Uh Oh. Subaru Front Halfshaft CV Going Bad

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
What symptoms do you have? I'd get a second opinion, unless you know what you're sure you know what it is and the dealer WAS the second opinion.

I'm curious to hear what people report, since my extended warranty is up and I occasionally hear a clicking from the front right while making tight right turns and accelerating.


Clacking from the fight front when cornering under acceleration. Seems the Axles are at an extreme angle on the Impreza.

I have to do some more "parking lot circles: to diagnose further. I've also heard of center support bearings/rubber damper going on the center drive shaft, rearward.

Never had issue like this on a Subaru over Decades. Accordion boots are fine. I might get a new boot clamp and pull the boot back and see if there are metal bits - and move the grease around. Doesnt seem any worse than any NEW 4WD truck I've owned,

Also I might make sure the axle is in all the way at the differential side. This model year the halfshaft splines just pop in, no circlips or roll pins.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by ls973800
Wife hears noise once and a while, dealer assessed at the recent 60K service that the front right outer CV was failing.

How close to the 60K service was it? Your factory powertrain warranty covers this part for 5 years or 60000 miles.

If under the 60000 you have warranty. If just a little bit over, the dealer may be willing to have it taken care of as a customer good will repair if you have had services done there in the past. You may even want to check with Subaru for any good will assistance.

I think she was at 62K. We were doing "alacarte" service since they want a fourtune. They bled the complete braking system and rotated the tires and did a under chassis inspection. I did everything else - minus changing the Ruthenium spark plugs. I am not pulling 17 dollar long ife plugs at 60k/3 years that should be 100K easy. Engine runs great no misfire, good fuel mileage.

I also did the last two OCI since they mess those up terribly.

I would had done the plead for leniency but the wife did this on her own and is not a barterer.
Maybe I can get her to call SoA. I would plead my case to the Service manager and owner. I dont know them and they dont seem like nice guys.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by ls973800
Wife hears noise once and a while, dealer assessed at the recent 60K service that the front right outer CV was failing.

How close to the 60K service was it? Your factory powertrain warranty covers this part for 5 years or 60000 miles.

If under the 60000 you have warranty. If just a little bit over, the dealer may be willing to have it taken care of as a customer good will repair if you have had services done there in the past. You may even want to check with Subaru for any good will assistance.


This is what I would be doing.
Aftermarket axle on a 2017 with 60k, lol. If a CV went on a car I bought new at 60k I wouldn't be paying for it. The dealer is trying to soak you, OP.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by spavel6
I just did one on a friend's car a month or so ago. Same symptoms, rattling around turns. I believe their's is a 2014 Crosstrek.

Took about 30 minutes without removing anything - Just the axle nut.

Didn';t even need to drain the fluid as none came out of the case when we popped the axle out.

He chose to get an aftermarket. With how easy it is to go in, I don't blame him.


Thanks for the first hand knowledge

Did the '14 Crosstrek have a roll pin at the diff end? Or did you just pry it out of the case with a big bertha?

-thx - Ken

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by ls973800
Wife hears noise once and a while, dealer assessed at the recent 60K service that the front right outer CV was failing.

How close to the 60K service was it? Your factory powertrain warranty covers this part for 5 years or 60000 miles.

If under the 60000 you have warranty. If just a little bit over, the dealer may be willing to have it taken care of as a customer good will repair if you have had services done there in the past. You may even want to check with Subaru for any good will assistance.


This is what I would be doing.
Aftermarket axle on a 2017 with 60k, lol. If a CV went on a car I bought new at 60k I wouldn't be paying for it. The dealer is trying to soak you, OP.


Really? Around here even if you are a bit within warranty mileage they deny

But they are overcharging on labour, but Subaru shop manual wants tech to unbolt the strut from the hub assy and the redo the FEA, The shad tree "cheat" is to separate the lower ball joint so no alignment is required then the job is only 1/2 hour after the car is in the air and the tire is off.
They soaked my wife for $228 to just bleed the brakes!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by supton
Seems early to go out. Is the boot split? Wondering if it's a proper diagnosis.

