newbie soob (maybe): maintenance, parts - competence, cost, and availability

[idic5]

For a variety of reasons, we decided on a Subara impreza '17 premium w eyesight; put refundable $1k to hold it. wd be the first Suby for our family. But at least three people have offered cautionary opinions on problems of maintenance (competence) and parts cost and availablity due to the lower comparative volume of Suby relative to toy, honda, and gm. These are opnions basewd on what their common sense says, btw. W/o alot of suby cars on the road, presumably there wd be less competence of the workings of subarus, specially w/ the fancy computerized eyesight - goes these doubting thomases..

 

Wd joe blow corner mech or jffy lube be ok for oil changes and the like?

 

Or wd we always have to go to the subaru dealer for basic maintenace and certainly for anything bigger?

 

Implied questions to this forum: 

 

1) Where do you all get your maintenance done on you Soobies?

 

2) Have you found the maintenance costs or the parts costs and availability ( and hence turnaround) to be bad?

Edited February 2, 2017 by idic5

[1 Lucky Texan]

where I live, there's definitely a dearth of independent shops familiar with the turbo, AWD and maybe engine internals of my car. But everything else on the car is about the same as other cars. There have been reports of incorrect fluids drained and filled - but likely a good/busy shop knows what they are doing.

 

the Magnusson-Moss act says you can get service done - in accordance with the owner's manual and service/maintenance schedule - anywhere and by anyone. The 'burden of proof' is on  the manufacturer to deny a warranty claim due to inappropriate service.

Edited February 1, 2017 by 1 Lucky Texan

[wtdash]

Hi and welcome,

As this is a BRAND New car - '17 - then my 1st question is: How long do you plan on keeping it?

 

If keeping it longer than the  length of the warranty, then your questions are valid. If not, then Why worry? :-)

 

Maintenance can be done @ any shop - BUT YOU MUST> MUST KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS in case a warranty repair crops up. As stated above, it's on THEM to prove the service was inadequate, but the 'fight' is usually a pain.

 

Personally, I prefer to have my maintenance done @ THE DEALERSHIP during the warranty period so there's no question as to the maintenance record. Yes, you'll pay more, but most shops offer discounts, specials, coupons.. etc. that can reduce costs.

 

Subarus have shown to be near the top of the reliability charts for autos. 

 

I don't have any specific data, but their increased growth - setting new records for sales every month/year - indicates they'll be around for awhile longer, which means parts will also be plentiful.....I've not read that the new models are any more to repair than other brands.

 

Once the warranty ends, find a reputable Subie-specific shop (not necessarily a dealer) that you trust. Even if they're a few $$ more than the Backyard Joe Mechanic down the street -( EDIT: No offense to all of USmb that turn our own wrenches!), you'll usually get what you pay for.

 

Last note...that maintenance record is like GOLD, IMHO. Keep it up to date, w/receipts and if you sell the car yourself it'll be a key selling point  - @ least it is w/me.

 

GL,

TD

Edited February 2, 2017 by wtdash

[idosubaru]

You can go anywhere for maintenance - just keep records, but I'd even recommend doing that even if you're using a dealer.

 

Not a big deal. Subaru's aren't rare enough to worry about. 100,000 impreza's. that's comparable with other models on the road and for the fewer numbers they probably also have fewer options, offerings, and changes.

 

Some rural areas like the south and select other areas are prone to mechanics not wanting to work on certain vehicles, but you just find another mechanic.

 

Maintenance costs are almost entirely dictated by YOU. Your maintenance competence and local service integrity. If you're terrible at comprehending service, finding good service people, it's very possible to get caught up in the marketing driven service industry. That happens across all shops - independent, dealer, big, small, any manufacturer.

 

Ideally you have some capacity or an honest mechanic. Otherwise it's a roll of the dice no matter what you buy.

Pretty routine to rack up thousands of dollars in maintenance when a car needs nothing or very simple service. I could share a few dozens stories but this thread would get too lengthy.

Edited February 1, 2017 by grossgary

[gbhrps]

idic5,

 

I live an hour from the Detroit/Windsor border on the Canadian border, and share much of the same winter driving conditions that you have.

 

With a good set of winter tires subies are darn near crazy glued to the road if driven intelligently. You will be able to go where many others wouldn't dream to drive in winter weather, or heavy rain for that matter.

