1998 Subaru Impreza

TRANSFER CLUTCH ON THE POWERTRAIN OF MY 1998 SUBARU IMPREZA BUCKS AND BINDS IN TURNS, APPARENTLY DUE TO THE TRANSFER CLUTCH HANGING UP AND STAYING APPLIED. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST SINCE THE 50,000 MILE MARK AND CONTINUES TO DATE. DESPITE THIS PROBLEM FALLING UNDER SUBARU'S POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, TWO SEPARATE SUBARU DEALERS HAVE REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY, AND INSTEAD HAVE "ADDED LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL ADDITIVE" TO THE DIFFERENTIAL-A FIX I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ANOTHER SUBARU DEALER IS NOT AN AUTHORIZED FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOW FACED WITH $900 IN REPAIR BILLS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED FOR 1997 SUBARU IMPREZAS (NHTSA ITEM NUMBER SB053575).

THE FIRST CLUTCH WENT BAD AT ABOUT 6500 MILES, DEALER SAID IT WAS DRIVER ERROR, REPLACED FOR 1300.00, 2ND CLUTCH WENT BAD ABOUT 14,000 MILES DEALER SAID WAS DRIVER FAILURE BUT HONORED WARRANTY AND REPLACED, DRIVER MODIFIES DRIVING HABITS THAT MAY BE CAUSING FAILURE, 3RD CLUTCH WENT BAD ABOUT 22,000 MILES WENT TO A PRIVATE SUBARU GARAGE AND THEY RPLACED IT WITH A OLDER MODEL CLUTCH , STATED THAT MANY LATE 90'S SUBAURUS ARE COMING IN FOR CLUTCH FAILURE, 4TH CLUTCH FAILED AT ABOUT 35,000 MILES,WHEEL BEARINGS IN REAR REPLACED AFTER A MINOR ACCIDENT INVOLVING A COLLISION WITH TIRE AND POLE, 2ND REAR WHEEL BEARING REPLACED AFTER MECHANINC NOTICED REAR WHEEL NOISE ABOUT A YEAR 10,000 LATER, HUBCAPS FELL OFF REPEATEDLY, FINALLLY GAVE UP REPLACEING, STARTER WENT BAD, IT MADE A NOISE TOOK INTO GARAGE IMMEDIATELY, IT ALREADY HAD DAMAGED THE FLY WHEEL, BOTH REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, SPEEDOMTER FAILED REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING WENT BAD AT APPROX 51K MILES. THE REASON THE REPORT IS BEING FILED IS THE LARGE NUMBER OF LATE MODEL SUBARU WHEEL BEARING FAILURES I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. I READ MANY REPORTS OF FAILED REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON 1998 AND LATER SUBARU VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDED THE OUTBACK, FORESTER AND IMPREZA. SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS REPORTED HAVING THE SAME BEARING REPLACED TWO AND THREE TIMES. THE ALARMING PART IS MANY WERE REPLACED AT MILEAGES BELOW TWENTY THOUSAND MILES. I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO HAVE OTHER BEARINGS GO OR THE SAME BEARING GO AGAIN.*AK

REPEATED FAILURES OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY BEGINNING AT 29, 033 MILES. MOST RECENT REPAIR AT 58, 637 MILES REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY , RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AND SEALS. RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH; SOME HANDLING PROBLEMS DURING FAILURE AT THIS SPEED. MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE STATES THAT SUBARU CORPORATE POLICY DOES NOT REIMBURSE CONSUMER/OPERATOR FOR INCIDENTAL EXPENSES -- RENTAL TRANSPORTATION, LODGING, TAXIS, AND SO FORTH -- AS A CONSEQUENCE OF BREAKDOWN. MY CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE IS LOW; I BELIEVE THAT THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED THROUGH EITHER MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND/OR WORKMANSHIP. WILL FORWARD FULL DOCUMENTATION OF INCIDENTS AND REPAIR HISTORY TO NHTSA VIA U.S. MAIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. *AK

I BELIEVE THERE IS A SUB-STANDARD PART BEING USED IN SUBARU IMPREZA REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. BESIDES MY 2 FAILURES, I KNOW OF DOZENS OF OTHER PEOPLE IN MY CAR CLUB WITH SIMILAR REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURES. CURRENTLY THE FAILURES ARE BEING HANDLED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT AS THE CARS AGE, THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURES SEEM LIKELY TO CONTINUE AND WILL START TO GET EXPENSIVE.