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More Articles
Subaru Automobile Model 2026 Subaru Ascent
2026 Subaru Ascent
The 2026 Subaru Ascent is a midsize three-row SUV designed for families who need spacious seating, standard all-wheel drive, and strong all-weather capability. With room for up to eight passengers, a comfortable ride, and a generous list of safety features, the Ascent is well suited for daily commuting, road trips, and outdoor adventures.
Its combination of practicality and value makes it a popular choice among family SUVs.
Performance
The Ascent is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive provides excellent traction in rain, snow, and light off-road conditions. A comfortable suspension delivers a smooth ride, while responsive steering makes the Ascent easy to drive despite its size. It also offers solid towing capability for trailers, boats, or campers.
Interior
The cabin is spacious and functional, with comfortable seating across three rows.
Quality materials, numerous storage compartments, and a large cargo area make the Ascent practical for families. Folding rear seats provide additional flexibility for carrying larger items, while the quiet interior enhances comfort on long drives.
Features
Key available features include:
- Turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
- Standard all-wheel drive.
- Continuously variable transmission (CVT).
- Digital driver display.
- Touchscreen infotainment system.
- Wireless smartphone connectivity.
- Wireless charging.
- Navigation system.
- Heated and ventilated front seats.
- Panoramic moonroof.
- Adaptive cruise control.
- Automatic emergency braking.
- Blind-spot monitoring.
- Surround-view camera system.
Pros
- Standard all-wheel drive.
- Spacious three-row interior.
- Comfortable ride.
- Strong safety features.
- Good cargo capacity.
- User-friendly technology.
- Solid towing capability.
- Excellent value.
Cons
- CVT may not appeal to all drivers.
- Third row is best for children.
- Fuel economy is average.
- Higher trims can become expensive.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Subaru Ascent is a practical and capable family SUV that excels in comfort, safety, and year-round driving confidence. Its roomy interior, standard all-wheel drive, and versatile cargo space make it an excellent choice for active families.
For buyers seeking a dependable three-row SUV with strong safety credentials and everyday usability, the Ascent remains a standout option.
Manufacturer: Subaru
MODEL: 2026 Subaru Ascent
MSRP: $53445.00 USD
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Subaru Automobile Model 2026 Subaru Ascent
In 2014 I bought my first Subaru Outback (a dream of mine since I first got my license) for $26k at Bill Kolb Subaru in Orangeburg, NY. It was one year used with only 7,000 miles on it and immediately started noticing problems. The first problem was that it consumed an outrageous amount of oil and would always need an oil change. I talked to the dealership service about this and they assured me it was completely normal (IT WAS NOT!). My second problem was this rattle sound that apparently is a problem with all Subaru but really is harmless as far as Im aware. The third problem is that many components of the car started to fail including the catalytic converter which cost me a hefty amount of money and turning this car into a money pit.I used the car a lot in the two years Ive had it. I got 130k miles on it now. Going home one night the car started making noises and turned off suddenly. A mechanic told me it was the engine which Subaru later confirmed. I have maintained this car very well in the last two years, and its been at the Subaru Service department too many times for no fault of mine. I recently discovered a class action lawsuit against Subaru for oil consumption that ultimately damages the engine like mine did on Google after searching. It was apparently too late for my car to be serviced due to my mileage even though I never received any notice or was told by the service people about this problem (they knew about the lawsuit and the settlement the whole time I was having issues). This problem will cost me 10k to fix. I will never buy a Subaru ever again and I encourage people to think twice about the brand and to do more research on bad companies who refuse to take responsibility on THEIR mistakes. DO NOT BUY SUBARU!!!
I brought my Subaru pre-owned and had a question about my extended warranty. After going through several layers of press the number for your particular question, the option that I chose could not be acknowledged by the automated system. I went through this a few more times before I hit a different option hoping to be connected to where I wanted to go. That worked, but the person who I got on the other end transferred me to the automated system again, which of course still was not working properly. I finally decided to send an email and who knows how long it will take for a response.
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.
Bought the 2014 Forester in July, 2013 because of the reliability of the brand. Car has been great as I put about 800 miles on a week commuting. At about 35,000 miles I started to notice that the oil light came on about the midpoint between oil changes, at about 3500 miles. Have to add oil about every four weeks, really burns through the oil. No drips on the driveway, car runs great. Love the car but have to fix this oil issue.
I purchased a new 2013 Subaru Outback believing all the hype I read about and saw regarding this vehicle. At 83,000 miles my transmission failed due to contaminated transmission fluid (Subaru admitted the defect) and was told by the dealership they would repair it for $8500 since my 60,000 mile warranty (they must know something) on the powertrain was exceeded. Subaru of America (after a week waiting in limbo) said they would give $1,000 toward the repair as a good will gesture. Never mind all the ads and chest beating over how this vehicle surpasses most in quality and reliability. Now Im reduced to buying a used transmission online and having an independent contractor replace it. Needless to say Im not loving my Subaru and will tell the everyone in reach about their customer service.
Subaru 2014 Legacy (manual) 9000 miles, under warranty. Last week of June 2015, suddenly first thing in the morning, the car reeked of gasoline (or other hydrocarbon). I went to the nearest garage (with all the windows open, it was that bad) whose owner said Subarus are notorious for gas leaks but he could not deal with that kind of problem.It was then towed to Subaru dealer whose head mechanics diagnosis was... mice (!) had chewed the gas lines. He said that this was not covered by the warranty- $600-$800 repair. Interestingly, we overheard him on the phone with another Subaru owner concerning a gas leak caused by mice! No loaner available to us, but he could supply a rental car. When I took exception to that, he said no charge for the rental.This could be a weird coincidence, or weird mice. But this diagnosis (as opposed to loose connection or clamps, or whatever) works very well for the dealership. They get $600 from me (and the other guy) instead of having to cover the repair cost themselves. Somehow this seems fishy: plastic- gas-loving mice lying in wait in my shell driveway?I see online a lot of current dissatisfaction with Subaru design and service and a company that does not admit to defects in their products or have trained their service departments. Loved my previous Subaru Legacy, also a manual. But this car seems to have been designed by a bunch of geeky kids fooling around in a basement somewhere. Weird coincidence, weird mice, or dealer ploy?
My 2014 Outback was my 3rd Subaru. They had changed to full synthetic oil and one has to use that as the company supposedly tightened up their Boxer 2.5L specs. First oil change at 3K was OK, 2nd at 7.5K later, as they recommended, was still OK. After that, was on a trip and oil light came on after about 3K miles. Eventually found a place in the rural area that had 0-20W which is required. Only half qt required. After another 2K miles, another half quart required. After that, the scenario continued to repeat. After an oil change, 3K miles and half qt needed, and at 5K after the change another half qt. Through several changes. Factory had lowered the period between changes to 6K, but after using 1qt of the 4qt original supply, I went to changing every 5K miles.Then found a CR report lambasting Subaru for their oil use. This was not leaking oil, but consuming it. A couple of autos, Audi and BMW - some models - were worse, but everyone that I talked to considered using a qt every 5K miles very excessive for a new car. Subaru would do nothing about it and the dealer - having been graded on the sales process already with the 10s they beg you to grade, was indifferent. Facing the possibility that the Subaru name would be associated with oil burner in the future and that the value of my vehicle for trade would be negatively impacted I chose to trade it in after only owning it 20 months and 27K miles. Traded for a Mazda CX-5 and went to the Subaru dealer immediately afterwards to tell them why I had traded away the Subaru Outback that I otherwise had loved for what I consider to be a lesser vehicle. That doesnt use oil.Dealer made up some excuses and I walked out, a Subaru fan no more. Dealer never even offered to make me a good deal on a newer vehicle that supposedly didnt have the problem. This was in Columbia MO. Despite my having informed them that I had traded the vehicle, I still get service reminders and other propaganda from the dealer. They are that clueless and disconnected and this reflects upon Subaru as being pretty much the same.
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.
I purchased a new 2016 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited in March of 2016. The interior is a light-colored leather. A few months after purchase, I found that anyone wearing blue jeans in the car turned the seats blue. I contacted Subaru official site and spoke with my dealer. The dealer stated they were aware of this and have been receiving numerous customer complaints, but have no remedy to offer. They also said frequent cleaning of the leather may cause premature wear. This wasnt something I was warned about when buying the car. I traded in a 10-year-old Honda Accord with the same color leather and never had any problem with dye transfer and no problem with previous leather upholstery, including the other Outbacks in the family. Im looking at the option to trade in my 9 month old car on another brand, though it would cause a major financial loss. But I need to weigh this against the possibility of having to replace my interior.
My girlfriend bought a Certified Pre-Owned 2013 Subaru Outback from Kendall Subaru in Fairbanks in December of 2013. Within 1,000 miles of purchasing the vehicle the oil light came on. We brought the vehicle back to the dealer with the complaint of oil consumption. They told us that a quart of oil every 1,000 miles is Normal. But they would conduct an oil consumption test. Their test showed that the car was consuming a quart every 1,000 miles. Subsequently the oil light has come on 3 times. We called Kendall again and the service manager said this I did speak to one of the Subaru mechanics back there. And he said they are designed a bit differently from other vehicles. And he used the term the crankcase doesnt quite hold the same amount of oil as other vehicles. He compared it with the Toyota. So he said yes you would burn a little more oil faster because you just dont have the amount in the crankcase that other vehicles may have. When you come in I would ask the advisor to please let a mechanic explain it to you, because when he explained it to me it totally made sense. You have got to be kidding me? Do they think we are that stupid? I have the recording of the service representative on my phone. People need to hear this. We are talking a 2 year old car with 22,000 miles on it!
