1998 Subaru Legacy

I AM GETTING A LOUD SLAPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE ON COLD STARTS IT LAST FOR ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES OR UNTILL THE ENGINE WARMES UP,THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS A PISTON SLAP AND THAT IS NORMAL. I DO NOT AGREE, WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR IT DID NOT HAVE THAT NOISE ,AND IT IS GETTING LOUDER ,I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED ,MY WARRANTEE WILL EXPIRE SOON

THE OBD SYSTEM INDICATES CHECK ENGINE. THE ENGINE LOOSES POWER AND THE CARS ACCELERATION BECOMES VERY WEAK. THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED AND THE ENGINE WILL EITHER CONTINUE TO MALFUNCTION OR WILL RUN NORMALLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL ($600) BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. NOW SUBARU SAYS THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANY MALFUNCTION. WHEN THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS WITHOUT WARNING IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I CANNOT TRUST THIS CAR TO GET ME SAFELY TO MY DESTINATION.

TIRES LOST NEARLY ALL AIR WITHIN 2,000 MILE OF CHECKING;HAD TO REPLACE;THEY WENT TO STEEL BAR AT 18000 MILES; FUMES INSIDE CABIN FROM PURCHASE OF CAR;FELL ASLEEP AT WHEEL SEVL TIMES; ROMANIA SUBARU IN EUGENE WOULDN'T FIX ON 2 VISITS;3RD VISIT, FOUND LEAK;STILL HAVE FUMES INSIDE CABIN AND MORE IF WINDOW IS DOWN ON PASS SIDE;NO ONE CAN FIX THE OPEN WINDOW FUME PROBLEM;INSIDE-FOUND CRANKCASE LEAKING ON EXHAUST SYST;COSMOLENE OVERLOAD, BUT STILLHAVE BURNING EYES AND SORE THROAT;CAN'T FIND PROBLEM;BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR-REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER PER RECAL;WINDSHIELD FROM PURCHASE,COULDN'T SEE THROUGH;BAD FILM;PURCHASED A NEW ONE RECENTLY;CAR HESITATES AND SURGES FORWARD;SUBARU SAYS THIS IS NORMAL( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 185 70 R14 )

THE CAR DEVELOPED A LEAK AT THE OIL FILTER (LEE MAXI FILTER) WHERE IT MEETS THE ENGINE. THE LEAK STARTED SMALL AND GREW STEADILY LARGER (10 EXTRA QUARTS OF OIL WERE NEEDED TO GO THE LAST 50 MILES). THIS OCCURRED TOWARD THE END OF MY TRIP, AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 140 MILES. I KNOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL PREVIOUSLY ON THE SUBARU BRAND FILTER (1998) FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, BUT I HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A LEE BRAND FILTER, WHICH I HAD BUT ON 2100 MILES EARLIER. UP UNTIL THIS TIME, NO LOSS OF OIL HAD OCCURRED WITH THIS FILTER OR WITH PREVIOUS OIL CHANGES (I HAD JUST CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL A FEW DAYS EARLIER). I BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE A LARGER PROBLEM HERE, OTHER THAN THE SUBARU BRAND FILTER FROM THE RECALL. YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN AUTO QUESTION AND ANSWER AREA IN THE FRIDAY JULY 23 ISSUE OF THE NEWSPAPER "NEWSDAY" (LONG ISLAND, NY WWW.NEWSDAY.COM). THE VERY FIRST QUESTION IS FROM AN OWNER OF A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY WHO HAD AN OIL LEAK ATTRIBUTED TO THE FILTER, AND HAD TO HAVE HIS CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. HE MENTIONED THAT THE DEALER REQUIRED HIM TO PAY FOR THE TOWING AND REPAIR, AS THE OIL FILTER THAT FAILED WAS NOT A SUBARU OIL FILTER. SINCE THIS IS ANOTHER INCIDENT INVOLVING A NON SUBARU FILTER FAILURE. THIS MAY INDICATE THAT OTHER BRAND FILTERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR ITSELF, AND NOT THE FILTER. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY PARKED, WAITING FOR ME TO GET OFF OF WORK TO PUT ON A NEW FILTER (FRAM BRAND). I DID NOTICE THAT THE RUBBER GASKET ON THE FRAM FILTER IS MUCH TALLER THAN THE LEE BRAND FILTER GASKET. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS ANY RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROBLEM. CAN YOU ADVISE ME IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE FROM PEOPLE WHO EITHER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH A SUBARU FILTER NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL OR WITH A LEE MAXI FILTER OR OTHER NON SUBARU FILTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. (I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH VIN NUMBER IN THE NEAR FUTURE)