1999 Subaru Outback

CLUTCH CHIRPS LIKE A BIRD WHEN OUT, IS SILENT WHEN FULLY DEPRESSED. DIAGNOSIS: BAD THROW OUT BEARING. THIS IS THE THIRD CLUTCH IN THIS CAR FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES; THE SECOND AT APPROXIMATELY 43,000, AND NOW AGAIN JUST 1500 MILES LATER! CLUTCH ACTUALLY DISENGAGED PERMANENTLY ON THE SHOP FLOOR WHILE THE DEALER WAS EXAMINING THE CAR -- HE WAS POKING AROUND THE BEARING AND IT "FELL OUT" OF ALIGNMENT, COMPLETELY PREVENTING THE CLUTCH FROM WORKING. THIS COULD'VE HAPPENED TO ME ON THE ROAD, WHILE DRIVING.*JB

ONLY THREE MONTHS AFTER MY PURCHASE THE CAR DEVELOPED A NOISE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING. I WAS SHOCKED THAT THIS PIECE HAD GONE BAD SO EARLY, AND I COULDN''T UNDERSTAND WHY. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIRS, AND AS THEY BEGAN WORKING ON IT THEY DISCOVERED WHY IT HAD GONE BAD PREMATURELY. ONE OF THE CLIPS ON THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING HAD BROKEN, CAUSING THE BEARING TO SIT CROOKED. THIS THEN ALLOWED THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING TO WEAR A GROOVE ON THE SNOUT THAT THE BEARING RIDES ON. THE BEARING WAS THEN GETTING CAUGHT IN THE GROOVE, PREVENTING IT FROM RELEASING FULLY. I NOT ONLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE BEARING AND THE CLIPS BUT ALSO THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HOUSING BECAUSE THE SNOUT IS CAST INTO THE HOUSING

WE HAVE AN AUTO REPAIR GARAGE, AND WE HAVE SEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM ON 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THESE CARS DEVELOP A "TWEETY" CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING. WHEN WE GO IN TO REPLACE THE BEARING, WE HAVE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE TWO CLIPS FOR THE BEARING IS ALWAYS MISSING. THIS IS WHAT CAUSES THE BEARING TO GO BAD PREMATURELY. EACH TIME WE FIND THE SAME THING. ONE OF THE CLIPS ON THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING HAD BROKEN, CAUSING THE BEARING TO SIT CROOKED. THIS THEN ALLOWED THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING TO WEAR A GROOVE ON THE SNOUT THAT THE BEARING RIDES ON. THE BEARING WAS THEN GETTING CAUGHT IN THE GROOVE, PREVENTING IT FROM RELEASING FULLY. WE THEN NOT ONLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE BEARING AND THE CLIPS BUT ALSO THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HOUSING BECAUSE THE SNOUT IS CAST INTO THE HOUSING. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR SUCH AN INEXPENSIVE CLIP. WE FEEL THAT THESE CLIPS NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER TO FIND A STRONGER ONE TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM.

THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES GOING ON WITH MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK VEHICLE: 1) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS DOWN TO EMPTY ALTHOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS JUST FILLED WITH GAS. 2) THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECT. AFTER THE GAS TANK IS FULL, THE GAUGE FLUCTUATES BACK AND FORTH (SOMETIMES THE GAUGE READS NEAR EMPTY, SOMETIMES THE GAUGE READS 3/4 OF THE TANK FULL) WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. 3) THE CAR DID NOT PASS THE CALIFORNIA SMOG TEST. 4) THE RPM GAUGE DOES NOT STAY CONSTANT WHILE DRIVING AT AN EVEN SPEED. ONCE THE GAUGE HITS BETWEEN TWO TO THREE THOUSAND RPM, THE GAUGE DROPS BACK TO BETWEEN ONE AND TWO THOUSAND RPM ON AND OF WHEN DRIVING. 5) THE GAS TANK DOES NOT MAINTAIN PRESSURE EVEN THOUGH THE LID WAS SCREWED ON TIGHT. THE LID WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE BUT THIS PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ALL THESE ISSUES OCCUR WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO LOOK AT THESE ISSUES WITHOUT HAVING ME PAY THEM TO LOOK AT MY CAR. THESE ISSUES MY CAR HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING HAVE BEEN ON AND OFF SINCE 2001 TO PRESENT. THE PROBLEMS SEEM TO GET WORSE.

JAN 6, 2003 (YOUR WEB SITE WON'T LET ME SELECT THE CURRENT YEAR, SO I SELECTED 2002, THE LAST AVAILABLE DATE THAT CAN BE SELECTED, BELOW) I OWN A 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK. IT CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 43,000 MILES ON IT. THE CLUTCH MECHANISM HAS FAILED TWICE, ONCE AT 18,651 AND ONCE AT 42,500. BOTH TIMES THE THROW-OUT BEARING FAILED. I'VE OWNED 8 CARS AND DRIVEN THEM IN 10 STATES AND THREE PROVINCES. I'VE DRIVEN IN THE DESERT, THE MOUNTAINS AND BY THE OCEAN WITH MOST OF THESE CARS. IN ALL CASES, I'VE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH BELOW 75,000 MILES! I'VE DRIVEN STANDARD/STICK MY WHOLE LIFE AND HAVE NEVER, EVER SEEN CLUTCH FAILURE LIKE THIS SUBARU. I DON'T RIDE THE CLUTCH, I ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE IT PROPERLY, ETC. AND YET THE THROW-OUT BEARING KEEPS FAILING PREMATURELY.