In March of 2017 we purchased a brand new 2017 Subaru Impreza and we had 4 free oil changes. And a month or less before the each oil change the oil light comes on and on the last free oil change the light came on 2 wks afterwards. They kept the car for 3/5 days to find out why the car was consuming so much oil. When we went to pick up the car, they said they couldnt find anything wrong with the car. They then wanted to do an oil consumption test. Never heard of this until it was done on my new car. They filled the motor with oil and said bring back at 1200 miles or more! Anyway we took it back and we were told, that we were going to check the oil level together after about 10/15 min. They came after 5 min to get us, (when we went outside they had already pop the latch the hood, not after,) that we were going to check the dipstick. I was suspicious. Now... not trusting this routine at all. Or the technicians. (Plus they said it was the way the driver was shifting and driving, which affects the transmission and not the motor). After talking to the person who sold us the car, and their finance person? The dealer will not take the car back, they want to give us a new one. We dont want a Subaru anymore. We have tried contacting the Subaru manufacturer to no avail. I look up fuel consumption test and Subaru popped up. Never heard of fuel consumption test. I am afraid of owning a Subaru after this happening to a new car. I have heard good things about Subaru but now I am not so sure.
I bought a new 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5 Wagon August 29, 2013 (3 month old vehicle). In December the engine started making a squealing noise. When I took it in to be checked I was asked what I had done to the engine??? I had never opened the hood on my car - in fact I didnt know where the hood release was. It took 3 times bringing it in until one of their techs came outside when I brought it in again in January and took a look and said he knew what was wrong with it. The belts were glazing over. The pulley system was redone and the belts replaced. I thought this was the end of the problem. I contacted their main headquarters in New Jersey and after working with customer relations was given a 100,000 mile warranty. I am so happy I did this because the engine problems didnt end there.In August of 2015, my engine light came on - I pulled over and called the dealer and was told if it was the flashing one to not drive it and have someone tow it. It wasnt the flashing one and wasnt told I could continue to drive it. I drove the car to the dealer and told them I wanted it fixed. It was under warranty. They replaced a sensor. They had my car for 5 days. I picked the vehicle up and drove it for about 3 days and the light came on again. I took it back to the dealer, they gave me a loaner vehicle, couldnt find the problem (after having it in the shop for 2 weeks), turned the engine light off and called me to come get it. I picked it up and drove it for about 3 days and the same thing happened. I took it back - they gave me a loaner vehicle. When the service manager called they said it was a vacuum problem - and it was how I was braking. I said that was not possible. I got another call, the service manager told me that it was dirty and the catalytic converter was dirty too. He asked where I was buying gas and told me that I should only be using gas from Costco, Shell or Chevron 92 octane (even though the manual says otherwise). They said they would get a data recorder from Subaru and it would take them about 3 days to get it - I was told I could keep driving the loaner or pick up my own car and drive it and bring it back in when they got the recorder. I chose for them to keep it until they got the recorder. I didnt hear anything for 2 weeks. On a Saturday the service manager called and yelled at me that I hadnt picked up my car. I asked if they had the data recorder yet and he said no. They wanted me to be driving my car so the warranty would run out. On November 6th they called and said they had gotten the data recorder. I was already home from work when they called. I picked my car up on the 9th. Three days later the light came on again. I took it back to the dealer. They called and said they think they corrected the problem. The rear sensor was replaced.I dont believe they would have done any of it if I hadnt contacted their headquarters. It took over 3 months to get the problem corrected. Because of how I was treated by the dealership and the reliability of the cars, I will never buy another Subaru. Subaru does have a class action lawsuit against them now for the excessive oil burning issue. Their remedy is to give an extended warranty! Its not worth it!
Purchased a 2014 Subaru legacy in April of 2014. Car has every thing but the nav and eye sight. I have 17000 miles and have no problems at all, love the awd and for a 2.5 litre it goes pretty good. It is my first new car and would recommend it to anyone. I am 6.6, 220 and it fits me in. I have two kids and they love it. I am a chevy man and finally went Japanese. It is great on gas, handles well, and looks great at 30k - you cannot beat it. Lets face it - every thing breaks but these subarus are great. Buy one, you will not regret it.
When I found out the head gasket is going on my 2009 Subaru Legacy, extremely well maintained, and only 70,000 miles on it, I was stunned. After researching this, it has been a well-known problem for millions here and abroad, due to flawed (i.e., cheesy) design. This is an expensive repair!! I am wondering if anyone else is interested in a class action suit. I dont want to have to pay 3,000 for a new head gasket because the company skimped on design and materials. I am livid. If anyone is interested, let me know.
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!
We have been loyal Subaru customers for 20 years. We have always kept our Foresters well maintained and garaged. However, I can say that after the head gaskets going bad at 77,000 in our 2010 Forester we will never buy another Subaru again. Our last Forester did not have bad head gaskets until nearly 200,000 miles! After rounds of discussions with Subaru, they are only offering $1,000 toward repairs. Apparently this is a good deal from what I have seen them offer other customers with similar issues. Ridiculous. We will still be on the hook for repairs that equal half the cost of the vehicle. I am waiting on a class action for this issue. Subaru, you are losing your loyal customer base!
Ive always been an American car buyer, but Ive always been intrigued by the Outback. I have been researching your vehicles for some time. So I decided to buy my first Subaru. I went used, and I bought it from Subaru of Melbourne Florida. Here is my nightmare of an experience, this the letter I wrote to the dealer: Hi Shannon, I dont know if you remember me, but we talked about 4 weeks ago. I was interested in a 2011 Outback that you had for sale. As a matter of fact I did come down from Michigan and buy it. It was one of my worst buying experiences ever. I told Larry to have everything ready. I would be there by noon on 4-3-2017. I was on vacation and didnt want to waste a lot of time. Got there by noon, left by 3. Here is a list of problems and delays:1. In the picture on your website the car had a trailer hitch. I wanted that, but no hitch. Larry said they had to take it off because it wasnt a Subaru hitch. It was after market. So I have to buy a hitch. U-Haul is 300.00. 2. In the picture on your website it had a rear cargo mat. No mat. Larry said it was bad, so they threw it out. He finally gave me a used one from another car. 3. It took 45 minutes to find the second set of keys. OK, so I got the car, drove it home to my place in FL. Waxing it and notice a dent in the front fender passenger side. I had it removed by a dent removal service 195.00. I did ask for detailed pictures that I never received, and I also ask Larry if there were any paint deficits or dents. Of course he said no.The final thing, drove it to work yesterday in the dark and notice a headlamp out. Now I know there is an extended warranty for bad headlamps on 2010, 2011. So I replaced the lamp myself and found that Larry and your dealership had left non Subaru HID headlamp conversion kit on the car, so now I dont know if Subaru will honor the warranty.
My husband purchased a new Subaru Outback in 2011. It has continually had oil problems, with the oil light coming on and off. The Subaru dealer assured him this was normal and his car was fine. It was serviced on a regular basis with the recommended work and oil changes. Last week the car stopped in the middle of the road (while driving) and he had it towed to the Subaru dealer for diagnosis and repair. Diagnosis: They dont know. Recommendation: It needs a new engine! Really Subaru? 130,00 miles and no help from Subaru! Unbelievably bad reliability!
Purchased a new Outback in April 2016. Noticed the GPS map was from Q3 2014, so I asked the salesman if it could be updated. The salesman checked with the service department and told me that it could be updated by the service department just as soon as an update was available...but an update was not available at that time. A few months later after moving to another state, I asked Subaru Customer Service if my map could be updated. They informed me that the Subaru policy would not allow me to get an update before I owned the Outback for 12 months. So my map would be almost three years old before I could get it updated by a Subaru service department. I wasted much too much time sending emails to them attempting to get an update approved and after too many...I gave up and was lucky enough to find a way to update it myself.
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...
Subaru ripped me off multiple times when the clutches (transmissions?) the sold me were defective. Ive been driving manual transmission cars since 1984, but the clutch on my 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX kept going way bad for years. Only after a non-Subaru mechanic installed a non-Subaru clutch when the 5th one failed 20K miles on the odometer has the clutch on my car been reliable. Subaru fixed only one under warranty, then abandoned all warranty support for their defective product. Of particular concern was the completely crappy service done on the car by the now defunct Subaru dealership in Charleston, SC. This has been my 2nd Subaru, but I will try a Mitsubishi vehicle the next time around.