 

As for reliability, I've owned 4 OutBacks,  including a 1997, a 2003, a 2007 and my present 2012. Warranty wise I have had one tailgate subie emblem, and one door speaker replaced. Service out of warranty has been for one rear wheel bearing, a tilt mechanism of one sunroof, and regular maintenance (brakes, wiper blades, oil & filter changes, tires, spark plugs, air filters, etc.), all of which I have done myself. That's it in 20 years of owning the four subies. They have been as reliable as any car could possibly be, in my experience. And I will be owning more of them in the future.

 

I'm a backyard mechanic who has been in the backyard more than a few years, and I can say that these cars are easy to work on. Let the dealership handle the warranty work until it runs out, then find a good independent mechanic you can trust for anything beyond the warranty. As for parts cost, they are no more expensive than any other make, short of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Cadillac, etc., whose parts are like gold to buy.

 

That said, everyone knows of someone who bought a car that nickeled and dimed them to bankruptcy, and ocassionally someone with a subie will have an issue outside of the norm, but these are rare. After all, something made of 35 000 parts will have something go wrong once in a while. Check the online comments from Consumer Reports who highly recommend Subaru products' reliabilty, as well as several other makes. They are about as trouble free as any car you could own. The best of luck with your new car purchase, whether it be the Imprezza or not!

[idic5]

idic5,

 

I live an hour from the Detroit/Windsor border on the Canadian border, and share much of the same winter driving conditions that you have.

 

With a good set of winter tires subies are darn near crazy glued to the road if driven intelligently. You will be able to go where many others wouldn't dream to drive in winter weather, or heavy rain for that matter.

 

As for reliability, I've owned 4 OutBacks,  including a 1997, a 2003, a 2007 and my present 2012. Warranty wise I have had one tailgate subie emblem, and one door speaker replaced. Service out of warranty has been for one rear wheel bearing, a tilt mechanism of one sunroof, and regular maintenance (brakes, wiper blades, oil & filter changes, tires, spark plugs, air filters, etc.), all of which I have done myself. That's it in 20 years of owning the four subies. They have been as reliable as any car could possibly be, in my experience. And I will be owning more of them in the future.

 

I'm a backyard mechanic who has been in the backyard more than a few years, and I can say that these cars are easy to work on. Let the dealership handle the warranty work until it runs out, then find a good independent mechanic you can trust for anything beyond the warranty. As for parts cost, they are no more expensive than any other make, short of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Cadillac, etc., whose parts are like gold to buy.

 

That said, everyone knows of someone who bought a car that nickeled and dimed them to bankruptcy, and ocassionally someone with a subie will have an issue outside of the norm, but these are rare. After all, something made of 35 000 parts will have something go wrong once in a while. Check the online comments from Consumer Reports who highly recommend Subaru products' reliabilty, as well as several other makes. They are about as trouble free as any car you could own. The best of luck with your new car purchase, whether it be the Imprezza or not!

 

thanks, you hit my questions....curiously, one of those cautionary opinions I mentioned was from my local  trusted and competent  independent mech of 30 years - who has serviced two toys and a honda of mine. He said 'look for toyota, honda or a chevy cruze - parts are plentiful and easy to get'. My wife wondered if something went down during a long road trip, wd someone be scratchin their heads.

 

But I think you distinguished  that subies are not like audis  volvos bmers mercedes, even caddies where there is a lot of specialized parts and even tools to use to service them.

 

I have one friend who has 2 outbacks and a forester and when she answered this question she said she goes to the dealer, which was no confidence building to me. I have never gone to a dealer for fixes - after going once and bein shocked at the exorbitan price for the price. I need to follow up w/ her ask her why she does nt go to the local guy in our town - my 30 yr trusted guy. 

 

btw, this mech's partner had just bought a used outback w/ 38k on it. 

 

WILL SUBIES RELIABILITY CONTINUE TO HOLD UP FOR THE IMPREZA 100 PCT MADE IN USA?

The other part  of your reply I wanted to follow up on was a question on the continued reliability/track record of subies such as this Impreza which is now going to be made in the US, in INdiana. I am curious about this. Are there any other subies that have been 100 pct made in the usa? Are all the parts also usa parts or   where are they sourced, I wonder? There was a reason I changed from Ford which was in the shop more than on the road to toys (140k and 246k) and honda (so far my 100 pct tokyo cr-v  has 110k miles w/ only oil changes, knock wood).

 

This wd be  my son's first car. He is seeking awd within a certain budget and impreza is the highest  mpg of any awd for his budget.

 

EYESIGHT REQUIRE HIGHER COMPETENCIES?

