1998 Subaru Legacy

VEHICLE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF HEAD GASKETS, AS PART OF THE ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM. ORIGINAL SERVICE COMPLAINT WAS THE " CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON". AFTER THREE DAYS AT DEALER SERVICE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS NEEDED REPLACEMENT FOR THE COST OF $ 2,700.00. BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE GASKETS. LABOR WILL INVOLVE 3 DAYS. THE DEALER HAS ADMITTED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE SUBARU AND MODELS FROM 1999 WILL BE COVERED. I FEEL THE COST IS EXCESSIVE BECAUSE OF A DESIGN DEFECT. I AM WILL TO PAY BUT NOT $ 2,700.00. I WAS EXPECTING $ 400-$500 DOLLARS. FOR A $ 20.00 DOLLAR SEAL! WHILE NOT A SAFETY DEFECT; IT CERTAINLY IS A DESIGN DEFECT! *JB

DEALER WROTE: "NOISE FROM VALVE TRAIN...ADVISED OWNER THESE ARE SOLID LIFTERS AND ARE NOISY WHEN COLD, ALSO CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS ENGINE IS 'CAM WALK' WHICH ALSO WILL BE NOISY FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN COLD THEN GOES AWAY." THAT WA AT 48.5 K MILES, NOW AT 53000 MILES, NOISE IS MUCH LOUDER WHEN COLD, AND STILL PERCEPTABLE WHEN WARM. BOUGHT CAR USED FORM DEALER--RESALE VALUE IS NOW MUCH LOWER DUE TO NOISE. THEIR EXPLANATION IS NONSENSICAL. OBVIOUSLY DUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE--I WROTE TO SUBARU USA AND THEY REFERED ME BACK TO DEALER.*AK

AT THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, 2003, BLOWN ENGINE IN A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5 GT. DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO COLD WEATHER IN THE NORTHEAST, AND THAT THERE WERE 4 OTHER SUBARU'S WITH BLOWN ENGINES IN HIS LOT AWAITING REPAIR. I HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED WITH A 1999 SUBARU AT A TRUSTED MECHANIC'S (AT A COST OF $4000), AND TODAY THE ALTERNATOR ON THIS 1999 ENGINE DIED ( THIS HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE '98 SUBARU'S). *JB

ENGINE NOISE WHEN COLD. SOUNDS LIKE A LIFTER IS STICKING. IT DISAPATES WHEN THE ENGINE WARMS UP, HOWEVER, CAN LAST UP TO 15 MINUTES OR LONGER DEPENDING OH HOW COLD THE ENGINE WAS WHEN STARTED. WHEN I DROVE THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ITS 30000 SERVICE, I THOUGHT A ROD WAS GOING TO SHOOT THROUGH THE ENGINE WALL..IT WAS THAT NOISY. IT LASTED AT LEAST 10 MILES OF DRIVING UNTIL THE NOISE DISAPATED. THIS AUTO WAS PURCHASED BY MY MOTHER IN LAW (NOW DECEASED), IS IN HER ESTATE AND HAS TWO MONTHS BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR DUE TO ALLEGED SUBARU BULLETIN. SUBARU OF AMERICA SAYS IT IS NORMAL, WILL NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM OVER THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE, HOWEVER CLAIMS THEY HAVE NOT PRODUCED NOR WILL PRODUCE A SUBARU BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL OPERATING NOISE AND IT WILL NO DOUBT DAMAGE THE ENGINE OVER TIME. I WOULD NOT BUY THIS CAR WITH THIS SOUND AND WOULD NOT EXPECT ANYONE INCLUDING ANY SUBARU DEALER OR SUBARU OF AMERICA TO PURCHASE WITH THIS ENGINE NOISE, LET ALONE TRY TO SELL ONE IN THIS CONDITION. IN MY MIND IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND A RESPONSIBILITY OF SUBARU TO FIX. THIS IS A PROBLEM SUBARU NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN INFERIOR ENGINE DESIGN. OR POST A WARNING ON EVERY CAR WARNING POTENTIAL BUYERS THAT THEIR CAR MAY DEVELOP AN ENGINE NOISE DUE TO ENGINE DESIGN, THAT WILL EFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO SELL THE CAR AT A LATER DATE. *JB

COMMENTS FROM THE DEALERS INVOICE: 671 MILES: CHECKED FOR OIL LEAK, FOUND FLUID LEAKING FROM POWER STEERING RACK. REMOVED AND REINSTALLED RACK ASSEMBLY.671 MILES: I COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. ADVISED IT WAS POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ONTO EXHAUST. 944MILES: OIL LEAKING FROM ENGINE DOWN ONTO EXHAUST. FOUND LEAK AT TOP OF ENGINE ON THE RIGHT SIDE NEAR REAR OIL GALLEY PLUG. DISASSEMBLE ENGINE COMPLETE DOWN TO SHORT BLOCK. REPLACE SHORT BLOCK AND ALL NECESSARY GASKETS AND SEALS. REASSEMBLE ENGINE. 944 MILES: I COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. THIS TIME TOLD IT WAS BURNING OIL GETTING INTO VENTS BEFORE ENGINE REPAIR.6195 MILES,03/27/98: COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. DASH ASSEMBLY DISASSEMBLED, CLEANED, REASSEMBLED. 7173 MILES: COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. WORKING WITH ZEXEL REP. ON A/C SYSTEM LOCATED LEAK AT EVAPORATOR COOLING UNIT. REMOVE AND REPLACE RECEIVER DRIER AND A/C COMPRESSOR. REASSEMBLE. 8009 MILES: I COMPLAINED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. TOLD POSSIBLE THAT FUEL TANK CAP WAS NOT ON TIGHT. 10185MILES 08/06/98: I COMPLAINED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL STAYS ON: FOUND REAR 0-2 SENSOR TO HAVE SLOW RESPONSE TIMES. REMOVE AND REINSTALL REAR 0-2 SENSOR. 8485 MILES COMPLAINED OF BURNING SMELL FROM UNDER HOOD. TOLD INNER AXLE BOOT LEAKING. INNER AXLE CV BOOT GREASE IN FRONT REPLACED. 29901MILES: RECALL CAMPAIGN WXQ74 MASTER CYLINDER. PERFORM WXQ-74 AND INSTALL LABEL. 39150 MILES: COMPLAINED ABOUT RATTLING NOISE FROM REAR AXLE. CHECKED REAR DIFFERENTIAL, HEARD PINION BEARING TO BE NOISY. REPLACED REAR DIFFERENTIAL. WARRANTY EXPIRED. 45330 MILES: MY ALTENATOR FAILED. I WAS TOWED 15 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP, AT A COST OF $140 DOLLARS, AND PAID 294.35 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPLACED. AT THE TIME I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON BOTH 1996 AND 1997 ALTENATORS BUT NOTHING ON THE 1998'S. LAST WEEK I GOT A LETTER FROM SUBARU INFORMING ME THAT SOME 1998'S MAY REQUIRE ALTENATOR REPLACEMENTS. *AK