I purchased a 2009 Outback 2.5XT manual transmission new. For the first 60,000 miles it was flawless. Shortly after the 60,000 mile service, the check engine light came on and the dealer said the rings in the #4 cylinder were stuck. The engine was removed and repaired. Approximately 3000 miles later the incident repeated itself. Once again the engine was removed and this time all of the rings were replaced (at my suggestion) and the valves ground. Shortly after that one of the air tube valves failed. Then a few thousand miles later both the NOX and oxygen sensors failed. Then at 73,000 miles the engine started knocking but no check engine light. At the bottom of the pan directly under the oil pump intake there is a large dent but no scratches or any sign of impact. The dealer says that the restricted oil flow resulting from the dent caused the connecting rod bearings to fail. I am a 78 year old engineering executive in Southern California. 90% of my driving is on the freeway, no off road, no dirt roads. I cannot believe a modern car can have these kinds of problems. This is my first experience with Subaru. Subaru paid for the first 2 overhauls but I have paid for the other repairs and am expected to pay for a new short block replacement.
My wife and I currently own a 2011 Subaru Forester we purchased new from Hatfield Subaru in Columbus, Ohio. We have always had it serviced at Byers Dublin Subaru in Columbus Ohio. At the 25,000 mile mark both head gaskets were leaking so the mechanics at Byers pulled the motor and replaced them. Just recently at the 33,000 mile mark I brought in my vehicle to Byers for my 30,000 maintenance check also complaining of a strange noise. They informed me the head gasket was leaking again and the noise we heard was the transmission running low on fluid. They again pulled the motor and made repairs. However, when placing the motor back in the car a strange noise developed in the engine. They again pulled the motor adjusting the tensioning on the timing chain yet the noise was still present. They then contacted Subaru technical support asking for assistance. They are currently pulling the motor for the fourth time with the intention of replacing the cylinder heads and camshaft.Up until now, I have been in contact with both dealerships expressing my concerns. I have also spoken with customer service, a supervisor, and a manager at Subaru of America. The manager at Subaru headquarters said they could only offer me 2500.00 towards the purchase of a new vehicle. The manager at Hatfield where I purchased my vehicle from passed me off to a sales associate who only wanted to sell me a new Subaru at full price to meet his end of the month February sales quota. The manager at Byers where my car is being serviced has been less than forthcoming as to the true status of my vehicle and I have not heard from him as to the status of my vehicle as promised in the last four business days.What concerns me the most is my wife and I now own a Subaru with a long list of engine problems so early in its life and a transmission which has been exposed to wear by fluid loss and after June of 2017 we have no warranty. We worked very hard paying off this vehicle early with every intention of keeping it for at least the next ten years. This was our first new car purchase and we chose Subaru because its incredible record of reliability. The current trade in value for this vehicle is 14,500 and we cannot afford to take out another loan for 10-14 thousand dollars to get the same style of Subaru we just paid off. We paid in full for a Subaru because of its name, we always had it serviced at your dealerships, and I feel we are being punished for a rare flaw which required them to pull the engine so early in its life and thus creating more problems with the engine and transmission by trying to put it back together. It is not a matter of if this vehicle will have more problems in the near future it is a matter of when and I refuse to put my wife and two children back in this Subaru wondering when the next big mechanical failure might occur, one which we cannot afford. I am reaching out to you with the hope of resolving this issue and I refuse to give up until a solution can be reached.
Bought used Subaru Legacy 2.2L manual transmission, 264 000. Had it five years now at 560 000, never given me a problem. Rock solid car, put maybe $2000 in parts into it. I would happily buy another Subaru. All fluids synthetic. Purrs like a kitten.
I have an Outback...It is a fantastic car. Lots of room and no major blind spots. It has the power needed for highway driving and passing. A feature many miss is the luggage rack with the crossbars built right in! Helps the aerodynamics for fuel consumption which by the way is very good. It is interesting to note that the outback has more towing power than the Forester. The only dissatisfaction with Subaru is their packages - confusing and not always making sense.
Love the maneuverability of Impreza and how it grips the road! Great gas mileage! The price is great for what you get and I tell all my friends what a great car it is!
We own a 3-year old Outback with 37,000 miles on it. Since purchasing the vehicle, we have had to add a quart of oil between each scheduled service (about every 3,000 miles). The dealership tells us that is not abnormal due to the thin grade of oil (which was never mentioned when we were considering purchase of this Outback). It gets worse. In November, without warning, the car lost all power while waiting at a red light on an exit ramp off the interstate. Because we could not get the power back, we were unable to move the vehicle to the shoulder. While waiting for the tow truck, another car smashed into the driver side of the vehicle (hit and run). After months of arguing with Subaru of America, we were told that the accident resulted from the other drivers negligence (rather than because the car was completely dead on the ramp) and, therefore, Subaru was not responsible in any way.The Louisville, Kentucky dealership where we purchased the car finally examined it last week and reported they could find no identifiable problem with the engine. Therefore, the service department concluded there is absolutely no reason to expect this will ever happen again and suggested that we were overreacting because we fear this could occur again, without warning as before, and dont want to drive the vehicle any longer. Not surprisingly, when we asked to meet with the General Manager of the dealership to discuss our concerns, the response was that he was too busy to meet with us (but we could call him). And Subaru has the nerve to boast about its reputation for customer service. You couldnt prove it by our experience. It would be difficult for us to say that Subaru stands behind its product.
I have a 2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i that I bought new in Massachusetts. The first few years seemed to go okay except for the $350 dollar services and the fact that the car dents when you look at it funny (literally hundreds of door dings 7 years later). I maintained impeccable service history and records but it started feeling funny in 2009 - gas mileage was tanking, engine felt off, acceleration was sluggish. I drive... a lot ... on road ... on dirt roads ... I use the car as the commercials show but do not abuse it. 2010 the brakes fail and I run off the road. 2010 (69,000 miles - so off warranty now), after complaining about the engine running funny for over a year to Subaru service centers, a local mechanic discovers the head gaskets are leaking. Subaru agrees to pay for half of the repair. Great! I am happy with the company and simply mad at the service centers for not finding it. Since then, it seems like everything that has a seal or bearings is beginning to fail - two transmission leaks, power steering pump, ac belt tensioner, coil pack (cylinders 3 and 4 started misfiring causing the car to smoke, shudder, and die), ignition wires (twice - once routine maintenance), front axle seals, differential... The thing leaks oil if you dont use a Subaru brand oil filter. It eats tires in half their designated lifetime, even with regular rotation and alignment. Oh, for a car that is advertised for the adventurer, perhaps they could work to make the alignment a little harder to throw off - any bump in the rode and it goes out. The exhaust pipe broke its weld (presumably from the aforementioned offroading, which consists of driving on flat, well maintained farm roads).The 3-year bill for my car, 75000-113000 miles, for routine and additional maintenance, has been almost 7000 dollars. I am not naive when it comes to car expenses. I did not expect this car to be worry free, maintenance free, or without a half life crisis at 100,000 miles but every time something fails on the car, I call up Subaru dealers around the northeast and I ask: Is this normal? Every time they say they rarely see it break. I have contacted Subaru of America and told them of these problems. They have offered me $500 towards a new car, like I will ever buy another one.
I purchased my new 2013 Subaru Forester in July of that year after having a 2003 Subaru forester for ten years hoping that l would get as good as run out of 2013 as l did out of the 2003. But in the three years that l have had this car (2013), l have a short motor put in at 100,000 kms which had to pull the motor apart twice as the dealership put the old shim valves back in it so they had to put it apart to put new shim valves back in. The front lower control arms bushes have been replaced twice both front CV Joints on both sides have been replace. Bluetooth unit has been replaced 3 times and still giving me problems. The HILLHOLD/ABS/ADC warning lights had been coming on repeatedly which l was told it was a faulty brake light switch. The sensor for the horn has also been replaced and all wheel nuts and hub bolts have all been replaced twice. So this experience has put a bitter in my mouth to back to buy another Subaru.
I love my Subaru BRZ! It is perfect in every way. Only 500 were made in 2016! I didnt mean to buy a brand new car but am so glad that I did. It is my baby. Kick ** engine and spot package. However, I would like to have the windows tinted and all wheel drive option.
2011 STI 41k miles and it blew a head gasket. Subaru wont warranty it because of a aftermarket turbo back exhaust. I had my VW longer with way more mod and never had an issue. Subarus have head gasket issues and for them to deny my warranty because of some dumb mod so they dont have to fix their issues is a bunch of garbage. Ill buy an Audi or BMW next time.
Love my Impreza--its my second one. Comfortable, feels safe, lots of well thoughtout extras. I researched a few dealerships before buying/servicing--some do it better than others. All in all, would buy another and recommend.
