2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI Complaints

1. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A ROAD TRIP TO NC WHEN THE ISSUE AROSE. 2. THE FAILURE TO THE CAR WAS CRACKED RINGLANDS ON THE # 2 AND 4 PISTONS. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO PRODUCE A WHITE SMOKE CLOUD ON START UP. BEFORE I PURCHASED THIS CAR SUBARU ISSUED A STOP SALE ON ALL 2008 WRX'S. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP UNDER A GOODWILL REPAIR. TO WHICH I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PART OF THE COST. THIS REPAIR WAS CONDUCTED IN MAR 2010. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN OPERATING VERY WELL UNTIL RECENTLY TO WHICH THE ENGINE HAS DEVELOPED A KNOCK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED ME THE NEXT DAY TO INFORM ME THAT THE ROD BEARING ON CYL #4 HAD FAILED. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT PROMPTED SUBARU TO PLACE A STOP SALE ON THE VEHICLES. DURING THE INITIAL STOP SALE THEY HAD A RANGE OF VIN'S THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AFFECTED, MINE WAS NOT IN THAT LIST. I THINK SUBARU HAD MIS-CALCULATED THE NUMBER OF CARS THAT WERE AFFECTED ON THIS STOP SALE. 3. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING A RE-MANUFACTURED ENGINE, TO WHICH I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW WITH NO RE-MANUFACTURED ON IT FROM THE FACTORY. SO WHY CAN A CAR MAKER PLACE RE-MANUFACTURED PARTS IN A CAR FOR A REPAIR? *TR

WHILE PASSING A TRACTOR-TRAILER ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY IN FIFTH GEAR AT APPROX 70MPH, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED DETONATION AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE. AFTER INCIDENT, CAR RUNS ROUGH, BURNS OIL, SMOKES ON STARTUP, BILLOWS SMOKE OUT OF THE OIL FILLER CAP, AND EXHIBITS POWER LOSS. ISSUE WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED BY COMPRESSION TEST. IF ENGINE FAILS WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY DURING NORMAL COMMUTE, MAY CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND/OR FIRE RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS NOT YET CORRECTED THE ISSUE, AS THEY CLAIM THE CAR IS RUNNING AS DESIGNED. *TR

DRIVING THE CAR ON A WINDY ROAD, ACCELERATED OUT OF A CORNER IN 3RD GEAR. CAR STARTED SHAKING, CLICKING, AND RUNNING POORLY. FAILURE OF CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS ON THE CRANK SHAFT. ENGINE LONG BLOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

MAIN ROD BEARING FAILED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO SUBARU REDESIGNING THEIR BEARINGS AND NOT USING COPPER. CAR HAS 30,000 MILES ON ENGINE. BETWEEN ALL THE PISTON FAILURES AND BEARING FAILURES SUBARU SHOULD OWN UP AND TAKE CARE OF ITS LOYAL CUSTOMERS AS I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL EVER BUY ONE AGAIN. *TR

THE SUBARU STI SERIES KNOWN AS THE GR IS PRONE TO BREAKING PISTON RINGLANDS IF DETONATION EVER OCCURS, WHICH HAPPENS EASILY ON THIS ENGINE, WHICH IS NOW TUNED FOR MORE POWER YET FEWER EMISSIONS. THE RINGLAND BREAKAGE RESULTS IN POWER LOSS AND EXTREME OIL CONSUMPTION DUE TO BLOWBY AND IF NOT NOTICED IN TIME WILL LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZING. IF DRIVEN AGGRESSIVELY ENOUGH, THIS SEIZING DUE TO OIL LOSS CAN HAPPEN IN AS FEW AS 10 MINUTES. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR THE RINGLAND BREAKAGE TO BE SO SEVERE THAT THE ENGINE SPRAY-COATS A LARGE SECTION OF ROADWAY, MAKING FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF A BLACK ICE CONDITION FOR OTHER TRAFFIC. A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD I'M NOT AWARE OF HAPPENING WITH THIS VEHICLE YET BUT STILL POSSIBLE IS NOT ONLY THE LOSS OF CONTROL SHOULD THE ENGINE SEIZE AND THE DRIVER NOT BE MECHANICALLY SAVVY ENOUGH TO KNOW DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH WILL GIVE HIM BACK SOME CONTROL AND REDUCE THE CHANCES OF BEING REAR-ENDED WHEN THE CAR TRIES TO STOP VERY RAPIDLY WITHOUT THE BRAKES AND THEREFORE THE BRAKELIGHTS BEING USED. DESPITE THE LARGE NUMBERS OF THESE FAILURES BEING REPORTED, SUBARU DENIES A PROBLEM EXISTS. I HAVE ALL OF THE PARTS FROM MY ORIGINAL FAILED ENGINE WHICH ALSO SHOWED OTHER ASSEMBLY PROBLEMS. I WILL HAVE THE PIECES OF MY 2ND ENGINE WHEN I PICK THE CAR UP SOON. MANY MECHANICS ARE OF THE OPINION MANY OF THESE ENGINES HAVE BROKEN RINGLANDS AND THE OWNERS DON'T KNOW IT. WE ALSO FEEL THE PROBLEM IS AGGRESSIVE OEM TUNING WHILE USING WEAK CAST PISTONS AS IT'S DETONATION, EVEN A SINGLE EVENT, THAT BREAKS THEM. AND IT'S INCONCEIVABLE AN ENGINE WITH THIS DAMAGE WOULD PASS AN EPA EMISSIONS TEST. *TR