IIRC you swap out cars often; is this a real problem? I mean, if you're just going to trade soon...
.

She thinks its going to explode(!) and fail, then she said the car is worthless as it is

A little overreacting(?) But she does have a high speed (75mph+) interstate commute for a bit down 495-S from Haverhill, MA to Andover , MA as she is heading to Wilmington, MA to Charles River Labs at 4 in the AM. Yeah, 4AM.

The boot is fine. The car is only 3 -1/2 years old. The "jacked up" impreza that is a Crosstrek puts the halfshafts at an extreme angle.
This must "do a job" on the outer fronts.'

IDK.

 

[wdn]

The actual Impreza though, not the jacked up Impreza with plastic body cladding, has the axles at a completely normal angle for a car. It is very unusual part to go out at 62K miles and not be caused by a torn boot where the grease leaked out and dirt got in. More like 10 year lifetime on the OEM part. You might check Crosstrek forums but the actual new gen Impreza 2017+ are not calling this a problem area. The Chinese axles have put a lot of the local rebuilders out of business. The local car guys radio show said the Chinese axles are quite good now and inexpensive. Their opinion was it is hard to justify using a reman when you can buy one of the new Chinese ones have a lifetime warranty like Raxles, cheaper than a reman. Lifetime meaning they will give you one free replacement part. For a 3 year old car it would be natural to want the genuine Subaru part. I should think Subaru corporate would do maybe a 50-50 good will repair or provide the part free and dealer charges for labor only. Have a reasonable expectation though because 62,000 is still past the warranty. Good luck.

 

[gregk24]

Call Subaru Corporate and ask for goodwill assistance.

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted by Miller88
I would not recommend running aftermarket axles in a subaru. I'm in a few facebook groups for Subarus and the aftermarket ones are problematic. I'd try to find a junkyard one in good shape and reboot it before running an aftermarket one


I've heard from my friends who are mechanics a similar story. My buddies recommend a full axle replacement and NOT aftermarket. They say they don't last.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by ls973800
Wife hears noise once and a while, dealer assessed at the recent 60K service that the front right outer CV was failing.

How close to the 60K service was it? Your factory powertrain warranty covers this part for 5 years or 60000 miles.

If under the 60000 you have warranty. If just a little bit over, the dealer may be willing to have it taken care of as a customer good will repair if you have had services done there in the past. You may even want to check with Subaru for any good will assistance.


This is what I would be doing.
Aftermarket axle on a 2017 with 60k, lol. If a CV went on a car I bought new at 60k I wouldn't be paying for it. The dealer is trying to soak you, OP.


Really? Around here even if you are a bit within warranty mileage they deny

But they are overcharging on labour, but Subaru shop manual wants tech to unbolt the strut from the hub assy and the redo the FEA, The shad tree "cheat" is to separate the lower ball joint so no alignment is required then the job is only 1/2 hour after the car is in the air and the tire is off.
They soaked my wife for $228 to just bleed the brakes!


Rule #173B: it never hurts to ask and Subaru of America is EXTREMELY easy to contact!!!

Also, stop blaming your wife for high PMS costs; are you completely out of the loop when hundreds of dollars are being spent????

 

[Saabist]

The front axles on Subarus are close to the exhaust system which 'cooks' the inner joints over time and reduces their service life. (Of course if problems develop with the outer joints that's a different issue.)

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by Saabist
The front axles on Subarus are close to the exhaust system which 'cooks' the inner joints over time and reduces their service life. (Of course if problems develop with the outer joints that's a different issue.)



OP has an Crosstrek, which is basically a lifted Impreza(so is a Forester) so the joints might be a little more loaded.

