purchase. And the vehicle wasnt safe to drive, it stalled if I broke too hard. So I couldnt wait the 30 days and go without. I called Subaru and they paid $1000 towards the repair! They didnt have to do that and they did because thats good customer service.
Subaru Outback 2016 - I am unable to change radio stations from the steering wheel when my screen is in Phone mode. In order to change the stations, I have to hit the Home button on the screen, thereby defeating the purpose of the steering wheel button. Has anyone else had that issue?
Purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester because of Subarus good reputation -- much to my surprise, my NEW car burns oil. I have to keep checking the oil because it needs to be added on a regular basis. Also, the Bluetooth does NOT work and has not worked properly since the beginning of time. Very dissatisfied and will NOT purchase from Subaru again. BUYER BEWARE!
I had my head gaskets replaced on the 2006 Subaru Outback when the car was about 7 years old. I then began noticing heavy oil consumption about a year ago. Two weeks ago, I checked my oil and yesterday my engine failed. Mechanic told me that I was 2 quarts low. This is unacceptable for Subaru. Spend $6000 on a new engine that will only have the same issues? I dont think so. I loved my Subaru but this ongoing issue has me considering another make of car.
Subaru Outback Check Engine Light - Catalytic converter failed on a cross country trip. Catalytic converter replaced under warranty. Took over 2 weeks to get the part. Cruise control disabled for the return portion of the trip.
Have 2016 Subaru Outback with serious electrical problems. Steering lockout prevents car from starting. We Have extended warranty. Dealership found and identified several codes indicating the sporadic occurrences. Bob Baker Subaru Carlsbad CA refused to fix the problem, and stated we would have to bring the car in while it was experiencing the problem which would be almost impossible. The reason given was itemizing and comparing the risk to a potential flat tire and how much money the repair would cost them. So much for extended warranties.
I have owned my Legacy only a few week. Pulling slowly into a parking space, the car lunged full speed into a brick wall. My passenger suffered 3 broken ribs, I had whiplash, banged knees, and we both suffered injuries from the seat belts. Contacted Subaru Corp, and heard back. He said stop the repairs. I told him the repairs were cosmetic, and he could test the car after repairs, that the hood, fenders and bumper didnt cause the problem. He said they wouldnt do that. Then he suggested that I trade in the car. Sure, so someone could buy this defective car??? I said I wanted a comparable car, and he said they wouldnt do that either. The car had been a corporate car, with 31,000 miles on it. I wonder if it had the problem when they sold it to me.
Purchased my Subaru Forester in Greenwood, IN, a little more than three hours away from me. I didnt mind the distance because I thought I had found a good deal on a vehicle that I could depend on and would last me a long time. In the beginning of being a proud Subaru owner, I had all of my maintenance done at Gurley Leep Subaru in Mishawaka. When I brought up the excessive oil consumption of my car, I was told it was common for Subaru to consume more oil. They would always try to sell me unrelated maintenance whenever I was there. Eventually I stopped going there because I simply didnt like them. I brought up my oil consumption again at the new mechanic. They did a consumption test. Eliminating other causes, they determined it was something internal and were unable to perform the repairs because they didnt have the special tools unique to Subaru. So I went back to Subaru Mishawaka with the information.I took my car in as soon as I figured out transportation while my car was in the shop for the day. A shuttle bus to town was the only option Subaru provided for me. I received the call with the expensive diagnosis. Fortunately, I had added an extended warranty on my car when I refinanced. They covered some of the work. A new cylinder head gasket was the primary diagnosis. This time-they had a courtesy car for me. The tech was also kind enough to call and ask me if I wanted them to replace my plugs, wires, timing belt, ball joints, etc. while they were at it. He told me it would only cost me parts and not labor because they were already in there doing work, youll have a whole new setup under there. I agreed. I asked him about my sway bars. He told me they were fine. Ironically, this is one of the parts they told me needed to be replaced when I was in for my oil change.When I got my car back, nothing seemed different. I contacted Subaru again- I was told (again) that oil consumption was common in Subaru. I had a check engine light come on, I took it back to Subaru Mishawaka. They hooked it up to the machine, and said my catalytic converter starting to go bad. This was not under warranty. They changed my headlight and I was on my way. I returned to my local mechanic for maintenance. My car was driving funny and the light came on. The machine indicated I had a bad plug. I explained that I had recently had them change. The mechanic told me that it was the original spark plug to the vehicle, according to him, there is a marking on them when they come off the assembly line. This threw up major flags for me. I decided to go the Subaru Portage (which is just over an hour drive) and pay to have them check the head gasket to see if it was even replaced.I explained my situation, oil consumption, etc. They determined the head gasket appeared to be new. I returned for them to diagnose my car. They found another $2000 worth of work that needed to be done in order to stop the excessive oil consumption. The tech replaced: oil pump, crank seal, a/c belt, idler pulley, time belt tensioner, and PVC valve. My warranty was out by this time. I pick my car. I dont even make it through an oil change cycle and my oil light is on. I check my oil- nothing on the dipstick. I call Subaru Portage right away. I add oil as directed/ take my car back. They find oil pressure sensor and leak behind Lh camshaft seal front cover. I asked why this wasnt fixed when my car was in there 3 weeks prior. They did the repairs. I pick my car up again and AGAIN my oil is extremely low- I, again, hadnt even made it through an oil change cycle. I called, and went back.The tech wanted to do another consumption test. He wanted me to contact him in 1200 miles. During this conversation he asked me, what color is your exhaust smoke? What? I have no idea. I dont look at the back of my car when Im driving. My car has been here 4 times, and youre asking me what color my smoke is. I didnt understand this. He told me that I would either need to get a new motor or a new car. He didnt tell me why.I called him once my oil started getting low, which was before the 1200 mile mark. He restated that I would need a new motor or new car- that I wasnt leaking oil, I was burning it. I informed him Of this the very time first took my car to Portage Subaru. He said the piston rings sometimes go bad on these things, allowing the oil the slip through. So all this money that I spent fixing around the problem, I should of spent to pay off my car. Instead I owe on a car that is worth nothing. Instead, I have a car that failed to be dependable and last a long time. I feel that I was completely taken advantage of by Subaru.
