1998 Subaru Legacy

THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY L SEDAN STOPS WORKING AT RANDOM INTERVALS. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE ALSO FAULTY TRANSMISSION AND IS NOT JUST A MINOR SPEED SENSOR PROBLEM. SUBARU DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE PROBLEMS BUT I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND MANY, MANY 1999 SUBARU OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. THE 1999'S HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT IS VERY FLAWED AND WAS CHANGED AGAIN BEFORE THE 2000 RELEASE BECAUSE OF SO MANY PROBLEMS. THIS IS THE SECOND 1999 SUBARU LEGACY I HAVE BOUGHT IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS WITH THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM (I ASSUMED THE FIRST WAS A FLUKE AND THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR BACK). THE CAR HAS 96,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT NEED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL AT THIS POINT. I BELIEVE THAT SUBARU IS VERY AWARE OF THESE FAULTS BUT DOESN'T WANT TO FACE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF A CAMPAIGN OR RECALL. I IMPLORE YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS. THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FAILURES(SPEEDOMETER, ETC) ARE A DANGER TO ALL OWNERS. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE OF SUBARU TO RELEASE AN ENTIRE MODEL YEAR THAT HAS SO MANY EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS TO FIX. *NM

DEALERSHIP SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THE REAR AXLE WAS COMING LOOSE FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT. DEALERSHIP REPLACED REAR AXLE SEALS. DEALERSHIP INDICATED PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY VEHICLE BEING SUSPENDED BY DIFFERENTIAL AND RESULTING DOWNWARD STRAIN ON AXLES. THIS HAS NOT OCCURED WHILE WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR (APPROX. 3 YEARS). THE FRONT AXLE SEALS WERE REPLACED IN A RECALL ON 7/18/03. *NM

I HAVE A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN IT GETS HOT (I LIVE IN HOUSTON!!!) THE CLUTCH PEDAL WILL GET SPONGY AND EVENTUALLY STICK TO THE FLOOR. I HAVE TO LIFT IT UP WITH MY FOOT. IF I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME LIKE THIS, I EVENTUALLY LOSE THE ABILITY TO GET THE CAR IN AND OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT COOL OFF (FOR ABOUT AN HOUR) AND IT WILL FIX ITSELF. I HAVE HAD TO SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR, WAITING FOR IT TO COOL DOWN! IT FIRST HAPPENED IN 1999. SUBARU TRIED TO FIX IT BY REPLACING MOST OF THE CLUTCH (THE PRESSURE PLATE, FLY WHEEL, SLAVE AND MASTER CYLINDER). THEY PRESSURE AND GRAVITY BLED THE SYSTEM. I WAS THERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK FOR MONTHS. THEY WOULD TRY ONE THING AND WHEN IT DIDN'T WORK, THEY WOULD REPLACE ANOTHER PART OR TRY SOMETHING ELSE. EVENTUALLY, WINTER SHOWED UP AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEN SUMMER CAME AGAIN AND SO DID THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN, BUT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SUBARU REFUSED TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAID FOR IT. SUBARU HAS SINCE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (#03-52-03) REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT SUBARU REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM, STATING THERE ARE TOO MANY MILES ON MY CAR (77,000) AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I CONTEND, THEY NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT IT TOOK THEM FIVE YEARS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE ORIGINAL PARTS. SUBARU SAID THEY HAD TO KEEP THEM AS PART OF THEIR WARRANTY PLAN.

TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FOR A WHILE LOWER GEARS IN TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. WHEN VEHICLE COOLED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE RAN WELL. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AFTER CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN , WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS HOT, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. ALREADY, TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

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