I don't think the Japanese OEMs are filling their CV joints with synthetic grease, and the inner tripod joint uses a moly-free soft to semi-fluid grease for the needle bearings and a thicker moly grease for the outer Repzza joint that uses ball bearings. I wonder if switching to a synthetic PAO/POE grease will help the inner joints live a long, happy life? All the OEM CV joints I've seen have sheared down grease that's a gloopy mess when the joint is disassembled.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Originally Posted by Saabist
The front axles on Subarus are close to the exhaust system which 'cooks' the inner joints over time and reduces their service life. (Of course if problems develop with the outer joints that's a different issue.)

Nice diagram

Inner joints basically never fail, except for poor designs like the one in your picture

Heat shields could take care of this

I like those triangle mufflers

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog

Inner joints basically never fail, except for poor designs like the one in your picture

Yes, looking at that chassis diagram (it's for a WRX but they're all similar layout) you know you're in for trouble. Front axles are a traditional problem area on Subarus though fortunately not one that's a huge repair.

The old Saab 900 had a similar problem, but just on the right-hand side where the exhaust system ran perilously close to the inner CV joint. I had the left side inner joint on my 9000 self-destruct but that was after 20 years and 300,000 miles so it's hard to complain about that. I replaced the shaft with a China-made aftermarket unit for a quick fix and it's been OK for a few years now. I kept the original part so it can be rebuilt at some point. (I know the Chinesium shaft is a throwaway.)

 

[gathermewool]

Yea, but look at that symmetry! lol

As mentioned, the above picture is for a turbo Subie. the OPs car has an exhaust that will only pass the passenger front CV axle - single exhaust, all the way back, after the header.

 

[Saabist]

I'm not all that familiar with the newer model Subarus, but don't they all have a Y-Pipe that passes close to both inner CV joints before joining into a single exhaust?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Yea, but look at that symmetry! lol

As mentioned, the above picture is for a turbo Subie. the OPs car has an exhaust that will only pass the passenger front CV axle - single exhaust, all the way back, after the header.

Why would the turbo have two cats other than one down-pipe from the turbo exhaust ?

I'm confused. Legacy 6 banger?

OH I went online at rockauto and NAPA

Napa has no application for the 17 crosstrek CVT

and Rock auto has none in stock.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by wdn
The actual Impreza though, not the jacked up Impreza with plastic body cladding, has the axles at a completely normal angle for a car. It is very unusual part to go out at 62K miles and not be caused by a torn boot where the grease leaked out and dirt got in. More like 10 year lifetime on the OEM part. You might check Crosstrek forums but the actual new gen Impreza 2017+ are not calling this a problem area. The Chinese axles have put a lot of the local rebuilders out of business. The local car guys radio show said the Chinese axles are quite good now and inexpensive. Their opinion was it is hard to justify using a reman when you can buy one of the new Chinese ones have a lifetime warranty like Raxles, cheaper than a reman. Lifetime meaning they will give you one free replacement part. For a 3 year old car it would be natural to want the genuine Subaru part. I should think Subaru corporate would do maybe a 50-50 good will repair or provide the part free and dealer charges for labor only. Have a reasonable expectation though because 62,000 is still past the warranty. Good luck.

Called SoA in NJ this afternoon. After telling my life story of ten subaru's in 30 years - from Justy to SVX - and our disappointment that the drive axle cv joint failed just 2000miles outside of warranty ( car is only 2 years + 10 month old ) they asked what the dealer estimate was for repair.
Then after a brief hold, they said they would email my wife a coupon for $350. off the repair service at any dealer in the U.S.

Not a bad 1/2 hr spent on the phone!

Thanks for the push, guys!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by gregk24
Call Subaru Corporate and ask for goodwill assistance.


Called SoA in NJ the afternoon. After telling my life story of ten subaru's in 30 years - from Justy to SVX - and our disappointment that the drive axle cv joint failed just 2000miles outside of warranty ( car is only 2 years + 10 month old ) they asked what the dealer estimate was for repair.
Then after a brief hold, they said they would email my wife a coupon for $350.00 off the repair service at any dealer in the U.S.

Not a bad 1/2 hour spent on the phone !

Thanks for the push, guys !

 

[wdn]

I figured Subaru would take care of that for you. Glad things turned out well in the end.