nvrquit Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 I've just registered on this site after lurking for a bit. Nice amount of info to be found here. I've always owned at least one Sube, starting with my new 1980 4WD blue wagon up to our 96 & 99 OBW's. Though we are currently in a bit of quandry, as it seems that what was Subaru rugged reliability has gone the way of the wind. The 99 OBW has had it's 4EAT replaced under Gold Plus coverage and the 96 OBW has just had the oil pump replaced, has the infamous torque bind biting at it's heels and an ignition hesitation that sometimes leads to total shutdown/stall that no dealer can determine what's the cause of(codes are indeterminate, so the dealers all say). The repairs were performed at 48K & 42K miles respectively. The real topper is the replacement 4EAT in the 99 OBW is now starting to show signs that it too is not in healthy condition, just some 6.5K miles later. Sorry that this post seems to be a bit "whinny" (and no cheese to go with this, thank you), but after 6 Sube's ending with a terrific 94 Legacy AWD wagon, the last three have been very disappointing. The 95 Legacy AWD sedan was very sound mechanically, but no dealer(three different places) could correct a water leak in/around the RR door. Now the two OBW's saga currently. What's the real word on the 2001 thru 2004 OBW, Legacy & Forester series? I ask as I know that the popular review rags don't always have the deeper info on reliabilty. Thanks for any feedback! BTW, my background was in motorcycles(AMI grad and wrench for years), then automotive until going back to school for electronics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setright Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 My saying of the week: "The Devil you know, is better than the Devil you don't." ALL cars have gone downhill in quality. Most of the Germans have serious electrical problems - Porsche excluded - and Mercedes are rusting like old Subes used to. I think the penny-pinching has been designed to keep the share-holders happy, and nevermind the customers. I suggest staying with Subaru, because you will be dissapointed elsewhere too, and the Devil you know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unverviking Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 I would have to agree, the quality in the other car lines is worse than Subaru's worst. My first is our 01 OBW, bought new in Jan 01, and it has been the most reliable car we've owned. Yes, we've had our problems, and still will, but when we had our Chevy's, (Corsica, Cadavilier, S-10, Silverado, GMC Sonoma) we'd be at the dealer every other month for something. Let's not mention my Dodge Dakota... I bought the 93 Leg Wagon as a 2nd car in Oct 03 from a family friend with 190k on it. It has 199k on it now, only had to replace the brakes/rotors (what car doesn't need that to keep running) and the exhaust. I can't complain about that. It starts whenever I need it, and still runs great. In fact both of my sisters drove it, and remarked how nice it still drives, even with 190k on the ticker... Happy Thanksgiving all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northguy Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 And that's why I drive a 1983 Brat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru X Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 And that's why I drive a 1983 Brat. Indeed I don't think I will ever get rid of all my 80's cars. They just don't build em like they used to. I heard somewhere that car manufactors these days are building cars to last 1 owner. Just goes to show everyone wants money money money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattocs Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 I suggest staying with Subaru, because you will be dissapointed elsewhere too, and the Devil you know! Ditto. What else are you going to buy? If you want safty, awd, and looks for under $20k...Subaru is the way to go. I just hope Subaru does not go the way of Sabb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvrquit Posted November 26, 2004 Author Share Posted November 26, 2004 Thanks to all for the fellow commiseration, must be that "misery loves...." thing. I would still appreciate any feedback on the 2001 through 2004 Legacy and OBW series. I've researched the commercial periodicals but I've found that it's always better to get the straight poop from actual owners. This way you get a more "real world" feel for what the vehicle's tendencies may be in all aspects. Thanks again for any feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Thanks to all for the fellow commiseration, must be that "misery loves...." thing. I would still appreciate any feedback on the 2001 through 2004 Legacy and OBW series. I've researched the commercial periodicals but I've found that it's always better to get the straight poop from actual owners. This way you get a more "real world" feel for what the vehicle's tendencies may be in all aspects. Thanks again for any feedback! Personally I favor Legacies over Outbacks. Don't need the extra 2" and the handling is infinately better on the highway. We've got a 2000 Legacy A/T, bought at 99,850 miles when it was 13 months old. Did all the front case stuff as soon as we got it home, and we're religious about service, especially tranny. It's now at 153,000, and the only repair has been a right front wheel bearing. High 20 mpg road mileage, no odd tire or brake wear probs. We run studded snows in winter, and it'll go through anything NW Montana can throw at it. I love the way it handles, and fully expect it to go to 250K while we own it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvrquit Posted November 26, 2004 Author Share Posted November 26, 2004 Again, thanks to all for the feedback! Now, to the good( ) stuff..... Well, I just got off the phone with the local dealership. Yet another reman. 