Class action lawsuit against Subaru - high oil consumption

[rmarshall234]

Have any of you received this notice yet?  We just got ours since we own a 2014 Crosstrek.  It applies to several different models, from 2011 to 2015.  The problem is high oil consumption ( > 1/3 qt in 1200 miles )  The notice came from Subaru of America.

 

The reason I'm posting is to try and find out what the particular problem is that is causing the high oil consumption.  I suspect it may be the vertically mounted oil filter on top of the engine.  It empties from the force of gravity and each start in the morning the engine is momentarily starved for oil until the filter fills again.  No oil pressure = accelerated wear on the rings and cylinder walls.

 

Anyone have any information or ideas?

[Numbchux]

I work in parts at a Subaru dealership, and my mom has a 2012 Impreza (we purchased with 20k on it, it now has over 70k, no issues), so I've seen the notice you received as well.

 

 

FYI, the oil pump has an extra anti-drainback valve to keep the oil filter full while the engine is not running (2011 Foresters did not have this, so they use a unique oil filter with a different anti-drainback valve in them for the same purpose)

 

 

 

The issue is faulty piston rings. And it isn't that the wear out fast, or anything like that, it's that they never seated correctly. The affected cars had excessive oil consumption from the day they rolled off the assembly line.

 

When the issue first started, Subaru was having dealers replace just the rings under warranty, but as they realized the quantity of affected cars, it was more effective to replace the whole shortblock. We probably average 1 or 2 of these jobs a week, and stock all the parts to do it.

[Obwobbles]

Tell me more about this anti-drainback filter..... when i do a change on the 11 forester, the filter is empty. And it is just a few over the number to get the class action help

[Numbchux]

2011 Forester uses a 15208AA130 Filter. It's fine to use that filter on other models, but don't use anything else on that one. I've heard that most aftermarket companies have copied that design, and use it for all the FB engines, but I can't confirm that. The OE filter is cheap enough....(MSRP is like $6.95, we sell them for $5.50).

 

 

There is no mileage cap for oil consumption on the effected vehicles (again, has nothing to do with the oil filter). I think the notices were mailed out about 2 months ago, you're covered for at least a year after that, and if you're still under 100k miles, you will remain covered until 100k.

[Fairtax4me]

Still better than having your windsheild wiper motor catch fire (while it's raining) or your ignition switch suddenly burn out while the car is moving.

[rmarshall234]

Awesome.  Thanks so much for the information regarding the ring problem - that makes total sense.  I think we will be one of the one's needing warranty work, since we are experiencing unusual oil consumption for a brand new vehicle.  The check oil light has already come one once even though I regularly check and top it off.

 

I'm still a little suspicious of the oil filter design however.  Simply because of the empirical evidence.  This is our 5th Subaru and it takes longer for the oil pressure light to extinguish (with the resulting valve clatter on start up) than it did for any of the others we've own.  Including, a 2006 Outback that had 250K miles on the engine.  I'm going to test my theory:  I'll shut down the engine and remove the oil filter about a half hour later and see how much oil is in it.  I'll repeat the same test the next morning after a ~ 12 hour shut down and compare the results.  My suspicion is that the check valves aren't working as designed - at least on this motor.  I'll post my results here.

[rmarshall234]

So I conducted my test this am.  The car had not been run for about 12 hours and I removed the oil filter.  It was completely empty.  Oil didn't even spilled out into the cupped area around the filter.  Oil *clearly drains out of the filter under gravity as one would expect it to.  As a result, each and every start in the am is a "dry" start with no oil pressure until that filters fills with oil again.  The result will be accelerated engine wear.  I'm surprised Subaru made such a bone-headed engineering choice.  This is enough of a concern for me that I'm going to start looking for a solution.  I remotely mounted oil filter possibly..?  One that's not mounted upside down.

[matt167]

What filter was it? Depending on the filter book used, It may call for the wrong one. I do oil changes on these regularly and theres always oil in the filter

[rmarshall234]

I use the Dealer supplied filters - P/N 15208AA15A

 

Are you waiting until the next day to change the oil or doing when it's hot?