Okay, first off Id like to comment that generally the 2017 Subaru Outback is an excellent vehicle. Now on to the real subject. The Fujitsu-10 navigation system Subaru installs in these vehicles is Dysfunctional and pretty much AWFUL. I purchased two 2017 Subarus, one Outback and one Crosstrek, in the later part of 2016; both have the NAV system and I think they are both the same. Shortly after purchasing the Outback I began to notice that the nav system, which I use all the time, tends to provide inaccurate directions. I first picked up on the inaccurate directions because no matter what address I plugged into the nav system, 95% of the time the system tells me I have reached my destination when, in fact, I could be 3 to 4 blocks to as much as 1/8 mile from the final destination. So I began to watch more closely.To my amazement I realized that some of the directions, not all but maybe 20%, given by the nav system were–I cannot say this in a politically acceptable manner–not intuitive, stupid and dysfunctional. Two examples are 1) it tells me to exit a major highway, go through a toll booth, then get back on the same highway, and 2) to make a right hand turn it told me to go around the block in a counterclockwise direction when, in fact, there was nothing preventing me to simply turn right.I first reported the erroneous navigation performance to the Service Manager at Bath Subaru in Bath, Maine in May 2017. They took a look and reported the Service Tech could not find anything wrong. The Service Manager asked that if happens again I should document exactly what happened. The issue continued so I documented almost each and every occurrence, some including pictures of the nav screen. In June the Service Manager sent an email asking that I bring the Outback in on June 22, 2017, so a Subaru Field Service Engineer could take a look and provide a remedy. Vehicle went in on June 22 and it was reported per Subaru’s Field Service Engineer, “I am ordering you a new radio head unit. There seems to be a hardware failure making your navigation fail intermittently. Great… or at least I thought so at the time.At the end of July 2017 the new Head Unit was finally installed. The Service Manager said the new head unit will resolve the nav failure and asked that should any further incidents of erroneous performance occur I clearly document them and email them to her. The new head unit did not resolve the defective nav performance and a week later, on August 8, I sent 5 different examples to her. Thereafter, I continued to send her 3-5 different examples for several more weeks. Fact was, the new head unit made the problem worse.Here are two examples: 1) I needed to travel south on Route 95. This is a major highway, not some obscure road in nowhere Maine. The nav unit directed me to enter into the Rt 95 northbound exit, against exiting traffic, drive over both the northbound and southbound lanes on an imaginary overpass that clearly didnt exist, then travel on an imaginary Rt 95 southbound entrance ramp that also did not exist, and get on Rt 95 south. Quite dangerous! 2) In order to get to my final destination the Subaru nav system instructed me to turn right into a field having no road, travel off-road for 2 miles across this roadless field, and meet up with another road on the other side of the field. The Subaru handles different terrains fairly well, but not that well.On or about August 15, 2017 the Service Manager at Bath Subaru asked Subaru of America to step in. I received an email from Subaru of America in which a Subaru representative apologized for my navigation concerns and asked for some time to review the problem. On September 20 I received a follow-up email stating At this time, our Quality Assurance team is still in the processing of reviewing the concerns you are experiencing with your navigation unit with the units vendor, Fijutsu-10. There is no updated feedback that has been provided.It is now October 16th. I took the Outback in for routine service during which time I spoke to the Service Manager about the nav issues. I was told by the Svc Mgr that she has a number of other reports of the same problem, all waiting for Subaru of America and/or Subarus Quality Assurance team and/or Fujitsu-10 to identify the cause of the dysfunctional navigation system and re-mediate the problem.Six months in passing and Subaru cannot provide an answer to the AWFUL and sometimes dangerous performance of the Fujitsu-10 navigation system. Although the performance of the 2017 Subaru Outback is very good, I would never purchase another Subaru, not only because the navigation system is defective and/or dysfunctional and/or dangerous from time to time but because Subaru seems unable or unwilling to fix the problem with the navigation system which I paid upwards of $2,000 for. Buyer beware!
Subaru MADE good vehicles... But, then they went cheap. My 2013 Forester burned oil worse than an old WWII airplane... Its normal, Subaru said. Traded it for a 2015 Forester, no more oil burning issues, but now a crappy CVT transmission that bucked, stalled and hesitated upon acceleration all the time... Its normal Subaru said. Well, no more Subarus for me. No more CVTs for me. Got me a Toyota Rav4 with a normal automatic transmission and ZERO problems in many miles ever since.All of these CVTs are junk and causing problems, just Google CVT Problems with Nissans, some Toyotas, Subarus, etc, etc., and be ready to read pages upon pages of negative reviews. Many manufacturers like Subaru and Nissan have current class action suits pending. What a joke! To gain maybe 1-MPG, they jeopardized the goodwill and loyalty of their customers. Good to know that many other companies have not gone this way. Maybe thats the reason they have top sellers like the Toyota Rav4 with a normal automatic transmission. Do yourself a BIG favor, avoid headaches and stay away from CVTs at all cost!
Subarus Mr. Shiro Ohta, Chairman, President and CEO of Subaru Canada, disappoints and his public relations personnel fall short in customer relations. In October 2014, I purchased a 2015 Subaru Outback. If the automotive review reports are accurate, I should enjoy a few years of worry-free driving. Notwithstanding that possibility, I have already decided that I will never buy another Subaru product. My decision has nothing to do with the product but with the purchase experience and the failure of Subaru Canada to address what I believe is a legitimate concern.When I ordered the Subaru car I was informed to expect delivery by the end of December. At the time, I advised the sales person that I had a pre-planned trip in mid-January and that I required a vehicle for that date. I was assured that would not be a problem. Sometime during the latter part of November I contacted the dealership to inquire on the status of the vehicle and was informed that equipment supply issues could delay delivery, pushing the arrival of the car to mid-January. I proceeded to adjust travel plans by cancelling half the trip. By mid-January, I was now informed that a January delivery was unlikely with a new estimated date around the third week in Feb. Finding myself in the position of having to rent a car, I informed the dealership that I would be back home for the last week in February. On the third day away from home, I received an email indicating the vehicle had arrived.While the dealership did what they could and have no control over the timeline connected to vehicle production, Subaru Canada could offer nothing more than to say, after the fact, that it was normal to wait 4-5 months for a car, when the dealership indicated a 2-3 month time frame. Misinformation from my perspective. Subaru has been enjoying a tremendous growth in vehicle sales and perhaps their production capabilities cannot handle the demand. Thats understandable. What is not understandable, particularly in consideration of their increased profits, is how they could simply dismiss my concern regarding the extra costs I had to incur for the ongoing changes in delivery dates by offering a take it or leave it apology. When they could have offered to pay all or a portion of the car rental or maybe offer another year on the warranty or anything to retain customer satisfaction, they opted to offer nothing tangible. As an aside, I once saw a sign hanging from the ceiling in the garage area of a car dealership which referred to the golden rule. Rule #1. The customer is always right. Rule #2. If the customer is wrong, read rule #1.In spite of two letters, with one being a registered letter to Mr. Shiro Ohta, my communications have received only a dismissive response from someone referred to as a Specialist, Social Media Communications & Customer Experience. I have purchased many new vehicles over the years from several different manufacturers. The professional excellence associated with the purchase experience is no less important than the product itself. The Subaru brand has not lived up to my expectations in customer relations and for that reason I just purchased my first and last Subaru product.