IN FEBRUARY 2010, I PURCHASED A 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI FROM A SUBARU DEALERSHIP WITH FACTORY WARRANTY AND I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED FACTORY WARRANTY. ONCE I BEGAN GETTING USED TO THE CAR I NOTICED THERE WAS AN ISSUE. WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE THERE WOULD BE CONSTANT "DEAD SPOTS" IN THE POWER BAND THROUGH OUT THE RPM RANGE. AFTER MULTIPLE TIMES OF BRING THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. BUT I BEING VERY CAR SOCIAL ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT MANY AND I MEAN MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE AND SOME HAD COME TO FIND OUT THAT THERE MOTORS PISTONS "RINGLANDS" WERE CRACKED AND THE CYLINDER WAS LOSING COMPRESSION. AFTER MULTIPLE SERVICES AS EXPLAINED BEFORE SUBARU FINALLY FOUND THAT MY MOTOR ALSO HAD A "RINGLAND" FAILURE! THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BOTTOM END OF THE MOTOR AND I RECEIVED MY CAR BACK. IT RAN GREAT I KNEW THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD HAVE FELT IN THE FIRST PLACE.BUT NOW AROUND 3000 MILES LATER THE SAME ISSUE IS BACK AGAIN! IT IS MY WORRY THAT I GO TO PULL OUT OF A SIDE ROAD EXPECTING THE CAR TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT, AND I GO, BUT THE CAR IS BOGGING DOWN AND IS STRUGGLING TO GET UP TO SPEED AND THE OTHER CAR HAS TO JAM ON THERE BREAKS OR THEY END OF REAR ENDING ME CAUSING AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM.THE SAME COULD BE SAID FOR EXIT ENTRANCES ONTO HIGHWAYS. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN PLAGUING SUBARU OWNERS FOR YEARS NOW AND SUBARU HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS ISSUE. AND THIS DOES NOT ONLY EFFECT SUBARU IMPREZA STI OWNERS ONLY BUT CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE MODELS SUCH AS THE WRX, OR OUTBACKS DE TO SIMILAR ENGINE DESIGNS. I BELIEVE SUBARU IS TURNING A BLIND EYE TO HOW MUCH OF AND ISSUE THIS IS AND HOW BIG AN ISSUE THIS COULD CAUSE. I READ THAT MOST CAR COMPANIES WHEN THEY HAVE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AS EXPLAINED THEY COMPARE THE COST OF A RECALL TO COST OF PER CAR ISSUES AND THEY GO WITH THE CHEAPER BUT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM NEEDS RESOLUTION. *TR

PISTON #4 HAD RINGLAND FAILURE OF BOTH RINGLANDS ON SAID PISTON IN MY 2008 SUBARU WRX STI. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH DOES NOT SAY THE AIRBAG IS ON WHEN MY WIFE IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SHE IS 103 POUNDS AND SHOULD TURN THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON ACCORDING TO SUBARU. THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON WHEN I SIT IN THE SEAT (160POUNDS) OR WHEN ANYONE OVER SAY 130 POUNDS SITS IN IT. *TR

MY 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI HAD A NUMBER FOUR PISTON FAILURE WITH ONLY 28,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO A LOCAL AUTO SHOP WHEN A PROBLEM WAS NOTICED. THE SHOP DID A COMPRESSION TEST AND FOUND THE NUMBER FOUR PISTON TO BE AT FAULT. DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER WALLS THE BLOCK AND ALL ASSOCIATED INTERNALS WERE REPLACED. AFTER REMOVING THE HEADS THE SHOP OWNER SAID THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF DETONATION ON THE CYLINDER AND THAT THE FAILURE MOST LIKELY WAS DUE TO POOR BUILD QUALITY. *TR

AT 15,500 MILES, MY 2008 SUBARU STI EXPERIENCED A RINGLAND FAILURE ON THE #4 PISTON. THIS WAS VERIFIED VIA A COMPRESSION/LEAKDOWN TEST. A LONGBLOCK REPLACEMENT WAS APPROVED BY SUBARU OF AMERICA. MY MAIN CONCERN, WITHOUT TAKING ENGINE COMPONENTS OFF, THIS MILD CRACKED RINGLAND WAS ALMOST UN-DETECTABLE. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DEGRADATION IN PERFORMANCE, FOR RUNNING ON 3.5 OF 4 CYLINDERS. IN ADDITION, MY MECHANIC ALSO FOUND FUEL IN THE OIL PAN. *TR