Worst oil filter locations.

My 951 and 968 have the filter up top in a somewhat ok place to reach, but it is impossible to take it off without oil from the filter dumping everywhere.

My 981 needs to be off the ground but after that it's not to hard
 
3rd gen Honda Prelude SH.

Many an expletive were sworn to Honda Engineers on that one.

Completely blind. Can’t see it from above, can’t see it from below. Remove it and it makes a huge mess.
 
Not sure what Subaru you are referring to there. My son’s 2020 Impreza Premium has the oil filter under the hood in plain sight and super easy reach. You could hardly get easier oil filter access than that.
 
Toyota’s 1GR-FE has a top mount filter with a built in drip pan and drain nipple for the easiest and cleanest filter change I’ve ever seen.
 
LOL! **** tier engineering like that is reason enough to avoid a vehicle (what else did they half-ass?)

Both of my current vehicles are top filters with super easy access.
That filter location on the EJ is easily manageable. I'm no fan of flat fours in watercooled cars, but how else are you going to package the close coupled converter if that engine design has the filter boss where it is.
I'll tell you the classic longitudinal engine layout is with the effort and some minor compromises,
Subaru put the filter up top on the redesign of this and the 2 litre. That has it's problems because the filter empties in about an hour after shutoff and you will get subsequent dry starts. They also went to hydraulic lash adjusters. Now That is a recipe for failure for addressing a "problem" and complaint that didnt really need fixing.

So I think the fix is stupid.
 
Not sure what Subaru you are referring to there. My son’s 2020 Impreza Premium has the oil filter under the hood in plain sight and super easy reach. You could hardly get easier oil filter access than that.
Like I said EJ253. Your son has the FB20 engine. From approx mid 1990 through early 2012 for the EJ25. Not all years/models had the exhaust wrap around the filter; our Foresters did.
Your top filter location makes it easy to change the filter but it cascades into multiple other WORSE engine issue with possible longevity problems - as I noted on a previous post just above. - Ken
 
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That filter location on the EJ is easily manageable. I'm no fan of flat fours in watercooled cars, but how else are you going to package the close coupled converter if that engine design has the filter boss where it is.
I'll tell you the classic longitudinal engine layout is with the effort and some minor compromises,
Subaru put the filter up top on the redesign of this and the 2 litre. That has it's problems because the filter empties in about an hour after shutoff and you will get subsequent dry starts. They also went to hydraulic lash adjusters. Now That is a recipe for failure for addressing a "problem" and complaint that didnt really need fixing.

So I think the fix is stupid.

So, poor engineering to fix poor engineering AND cost cutting.
 
Ford 1.5L Ecoboost. You need to take the stupid underbody shield off completely. They couldn't be bothered to put a door on it. And there are also two metal tubes just in front of the top of the filter that you need to navigate around. The filter mounts horizontally towards the front of the car.
 
Was it the GM 3.4 or the 3.8 that had the filter mounted on the passenger side towards the wheel well? hated that spot! And if I remember you had to reach your hand over a hot exhaust pipe (because of course GM would).

And I’ll tell yeah, I’m not a fan of Toyota’s oil filters/canisters. Took a lot of the fun out of my oil changes.
Interestingly Toyota has seemed to have gone back to the spin on type filter on some models as opposed to the cartridge type, thankfully.

My dad's 2016 4 cyl. Camry uses the cartridge type, and my uncles 2018 Camry 4 cyl. uses the spin on type. I change oil on both of them.
 
Interestingly Toyota has seemed to have gone back to the spin on type filter on some models as opposed to the cartridge type, thankfully.

My dad's 2016 4 cyl. Camry uses the cartridge type, and my uncles 2018 Camry 4 cyl. uses the spin on type. I change oil on both of them.
I just did a cartridge on a Tundra recently. Not a fan. If it was like a BMW or Mercedes where it can be serviced up too, I would be happier. The skid plate has to come off in any case.
 
Interestingly Toyota has seemed to have gone back to the spin on type filter on some models as opposed to the cartridge type, thankfully.

My dad's 2016 4 cyl. Camry uses the cartridge type, and my uncles 2018 Camry 4 cyl. uses the spin on type. I change oil on both of them.
I must be the only one who likes the Toyota cartridge setup. They do not bother me at all. The filter setup on my Ram 5.7 is far, far worse.
 
"When considering a new vehicle I always look under it for location and type of oil filter and drain plug for easy O.C.s."
Sure, we look for location and type of filter and drain plug but PREFER easy O.C.s.
None of us are going to buy a vehicle we hate just because it has easier access.

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The location of the oil filter wasn't great on my '86 Volvo 740 Turbo. They put the turbo above it (hot) and the motor mount below it. I couldn't see it from above or below. That's the only vehicle I ever owned and never changed the oil. And I had the oil changed 4 times a year for the 18 1/2 years I owned it.

The oil filter was out in the open in the non turbo engines, and they relocated the oil filter on the turbo engines starting in '87.
 
Interestingly Toyota has seemed to have gone back to the spin on type filter on some models as opposed to the cartridge type, thankfully.

My dad's 2016 4 cyl. Camry uses the cartridge type, and my uncles 2018 Camry 4 cyl. uses the spin on type. I change oil on both of them.
Interesting, didn’t realize they have started using the spin on filters again. Good to know.
 
So, poor engineering to fix poor engineering AND cost cutting.
So poor, that the Wife's last 2017 Crosstrek was one of the best cars we have ever owned.
And that is from a Sample size of more than 75 cars over 50 years.

as the Toyota's and Honda's we have owned have been garbage - falling WAY, WAY below expectations.

So maybe "poor" compared to some idea of perfection in your mind.

Now that I built up subaru or the recent past, I'm nonplussed with her NEW 2021 Outback base.
It somehow seems like a Chinese knock-off of a real Subaru.
A tangible cost cutting in materials and execution you hinted at but that did not exist just a few years earlier.
I'd rater have better materials than the Eyesight system with its lane keeping and emergency braking.
Some would say otherwise.
 
"When considering a new vehicle I always look under it for location and type of oil filter and drain plug for easy O.C.s."
Sure, we look for location and type of filter and drain plug but PREFER easy O.C.s.
None of us are going to buy a vehicle we hate just because it has easier access.

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Of course not. It becomes one of many things that factor into a vehicle decision.

When we were looking recently our decision came down to VW vs Subaru. Both options had convenient locations so it was a non-factor. In the end my wife chose styling and I preferred the Auto over the CVT.

Very few things are black and white.
 
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