What the hell is this Subaru dealer in Jordan? I am really shocked when I saw the underground garage. Its hidden and so dirty. No one can see it and they dont have a system at all. They dont even know the history of the car service schedule. There is no clean waiting area for customers. Please just come to Jordan without informing the dealer of your visit and see this with your own eyes. It is unbelievable. They lied to Subaru by convincing them that the garage is the one above ground close to the gas station. It is not, it’s the Renault garage .Subaru in Jordan is dying. There are a lot of Subaru lovers in Jordan waiting for solution .By the way, there are no available spare parts in the dealers warehouse. Just come urgently without informing them of your visit and see the disaster.
13 Outback Premium PZEV- Bought new in Sept. 2013 at Moore Subaru in Peoria AZ. This dealership is great and has treated me well. My outback has nearly 29k miles and has been enjoyed. Car is garage kept at home & work & ALWAYS gets good gas...usually Shell premium, NOT because it needs it, but because it has the highest concentration of cleaning agents. Im a geek about keeping it clean and take care of it because I love it.Ive had it in dirt, mud, water, rocks, gravel and it has always done fantastic. I drove it past the finish line of Four Peaks Trail past Saguaro Lake with 3 people & AC where we saw only ATVs & a few Wranglers. Also had some fun climbing on loose dirt & rocks with the VDC off...car does more than some reviews show. Manual even says to turn VDC off in certain conditions...If you keep your MAF sensor clean & use a high perf. Air filter like K&N, performance is noticeably better. (Never cleaned & re-used one...) Climbed the 17 with 4 adults, 1 large dog & luggage with no issues. Love my car...only regret not getting the limited with nav & eyesight. My wife just got a new Crosstrek from the same dealership...
We have a 2009 Outback. At approx. 70000 miles (just past warranty) a vibration was becoming noticeable from the drivetrain. The Subaru dealership said it was from bad boots on the front end. We had the work done. The vibration remained so we took the car to an independent shop. They said that it could be the transfer case. To really examine it the transmission has to be dropped. We scheduled the service. When they opened the case there were bits of metal in the fluid and it was clear something had failed. Approx. $2000 later we were on the road again. The head mechanic said he had seen several failures like this. I would like Subaru to face up to this reoccurring problem and cover all repairs..
I own a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The car is currently undergoing work for a SECOND CVT transmission. With the first transmission, I was at 55,000 miles, and there were audible queues. I was lucky enough to bring the car into the dealership to be diagnosed. I was informed I would need a new transmission and it would be covered under my extended (60,000 mile) warranty. The car was fixed and I believed everything to be fine.Last week, I was on vacation with my two small children (2 and 5, both requiring car seats) and driving from St Augustine FL to Atlanta along I-75. I was just outside of Macon, GA, and in the far left lane, when the car jerked violently and then stopped accelerating. There was a transfer truck to my right, and a few vehicles came up very quickly to my rear. I was able to coast off to the left hand side of the road. The vehicle was stripped of all gears and no longer even had a park. The emergency brake had to be utilized to keep it from rolling.I called Subaru roadside assistance and the car was towed to Macon (about 40 miles north) to a dealer there (with me and my two kids in the front with the driver, a very nice man). Once I arrived at the dealership, I was treated with a we cant look at it today, what do you want us to do about it attitude. I called Subaru Customer Care and Lisa arranged a rental car through Enterprise. I was not allowed to take a dealership loaner since I live in Hickory, North Carolina and would be taking the car over state lines. The car broke down at 11:00 AM and we were not back on the road until 5:30 PM.Since then, this was over a week ago, I have expressed my worries with Subaru. They have assured me that the extended CVT Transmission warranty issued by Subaru last month would cover my car, even though it is at the 88,000 mile mark, but would anyone want a car on its second transmission that essentially stalled while going 70 mph on the highway???I have asked Subaru to do the right thing and either pay off the loan or allow me to trade in the vehicle, but they refuse. Now they are stating that the rental car will not be covered for the entire time of the repair and that I will have to travel back down to Macon, GA (6 hours from my home) to pick the car up once it is fixed later next week. Thats over two full weeks in a rental car and a whole lot of a headache to pick up a car that may or may not work for another 30,000 miles.If this was my first transmission, if this had only happened once, I would not be writing this. If my kids had not been in the car when it stopped accelerating on the highway, I would not be writing this. I, like everyone else, need reliable and safe transportation. I have neither of these things and Subaru refuses to right the wrong.For those looking into buying a car with the CVT Transmission, please dont. I would hate for someone to get seriously injured by this. Its dangerous and something Subaru should not ignore. A recall should be issued. My first transmission gave me a warning sign with a noise, the second one just stopped... there was no warning.
