Subies, the engines again...

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http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/suba...ion-092315.html

Subaru is very popular in Indiana these days, following its announcement earlier this week that it will add 1,200 workers and invest $140 million to expand its assembly plant in Lafayette.

It's popular with consumers around the country too, as sales this year are at record highs. Besides steadily growing sales -- 12.5% over last year -- Subarus have collected all kinds of recognition for high resale value, safety and reliability.

But not everyone is singing Subaru's praises. The cars are not so popular with customers plagued with excessive oil use and engine problems. A class action lawsuit filed last July claims that defective piston rings are to blame and many consumers fear the excessive oil consumption will lead to trouble down the road.

Hardly a day goes by, in fact, without negative reviews and angry emails from worried Subaru owners. The latest comes from Susan of San Francisco, who wrote about her Forester: "I purchased it exactly one year ago from a local Subaru dealer with 16K miles…I now have 31,500 miles and it is burring oil like crazy."

Oil-burners

More samples from the last few days:
•Jill: "We have a 2013 Legacy. We have to add oil approx every 2500 miles and the engine has a very noticeable knock when you first start it."
•Becky: "Just paid $1700 for a repair and added 4 quarts of oil today...1000 miles before oil change is due. I am very upset!"
•Terry: "I bought a 2011 Subaru Forester. I am dealing with the same oil issues that the other owners have written to you about. I was told when I bought the car that I did not need to replace oil between oil changes as it was synthetic. Obviously not true. I am not due for an oil change for 2000 more miles. However, my Subaru has gone through almost 3 quarts in 5000 miles."
•Melinda: "I just had to have the engine in my 2012 Impreza rebuilt. Pretty upset with Subaru but have been a VERY loyal customer for years."

In a recent ConsumerAffairs review, Robert of Lemster, N.H., describes a situation that is so typical we could nearly recite it by heart:

"My wife and I bought a brand new Subaru Forester, our second one. Had no complaints with the first one -- 250,000 miles. The new one is a complete ****. Around 30k miles started burning oil at the rate of about a quart every 2k miles. ... Anyways they finally admitted there was a defect and replaced the top end (short block). Now with less than 20k since the replacement having the same issues."

"Within acceptable levels ...".....


What could be causing so many similar complaints? We posed that question to Subaru.

"While we believe the oil consumption of our vehicles to be within acceptable levels, we continually work to reduce the amount of consumable goods, such as oil, that our vehicles require to operate," said Dominick Infante, national manager of product communications for Subaru.

"We are working with customers on this issue and any customer with a 2011 or newer Subaru who believe their car has an issue can bring the car into their local dealer," Infante said.

That, of course, is exactly what many consumers have done. The lucky ones have gotten a new short block under warranty. Others have paid thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Best solution: prevention

The solution, obviously, is prevention. Consumer Reports magazine last year reported on a study involving nearly 500,000 cars. It found that certain Audis, BMWs and Subarus were prone to burn oil. All three manufacturers insist that burning a quart every few thousand miles is normal.

It may be normal but it's a dangerous situation, especially for consumers who are not familiar with the operation of a dipstick. Anyone with a small-block, turbocharged four-cylinder engine probably needs to make it a habit to check the oil -- with the dipstick, not relying on the dashboard lights -- every week or so. By the time a warning light comes on, it's probably too late.

The fast-oil-change industry has long contended that the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or so. Given the horrible experience so many consumers have had with their cars, that's probably good advice.

You don't want to end up like Jennifer of West Point, Calif., who said: "I changed my oil as was recommended in the manual and one day the light came on and the engine was blown and later discovered the oil was empty. It had burned up all oil in one months time."
 
Wow, a whole bunch of people complaining that they drove their cars with no oil and the engine somehow couldn't keep running like that.

On the other hand, why should you need to check the oil on a new car?
 
Subaru: The Modern Day Saturn.
cheers3.gif
 
I waste more oil checking it than than the Toyota burns, never comes off the top mark. I'd be hot too if my new engine used a quart or more every 2500.
 
Subaru's motto used to be "Inexpensive, and built to stay that way." Now they're neither. They're great cars from a safety perspective, but what a nightmare...
 
Geez, what's going on with Subaru? they should gut the motor engineering dept.
 
People are lazy. Adding some oil every couple thousand miles is not a big deal.

New or old all combustion engines consume some oil. Some consume more than others.

Checking oil is something that should be done weekly whether the car has 2k miles or 200k miles.
 