I have been a loyal Subaru owner over the years. As with other manufacturers being someone who has run a service center as well as being able to perform the task of replacing head gaskets and I cant understand why there hasnt been either a recall or class action lawsuit. I have never seen a Subaru that has not needed head gaskets. I currently drive a 2005 outback with 233000 miles, head gaskets have been done twice with machine shop labor performed every time. These cars are designed to fail. A lot has to do with battery location. Everyone has seen the bottle of special coolant conditioner at the dealer, why the need for it? And heres the simplest explanation, small amounts of electricity pass thru engine parts which reacts with the coolant and the metal in the head gaskets. Its a chemical reaction, over time it eats thru the gasket. Aluminum and steel do not mix as well. Corrosion develops so as you see by design it is set for failure which in 90 percent of cases the customer pays and you all know the cost - anywhere from 3200.00 to 4800.00. Now my car is at the dealer for a brake recall which failed while I was driving and lost brakes so I decide let me look around for another Subaru at some of the dealers. I only looked at cars between 85,000 miles to 110,000 miles, the ten I looked were a mix of Outbacks and Foresters, all had blown head gaskets all of them. So this car in my opinion and Im sure the opinion of many that this car is designed to fail so the dealer can make money and the fact Ive done over a thousand head gaskets in my career is disturbing. And they are all usually outta warranty so when it goes at 85000 your forced with a choice to either spend money on the motor which will blow the gasket again or trade in and get another. But also be mindful on that second head gasket job. The aluminum that the block was made of was so porous the threads came out with the head bolts so I redesigned the motor where the block has studs and you slide the heads on and use grade 8 nuts to complete torque specs. I shared the design with Subaru, not interested at all. So in a nutshell I did head gaskets at 87000 miles and 156000 miles. When I did the redesign it now has 233000 which by my math and experience Im either gonna be due for a head gasket job soon or my redesign has worked with relocation of the battery. Enjoy the photos, this is what had to be done to avoid buying a 5000 dollar used motor that more than likely needed head gaskets. I think Subaru owes it to its customers to design a quality engine. Youre making cars that stop themselves and tell when youre drifting in your lane but cant use better grade metal for the engine or relocate a battery.
I own a Subaru Forester. Bought for a vacation to AZ. It handled great at top speed and was very good on gas. The auto is very comfortable on a long ride. It doesnt tire you.
My daughter purchased a Subaru Impreza used 1995, has over 200 thousands miles on it. Only problem we have had is the cv joints and mass air flow sensor. All of sudden it starts skipping and the idle is very rough. No clue. Any help appreciated.
Because of all the driving I do (picked up my Crosstrek August 17th, 2019 as on 1-6-2020 I have 11,555 miles) I specifically purchased a Subaru. According to the website and window sticker, miles were averaged between 27/33 per gallon. Now I know that 33 is only under extreme optimal conditions. But I thought 27 wouldnt be an issue to average at all. That being said, my car has never averaged over 26.5 on any long road trip. Id never buy another Subaru and wouldnt recommend their vehicles to anyone!!!!
I have own 25 cars in my life, I am 54 years old. Never had any engine failures. But my 2008 STI just blew up.
My 2012 Outback just got a new transmission after 75,000 miles. Im very dissatisfied. When I shift into park its rough, makes like a clunk sound. Makes me wonder how long this one will last!? Ill never buy another Subaru. Makes me wonder if it was done right? Of course they say its fixed and better!! What a joke! I think a bunch of us should get together and place a class action lawsuit.
2013 Outback P2764 code. Dealership advised contacting corporate and I was offered $750 toward new car! Seriously, 125,000 miles, known transmission issue with extended warranty to 2022 but not mileage? Vehicles are meant to be driven! Beware of Subaru! Not so giving!
I purchased my 2013 Subaru Crosstrek mainly due to Subarus great reputation for reliable vehicles with low maintenance costs. At 86k miles I started hearing a louder whirring noise from my transmission. I took it to the dealer and had to get the CVT transmission replaced. Luckily I bought the extended warranty, otherwise I would have had to pay close to $10,000 for the repair. Considering I bought the car for $19,000 and the blue book value on the car is around $11,000 this is completely outrageous. I expected this car to go at least 150k miles before replacing a transmission and expected the cost at that time to be at least half that cost if not less. I will never purchase a car with a CVT again. I will likely be selling this car before the current warranty expires and will likely do the same with my Wifes Impreza before its warranty is up as well since it has the same transmission.
Never notified of CVT issue. Told me they sent letters regarding the issue but I never received anything. Once issue started on my car, they told me they couldn’t do anything because my car was outside of warranty date/mileage. My car is stalling while I’m driving, they claim it’s not a safety issue. They offered to pay 50% of my 2,000$ repair but I declined stating that these vehicles need to be recalled because of it stalling while driving. They declined and said it’s not a safety issue on them to deal with. Basically doing whatever they can to get around handling this situation. From what I’ve seen, when they started with the CVT transmissions back in 2012, those issues are still continuing to happen even on brand new vehicles.
I have been a loyal customer of Saturn/Subaru of South Blvd. in Charlotte, NC. I drive a Saturn 2000 Wagon and had a problem with a weeping radiator. I took it to Subaru and told them to look for the car over to make sure there were no other problems looming so I dont put money into a car that isnt worth it. I assumed they looked it over and did the repair. I drove the car home and the next day, my husband noticed an oil leak on the garage floor. I thought it was an overflow issue since I had just gotten it out of the shop and if it was a problem, surely they would have noticed. So I just overlooked it. This continued for a couple of weeks and no lights came on, so I assumed it was no problem. It got to where there was a pool of oil left behind all the time. I took it back to Subaru and they looked at it again and determined that there was a seal leak that would cost $1800.00 to fix. It had a slow leak that turned into a gusher between Subaru and my home the day I picked it up. I was very upset that at their direction, I had just poured $1200.00 into a car that had an obvious leak that they did not even mention. Now, they tell me the car is not even worth the $1800.00 it would cost to fix. My question is: Why didnt they tell me that $1200.00 ago? I discussed it with the service manager David ** and they had no interest in doing anything to address the problem. It was my problem and their was nothing they would do. I walked in the door as a loyal customer and walked out as a very unhappy camper. I later phoned and asked to talk to the manager, who was in a meeting, so I told the man who took the message for the manager what had happened. He said he would relay the message and have him call me! It has been 2 weeks and I have not heard a word from anyone! I hope you can explain this because I am shocked that they would treat a customer like that! They turned a person, who was in the dealership in need of a new car, into a person who would never buy a car there and will be more than happy to tell all of my friends, who are lifelong animal rescuers, about my ordeal with a Subaru dealership! I even have a dear, personal friend who is a Pilots N Paws volunteer. He would be as shocked as I am if I told him this. I would like to know what you think of this. I am in the market for a new car! Your response will determine what course I could take from here! Ill await your reply! Thank you for your time! Kathy **
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.
2016 Subaru Forster is ok. But compared to the Rav4 it is not as comfortable. There is not enough heat in the winter and the cabin floor needs more installation.
Two months ago I built up the urge to trade in my 2005 Chevy Uplander for a brand new 2014 Subaru Crosstrek... the car Ive been wanting for sometime. I walked up to the black one I wanted and demanded the deal they promised online. Finance 6 years $400 monthly. After being denied for not so hot credit and offered a $550 monthly I walked out of the dealership a lil bummed. But took it with a grain of salt, just have to save up more for the 15, I thought. But the very next day Marco, the online Subaru sales guy, called me up in the morning with great news that Wed talked to the manager and made some moves to get to deal you wanted. Excited I rushed to the lot, signed the contract, got the insurance onsite, traded in my van.At first they told me theyd give me $2500 for the van. But when I look at the contract they put value @ $500. When questioned they said in order to get the numbers I wanted and to make the deal work thats what we had to do. Agreeing to that I went ahead. I fell for the extended warranty and 3 year maintenance too for an extra $79 a month bringing it to 479 for 6 years. Hesitant but sure I could make the payments, I drove off the lot a proud New owner of a Subaru.One month goes by and Marco calls and says, Oops, we forgot to get a copy of your pay stubs. Can you please send it via text email or fax? After kindly agreeing I first text it to him 3 different times. A week later they called me at work and demanded I fax or email of my pay stub. Agitated at this point I agreed and faxed it, scanned and emailed the copy. Two months since I drove off the lot and I get a call at work again from Marco asking if I could come down to the dealership to work out a new deal because they made a mistake on the contract and discrepancy on my pay stub. While at work I told them I was busy, I would try in the next couple days. Today I got another call at work from the Subaru manager rudely demanding that I return the car to the lot, saying that time is up and the deal is no good, the bank rejected the terms. Pissed off at this point I was ready to just say ** it, Ill just return it and get my van back. So thats exactly what I did. Except they didnt have my van ready, its getting smogged and Ill be ready in a couple days they said. When I arrived at 8:45 pm the GM wasnt even there waiting as we discussed. I had to wait for an hour for him to show up. During which I had to sit there with the sale manager who didnt know anything about the situation. When the GM finally showed up he rushed up to me, got in my face and demanded the keys back. I refused because they didnt have my van ready. Thats when three guys surrounded me and basically strong armed me for the keys. Then acted like they were doing me a favor by calling me a cab ride home. Only to tell me theyll call me when the van is ready.When I signed the contract I signed a page that said no buyers remorse... once I drive off the lot theres no driving back with second thoughts. Is there a such thing as sellers remorse? Bad Business. I want Fairfield Subaru exposed. I dont ever want to buy Subaru again. They lied about the van being smogged and dont know where my van is?
My 2011 Subaru Outback stalled out on the 101 South driving back from San Francisco. At any hard brake the car would shudder and/or quit. Extensive research has informed me that this is a very common problem with Subarus, resulting from a failed torque converter. Owners of Subarus have posted about this problem for many years. The Subaru dealership from where I bought my Outback, and which is making the repair, just confirmed it is the torque converter that has failed and will be charging me $2016.59 for the repair. I am coming out of pocket over $2,000 to replace a part Subaru has known for years FAILS. Not only have they received many complaints about this part, it is a DANGEROUS problem for the car to have. It should have resulted in a recall by now, there are so many complaints. The car can stall at a red light, on the highway, or anywhere else where a hard, fast brake is required by the driver.