Subaru Outback Impreza 2013 - Around seven months ago, I heard a scraping sound coming from the right side of my car as I was driving. When I pulled over, I noticed the front of the side bumper was dragging against the ground. Completely horrified, I had my passenger lift it from inside and hold it in place until we could get to her place where we taped it (to avoid further damage) until I could get it to the dealer. At the dealership, they sent me to Parts, and told me that this would need to be filed under a collision repair, and that the part they needed to order and paint would either be $600 out of pocket or a collision incident through my insurance. As it is a leased car (and did NOT interact in any way with any sort of collision), I was hesitant to pay out of pocket, but decided that was the best move. Until....A week ago, I was driving with family in town. When we got to our destination, and after a few trips back and forth from the car, to unload our possessions, did we notice that the frame around the light in the front of the car, a grey frame that must be no more than 14 by 10 had completely fallen off and was nowhere to be found. We checked the other side and saw that its light frame was still there. Same side as the side bumper incident but of course, nowhere near the part that had previously become loose.(Frankly, Im not sure how the side bumper was ever secure, because if you take a look at whats against the vehicle frame behind where its supposed to be, there are a series of small plastic knobs that seem too flimsy to carry such weight. In fact, we really thought we might be able to get the bumper back on seven months ago because it seemed that easy and there was no damage to the bumper, aside from some scraping it had endured against the road. A few of those knobs were bent and broken, from the inside, so I really thought that when I took it in, they would see this was an internal issue.)Alas, thats not what happened. And like I said, I offered to pay the $600 when the part came in. It took several months to get that call and at the time I did not have the money to pay, so I put it off. Then, this past week, when the light frame mysteriously popped off the car, I called the service manager at Subaru and was greeted with a very rude response. He did not understand how this could happen, as, Parts just dont come off cars. Well, sir, they do. And they have. And I cant be the only one!He questioned if someone had popped it off and taken it. I laughed. When? While Im in the grocery store? At night at the foot of my driveway? I live in a house, in a quiet neighborhood. And that part was still there before we took off on our trip. No. This likely happened while we were on the road. The real question is: Should a pot hole in the road or a rock or anything on the surface of what were driving on be the reason why a part just pops off? Probably not.With that said, please respond if you have had ANY issues with your Subaru where parts suddenly pop off, especially on the exterior of the car. Light panels, frames, bumpers. I didnt even know it was possible for this light frame to pop off like that. I was questioned repeatedly as to if there is any damage around it, and though I kept telling the same story, I was asked if there was any kind of an accident. There wasnt. And when I take it in to the dealer, they will notice that. I understand where they are coming from. But, Id also like to come in armed with evidence that this CAN happen and DOES happen to other Subaru drivers.I am a two-time Subaru driver. The first vehicle was a leased 2011 Outback Sport, same make and model, and I drove it across the country twice. Zero problems. Ive had this vehicle for under a year, and Im already dealing with parts falling off. Once again, please respond if you have had any similar experiences. It will make a better case. I appreciate it!
On May 27, 2014, we purchased a 2014 Subaru Outback. We have complained multiple times about a leak in our roof and were told that the roof tracks had to be cleaned out regularly. The first leak occurred when our cup holders filled with water. The second leak occurred at a car wash which filled a cup with car wash fluid. Again, today while going through a car wash, my husband witnessed the leak from the corner passenger side vanity mirror. We have also complained about a chronic moisture issue to no avail.
Blind spot sensor not functioning. Has been at Subaru Superstore in Chandler, Arizona for one week. Service manager returned my call claiming to know nothing about a car they had in their shop for a week and were either unwilling or unable to fix. Found out through a third party (if you can believe that?) that they have decided to order a new sensor but are not certain that will fix the issue. The car has only 3,000 miles and the dealer seems disinterested. Also, Subaru Corporate Customer Service has not even acknowledged my complaint.
I have a 2014 Subaru Outback that I bought new. Until now, I loved my car. A few weeks ago, I noticed it having difficulty starting. This happens both when I use the key to start it and when I use my auto start. When it began, it wasnt cold out (I live in Minnesota). It was almost 50 degrees. The car would take longer to start and keep turning over before firing up. Other people even noticed it. I took it in for service and they tried doing a computer reset and told me that should do it. It didnt work, so I took it back.Meanwhile, I had done some research and found that some Subarus can start doing hard starts, which is exactly what this seemed to be. Unfortunately, the dealership I took it to did not take me seriously and tried to tell me that it was normal for my car to start that way in the cold weather (by this time it was in the teens outside for temps). They were unwilling to see it as an engine issue and told me that all cars do this, which was completely ridiculous. Prior to bringing it in, it almost would not start one night and I thought I might have to call a tow truck. If this is what my car is going to do at 3 years old, it needs to go. A Subaru dealership is telling me this is normal for the car and it cannot be fixed, and apparently it isnt that uncommon for this car. I need a reliable vehicle. I plan to get rid of it and get a vehicle I can trust to start. Its disappointing because I really liked this car.
My son Jake was killed in 2013 in a Subaru Outback in Montana. The commercial Subaru has on TV when they show a smashed up Subaru and all they say is THEY LIVED OR THEY SURVIVED. Well my son didnt live! Do you have any idea how disturbing that commercial is to me??? Every time it comes on the TV I relive the day I got the news my son was killed in a Subaru. Please, is there any way it can be taken off the TV? Im sure Im not the only person that has lost a loved one in a Subaru.
Had a 2013 Impreza, from day one it was consuming oil. Brought it in for three different consumption tests that the dealer recommended. It had a crankshaft sensor issue, a burned out O2 sensor and never once got any of my stuff resolved under warranty. Never replaced the crankshaft sensor because the dealer failed to find the fault and I replaced the O2 sensor before trading it in. Dealer and Subaru was worthless. It consumed 1 quart of oil every 1500 miles, puffed blue smoke, had a noisy front end clunk going over bumps and failed to get even close to EPA MPG due to engine issues. Engine ran rough, dealer saw it for 4 times each consumption test and a few times for each additional problem, no action ever taken, no offers for trade-ins, nothing. Just barely squeaked by the test. Would never purchase a Subaru again. What a hassle. The independent shop did more than Subaru ever did and recommend that I dump it and pick up something else. Owned it for two years, and nothing was ever taken care of. It was an absolute turd, ruined the entire experience for me. Traded it in with a swapped O2 and topped it off. Good riddance.
I have a 2016 Legacy Premium 2.5 engine. I experienced a trembling being felt on the driver seat, floorboards and on the passenger seat. Ive had it in four times. This didnt happen last year when I bought the car and during the summer when using the A/C. Now this year when I use the a/c and the cooling fans go to high speed you feel this trembling. I went to the dealer for where I bought it and the mechanic said that that was normal. He even felt the trembling. He then said to switch to premium gas.I took it to another dealer and the mechanic felt the trembling also. He then said he would look into it. He called me back and said he sat in a similar 2016 Legacy and with the approx. same mileage and said it did the same. So he even said it was normal. If it is normal why didnt it do the same thing last year. Subaru of America said that there was nothing they could do because the mechanics said it was normal. It feels like you are sitting in a vibrating chair. They say it is normal then Subaru needs to fix this problem. What you pay for the car it should run smooth. I am very dissatisfied with the car and the service. There is something wrong with the fans or engine or trans. Does anyone have this issue.
