1992 Subaru Svx

MY PROBLEMS STARTED WHEN I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATING LAST SUMMER. IT WOULD WAVER ABOUT 20MPH UP AND DOWN AT EVERY SPEED. SOON AFTER, IT STATED GETTING EVEN WORSE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT EVER SO OFTEN, MY TRANSMISSION GEAR SEEMED TO RAPIDLY JUMP BACK AND FORTH (BETWEEN THE CURRENT GEAR AND THE NEXT LOWEST(?)) BETWEEN 20000-2200 RPM ON THE TACHOMETER. I TOOK MY CAR TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP (MAC HAIK SUBARU, I-10 & KIRKWOOD, HOUSTON, TEXAS (713) 497-6600) AND WAS TOLD THAT MY SPEEDOMETER, WHICH IS ELECTRONIC, WAS A CONTROL UNIT WICH FITS INTO THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING BAD, AND WAS BURNING OUT THE CONTROL UNIT. WHEN ASKED IF THE REMEMDY WOULD BE TO BUY A NEW ($200) CONTROL UNIT, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD SOON BE BURNED OUT BY THE TRANSMISSION, ALSO. THE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, SINCE IT WAS AT FAULT. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY READ REPORTS CONCERNING SUBARU'S 1992 TRANSMISSIONS IN MY CAR BEING IMPROPERLY GEARED, AND THAT SUBSEQUENT YEARS HAD DIFFERENT WORKINGS THAT CURED THIS PROBLEM.

I AM REQUESTING HELP TO PRESSURE SUABRU OF AMERICA TO RECALL THIS WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE 1992 SUBARU SVX. THE TRANY PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE TO DATE,THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, STEERING BOX FAILURE IS A NOTED BY MOST OWNERS OF THIS SUBARU MODEL. THIS IS COSTLY TO REPAIR AND UNFAIR WHEN A MANUFACTOR IS AWARE BUT WILLN'T JUST DO THE RIGHT THING. MY TRANSMISSION IS FAILING NOW, I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART AT $3.500 OR MORE. MY WHEEL BEARINGS STILL MAKE LOUD NOISE AFTER OVER 5 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR AT ONLY 44,000MILS. MY STEERING BOX IS MAKING LOUD NOISES. THE SAD THING IS THAT, SUBARU OWNER OF THE SVX`S ALL EXPERIANCE AT LEAST TWO, OF THIS PROBLEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHY CAN`T SUBARU JUST FIX OUR VEHICLES?

THE BEARING PROBLEM STARTED AS SOON AS I BOUGHT THE CAR - ORIGINALLY UNDER WARRANTY. NO PROBLEM, UNTIL CAR FAILED FIRST INSPECTION (AFTER INITIAL FOR PURCHASE) DUE TO REAR BEARINGS. REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES (AFTER THE FIRST 'FIX', PARTS COVERED THANKFULLY UNDER SUBARU PARTS WARRANTY). NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND CONCERNED THAT THE DEALER WILL POSTPONE 'AGREEING' THAT THE BEARINGS ARE INDEED WHAT I AM NOW HEARING (AGAIN) UNTIL THE PARTS WARRANTY DRIES UP AND I HAVE TO PAY THE FULL LOAD. ALSO, CAR WAS DRIVEN AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR A POTENTIAL TRADE/SALE, THE REP SAID THERE WAS A TRANNY PROBLEM. I PUT IN A DIFFERENT TRANNY FLUID (I'D ALWAYS NOTICED THE STEERING VIBRATION IN HARD, SLOW SPEED TURNS LIKE PARKING), AND THAT LESSENED THE PROBLEM. I DON'T FEEL TRANNY FLUID IS A FIX, BUT ALSO DO NOT FEEL THAT A TRANNY W/68,000 MILES SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHOWING SIGNS OF POTENTIAL FAILURE. NOT MANY MECHANICS WILL TOUCH THIS CAR, SO OWNING AN SVX (OTHERWISE PURE JOY) LEAVES YOU AT THE MERCY OF THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE SUBARU DEALER'S MECHANIC.

I HAVE REPORTED MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM TO YOU PREVIOUSLY...I HAVE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH BINDING IN THE DRIVE WHEELS BECAUSE THE TRANNY AND THE CLUTCH WERE NOT COMMUNICATING PROPERLY. NOW THE CAR IS STUBBORN TO SHIFT FROM OVERDRIVE AND I AM WORRIED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY THE WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE GONE BAD AGAIN AND NEED REPLACED IN LESS THAN 18 MONTHS OF USE.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: MY TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT TWICE NOW IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. IT WOULD BE EASY TO SAY THAT THE TRANNY IS GOING OUT BECAUSE OF MY DRIVING OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. BUT I KNOW THAT I TAKE CARE OF MY CAR WITH PRIDE AND DRIVE IT IN THE SAME MANNER. I HAVE DONE MY READING ON THIS TRANSMISSION, I HAVE HEARD SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM DISSAPPOINTED AND UPSET THAT I HAVE TO SPEND MORE ON REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSIONS THEN I DO ON MY CAR PAYMENTS AND INSURANCE COMBINED. I WILL HAVE SPENT $8000 ON TRANNY WORK BY THE END OF THIS MONTH SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY. I KNOW THAT THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT OR OPERATOR ERROR. WELL, I HOPE FOR MY SAKE AND THE SAKE OF ALL OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM THAT YOUR INVESTIGATIONS CONCLUDE THAT A MAJORITY OF THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE DEFECTIVE. AS A RESULT OF THIS POTENTIAL DEFECT, A WORTHY CAR IS BEING TAKEN OFF THE ROAD AND CONSUMERS MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON WHAT SHOULD BE A FACTORY RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. SINCERELY, TONY SPENCE