Ordered new car and was told to expect it in 1 week or sooner. Did not make it. Was told it was on truck and delivery next day. Did not make it. No one knew where exactly the car was. Should expect sometime next week! They had no problem cashing my check immediately.
2017 Subaru Forrester (manual transmission): My oil light first came on at 3000 miles and I have been fighting Subaru for the past year to address the excessive oil consumption. Subaru lost a class action lawsuit for oil consumption problems and continues to sell cars without changing the design. I would not recommend a Subaru to anyone as you never know if you will buy a defective one. My passenger seatbelt alarm also goes off when no one is in it and the paint is pitting. Subaru lacks integrity and I will never buy another one.Updated on 07/18/2018: I write this with the sincere hope of preventing others from experiencing the same issue and stress that I have. Please research “Subaru oil consumption problems.” You will find Subaru lost a class action lawsuit, which was settled in 2016, but they still continue to produce and sell cars with oil consumption problems. I encourage you to visit several online consumer forums, like CarGurus, and read threads from real people with similar experiences. Subaru and Big Island Motors told me that those reviews dont count, as they cant be verified. You can verify this. I bought my 2017 MT Forrester in December of 2016 at Big Island Motors in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. My oil light first came on at 3000 miles, which began my 2+ yearlong battles with Subaru and Big Island Motors. I initially dealt with the service manager, who blamed my driving style, the weather/Hawaii, my commute, my lack of mechanical expertise, among other things, and refused to acknowledge the problem. After 6 months of fighting with the service center, in desperation, I contacted the VP of Subaru Hawaii (in the summer of 2017). He required the service center to conduct oil consumption tests. This process took about 6 months and many hours off of work for me. I failed 3 of them, which the service center said qualified me for a “new engine.” After they submitted the paperwork, this spring, I contacted them after 2 months of not hearing anything. I was informed/warned that I might have to wait for a year for the repairs as others were in front of me. Finding this unacceptable, I again contacted the VP of Subaru Hawaii (last week and a year later!). Initially he responded with concern, but then I heard from the service center that I needed to come for a compression test. Subaru generously provided me with a rental car for this test and, wait for it, the test was normal! The VP of Subaru informed me yesterday that he had forgotten that I drive from Kohala to Waimea every day and that downshifting is likely the reason why my car is consuming oil. I asked him why so many of the Subaru commercials showed people and their dogs camping in the mountains if they could only be driven on flat roads? My Honda, also a MT, used ZERO oil on the same commute. He further shared that I needed to keep driving my car since they don’t know what’s wrong with it (hello? class action lawsuit).He also retracted the promise of a new engine. In the meantime, I continue to add oil, purchased by the case from Costco. Check out “the Subaru Love Promise” on their website, “Subaru and its retailers believe in making the world a better place and the Subaru Love Promise is our vision of respecting all people. This is our promise to show love and respect to our customers and to work to make a positive impact in the world.” That is unless you have a problem with your car, then that Subaru Love Promise is not for you. If I can save just one person from experiencing the stress, additional expense and disappointment I have, this post will have been worth it. BTW, if Subaru had the customer service of Costco, there would be no other cars on the road. Costco lives the Love Promise.
So we bought our 2013 Outback new and I live in FL so the car doesnt see snow and salt. You people that live in those conditions know the salt will tear up a car in no time. I just had to change both rear bearings due to excessive noise coming from the rear. With the new bearings installed, nice and quiet. But that should not have to be done at 60,000 mi. It started making noise at 60 and of course it is out of warranty at 60. Defiantly not impressed with Subaru. The engine uses oil, will not run smooth until warmed up, the rear upper brake light leaks water in a rainstorm and the paint is not a very tough paint. The Fl love bugs have eaten through the paint on the front. My wife liked the car so we bought it on the past reputation for Subaru. Big mistake. I am a mechanic but mostly on older hot rods and when I bring up the issues with the service manager at Subaru they claim to know nothing about this being a problem. From reading the other complaints it seems that all the service locations say the same bull. Wont buy another Subaru.
2015 Subaru Outback Limited 3.6 liter. We purchased this vehicle new in April 2015 to replace a 2011 Outback that was totaled by a red light runner. It has been a big disappointment. The almost $40,000 total price we thought with all the options compared to a 4 Runner was a good deal, the blind spot system (SRVD) failed on the day we drove it home, took almost 6 months to have it repaired. I found a shop bulletin online that described the problem to the letter. Of course the selling dealer didnt have a clue on how to fix it. They replaced most of the electronic parts and calibrated it. That problem is fixed. There has been 4 or 5 recalls since along with over 40 tsbs. The problem that there seems no fix for is the garage door opener operates on the same frequency as does the key-fob/smart key system. At times the seat belt alert chimes with everything off. Also the rear hatch will not open and when attempting to open either front door, placing hand inside handle, all doors lock, takes several attempts to open door, (all these problems only occur in the garage or driveway after the door clicker is pushed to open garage door). There has been no offer by Subaru to try to fix this. My Honda Ridgeline (2014) does not have this issue. This problem should not occur. The Key-fob system should not allow interference from any source. If anyone else has this problem, please write a review. My door opener is a Chamberlain belt drive with outside keypad.
Just wanted to give feedback on my new purchase: Gateway Subaru Delaware. Pros: overall satisfied with my purchase, this was our 3rd Outback (2008, 2011 now 2015). Changes promoted purchasing upgraded Outback. 2015 purchased with every option available. Eyesight option just great! Cons: GPS not as accurate as my Garmin portable. Had I known the lack of function & accuracy I would left it out from my purchase.
I purchased a brand new 2017 Subaru WRX roughly three months ago. Upon immediately driving onward I was noticing a really bad smell shifting gears and I brought it into a shop nearby. I had the service manager come for a ride-along to view my driving habits and he told me it was OK and that the smell would go away. Now, a couple of weeks ago, I was noticing the gear was tougher to shift into first, and then eventually the gears werent selecting properly. Id be in gear 3 and itd say gear 2, and so forth. Also, the biting point became completely non-existent. I took it into the nearest dealership with only 7800 km on the odometer and the clutch was completely gone.I called Subaru of Canada about it and as they reiterated many times throughout the conversation, the clutch was not covered under warranty since it was a wearable item. The dealership also said it was due to driving error. Upon doing research into this, Im seeing a lot of the earlier models are having the exact same issue and its the highest complaint on record for the 4th gen wrx in both the 2015/16 models - that cant be coincidence. Anyways, Im having to fork 1000+ out of pocket for the expenses and more for the rental Im using since the dealership didnt have any loaners on hand.The lady I was speaking to even said the clutch will go out that quickly depending on driving habits but Im a spirited driver, at best. And theres no reason a clutch should go out in less than 10,000km. Hopefully this helps anyone think twice about their next big purchase, especially the wrx, to actually do some homework and check into any policies or warranty information. This is my first Subaru and probably my last.
My wife had a 03 Outback where the engine destroyed itself at 84,000 miles. Blew head gasket with no warning, cylinder heads had to be machined along with new rings, etc. by Subaru. The car ran fine for 5,000 miles then everything started to happen again. I spoke to Subaru USA about the first incident and was told was off warranty. I had a 05 Outback which I just traded in for a Camry. Again at 84,000 miles, the car started to break down. CV Joints, timing belt and water pump, brake lines to front wheels were replaced, AC fan and fan blower were replaced, catalytic converter failed along with o2 sensors and to top it off, the head gasket was seeping. I have owned 6 Subarus since 1997 and this is it! The cars are great until you hit the 84,000-mile wall and fall apart.
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 purchased a 2002 Forester when it was new. I have had nothing but problems with this car and to date, I only have 57,000 miles on it. I have had to replace the brakes several times and Ive had previous cars that had over 90,000 miles that I never had to replace the brakes. As soon as my warranty expired, I started experiencing all these problems, of course! I have had to have ball joints replaced, trans pan, gaskets, etc. and I still have a terrible burning smell when driving the car and still have the leak which is causing this smell. I was told Subaru is known for this leak. I now have to replace the muffler. I have had more repairs on this car than all my previous cars together and it all began occurring the minute my warranty expired.I was basically told too bad when I complained about the sudden onset of problems the very moment the warranty expired. My Toyota went for over 90,000 with the only repair replacing the battery. I have maintained this vehicle religiously, as I have with all my cars. If I hadnt lost my job recently, I would trash this car immediately. Its clear from the other complaints here that Subaru doesnt care about keeping customers happy and maintaining their loyalty and future business so I would assume Subaru will do nothing about my problem either.
I have to carry oil with me at all times due to high oil usage. There is no oil light indicator to tell you your oil is low. After smelling a hot engine smell after driving home from work (14miles), I checked my oil and no oil appeared on the dip stick and there was less than 2000 miles since my last oil change. I took it to the dealer and they didnt even care and said, oh no damage was done. They didnt even take in the garage to look it over! I brought it to their attention again that I have to keep adding oil two and three times in between oil changes and I was told that was normal.
I heard a wind sound at speeds of 120 km/hr or more and fine dust between the doors and car body and I went to the service center. The service center told me it`s normal, that all Subaru XV model 2012 have the same issue after we tried another car.