I bought a 2008 Subaru Outback for my 21-year-old son in May 2013 with 61,000 miles. Before my purchase, I had the car inspected and was told the head gasket was leaking. The dealer finally agreed to split the cost with me. My son travels 2,000 miles to school in Montana and has had two oil changes over the seven months that we have owned the vehicle. He had the local dealership inspect the vehicle before heading to Chicago for Winter break, and he had to have one of the front axle boots replaced for $400. On the way home with no warning in the middle of North Dakota, the oil light goes on and the engine dies. The local mechanic wanted nothing to do with Subarus, so my son took the Amtrak home at a cost of $270 and I shipped his car to Arlington Heights, IL at a cost of $775. I sent it to the dealer I purchased the car from and they said the issue was not the head gasket, but the oil pump, and I needed a new engine costing $4,200. Both the North Dakota mechanic and my local mechanic that I trust said the head gasket was leaking as well. The dealer did not agree and would not give me a new engine and Subaru USA declined any responsibility for this poor excuse for a vehicle. After reviewing several websites on Subaru customer complaints, there is a common theme of oil leaks and bad oil pumps. I have owned many vehicles in the 47 years that I have been driving, and have never had such major problems. There should be a huge class action settlement for Subaru owners. I will never buy another one and will voice my displeasure with anyone who will listen.
I called in for customer service for assisting my title page mailing. The man answered the call, gave me really disrespectful tone, and wasnt really willing to help. I politely asked, Can I have my title page mailed overnight or any other ways I can get it faster? He sounded very impatient and didnt want to help at all. I have never seen a automobile customer service being that impolite and disrespectful.
Brought our 2012 Forester Touring to the dealership recently, as the transmission seemed to be having issues between 2nd and 3rd gear. First trip took 2 days and a reset of the transmission to learn mode. This actually made the problem worse in our opinion. We brought it back, and it took a week for them to agree to replace the transmission, after different attempts to fix it. The vehicle only has 27,000 miles on it, and the transmission needs to be replaced? Something isnt right here.On a different note, we lease our vehicles, but no more Subarus. Chase is actually Subaru Motors Finance, and they could screw up a one car funeral. We had several issues with them, from double charging for property taxes to charging extra monthly payments. On average it took 5 - 9 months to get these issues corrected. Between Chase and what I am seeing for deteriorating quality from Subaru, Ill be taking my business elsewhere in the future.
Bought 2018 Outback last October. Have had continual issues with the radio console software rendering the car unsafe for navigation and destinations. They replaced software on 3-18-18. After 2 months same problem occurred. Navigation sent me to several wrong locations and console froze in back up camera mode all day. They installed additional software 5-11-18, but said there is no guarantee this would correct the matter and admitted that at least 20% of all new Subarus are experiencing this problem. I have one car and a handicapped wife. If this continues I will have no option other than to seek remedy under the Ohio Lemon Law.
I have had my 2010 Legacy Limited for about 2 years and have had to replace my low beam headlights 4 times now. Replacing these bulbs is a job for a mechanic due to its difficult design under the hood to get to the bulb. It costs $100 to replace each of these bulbs every time and they burn out every year. Subaru should inform customers about this and include it in their expected annual maintenance cost analysis for these cars. I doubt the cars have to be designed like that to begin with. Probably just another way to price gouge the average consumer and make something cost 5 times as much as it should for a normally basic DIY fix. Also Subaru dealerships seem to have really long wait times to get an appointment for any kind of service. I have to wait on average 6-7 days for an appointment to get my headlight changed from the Subaru dealership in Milwaukee. This seems like a safety issue. For how often these headlights burn out you could have both burned out at the same time while waiting for the dealership to get you in to replace your headlights and have no functioning headlights in the mean time.
Terrible. Had an oil change. Next day my engine exploded on the highway. Police officer at the scene told me oil was leaking from my engine. The dealership took no responsibility and charged me $$$ for a new engine. Two miles after this repair, my check engine light came on. Then, two weeks after the repair there was oil leaking all over my driveway. Then my air conditioner stopped working. My car has been making a terrible rattling sound ever since. Every time I bring my car in Matt, in service says he cant hear the sound. I finally had to send him a video of the noise. I will NEVER buy a Subaru again.
I was driving in the highway at 65mph when all of sudden I heard an explosion. When I stopped and checked the car the sunroof exploded as if someone had punch it from the inside. This is a new 2014 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with only 9000 miles. The dealer now tells me this is very common for the Subarus. I had minor scratches and thank God nobody in the back seats.
I was in love with this car until starting to hear strange noises, mostly on bumps. Took it in for the first 10,000 km service and found out that the front passenger side strut failed. I only drive on highways and a bit around town (Toronto). No dirt roads, no impacts during these first 10,000 kms. Use it mostly for commuting. I am pretty disappointed with Subaru, expected more. Customer service said that this was not a quality issue... first and last Subaru I will ever have.
Hi, we have a relatively old Subaru, about 8 years but very low mileage and the a/c failed with a projected cost of $2,500. Seeing as the vehicle has been used very little, the repair amounts to $3 for every hour it has been driven. I asked if this was normal from Subaru and they simply explained that it was out of warranty. So if you want a reliable car that is going to last for years, and you have low mileage, maybe best to look elsewhere, as they appear unconcerned that there are failures despite low usage. Warranty should be time or mileage-based. My first and last Subaru, oh well.
One of my Outbacks tires were punctured. I had to go to a tire shop to fix it. They said I need tires from the same company and I have to change two at a time. I agreed and two tires were replaced. In a month the difference between front and back tires caused the power train to become damaged. The dealership said that whole transmission needs to be replaced, but because the manual says that no more than a 0.25 should difference is allowed between tire thickness, there was no manufacturer guarantee. They said that there is a light on the Subaru dashboard that signifies it: If the AWD is flashing, driving can damage the power train. As soon as you can, park in a safe place and check your tires to make sure theyre all properly inflated and the same size. It never went flashing.Subaru is the kind of car that is supposed to drive in rural areas, farms, forests. If there is a difference in tire diameter in such a small amount – it should not damage the car to a point of a price that is a third out of the cost of the car. If there is that possibility, a warning should be posted on the dashboard, because it is major a damage to car. In this field – Subaru failed completely.
I purchased the 2015 Forester in Sept. of 2014. At Christmas I received as a gift a remote starter. Most of the time it didnt work. The installer reported to me that the battery was not in full charge and recommended I take it to Subaru as this was a common problem. (Factory installed battery is too small is the common conclusion now.) On 3/10/15 I drove it from Niagara Falls to Amherst (just outside of Buffalo) and was told it was fully charged and there was no problem with it. Of course it was fully charged after I drove 20+ miles. It continued to give me problems on and off until exasperated I stopped using it. And spring was coming.This winter has been mild so far and although I tried to use it I gave up until the really cold weather kicked in. I again took it to the installer of the remote and after replacing the starter parts it was still not starting but did start on their battery. They recommended I take it again to the dealer but I know that would be a waste of time and told them to get me the proper battery and give me the old one to take to Subaru with a copy of the receipt. I hate to drive that far (at age 72, 20+ miles is a long way) but I am so angry that with the 1st break in the weather I will. I will demand to be reimbursed, and also an apology for putting me through this.