Finally, I am curious about  the rather impressive hi tech Eyesight which we ( he)  packaged in the Premium trimmed Impreza. This is a fricking moving computer .  So I wonder if any of these go down, does the mech have to be even MORE specially trained to handle this type of stuff?

 

This of course is occurring in all cars now, and in a few yrs this will be all std ( '17 corollas have toy's version of eyesight standard in the base model!). I am not sure how this will play for the backyard mechs - maybe easier as the biggest deal is to find and replace the offending module  unit, I suspect?

[idic5]

You can go anywhere for maintenance - just keep records, but I'd even recommend doing that even if you're using a dealer.

 

Not a big deal. Subaru's aren't rare enough to worry about. 100,000 impreza's. that's comparable with other models on the road and for the fewer numbers they probably also have fewer options, offerings, and changes.

 

Some rural areas like the south and select other areas are prone to mechanics not wanting to work on certain vehicles, but you just find another mechanic.

 

Maintenance costs are almost entirely dictated by YOU. Your maintenance competence and local service integrity. If you're terrible at comprehending service, finding good service people, it's very possible to get caught up in the marketing driven service industry. That happens across all shops - independent, dealer, big, small, any manufacturer.

 

Ideally you have some capacity or an honest mechanic. Otherwise it's a roll of the dice no matter what you buy.

Pretty routine to rack up thousands of dollars in maintenance when a car needs nothing or very simple service. I could share a few dozens stories but this thread would get too lengthy.

 

Yes I have a trusted mech - his shop literally is my next door neighbor for 30 yrs. His guys even once manually pushd my previa in neutral to my house after some rtn maintenance so that I cd see the old fashioned OD flip to 100k.  true car guys. Anywho, he said to me ' 'look for toyota, honda or a chevy cruze - parts are plentiful and easy to get'.'. But his partner also chimed in that he just bought a used outback w/ 38k miles on it. but obviously he has the knowledge . 

 

thanks for the input

Edited February 2, 2017 by idic5

[idic5]

idic5,

 

I live an hour from the Detroit/Windsor border on the Canadian border, and share much of the same winter driving conditions that you have.

 

With a good set of winter tires subies are darn near crazy glued to the road if driven intelligently. You will be able to go where many others wouldn't dream to drive in winter weather, or heavy rain for that matter.

 

As for reliability, I've owned 4 OutBacks,  including a 1997, a 2003, a 2007 and my present 2012. Warranty wise I have had one tailgate subie emblem, and one door speaker replaced. Service out of warranty has been for one rear wheel bearing, a tilt mechanism of one sunroof, and regular maintenance (brakes, wiper blades, oil & filter changes, tires, spark plugs, air filters, etc.), all of which I have done myself. That's it in 20 years of owning the four subies. They have been as reliable as any car could possibly be, in my experience. And I will be owning more of them in the future.

 

I'm a backyard mechanic who has been in the backyard more than a few years, and I can say that these cars are easy to work on. Let the dealership handle the warranty work until it runs out, then find a good independent mechanic you can trust for anything beyond the warranty. As for parts cost, they are no more expensive than any other make, short of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Cadillac, etc., whose parts are like gold to buy.

 

That said, everyone knows of someone who bought a car that nickeled and dimed them to bankruptcy, and ocassionally someone with a subie will have an issue outside of the norm, but these are rare. After all, something made of 35 000 parts will have something go wrong once in a while. Check the online comments from Consumer Reports who highly recommend Subaru products' reliabilty, as well as several other makes. They are about as trouble free as any car you could own. The best of luck with your new car purchase, whether it be the Imprezza or not!

 

Hi and welcome,

As this is a BRAND New car - '17 - then my 1st question is: How long do you plan on keeping it?

 

If keeping it longer than the  length of the warranty, then your questions are valid. If not, then Why worry? :-)

 

Maintenance can be done @ any shop - BUT YOU MUST> MUST KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS in case a warranty repair crops up. As stated above, it's on THEM to prove the service was inadequate, but the 'fight' is usually a pain.

 

Personally, I prefer to have my maintenance done @ THE DEALERSHIP during the warranty period so there's no question as to the maintenance record. Yes, you'll pay more, but most shops offer discounts, specials, coupons.. etc. that can reduce costs.

 

Subarus have shown to be near the top of the reliability charts for autos. 

 

I don't have any specific data, but their increased growth - setting new records for sales every month/year - indicates they'll be around for awhile longer, which means parts will also be plentiful.....I've not read that the new models are any more to repair than other brands.