Bought an early model Crosstrek. Liked the car at first, but it went thru a quart of oil every 1800 miles or so. Subaru says this is normal for a boxer engine? Felt like a 16-yr old carrying oil around with me. Ive had other Subarus & VW bugs with boxer engines that did not do this. It also ate tires, despite alignments and you have to buy 4 tires at a time with AWD. Usually the right rear wore excessively. So 2 years later, I go to trade it in on a Forrester (hopefully with better luck) and the dealer wouldnt even look at Subarus Guaranteed Trade-In. What a joke that is. Bought a Toyota.
Positives: Roomy interior. Excellent cargo space. Negatives: Poor fuel mileage. I think company overstated MPG intentionally. Touch screen disappears in direct sunlight. Uses oil badly. Poor radio quality. My first and last Subaru.
I need to give some history on my previous 97 Outback before getting to my current 09 Forester. The 97 Outback had no major problems till about 120k, head gasket blown. Problem fixed at $1800.00. Sold shortly after to buy a newly redesigned 09 Forester. Was told head gasket problems are thing of the past, so I purchased the 09 Subaru Forester with high expectations. Things Ive noticed since putting miles on my 09 Forester. During cold winter months the engine starts over very hard and until the engine is warm it sounds like a diesel. My guess poor lubrication. In cold weather the gas flap which is opened from a latch inside of my vehicle will freeze making it very difficult to gas up at the station. I live in a region that uses salt and the exhaust system is taking a beating. My radio when in use gets feedback from my engine at different revs. I stopped using my sun roof - the motor has been acting funny. At highway speeds above 70 mph the engine tends to use oil, have tried conventional and synthetic oils alike with similar results. The front doors have had rattles since day one, sounds like plastic on metal. Things which have been repaired and or replaced while under warranty: reprogrammed ac unit, engine was pulsating at stop lights at 12k miles, front wheel bearing high pitched whining sound at 35k miles. With that said the warranty is up. I have 76k on my 09 Forester, on my second set of brakes, second set of tires, second set of spark plugs, second battery. I went in for an oil change the other day at the dealer and on the multipoint inspection was noted oil bleed on head gasket. You can guess where this will be going. Quoted at over $2000.00 to replace the head gasket and at the 100k mile mark it is recommended that the timing belt be changed $950.00 and since I have a manual clutch transmission it will probably need replaced soon for $1300.00.On the positive side the symmetrical AWD system provides excellent handling in any road driving conditions, the engine provides ample power with great fuel economy and while under warranty there were no real issues. Now that the warranty has expired the wear issues are becoming apparent and Subaru knows it. Im sorry to say, this will be my last Subaru. Many fond memories of vacations in remote areas with my family camping and backpacking will no longer be made in my Subaru. I will probably give Toyota SUV or Trucks a try. My wife drives a 2003 Camry XLE and is still going strong!
We purchased a new Subaru Outback in January, 2015. Since we have two other vehicles with excellent GPS systems, we were anxious to order the GPS package. From day one, the GPS system was difficult to use and had serious problems using voice recognition. We have taken it into the dealership numerous times and the problem was not rectified. Today, the auto was returned to us after being in the dealership for a week. The service manager admitted that the system is flawed. He actually took the car home a couple of times and experienced the problems. The service manager contacted the factory representatives and they admitted the problems with the system could not be repaired. We are stuck with a new car with a sub-standard GPS system.
Damage to our 2012 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited - When my wife was backing out of the garage, the transmission jerked and caused the vehicle to graze the workbench causing damage to the left front wheel well area. Though we took the vehicle back to the original dealership and they admitted several updates on the transmission needed to be done, Subaru of America feels this was strictly due to driver error and refuses to pay for the damages. There are many bugs on the computer from other consumers regarding transmission problems on this model as well as several others. But they will take no responsibility even though the repairs would be less than $550.00.
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 used to be a loyal Subaru customer, but will never consider buying a Subaru again. After attempting to purchase my leased Subaru, Subaru Motor Finance could not confirm for over 3 weeks whether they ever received the check in the mail. I called for weeks, always being told that someone would get back in touch with me in 48 hours - no one ever called me back. I have spent over 4 hours on hold over the past weeks without any resolution.
Both me & my wife have Subarus. Given what Ive found out I probably wont be buying another one ever. My wifes 2002 outback is leaking oil & coolant now. She has about 120k miles on it. Cost to fix at a non-Subaru shop $2300-$2500.00. This is total BS as far as Im concerned. All the hype with these cars and it has been a KNOWN problem by Subaru. No recalls or fixes it would appear either. So far my 2005 isnt a problem. Only 60k miles also. Our regular mechanic is an ex-Subaru service manager. He said I can expect another $2300+ bill for the 2005 as well. If I had known about the problem I certainly wouldnt have bought my 2005. From the other reviews and complaints about the newer Subarus here, its definite that I wont buy another Subaru. Another mechanic has just recently told me about this as well.
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.
Hit a deer one week after purchasing. Had to wait OVER TWO MONTHS for parts and Subaru would only give loaner car if we had vehicle repaired at their dealership which is over 100 miles away! Battery was bad, finally got them to replace it. Tilt steering wouldnt stay locked. Wheel bearings went bad, no notice sent out. Numerous problems with driver information center touch screen, software only updated once, now other information has disappeared! Drivers seat developed a split, dealer said to call the 800 number since its not warrantied. My Ford seats lasted over 15 years! If it wasnt for the comfortable ride, Id get rid of it.
Bought this car brand new and am meticulous about maintenance. Cvt transmission was advertised as no maintenance. Now they say it needs to be replaced at 150,000 miles and that this is a known defect! There was a horrible whining that started very quiet on and off in 2017 and became louder this year. We drove into a city intersection to turn, and the car stalled. We were lucky that we didnt get hit by another car. We took it to the dealership as we do all recommended maintenance and something was really wrong to make it stall like that. The dealership said that it is a CVT transmission, and they are known to have this problem. Told us to call Subaru. There was an extended warranty offered in 2018, but we never were notified of that and are the original owner. If we had the notification we would have had this fixed as it occasionally made the noise but it did not repeat when at our service center. We would have had the dealer check it if we knew about the problem and warranty. I expected a Subaru to last longer than this before needing an $9,000 repair. Called Subaru and they offered me $1,000 toward a new Subaru. I paid $36,000 for this car. I dont think $1,000 off one now is going to help me very much for a known problem with this transmission that put us in a very dangerous situation.
00 Outback wagon keeps on keepin on. Just flipped 220k and recently completed the dreaded head gasket job on this beast. Both drivers side cylinders were venting into the coolant and I took on this task very soon after diagnosing the blown head gasket. $300 and 40 hours later, mission accomplished...about $1,200 cheaper than having the dealership do it. This problem I anticipated and with this many miles, not a complaint. Things wear out...nuff said. I have two gripes, the first being the engine noise...the work I did had little impact on this embarrassing feature which is common on these cars. Second and biggest issue is the ho-hum mileage this car delivers... best Ive had was 25 mpg. Its just too heavy for the engine and the final drive ratio doesnt deliver what it should on the highway. Then again, this thing is a tank and considered a mid-sized car, pushing nearly 2 tons with a couple of passengers and a light load.
I was coming to a stop at the end of a dead end street when my 2010 Subaru Outback shot off like a bullet from 10mph to about 30 mph in less than 2 seconds. I hit a tree and sustained severe rib injuries (3 broken ribs) and a lacerated finger and my passenger dislocated his hip and suffered a broken leg. We were lucky not to be killed.
My 2002 WRX was recalled for a control arm. I brought it in on December 29, and as of January 26. It is still in the shop waiting on parts. Customer service gives dates of estimated arrival of parts, but they keep moving them up. My car is in the shop indefinitely. I love the car, which is why I want it back, but I would never go with Subaru again. How can they just keep your car indefinitely. This is unacceptable service!
I last had my oil changed on 23 August 2013 at #1 Cochran in Monroeville PA. Yesterday, my 2009 Subaru engine began knocking. No oil lights came on over the past months. Engine blew. Now a new engine or car. Subaru has faulty warning computer.
I leased a new Impreza from Ganley Subaru of Bedford, OH, three weeks ago and have been there for service four times already with still more safety issues hovering over my head. I discovered (the hard way) that all Imprezas have at least these problems: 1) The wheels are wobbly causing shakes and vibration. I have been to service three times to get them fixed, though it got better, it is still shaky. 2) The automatic unlock switch cannot unlock any door if the lock key at the door is in mid-way position. This is a severe safety risk in case of accidents if a person has to exit the car quickly after fire or flooding.3) The information gauges for gas mileage and distance of travel are practically useless and are off by 50% or more which means you can run out of gas if you rely on these gauges. 4) The advertised gas mileage of 32 MPG is questionable, since all information gauges give you the wrong readings. 5) After parking, the steering wheel gets jammed and locked and requires some wiggling effort to unlock it.
On December 2017 we leased a 2017 Subaru Forester. A few months later and many trips to my dealer, I discovered that the radio system is not working. I contacted Subaru Corporate headquarters and I am getting the run around. They are refusing to fix the issue.