I paid 32,500 in 07 at 100,000 miles the head gaskets started leaking. Cost me 4,000 to get them fixed. Turns out that this is a common problem with Subaru. Never buying another one.
Love my 2012 Outback. So, I bought a 2013. Big mistake! Different engine, same number of cylinders. The salesperson was more than happy to boast the gas mileage and make sure I would follow the maintenance schedule. No mention that I would have to add up to 1 quart of expensive synthetic oil every 1200 miles! It IS in the owners manual. My oil lamp has come on every 1000 miles since purchase. I was accusing my lube shop of under-filling until I read the page in the manual. If I knew, I would not have purchased this one. Oil change interval is now 7500 miles. Engine holds 4.1 quarts. So, by the manual, I may need 4.88 quarts before the next change. They consider this normal? They started an oil consumption test. They overfilled the engine! That means extra pressure on the seals. Not to mention padding the test! I was to come back in 1200 miles for them to gauge the oil consumption. Consume oil?!? Burning oil is not good for the combustion chamber is it? They even know why and have published a fix. Need recall.
I purchased the Gold Plan extended coverage service contract for $1500 on a pre-owned 09 Legacy. The engine blew a rod at 85,000 miles and they insist on breaking down the engine to determine if it is covered. If they decide it is not covered, I have to pay $1000 for breaking down the engine and Im stuck with a car with a blown engine that I cant afford to fix.
Just bought a new 2017 Subaru Forester Touring model which is now confined to my garage. We have a steep hill nearby which I use frequently. The hill is 2.4 miles in length and in parts is up to 20% decline. With all previous vehicles I simply stuck the car in low and applied the brakes occasionally. The Forester does not hold the speed down in either drive or low gear and I am obliged to use the brakes constantly which I believe to be dangerous. The car is equipped with x- mode feature but that is only effective up to 18mph and driving at that speed would make me very unpopular with other road users. My dealership has no answer but they are researching. Id appreciate any advice.
Our vehicle is three years old, and we have replaced EVERY light (turning signal, headlights - high and low, running lights, all of them) on the front a min. of three times. There has to be something wrong, but the Subaru shop gives us some lame excuse like we got oil from our fingers on the bulb when changing it, even though we told them we were very careful and didnt. So we let them change the next one, and it didnt even last 5 months. I am ready to get rid of this car just because of the lights. I have driven cars before for ten years and never had to change a bulb and this one I change bulbs more often than I do windshield wipers.
This is the best car Ive ever owned. Although its an SUV, it rides very well - not hard like my Jeep Renegade did. Passengers in the back seat tell me it is very comfortable. I have the Limited model, so it has some great features like Subarus Eyesight. That feature is a game-changer for driving. I will never own another vehicle without that. I feel much safer since it keeps me from drifting into another lane, can brake quickly in an urgent situation and, best of all, driving on the highway with cruise control, the system adjusts your speed so that you never creep up too close to another vehicle. Its a must have for long distance driving. I love the fact its all wheel drive. I feel much safer driving in rain and snow. Traction is awesome.Im super happy with my gas mileage, too. Average driving around town is usually upper 20s. On the highway, its always in the mid to upper 30s. I tested it one time on an open flat interstate -- no hills, steady speed of 63 mph with the AC on. The computer readout showed 44 mpg. Ive compared the computer read-out to the old-fashioned way to determining mpgs and its usually off by about 3. That means I got over 40 mpg with the Crosstrek!The Crosstrek has a CVT transmission (continuously variable, not gears) and, although a good number of people in Crosstrek social media groups complain about it, Ive never had an issue. Its smooth and even feels like a regular automatic. The other typical complaint is that the engine doesnt have enough power. Is it the fastest car Ive ever driven? No. Does it have incredible pickup? No. But it gets the job done. Ive never had an issue, for example, pulling out onto a highway. Overall, 5 stars for this vehicle.
Subaru - love the car, hate the company! This is just the latest issue I had to deal with on my wifes 2014 Outback Limited with the special appearance package, a car that stickers for close to $37,000. In hindsight, I should have bought a Lexus NX for that price! I have had countless issues with stupid things in this car. The AC broke and the first time they fixed the car, they pulled a part off another car on the sales lot (really?). Every wheel molding installed by the factory fell off. The rear storage plastic covers all fell apart. I have had multiple sensor issues including the one described below. The list goes on. And the closest dealer is an hour away so if they never take your word for anything and they never stock parts in house, so every fix requires a minimum of 4 trips. My last experience was actually four trips to a dealer 2 hours away.In fact, I was right the whole time every time and in this last experience, dealer tested the issue using a tire pressure gauge, one who he admitted was faulty. A simple, cheap TPMS troubleshooting tool would have avoided everything listed below. Why? Because one of the sensor batteries was low, but they were incompetent in finding it. Perhaps this email sent to the dealer says it all:Just as an FYI... I just responded to the Subaru of North America survey with the following statement: Dot was the WORST representative you can hire to help your customers. She is adamant about protecting Subarus resources than solving a customers safety issue, regardless of policy. If leaving your customers high and dry with a valid safety issue that causes frequent distractions to whether my wife is low on gas, TPMS, etc. is UNACCEPTABLE!! I had to sneak around DOT in order to get to a manager of the team who is now at least providing the resource of time towards my issue.I DEEPLY fear my issue will not be resolved, despite my photographic proof of the issue that is FALSELY causing safety alerts during my wifes driving of the vehicle. I explained this inexcusable behavior by Subaru has now put my future trust in Subaru in serious jeopardy. This is my second Subaru, my first being a Saab 9-2x, which makes this car my first with Subaru directly. With a car being allowed to travel on the roads with a serious safety issue is unquestionably irresponsible of your company. And Dot makes sure I do not get the help needed. She was yelling at me and a disgrace of your organization.REPLACE TPMS sensors immediately under warranty. I am at a loss at what else there is to do. This is the position I am now in. If there is any way we can escalate this within the Subaru executive organization, it would be greatly appreciated. I cannot fathom giving my wife her car back with this serious safety issue questioning her constantly whether or not her tires are safe based on the continued false TPMS sensors, only because you are unable to reproduce the issue, despite my three documented and photographed incidents SINCE leaving your service center on my last two visits. Despite the policy, I am seeking replacements of the TPMS sensors to give my wife the safety and security she needs as safety is our number one concern when purchasing a vehicle.Whatever we need to do, please lets continue to push for escalation wherever possible. Subaru has a responsibility to stand behind the safety of their vehicles under warranty. While my wifes car is in your dealership service center right now for the third time in three consecutive weeks, you have the opportunity to make this right. You have the proof it happened three times after leaving your dealership, that is all that should be required for replication of the issue.