 

Once the warranty ends, find a reputable Subie-specific shop (not necessarily a dealer) that you trust. Even if they're a few $$ more than the Backyard Joe Mechanic down the street -( EDIT: No offense to all of USmb that turn our own wrenches!), you'll usually get what you pay for.

 

Last note...that maintenance record is like GOLD, IMHO. Keep it up to date, w/receipts and if you sell the car yourself it'll be a key selling point  - @ least it is w/me.

 

GL,

TD

 

thanks for the answer. it helps. I assume my son wd want to keep it longer than the 3 yr warranty - after all arent subies supposed to last a long time?.

 

Also, on this subject, what is the opinion off this forum on extended warranties w/ this US made impreza and which just opened for production two mos ago with a 95 pct redesign of the '16 version?  I might make a separate  thread on this

Edited February 2, 2017 by idic5

[idic5]

to all 

 

the dealer will certainly try to sell my son extended warranties. What is the opinion off this forum on extended warranties w/ this US made impreza and which just opened for production two mos ago with a 95 pct redesign of the '16 version? 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Legacy and Outback have been assembled in Indiana for a long time.

 

wikipedia or cars101.com might be fun places for you to read-up on Subaru/FHI history.

[idic5]

'17 Impreza w/ Premium trim - CD and seats issues - any fixes?

My son is scheduled to get a '17 Impreza w/ premium trim w/ eyesight soon, but he had a couple of non critical issues and I wondered if anyone had any ideas to correct them post purchase.

1) no CD player ; he likes a CD player . Any way to connect a CD player to the sound system in case he has a book on CD or whatever else he might seek to listen to - whether subaru or 3rd party after purchase?

2) the subie cloth seats were kind of uncomfortable he said - compared to the competing '17 Civic car . Any ideas or links to sites for leather or some other comfortable custom reupholstery , at least in the driver seat - whether w/ subaru or 3rd party?

Edited February 3, 2017 by idic5

[idic5]

Can one buy a subaru warranty...

 

* at a different time from the purchase date?

 

* from a different dealer than the one you are purchasing?

[gbhrps]

idic5,

 

Extended warranties are a waste of money for the car owner, and a real money maker for the dealerships. Save the $1750 and put it into a separate bank account for future repairs, which may never be required. If not, then it'll sure buy the next set of tires, brakes or whatever. Or spend it on the next car purchase. And consider what use it'll be to you, if two months down the road, a drunk totals the car after running a red light. Will the dealership pass the remaining extended warranty onto your next car?

 

I have a nephew who got talked into one back in 2003 on a Honda van. That $1750 he added to the financing of the car to cover the extended warranty, ran up to over $2000 by the time he had finished paying the loan off. And he never needed the warranty in the 14 years he owned the vehicle. $2000 out the window. That sure could have bought a lot of car maintenance over those years.

 

As for the CD's, ... buy a CD changer deck, put it in the glove box, and wire it to the aux input on the Imprezza sound system. Better yet, have him download the CD's to an ipod and plug that into the Imprezza's aux input. Junk yards should have CD changer decks suitable for the job, and easily wired into the trunk of the car. In fact my wife's first Leus had a 6 pack cartridge unit in its trunk, a 1997 ES300.

 

If the seat is uncomfortable? How long was his test drive? If its uncomfortable after 4 hours of driving, yeah, replace it. But maybe he didn't have it adjusted properly.

 

As for eyesight problems, few have been reported. However, if the windshield should ever need replacing, the dealership may have to reset the twin cameras to work with the new glass.

[howiek122]

 

'17 Impreza w/ Premium trim - CD and seats issues - any fixes?

My son is scheduled to get a '17 Impreza w/ premium trim w/ eyesight soon, but he had a couple of non critical issues and I wondered if anyone had any ideas to correct them post purchase.

 

1) no CD player ; he likes a CD player . Any way to connect a CD player to the sound system in case he has a book on CD or whatever else he might seek to listen to - whether subaru or 3rd party after purchase?

 

2) the subie cloth seats were kind of uncomfortable he said - compared to the competing '17 Civic car . Any ideas or links to sites for leather or some other comfortable custom reupholstery , at least in the driver seat - whether w/ subaru or 3rd party?

I just picked up a 2017 Impreza Premium 5dr. As for the lack of a CD player. Its not really needed any more. There is USB adaptor in the armrest that allows you to plug in a flash drive. I have over 10gb of music on my flash drive. I do suggest getting a Cruz Fit flash drive since it is very short. My concern with using a normal size flash drive is if you drop something into the armrest storage area you could break the flash drive. The other option Is to stream music thru your phone