[Bushwick]

Have they actually changed the material in the rings at some point? If the rings are the same as rings from before this issue started, then it might actually be a symptom.

 

When did they switch to the really thin oil viscosity? 2011? People are also spinning main bearings on low mileage engines, all which can be a result from watered down oil.

 

I've noticed also people seem to like running thinner oils regardless. Why, I don't know. I'd personally rather have the extra protection.

 

Another way to look at it is Subaru has made the same engine for how long now? And after they started running the thin oils, all of a sudden oil consumption is high, parts are physically failing whereas they used to be sound in 250k mile engines with routine maintenance....

[ThosL]

Did they ever get a class action for all the head gasket failures of the 2.5 engines??  They sure deserved it.  I was speaking with a Jewish gentleman yesterday who said he would never buy a Japanese vehicle due to how they treated the US POWs in WWII.

[rmarshall234]

It is very interesting you mention the spun main bearings, I had not heard about that.  I think the comment about lower viscosity oils may be spot-on as well.

 

All of this and the fact that they have moved the oil filter to a "customer pleasing" location on top of the engine suggests that the marketing and finance departments may be winning the battle against engineering.  The term "designed obsolescence" comes to mind.

 

I would really like to hear what the engine rebuilders are saying about these new motors.  I'm an aircraft mechanic and I know this.....proper oil pressure and viscosity on start-up are critical.  So much so, that "pre oiling" an engine after overhaul is standard procedure.  So is filing an oil filter with oil prior to installing it after an oil change.  The whole idea is to get oil pressure (particularly to the main and rod bearings) as soon as possible on start up.  Bearings and cylinder walls don't like being run "dry" even for fractions of a second at a time.  Particularly, when the programmed start up RPM is >2000 rpm as is the case on my Crosstrek.

 

[RallyKeith]

The problem is high oil consumption ( > 1/3 qt in 1200 miles ) 

 

I'm not sure how to read this. If I read this the way it's written it consumes greater than 1/3 or a quart in 1200 miles? 

 

To that I say EXPLETIVE DELETED please! I bought my '06 with 16k on the clock. It used a quart every 1500 miles from the day I got it until 160k when I rebuilt it a few months ago. Now it uses a fraction of a quart in that mileage and I don't even have 5k on the rebuild yet. 

 

The issue is people not breaking them in correctly. I honestly have no idea what form of break in is done from the time a car is built until it hits showroom floors. You actually need cylinder pressure to force the rings into the cylinder walls to get them to seat and to get that you need to have more than 1/2 open throttle positions. If you baby them, especially when they are first run, the crosshatching in the cylinder walls glazes over and the rings never seat. 

 

FWIW I use Hasting rings in all my builds. So far I haven't had any issues with oil consumption on any of those builds. 

 

Keith

[Numbchux]

Have they actually changed the material in the rings at some point? If the rings are the same as rings from before this issue started, then it might actually be a symptom.

 

When did they switch to the really thin oil viscosity? 2011? People are also spinning main bearings on low mileage engines, all which can be a result from watered down oil.

 

I've noticed also people seem to like running thinner oils regardless. Why, I don't know. I'd personally rather have the extra protection.

 

Another way to look at it is Subaru has made the same engine for how long now? And after they started running the thin oils, all of a sudden oil consumption is high, parts are physically failing whereas they used to be sound in 250k mile engines with routine maintenance....

 

I don't know exactly what was changed in the rings, although the original part number was superseded. But I kind of suspect it was an assembly issue, as some cars have the problem, and some didn't, with very little pattern.

 

All the FB/FA engines call for 0W20. 2011 for the Forester, 2012 Impreza, and 2013 Legacy.

 

I've never heard of a spun main bearing. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but I've probably handed out 100 short blocks for oil consumption in the last year, and zero parts for a spun bearing.