I bought a used Subaru Impreza 99 at a local used car dealership in Jax, FL at National Automotive on Blanding Blvd. I had test drove it a lot that time! Well, after only having it for 2 1/2 months and a lot of break downs and a bad oil leak, my motor getting hot and smoking! It finally broke down and then my engine locked up and now thanks to them, I have no car now!! It was always checked on, always adding oil and when I put $10.00 in for gas, it barely even gave me a quarter of a tank!! It ate gas like nothing and I didnt have the money to keep putting in my tank!! This car is a piece of crap!!! Dont buy any Subaru car whatsoever!! I dont trust no one that sells them! Theyre a rip off!!!
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.
Absolutely horrible customer service. Been working with both a dealership and with Subaru of America and both have been utterly horrible and useless. I have a continuous issue with my head unit (Google 2015 forest Bluetooth issue) and you’ll see I’m simply one of hundreds if not thousands of people dealing with this issue. Subaru refuses to acknowledge it and will not help with the fact they have placed a faulty head unit in my car. I will never buy Subaru again and I’m telling everyone to avoid them due to their extremely poor customer service. They do not care about their customers.
Not only do I love my Subaru, but I sincerely appreciate Subaru’s commitment to their customers. Of course I’m not talking about the dealers, but Subaru Corporate HQ In NJ. Whenever I’ve hit a snag with the dealership, HQ has been there to help. ❤️
All of the bells and whistles leered incorporated into the Touring model. The convenience options make the car a pleasure to drive. On the open road I’m averaging 26 mph and handles well in all weather conditions.
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...
Sabotage. That’s what Subaru and all the other auto makers have done to create the interference engine failure. And who pays? Mostly 2nd and 3rd owners. Poor people pay. It is pure SABOTAGE. We bought our first 2002 Subaru. A nightmare. Timing belt went out within a year at 140kmiles. Total cost.... $2900. Plus cv axels and clutch $600. Now the under carriage frame is rusted to the point of unsafe. Go to H all capitalist pig auto makers who purposed failure at our expense.
I received yet another recall letter on my 2006 Subaru Forester from Subaru dated 11/11, this one for the front lower control arm. The letter said to contact the dealer immediately as it could cause a crash. I am told that the earliest date that the Subaru dealer in our area can deal with it is at the end of April, 2012 because the parts that need to be replaced are back-ordered. If this was the only time this happened I would not be so upset, but I keep getting similar notices along with malfunctions such as the steering column which stopped working, computer malfunction and rusted wheels that happen every few months, and which are very expensive to have repaired.
When I brought my car in for service on Friday May 15th 2015 the problems were hesitation to start and ticking sounds in the engine. ** your service manager advised me to leave my car overnight for repair. When my husband arrived on Saturday morning 05/16 to pick up the car after receiving a call telling us the repairs were done he paid the service fees $695.52. Because DEVOE of Naples Florida dealership is advertised as an authorized Subaru service center, we trusted that our car was service properly. After paying for and picking up the car from your service center, while driving home the car suddenly stalled and stopped in the middle of traffic requiring to be jumped and towed home. The following day Sunday the car continue hesitating to start. Again the car needed to be jumped and taken into a repair center for analysis. Mechanical analysis showed that the battery was worn unable to hold its charge supply energy to the engine. Being in your service center overnight was more than ample time for your technician diagnose and replace my battery. After becoming stranded being jumped and towed to replace a worn battery totaling charges $140.00. Your excessive service charges were unnecessary when all my car needed from the beginning was a replaced battery.I am requesting a refund due to excessive maintenance charges and inadequate services totaling $405.39. I am totally disappointed in your service center: will never buy another car from your DEVOE dealership or use your service center again. Your service center over charged me, didnt repair my car, and put me and my family at risk of being killed in a car accident.
2014 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED 2.5 - This is the 4th Subaru I have owned! I come from a family of Subaru owners. Purchased my SUV and within 5,000 miles the tires were SHOT. Its first winter was white knuckled, WHAT? I purchased this Subaru because they were great in the winter, but NOT this time. The dealer told me the car was so out of line it had to come off the assembly line like that. 15,000 miles burning oil like crazy, but the oil consumption test - passed.Hardware less than fair, door weather stripping crumbling already. 35,000 battery has dead cell, battery replaced. This was a brand new car I bought, seemed like some used car I bought off a lot! WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS BRAND? As sad as it is for me to say it, UNLESS SUBARU can give me a incentive to have my next car purchase BE a SUBARU brand, Honda and Toyota may be getting my business and my families!
In 7/2015 we purchased a 2014 Sub Outback w/ extended Gold plus package warranty (an additional $1,295.00). In 11/2016 engine began to slip, stall & burn excessive oil. Took to 3 Sub dealerships in our area. All completed oil consumption test acknowledged excessive oil burning but cannot duplicate customers complaints of slipping or stalling. We continued to complete all recommended services through Sub dealership. At each time Techs would perform oil consumption test acknowledge excessive oil lost but cannot locate source. Customer should add oil every 2000 miles. At each visit we complained about slippage and stalling. At each visit they claimed vehicle was fine other than oil consumption. Side note our coolant was always overfilled...The kicker is we were in so much, we began to develop a relationship with the techs, to the point some of them would tell us that our vehicle needed a new transmission and we were right!! Then one visit to our surprise, The cust. serv. MGR approached us, apparently he had been going to bat for us and had obtained CORP approval for new Transmission. The dealership kept our Outback for 10 days. Came to pick up our vehicle. To our surprise the vehicle wasnt touched. Apparently the owner of the dealership felt he needed to look things over but couldnt do so because he was out of town. CANT MAKE THIS ** UP. He then told us he wanted to drive the vehicle to verify it did in fact need a new transmission. Keep in mind we have the GOLD PLUS WARRANTY package which covers the transmission!!!We took our Sub back and were told by the owner if we felt any foul play to contact corporate. So we contacted Corp and opened a case, spilled out all of our past issues and waited. During the wait our Outback began to make a weird noise from the wheel area. Well back to the dealership we go. Car inspected. Were informed the noise is from the tires. Supposedly tires were not fit for the car. So the vehicle, which we bought from them, had the wrong tires on it... OK so we buy new tires, noise remains. CORP. calls us back after their investigation found nothing wrong with our vehicle. Also tells us nowhere in their system did he see the dealership have our vehicle for 10 days?!?! So we then had to prove that was incorrect with rental car paperwork as well as receipts etc... Apparently after that CORP still found no foul play or issues with vehicle.On 2/17/18 we take our Outback to a certified 3rd party mechanic. Mechanic found transmission is about to give out, wheel bearing needs replacement, oil low (but they found the leak) and additional problems that were never revealed by the dealership. We have now composed a letter with our findings to Sub of America consumer complaint division in hopes someone will address this rogue dealership and assist us with our issues. If any of you have some useful information that will shed some light or assist us in our battle with this Behemoth it will be gratefully appreciated.
What Fool I was, I thought Subaru Pre-Owned Certified meant that I was likely to get a decent car. So foolish of me. I know the saying “buyer beware”. Well Dear Santa Fe fellow buyers do beware and go somewhere else. Subaru Impreza 2015 $20,000 39,000 miles Pre-Owned certified. I thought if it said I had 50% of my brakes when I bought it that it was safe. I should have known when the blades on the wipers were shot even though they were checked off on the two page Pre-Owned Certified document. Should have given it back then. The brake pads are shot, and apparently have been since I got it. Which is what the brake light flashing when I make a right turn means. Almost $500. Major safety issue. They advertise a car wash with every service, but for me, only if I ask. The AC got “fixed “. it worked for one evening. The same issue happened with “Auto Start”, it was fixed and broke within 10 days. It was fixed again yesterday. They fixed the brakes for free after a winter of driving on dangerous snow-covered steep narrow twisting dirt road. The kind of road Subaru is good at it, with brakes. Everyone who drives my road blanches when I mention Subaru pre-certified bad brakes. Tried to trade straight across, they wanted to up sell me. Then I got rear ended in a hit and run, now it has had an accident. Can’t wait to dump this car. Don’t buy from Honda Subaru they happily sold me Pre-Owned Certified a car with dangerous brakes. “Buyer Beware”. So is everything else checked off on the pre-owned certified an error as well? Go To to Hueberger in Colorado Spring, or to Toyota, CarMax, Sweet Motor Sales, the funky places on Cerrillos Road. Avoid Subaru Honda!! And stay away from Gregory **. They fixed the brakes, as I drove home everyday of a snowy winter, but not the relationship. Avoid this dealership and Greg **. BUYER BEWARE.
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.
Paint defects on new 2018 Forester. Took to service dealer, told the paint chips were caused by rocks hitting car. How do rocks hitting a car at different times create the same consistent size chip on ALL paint chips? Plus how come the passenger side shows no paint defects while the driver side is constantly cropping up new rock hits? The hood is showing paint chips is getting ready to lift again, perfect little tiny circles, no dents, just paint gone to the bare metal. I had a 2006 Nissan, NEVER ever saw problems with the paint. When heavy debris hit my Nissan, it dented the car but left the paint intact, had my Nissan for ten years and never ever saw paint chips exposed to the metal.
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.