The people will turn on Subaru.
They use to be a good type of car company until they got positive press and now they are like the Honda snobs of old.

My brother got his first in 1981 and it was absolutely weird but bullet proof. Later Subaru pulled a bunch of fast ones with boots and wacky electricals etc. Now oil burning and arrogance, not a good combo.
 
So far so good on our German stuff. Dodged a bullet there.

Sad that some of my engines are over 100k miles or 1800 hours, and consume almost no oil. But these Subies and other cars drink it like margaritas at a bachelorette party.
 
Happy to report tha my 12 year old Duratec 2.3 engine in my Ford Focus, has never needed to add a drop of oil in the 7 years I've owned her. I check the dipstick about once a month.

My OCI's are between 8 to 9K on synthetic.
 
Subarus are great cars other than head gaskets ,oil leaks, engines blowing up and burning oil. Yeah they are great cars.
 
I don't think I've ever owned a car that burned 1 quart per 1k. Even my old Mustang with blown valve seals didn't use that much. Yeah adding a quart over a 3-10k oil change is OK but in a 10k oil change to add almost a case of oil? Really?

The only vehicle I've owned that was "bad" was the wife's old Escape and that leaked it out of the timing chain gasket, a known issue on that vintage of Duratec. And that was about a quart in a 5k OCI.
 
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I think this all boils down to improper break in. Subaru is having so many issues they should sell them pre-broken in. I'd bet it saves them tons of grief.


But let's get serious here. Some idiot says she had to add 4 quarts of oil. Is she a retard? Do these people buy a new vehicle and not know the very basics of auto ownership.
Then blame Subaru.
Gimme a break. I don't care if you drive a brand new vehicle or old jalopy. You make sure you know where the dipstick is and how to read it. Know how to fill the washer fluid reservoir etc. If the engine cooks because there's no oil in it that's negligence and in no way reflects on Subaru. If their customers are too stupid to look and check fluids that's their problem and their fault.
When you own a high strung boosted flat type engine you should at least know the basics of its systems and how to maintain them.
If some lady came in for an oil change and she was 4 quarts low I'd laugh and explain its negligence. Period.
 
A new car shouldn't need multiple quarts of top off between ocis. You can't blame the driver for that.
 
Originally Posted By: dblshock
The lucky ones have gotten a new short block under warranty. Others have paid thousands of dollars out of pocket.


Alright, who is the IDIOT that would pay thousands of dollars to repair an otherwise good running engine that has high consumption?
 
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
People are lazy. Adding some oil every couple thousand miles is not a big deal.

New or old all combustion engines consume some oil. Some consume more than others.

Checking oil is something that should be done weekly whether the car has 2k miles or 200k miles.


I agree, and greasing 14 grease nipples very 1k miles is no big deal either!

But, it has been nice, SINCE THE MID 70's to not have to lift the hood between regular OCI's to check things like oil, Coolant, Brake fluid etc.

Cars like the Mazda rotory engines at least had a oil level warning light.
Having to rely on a Dip Stick reading!!
Surely that was the sort of thing we left behind in the 50's
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
A new car shouldn't need multiple quarts of top off between ocis. You can't blame the driver for that.


It doesn't mean one shouldn't check. It's part of basic maintenance.

Even if the engine wasn't an oil burner a person still needs to check whether coolant is adequate,tranny fluid,oil level etc. What if a gasket weeps and no one noticed. Taking a look under the hood can help expose possible problems before your stranded.
It doesn't matter how far vehicles have come over the years. An owner still needs to be diligent and pro-active.
The co-op gas station locally has full service bays. If a person doesn't the,selves know where the dipstick is can they not go to a full serve and have someone else at least check.
What about washer fluid. Do these people just let it run dry until their next oil change then have it filled.

New or not a vehicle has many fallible systems and an owner should know at least how to check and add fluids.
Or suffer the consequences.
 
Originally Posted By: dblshock's link
It found that certain Audis, BMWs and Subarus were prone to burn oil. All three manufacturers insist that burning a quart every few thousand miles is normal.

That's true, but that depends upon what one defines a "few thousand miles." And if it were only a quart every few thousand miles, that wouldn't be so bad.

People do need to check and top up. That goes without saying. But, I would be royally peeved at having a new oil burner. My G37 doesn't burn any noticeable oil over an interval, so I'm happy. However, that doesn't prevent me from checking it!
 
I bought a 2009 Forester thinking it would be a quality dependable car that would last a few 100k. Thats the last Subaru I will own. Multiple failures and I dumped it before I dumped any more money into it.
 
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