 

 

 

I'm not convinced I could tell if the filter was full or not without having a window on the side or something. There's a pretty good column of oil on both sides of the filter, and as soon as the filter seal is broken to allow air in there, the oil will drain out pretty quick. I *think* by the time you got it threaded all the way off, it would drain back into the engine. I don't know, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. The oil filter on my Celica is mounted at about a 45* angle pointed down, several inches above the oil pump, my inclination is that it would drain back too, but the 5SFE is a very reliable engine.

[THiggins]

Our 2014 Crosstrek flashed its low oil level light at about 22k miles. It was due for a change which I usually perform but we decided to take it to the dealer so we could document the issue while it's still in warranty. They have a "program" wherein they gave us a free change and asked us to drive 1200 miles and bring it in at or slightly over that mileage. They will check the oil at that time and calculate an accurate consumption rate. If its over the established limit, I suppose we get a new engine or something. In any case, I urge anyone to get their dealer involved as soon as there is any sign of excessive oil consumption.

 

Oil filter upside down  would not have an impact on the amount of oil on the cylinder walls as this area is not pressure fed. One would have to see a diagram of the oiling circuit to make any judgement on the wisdom or stupidity of oil filter placement. I do agree though, that hearing the engine rattle for the first few seconds after starting is unnerving.

 

In my (painful) experience, using the wrong lube at assembly can cause the rings not to seat and nothing works better than a teardown to hone the cylinders and replace the rings. Too much lube is detrimental to breakin. There are break in additives available but I would be very careful using them because I have heard they can damage the catalytic converter. Anyway, doing these things to a  car under warranty would be very unwise.

[CNY_Dave]

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[rmarshall234]

All good comments - thanks.

 

To address a few of them...

 

Yes, the Class Action letter states that if the engine uses more than one third a quart of oil in 1200 miles than it is considered to be "High Oil Consumption" and qualifies for the suit.  I'm not sure I would call that high oil consumption myself, but that's what the letter states.

 

There is no special check valve in the oil filter - it is the same as every other filter I've ever seen.  The biggest indication that the filter is emptying, is the delay in obtaining oil pressure on start up and the resulting valve clatter.  (there is a pressure relief valve - as there is on all filters - to allow passage of oil if the filter plugs).

 

I couldn't agree more about the need to break-in an engine properly to allow the rings to seat.  And, that is done by operating at or near maximum power.  However, the car manufacturers have been telling us for years that we should just drive as we normally do.  What has changed?

[CNY_Dave]

What has changed is the manufacturer has already run the engine enough that it's all done already... or too late to do it!

 

They worked for years, I'm sure, on the metal properties, fit, and finish such that a good seal would occur just with the startup etc at the factory.

What happened with these is a metal blend or a finish or a fit has changed ever... so... slightly... and they haven't gotten the magic recipe back reliably yet.

[kaeferman]

Hello folks inaugural post here, I have read this topic because I am curious about whether it would be advisable to run any different oil in an FB 20 engine to prevent the oil consumption issue. It seems as though from what Numbchux states early on in the thread, though that this is really more of a 'either you have it or you don't' deal. So far we've noticed little to no change in oil level during its first 5000 mile interval.

See my trouble that my wife bought this 2013 Impreza with 18K on it to replace her '06 Prius which melted down its crankshaft at 120K when it ran out of oil. The car had never leaked a drop and was well maintained up to that point. The mechanic that disassembled the dead Prius motor said it all looked great inside and found no reason for the excessive oil consumption issue. He said that several different manufacturers are having this oil consumption issue and he felt it was associated with the higher viscosity oils newer engines are using to improve efficiency. Now i am dismayed to learn that our 2013 happens to be one of the years listed this new law suit for the same

problem. Any thoughts would be appreciated. And yes my wife is learning about dipstick use at fill ups!

B

[Numbchux]

I don't believe for a second that oil viscosity has anything to do with it.

 

My mom's 2012 Impreza (right in the heart of the possibly-effected FB20 engines), she bought with about 20k miles on it, it's now about 70k, original engine. We only run Syn 0w20, and oil loss is completely normal, less than a quart over 5k miles, and always has been.