K of Lonsdale, MN on Oct. 22, 2010 wrote something that is nearly identical to my experience, except mine is a 2010! I have two warranties on my Subaru. Major engine failure requires new block. Before I get to the complaint, I would like to offer a quick current real-life analogy that applies in this case. I needed an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan of my left leg this week, with the cost resulting to approximately $2,000. My insurance company did not need any pre-authorization, it was all fine, and they are paying x percent. Now imagine if something completely different transpires. What if the insurance company said no, we are not paying anything. You have to pay for it all unless you can prove for the last 2 years with records, you have been taking vitamins. It is extremely unlikely that vitamins had anything to do with a stress fracture, but I am swindled out of my money unless I either come up with the records that will satisfy them or fight them on their denial.That is nearly my exact position with Doug Smith Subaru in Utah. I am not unfamiliar to fighting when companies do bad things. I had a cement contractor try to make off with $2500 of my deposit and not do any work. I was highlighted on a local television news episode of Get Gephardt and I got the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing involved. I prevailed in that incident. I have a 2010 Subaru Forester, with approximately 44k miles on it. I had picked up my 10-year old son from school, was getting on the freeway on ramp and accelerating to 65mph with the engine revolutions between 4000-5000 (it is an automatic). All of a sudden, a clicking sound started - not too loud, but noticeable. I got off the next ramp and examined the engine. Nothing unusual could be seen, nothing leaking, nothing loose, no engine lights, no warning lights, nothing. I proceeded home, but the noise got much worse by arrival. I didnt want to drive it further, so it was my idea to have AAA tow it to Doug Smith Subaru, where I had purchased the vehicle. At the time of purchase, I was strongly encouraged to also get the extended warranty for 6 years/100,000 miles, which I did at rather substantial cost. I was told 2 days ago by the service department at Doug Smith that bad things had happened inside the engine. It was broken rod, I would need a new block and Subaru is not going to pay unless I could produce every single oil change record since I purchased the vehicle. They said they had no oil change records, so I would need to produce those. I said, wait a minute, I had the oil changed a lot by other people, but I know for a fact you guys changed it once as I had a coupon for it. They said, hold for a minute. Then they came back to the phone, oh yeah, we found that one and we also saw that you had a sticker on your windshield from last year, but we need more than that. They are refusing to pay anything. I have had it changed in Seattle, changed in Sacramento and here in Utah and I am scrambling to find records. This is outrageous, absurd and smacks of what can be seen in some legal defense firms - deny everything and assert reasons no matter how farfetched, ridiculous, unlikely or impossible. I have started networking to the people I know. Everybody I have talked to is stunned and shocked. I work with someone who was an auto mechanic for 20 years (they are in computers now) who said that is just ridiculous. Since I have purchased the vehicle, never has even one engine warning light comes on. It only has 44k miles on it. No check engine, no oil, no temperature, nothing. I checked all fluid levels usually once a month and also before going on any trip. This vehicle is not some turbo-charged teenage car that is abused. I am nearly 55 years old, this is a station wagon and I had my 10-year old son in the car. I have owned and maintained dozens of cars in my lifetime and this is absolutely crazy. I scrambled to produce the records back to the beginning of purchase because not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Subaru of America and Doug Smith would look for any reason not to pay. I have owned between 20 and 30 vehicles in my lifetime and had warranty work done from Dodge, Ford, BMW, Porsche, Nissan, GMC. Never, never was I asked to produce every single service record before any warranty work would be done. Doug Smith and Subaru cannot prove that there was an engine failure due to negligent service. They are only citing a phrase in a book to get out of paying. I have a huge list of people following this event and what the outcome is. I have a complaint on file with the BBB, but the dealership and SOA is refusing to budge. To people who want to purchase a Subaru, buyer beware!
Our 2010 Outback failed on a road trip in a cloud of smoke a few days and less than 1,000 miles after an oil change and 23-pt. inspection at the selling dealership. Were told the engine block would need replacement -- $5,200 -- and a $1,300 tear down to see what other engine parts would need replacement. With few options, in another city, we traded the remains on a 14 Forester. The Outback used immense quantities of oil; we began changing every 1,500-2000 miles and always carried oil because the light went on frequently. Dealers that checked said no biggie. Three times we had episodes where the idiot lights all went on, the Outback shuddered, had no power, etc. Bad plugs (after a dealer change) and perhaps briefly using hi-test gas were blamed. I think NHTSA needs to look at engine reliability.
Love my Subaru???? Great car for the value. Feel safe every time I get behind the wheel. Especially when it comes to bad weather. Snow sleet driving rains cant keep me off the roads. Would recommend to everyone.
My first purchase, the one that instantly catapulted me into adulthood was my purchase of a brand new 2015 Subaru Impreza Sport Limited. I had researched the car ad nauseam. I had gone to many many dealerships around my state (MA) until I found the dealership that was able to make all this work come to fruition, Singer Subaru in Plaistow NH helped me sign on the dotted line and now I was the proud owner of a blue 2015 Subaru Impreza Sports Limited with black leather interior. I adored her. As it happens though a million devils follow the thing you love most, so a highway pothole claimed my first tire, so back to the dealership I went needing to replace the tire and the disk. And these past 3 years have followed suit with issues, a recall or two and more money spent on this love of mine. My dealership was bought by AutoFair and relocated to Haverhill MA.This past August I took the car in for a heck up and aside for the regular filter replacement and oil changes, it also needed its CVT transmission changed. Today, 3 weeks later I wake up to a check engine light on. And I was beyond upset and worried. I bought a brand new car however I feel like the money I have spent for maintenance and fixes has taken a toll. Facing another bill in the hundreds for a pressure valve, I called Subaru Customer Care at 800-782-2783 to just voice my frustration and basically have someone hear me out. The lady was AMAZING, I wish I had remembered her name. She was beyond patient and kind and UNDERSTANDING. She said she would look into the issue and see if she could help me. I was happy to hear that I could be getting a discount but honestly having someone on the other line hear you out was amazing. An hour or so later someone from customer loyalty department called me back and informed me that they had reached out to my dealership and would be helping alleviate the burden. I am glad I chose Subaru 4 years ago, and I will gladly be their customer for many years to come. I will pass this vehicle on to my father so he can finally retire his 98 Ford Windstar. Thank you Subaru!
