omancini

Hi!, I hope that the visit of this SOA rep will at least clarify if there is a problem with the car or the diagnostic (I hope is the diagnostic). I will be very happy to let you know what happened at the end. Thanks a lot for the support and all the experiences that you share with me. Regards.

I got today from SOA (after some argumentation on my part) that they are going to send a representative to FL on FEB 23rd in order to verify or confirm the problem that I am having with the vehicle. I has been very insistent in the fact that if two pistons have to be replaced in this car (with 16K miles and serrviced every 3K....) I won't trust it anymore because I do not know when the next problem is going to catch me and because once the engine has been opened you never know what else you expect. They asked me which should be a good resolution and I suggested that as a minimum, if the engine has to be opened instead of waste time on that replace the whole engine. So far I have no other option than wait untill next week. The car was released to me because according to SOA the Service Manager from the dealer stated that "he feels confident that the car can be used untill the moment that parts arrive". I stated to the SOA's representative that if the problem really are the pistons We are going to make things worse if I drive the car but no other option was given at that time. Now I have the car with me and will use it normally and will start other actions on my own. My question is... Am I wrong stating that a 16K miles engine is hard to trust after a problem like this? Best regards.

Thanks a lot for your support. I have already opened a case with SOA on Friday and hope to have an answer about what to do with the vehicle today afternoon. The problem is that given the condition of the engine (according to the dealer) it is not safe to dirve the car because things can be even worse with the actual problem. Unfortunatelly the FL Lemmon Law gives you up to 18 months since the car was delivered in order to send a registered letter to SOA in this case and now the car is in the month #20. Regards.

This is a copy/paste of a letter that I submitted last Friday the 10th to SUBARU America... I am really concerned. My name is Jose O. Mancini and I am the owner of a 2004 SUBARU BAJA Sport (VIN 4S4BT62C647102213) since June 2004. On May 2004 I bought a brand new SUBARU Forester for my Wife. After that experience I decided to buy a SUBARU for myself, after some research I found that the BAJA was the right one for me. Now I am having several issues with this car that I did not expect at the time that I toke the decision. At this point my biggest concern is to identify if the problem is really the car by itself or the Service Dealer (Eddie Accardi) that I have to use (“I have to” because there is no other SUBARU dealer in the area). I will try to describe in some points the problems that I am having: a. On 03/07/05 the car was taken to the dealer because the battery hold-down has been replaced under warranty because of corrosion eating the metal plating. b. Around October 2005 a ticking noise started to be heard while the car ran at about 20 miles an hour when the vehicle was still cold. I also discovered that the battery hold-down was rusty again. I decided to mention both issues in the next 15000 miles service. c. On November 21st the 15000 miles service was due and I requested to the service dealer to perform the service and take a look for this problem that I thought was in the transmission. I did not expect to be charged U$258.95 for this service, since it was such a complex sort of activities on my car I requested the vehicle check-up in order to confirm that everything was OK after all the inspections on the car. When I went to pick up my car later that day the check-up was not ready and after 20 minutes waiting the Service Manager hands me the paper. Regarding to the noise neither the invoice nor the Service Manager gave me a conclusion. Regarding to the battery hold-down the parts were ordered so I had to wait for Eddie Accardi to contact me. d. Two days after the service I realize that the vehicle check-up had indication that everything was wrong with the car and a note indicating that “the oil was darker than frequent…” (?). I decided to mention that part when the Dealer contacts me regarding to the parts that were ordered in order to fix the battery hold-down issue. e. On December 16th I sent a FAX to Mr. Guy Regan (Service Director) indicating my concerns regarding to the vehicle check-up; the lack of response related to the problem with the noise and the battery hold-down. No answer came from that person. f. On December 19th I take the car to the Dealer again in order to replace the battery hold-down and check on the noise again. The hold down was replaced and I was told that the timing belt tensioner was the cause of the problem, not the transmission as I claimed then the parts was ordered by Eddie Accardi. g. I had to contact Eddie Accardi on January 17th because no news were received regarding to the timing belt tensioner that was supposed to be ordered. I was told that the part was there but nobody contacted me. h. On January 18th I leave the car in order to replace the part. I was contacted in the afternoon and was told that the car was ready. At the moment that I go to pick up the car no papers were ready, nobody could find even the key. After 30 minutes the papers and keys were found but the invoice did not mention anything about a change of any part. Asking why the administrative person confirms that nothing was done to the car but test it (?). After complaining about the lack of respect of my time another service manager helps me to find out with the mechanic that the problem was that the part was in but the service order did not say anything about replacing any part, then I had to go the next day again. i. On January 19th I leave the car again and request to confirm that everything was fixed before somebody contacts me. I was called in the afternoon in order to pick up the car. When I pick it up I was told that the part was replaced. j. Next day I realize that the ticking noise is still there. I contact the dealer again and was told to leave the car for a couple of days until it is fixed. I agree with that but asked for a couple of days before it happens because I had to schedule my activities without the car. k. On February 8th I leave the car at the dealer. l. On February 9th I have no news about the car. m. On February 10th I was called by the dealer and was told that two pistons of the engine need to be replaced (?) and the car has to be left in the dealer for at least a week after the parts arrive. I asked how a car with 16000 miles with services performed every 3000 miles can have a problem like this and the answer is that this thing happens. At this point I have to say that based in the fact that I expressed my concerns about the problems with the car since several months ago and that the delay in the resolution or diagnostic was not my fault I need that SUBARU explains me how can I trust in this car again even if the problem is fixed this time.