My 2005 Outback with less than 85,000 miles on it has had both CV joints replaced (my expense). Also, the rear axle bushings were replaced (Subaru paid). Last week, I had to have the rubber bushings in the control arms replaced along with the stabilizer links and wheel realignment was performed due to the work on the control arms. The parts were about $80 while the remainder was labor charges. The total I paid with a 15% veterans discount was $694.60. The total labor was $657.78. The car was in the shop for 3 1/2 hours or a cost of about $187 per hour. When I called North Brunswick, NJ Subaru about what I considered an exorbitant labor cost, I was told that it didnt matter how long the work actually took, but that they worked for some book that tells how much time each job should take. We are all being ripped off because this is, as the service manager told me, an industry-wide policy.
My car, a 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5i, has stalled for no reason at stop lights, accelerating around 45 mph, and also slowing down to get to a stop light. All of these stalling have happened a few months after the ECM upgrade was done to decrease winter emissions it was a nationwide recall for the engine model 2.5 naturally aspirated. Each one of these times, the engine sputters and shakes the car and then stalls completely. Im completely motionless for a while. I restart the car multiple times and it just shuts off. This happened to me all three times but the last 2 times happened where I lost the engine and temporarily, electric! I had no brakes, and no power steering.The first time it happened, I almost rolled back into traffic but I kept turning the ignition and I got the power back on long enough to push in the e-brake. The most recent time this happened, I blocked up the right turning lane onto a moderately heavy traveled road. I tried to restart the car 6 times and it would turn on and quickly stall. The first time though, I was able to move the car to the right lane instead of in the middle lane while it shook the whole time.They have been absolutely no help to me other than telling me 2 of the 3 times it has been the cam sensor and they will replace it, which obviously isnt fixing a ** thing. The one time it wasnt, the came sensor was when they stated that they found no problem at all. They claimed to have driven it 140 miles and no problem. The very next morning I drive to work and on my way back from work, it stalls for the 3rd time. From Subaru to my house and to work is 8 miles, going back home is about 3.My problem is, the one time they were not able to find a problem, they drove a car for 140 miles without any problems but 11 miles later it happens after the dealer had possession for it for 8 days. I know I dont qualify for the lemon law, but Im trying to think What the ** can I do, the law is not really on my side because Subaru will not buy the car back from me no matter how many repeated problems it has. If anyone has or knows anyone that has a problem like this, please re-post on this forum. Im wondering if this is just me or if there are other people dealing with the same thing. If so, I am looking to combine forces. Because I have no faith in this car and that it cant keep me safe at anytime or anyplace on the road.
Purchased New. Cheap carpet and seat fabric. After 36k CV boot went, then driver boot 1k later. Boot rubber is thin compared to other car makers. At 68K, Rubber in throw out bearing went. At 68k, Power steering pump leaking. Cost? Almost 5K.
Outstanding vehicle. There is no better symmetrical all wheel drive vehicle in this price range. Approximately $30,000. Handles brilliantly regardless of road condition.
There are no common sense option packages. Either the WRX comes with too few options or none. Big difference in lease rates from dealer to dealer. San Francisco Bay Area dealers are very inflexible but they talk a good game. I had one local dealer tell me they had the car then I went in and it did not have the one elusive option thats on the website: The Harman Kardon system. I had the Burlingame dealer hang up on me when I did not agree to purchase one in stock. He said “You need to order it” then quickly hung up before I said a thing. I have bought several cars in my life from different companies. Subaru behaves like its a Porsche or Lamborghini dealership. Even Audi is more flexible and respectful.
I purchased a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle, 2014 Subaru Crosstrek XV hybrid, from Subaru of Orange Park 06/26/2016. The vehicle had less than 30k miles at purchase. Less than 4 months from purchase date, the hybrid system / engine went out on the vehicle. As I was driving on the highway, the system told me to “Pull Over to Safety and Turn Off Engine”. Subaru of Orange Park was unable to diagnose or service. Upon research I find that after two years of hybrid makes, Subaru no longer manufactures hybrid vehicles because of the KNOWN technical issues that deemed unprofitable to the manufacturer. I had to have the car transported to a further Subaru location that services hybrids because hybrid technicians are sparse; I can only imagine how sparse they will be 2 years from now. The servicing dealer had to fly in an expert to diagnose. My car was in shop for 7 days. The extended warranty that I PURCHASED covered the repair, outside of a deductible, towing, and car rental. Without the warranty, the cost is estimated at $1,556. Based on research, the system is anticipated to crash every 30-40k miles. Due to faulty manufacturing, the value and longevity of my vehicle has diminished. When I contacted the manufacturer, they asked me to deal directly with the dealership, so I did. I noticed the Certified Pre-Owned checklist has a ? in the hybrid section. The dealer was not authorized to sell me a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with items on the checklist not accounted for, especially the engine. Post-repair, I discovered the hybrid system was not functioning at the time of purchase. Originally, the dealer told me theyd work out a satisfactory solution with me. However, I called today and was informed that they will not support an even trade. My option is to buy up to another vehicle, which I cannot afford, nor do I desire to lose $1823 in additional warranties that I purchased at the time of vehicle. This is not acceptable to me. The vehicle is not safe nor reliable, and the value is going to plummet as reliability becomes known and maintenance becomes extinct.
Ive taken excellent care of my Subaru, put all 100k miles on it myself, regularly had it maintained at Subaru of Plano and did any and all maintenance work they recommended. I trusted them completely. Month ago I took it in, agreed to all fluids being replaced. $900 later I drove out, barely got out of the lot before realizing a terrible noise (thought it was a motorcycle in next lane!). Turned around to take it back to dealer, heard a terrible grinding noise. Had a mechanic at dealership ride w/ me who acknowledged the howling sound & grinding, said hed fix it. Brought it back & said Austin (another mechanic) forgot to top off the oil. I left, realized the howling sound was better but still there, returned, had Service Manager ride w/ me, he acknowledged the problem, put me in a loaner car & said theyd fix it.When I was told it was ready (a week later) I was shocked to find the noise remains. Subaru of Plano NOW claims they cant hear anything, they will not be repairing it. Ive learned from 2 other mechanics that the Differential was damaged due to the low oil level they caused. I will never buy another one. Trying to find some recourse for what has shortened the life of my car and altered any resale value.
I bought a new 2019 Subaru Impreza Sport. In the 5 months of ownership I have had to replace the windshield twice already and now I have to replace it again. Subaru has the worst windshield in cars. Subaru has lost a loyal customer because they cannot install a decent windshield in their cars. I will never buy another Subaru ever. I will buy either Toyota or Honda from now on.
The Subaru Outback 2010 has been trouble from day 1. Constantly worrying about what will happen next. Uses oil, all lights replaced, AC and radio quit working, torque converter, and on and on and on. Worst car I have ever purchased by me or anyone in my family.
Id like to share with you my experience with newly purchased Subaru Legacy 2015 (Basic Edition). I purchased this car a month before my lease was coming to an end. I knew I was going to go for a basic trim package, and I ended up doing so without actually seeing it for couple of several reasons. First, dealerships simply DID NOT have basic trims in the showrooms around my area. I trusted the company to deliver something that any other normal automotive company would do. Like Toyota or Honda. For the price I pay... you know what I mean. I did assume that basic trim would be more modest but did not anticipate that it will be borderline dysfunctional. So, after couple of days of driving, I noticed that my little daughter shoveling some dirt into suspicious hole in the trim (see pic attached). At first I thought it is misalignment. Then I thought, it must be bad molding that shrunk during manufacturing. Until I saw identical issue on the other side. This discovery made me question other parts of the car, so I did some QC around and found another issue with the rear window defroster (see pics attached). These two issues quickly got complimented with another annoying feature of the Subaru Bluetooth, where there is absolutely NO WAY to inset a pause sign between the numbers (comma or P, depending on phone model - I tried both), which prevents me from using most of my numbers to overseas, or calling to a corporate numbers with extensions. Not so much for a safety and hands-free dialing. This time Subaru designers also decided not to bother with ability to edit the number - it can be either manually dialed in or loaded from the phone.I decided to pay a visit to Willowdale Subaru Service Center, where I bought my Subaru from. Two polite gentlemen assisted me in my quest. They quickly resolved my concerns with the defrosting system. Apparently, it is a design feature. In my honest opinion, decision to spare for a client additional luxury of clear rear view and leaving minimum needed to pass under bar of safety regulation specs is not the best strategy for a company that wants to earn loyalty in tough competitive market. As for the gasket, shop foreman ** took me to another basic trim Subaru Legacy 2015 and showed me same trim feature there. I guess, the intent was to convince me that it is perfectly normal to have it.Luckily for me, I just happened to find another Subaru Legacy (2014 year) in the showroom that had exactly same trim design - that car actually had a gasket or caulking that tightly closed the gap, and by that logically protecting the inside of whatever is inside the threshold frame from the weather elements (Canada has very salty roads during winter time). Same sort of protection (plastic flap that capped the trim from inside to prevent outdoor dirt to get under the threshold) was on the front side. My 2015 did not have this either. Just white plastic abruptly ends leaving a finger-sized gap. Foreman ** promised that he will inquire on availability of the gasket with Subaru manufacturer. I will wait for 1 week to get the answer. Frankly, as snow hit us already, I would expect gasket to be installed by then. We will see. As for the Bluetooth - Subaru did not have a plausible explanation.
(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.