I came across this website and saw all the complaints about Subaru. Yes, the head gaskets leak every 80-100k miles and yes it can be expensive to have fixed but every car had its own problem, there is not a single car in the world that is perfect unless you buy it brand new, never drive it and keep it parked in a climate controlled garage... Gaskets are rubber or paper which both wear down and fail on any car. A lot of the reviews were about older used Subarus. If you buy any used car you dont know how the previous owners treated it. They can tell you they kept it well-maintained even if they didnt just so they can get their problem off to someone else. I have had my 97 Subaru Impreza for 4 years now. Got it with 120k miles on it and it had always ran great. It now has 233k miles on it and the only problem I have had with it is a wheel barring, knock sensor, MAF sensor, and breaks. My ONLY complaint is that the drivers and passenger windows freeze shut in the winter. Hondas burn Excessive amounts of oil and also have head gasket problems, Ford seems to have a lot of electrical problems, any car you look up you will find a problem about so when you get rid of your Subaru and get a Honda or something else, are you going to mope and complain about that one too??
We found out today that our Subaru Forester at 60k miles has blown a Head Gasket. The repair is over 2k!!! With the other repairs, the bill will be $3,000. Now that they have our permission... I expect it to be even higher when we pick it up. Happy New Year... right? Upon researching this problem (after our shock), we saw many complaints about Subaru knowing these cars have this Head Gasket problem and yet they dont do anything about it. They let unassuming people pay good money for these cars and its tick, tick, tick.... until the HG blows. Then its $$$$$$$!Our car will be 7 years old in March at only 60k miles is a crime and total incompetence of Subaru to knowingly sell a car that has a reputation like this and that down the line, the owners will have to pay THOUSANDS to repair the car or junk it. We paid $21k for this car and I will never buy another Subaru because of this failure of this company to not fix the problem that has been going on for YEARS! I will discourage anyone I know from buying a Subaru from this day on. The ** & hype on these cars is just that--all false. Our dealer told us IT usually happens at 85k miles and I almost fell down. What kind of company admits they KNEW the whole time they were BSing you about buying this car that the Head Gasket will blow at a certain mileage? Furthermore, they said that our Head Gasket blew early! We have low mileage for 7 years. We take the car in regularly for service. Now we know the repair men know about this Head Gasket problem and no one at the dealer ever warned us.
I am writing in concerns of an issue I had with my 2005 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon H6 LL Bean addition. I have owned this vehicle since October 2005 and drive it nearly every day, so I know its behavior. On December 18, 2014, the day was clear; there had been no rain or snow that week. The pavement was dry. At the point of the issue I was in stop and go traffic, thus had used my brakes at an average of 12-18 times since I had left the house that morning. Traffic was maybe moving at 20-25 miles an hour, stop and go.At one point I went to apply my brakes at a normal pressure and they started to pulse in the anti-lock fashion. The pulses were EXCEPTIONALLY LONG, between braking (pulsing), nothing like I had ever experience before with this car or any other vehicle. However I kept my foot applied to the brake and did not try to pulse it myself. Before I was able to get the car stopped, it hit the car in front of me. I had about 1 and + car lengths between us, again only rolling and absolutely could not get the car stopped. The collision was not hard enough to deploy the airbag. The 2012 Ford Escape in front had nearly no damage to the rear bumper; however due to the placement of the Fords bumper to my grill, my repairs were $5,534.67.I have filed a complaint with Subaru, although since my insurance does not have the means to access the electronic information on this make of car for the information on the day of the accident (very Convenient for Subaru), they are unable to proceed with a claim with Subaru as they have no proof. Now Subaru says without the claim coming from my insurance company - that they have no reason to investigate my claim. I have filed a complaint today with the National Transportation Division in order to try to get someone to check this out. I have investigated this issue and found that others have had it as well. As many I have found have disconnected the Subarus ABS system. I also found YouTube videos on how to do this. Others on certain chats say they do not want to disconnect because it would void their warranty. I find it sad that people feel better disconnecting a factory installed system for their safety. I am scared that this will happen again. If something happens to me - who will get the claim then? I do not trust the ABS system on my car.
Its a Subaru. Really close to the safest car on the planet. Its our fourth. Saabs including an Aero convertible, Nissan 350Z. Fast (at least to 50mph). And safe, safe, safe.
I bought a 2012 Outback in February 2012. When I rotated the tires at 10,000 miles, I noticed that both rear tires were severely worn at the outer edges. The dealer had the wheels aligned. They were out quite a bit. But now after about 11,000 miles, the tires are worn to the tread gauges in the outer tracks. I dont think I will get 20,000 miles out of them. I think Subaru should replace these two tires. The other two tires are fine but at 20,000 miles, I may have to replace all four tires because it is a four wheel drive.
My husband backed my new 2017 Impreza 2.0i Premium with Eyesight into our plastic trash container at low speed. The trash container had no damage. The Impreza was badly dented. In addition, the paint over the dent cracked and fell off. I am dismayed that a low-speed collision with plastic was able to do so much damage. The steel skin of the Impreza is weak. The paint is brittle, since it did not follow the contour of the dent (which was round and not sharp). The paint adhesion to the steel is poor since it peeled away after it cracked. Subaru proudly advertises the strength of the cars high-tensile steel skeleton, but they do not mention that the skin and paint are weak. I am afraid that the appearance of the car will deteriorate rapidly as it accumulates the inevitable dings over the years. I do not yet know whether the dealership will repair this dent.
In 2012, I was attempting to park in a space with my foot on brake when I heard a roaring noise from engine and car sped up a incline and hit a tree smashing front. It then careened backwards hitting another car and continued in a backwards drive hitting another car and then smashed into a brick wall and stopped. Police were amazed I was alive. Brought up case with Subaru who denied claim. Just discovered another owner in your comment who had same experience as I did. I am reopening this matter with Subaru.
Very expensive repairs, poor gas mileage, the battery was a major issue, left us stranded at least 10 times in 2 years! Finally replaced by Subaru, but frustrating. There is no vent in the back so the backseat is sweltering during the summer. The service department at the dealership is great, the best part of owning the car!!!