4EAT is going into the 99 OBW to replace the first reman. 4EAT that replaced the original tranny. I'll post the continuing saga. With the research on this board and others, we've concluded that we'll have the torque bind issue resolved by going with the upgrade(steel sleeved) components. Unfortunately, this will not be under warranty. Perhaps a few nice registered letter to select individuals at SOA, detailing our past Subbie loyalty and recent travails will cause a break in our favor. Can't hurt to try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 I am on my 4th Sub. 84-90-2000-2005 My 2000 Legacy GT handles great even compared to my wife's 05 Legacy OB iLtd. This week I am getting my 2nd reman AT installed on the 2000. Can you post, email me or PM and tell me what were the reasons for twice replacing your transmission. I am still covered under the Gold Plus plan but will soon expire. BTW, there is a site (see below) where you can find a listing of the TSB's on your particular car. That can give you a heads up on potential problems while still under warranty. The same site lists safety recalls but the TSBs cover non safety related issues that SOA has encountered enough to clue their mechanics in to fixes. The TSBs are only in synopsis form but you can get a sense of the scope and number of issues. I have noticed problems on my car that I dealt with myself only to discover through the TSB site that this was a known issue that the dealer could have fixed if only I had complained (ie loose weatherstripping, sunroof problems). Still, for the price, the package seems worthwhile. Yes the good old days were different but... in my area, the 80s and early 90s cars have been reduced to rust dust by this time. http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clutchbob Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 BTW, my background was in motorcycles(AMI grad and wrench for years), then automotive until going back to school for electronics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clutchbob Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 BTW, my background was in motorcycles(AMI grad and wrench for years), then automotive until going back to school for electronics. Unless you have back problems, stick with wrench turning. I'm an electronics technician and all my mechanic buddies are leaving me in the dust, financially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvrquit Posted November 28, 2004 Author Share Posted November 28, 2004 Again, thanks for the feedback from those that have posted! Clutchbob, Yeah, wrench turning wasn't bad for a living. It just turned out that not only did physical issues become a concern(the back and others, which I can truly trace to football and hockey from younger days), but it also became a "love/hate" thing. I really loved the actual doing but I hated being limited to the "just a job" ness of it. In the early days, I wrenched WERA bikes for two different riders. Tough going with production two-strokers(Yamaha RD400 twins) against the guys that could afford a TZ250(any mod) factory bike. Very narrow margin in more than one way. Top that off with a kid rider(not that I was that much older in physical age) that didn't listen to recommendations and....., well it gets old very quickly. I just couldn't wrench a machine to only the "that's good enough" standard that almost every place dictated and by that time the taste for going my own way(as in my own business) had vanished. No sympathy required for me, just the way it worked out and I'll live with that as a fact of life. Now, as an ET with my AST, A+ and network certs, it doesn't bother me to "just make it work" when it comes to PC and other electronic components. Perhaps I'll finish out for the BA someday, who knows. On the 4EAT front, I'll be scheduling with the dealer on Monday for when to have the 99 OBW in for the 2nd replacement. When I do that, I'll run down(or try) the particulars that the dealer feels are the faults with the current 4EAT(1st replacement reman) and the original 4EAT. I'll post whatever they divulge. Until that time, later.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clutchbob Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 With those qualifications, you should be able to be competitive with those guys at the shop. Best of luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvrquit Posted December 11, 2004 Author Share Posted December 11, 2004 To all that have been following our 96 & 99 OBW saga's, here's an update. The 99 OBW has now had it's second reman. 4EAT installed. The 2nd reman. 4EAT is not 100% in porper operation either, with rough up & downshifts when driven outside of the "granny" cruise around town mode(and few times even when driven in that manner). To add to this, now the 99 OBW has a very demonstrative torque bind shudder that was never present with the original or 1st reman 4EAT. Just what the heck goes here?!? Notified the dealer and they seem as frustrated as I, to which I can understand. Agreed to a future date on which both I and their lead mech. can be in the car together while road testing. Thing is, there is no descernable pattern to the rough shifting, as it isn't always present(even in agressive driving modes). On a happier note(if a $900-plus repair bill can be such!?!), the 96 OBW has had the torque bind issue addressed and to date all things appear to be okay. In all, these two Subies have been extremely disappointing, in comparison to our past Subie ownership. To wit, I have taken the time to compose a letter to SOA. This will be sent to multiple sources at SOA, via reg.\cert. USPS, with delivery notification. I do this as I've found that only telephoning in instances such as this have had very little affect. I'll post the results of both the letter(s) and the continuing 99 OBw saga. Later..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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