2005 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

WITH GOOD ALL-SEASON TIRES, THE CAR BEGAN "SWIMMING", FISH-TAILING ON SNOW-PACKED ROADS. AT SLOWER SPEEDS IT STILL FELT LIKE WE HAD A FLAT TIRE. DEALER CHECKED THE CAR AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG, THAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD SUCH A COMPLAINT BEFORE AND THAT IT NEEDED GOOD SNOW TIRES. AFTER $500+ IN SNOW TIRES IT, AGAIN, HANDLED BADLY ON SLIPPERY ROADS. THE DEALER'S INSISTENCE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG PROMPTED ME TO SELL THE VEHICLE AND LEAVE SUBARU (HAVING OWNED 3). IT'S A SAD DAY WHEN A DEALER PREFERS TO SEE A CLIENT DEAD THAN ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. GOOD BYE SUBARU. *TR

2005 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH PASSENGER WHEEL BEARING FAILURE *TGW

THIS IS THE SECOND WELL MAINTAINED SUBARU LEGACY THAT THE ENGINE HAS BLOWN IN UNDER 150,000 MILES. FIRST A 1999 AND NOW A 2005. RESEARCH ONLINE SHOWS THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND HAS ALSO BEEN CONFIRMED BY INDEPENDENT MECHANICS. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT RECOURSE I CAN TAKE LEGALLY AS SUBARU HAS NOT OFFERED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED FOR AN INSPECTION. THE LAST TIME THEY OFFERED A $500 CREDIT TOWARDS A PROPOSED REPAIR THAT WAS ESTIMATED AT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER THE CLOSEST INDEPENDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT IF THE GOVERNMENT HAS HAD ANY SUCCESS IN GETTING SUBARU TO ADMIT THE PROBLEM AND DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO ADDRESS IT, OR IF THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT I CAN JOIN TO GET SOME SATISFACTION. THANKS YOU. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, HE WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE TURBO MECHANISM. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 62,000.

I WAS DRIVING AT THE SPEED LIMIT. I HEARD NOISES START TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR, AND THE CAR LOST POWER. AS SOON AS I SAFELY COULD, I PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE CAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED TURBOCHARGER. IT REPLACED THE TURBOCHARGER AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. IT TOOK THE DEALER FOUR DAYS TO RETURN THE CAR TO ME. APPROXIMATELY 150 MILES LATER, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS. I DROVE STRAIGHT TO A DEALERSHIP JUST A MILE OR TWO FROM WHERE I WAS LOCATED, BY COINCIDENCE, AT THE ONSET OF THIS SECOND PROBLEM. THIS SECOND DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM: THE REPLACEMENT TURBOCHARGER FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE WAS NOW DAMAGED. NOW THE ENTIRE ENGINE, INCLUDING YET ANOTHER TURBOCHARGER, IS BEING REPLACED, ALONG WITH OTHER ANCILLARY PARTS. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE CAR FOR FOUR DAYS THUS FAR. *TR

IN COLD (<32F) WEATHER VEHICLE EMITS VERY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE FROM INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ONCE TEMP RISES SMELL GOES AWAY.

SECOND TIME CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR THIS ISSUE. ISSUE IS COMMON, AND MANY FORUMS TOPICS HAVE BEEN STARTED DOCUMENTING THE COMMONALITY OF THIS ISSUE. I CAN PROVIDE LINKS. ISSUE: LEAKING/RAW GAS SMELL OUTSIDE OF CAR, INSIDE OF CAR, AND INSIDE OF ENGINE BAY IN COLD WEATHER UPON START UP (ENGINE WARM OR COLD). LEAKING/DRIPPING GAS CAN BEEN SEEN IN ENGINE BAY. FIRST REPAIR: TIGHTENED FUEL LINE CLAMPS. ISSUE FIXED. NEXT WINTER CAME ALONG, ISSUE RETURNED. THIS TIME DEALERSHIP (NORTH SHORE SUBARU, HIGHLAND PARK, IL) WANTS $700 TO FIX THE ISSUE. FIRST REPAIR COST $51.33 AT LIBERTY AUTO CITY/SUBARU IN LIBERTYVILLE, IL. CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND REPORTED REPEAT OF ISSUE. THEY HAVE NOT OFFERED TO REPAIR IT AND DENY THAT THE ISSUE IS COMMON. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY CONCERN. NO VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED HAS LEAKED FUEL AND I'M BAFFLED AS TO WHY SUBARU DOESN'T CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS LIABILITY RISK. *TR

THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED A FUEL LEAK IN MY 2005 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5 GT LIMITED WAGON (WHICH I PURCHASED NEW AND HAS BEEN IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED), AND IT STARTED OCCURRING DURING COLD WEATHER. I LOOKED ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY POPULAR COMPLAINT AMONGST OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE/SAME YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER, AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ISSUED. FUEL ISSUES ARE DANGEROUS!!! THERE WERE RECALLS ISSUED FOR THE 2002-2003 SUBARU WRX (COLD WEATHER FUEL LINE SEEP WHICH BY DESCRIPTION IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MY VEHICLE), 2004 SUBARU LEGACY SEDAN, AND THE 2005-2006 SUBARU BAJA, FOR FUEL LEAKS AND THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SAME THING, BUT IT SEEMS THIS IS A TREND FOR THE SUBARU VEHICLES IN 2002 - 2006. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT. 20 MINUTES AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING ALONG A SNOWY HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATED JUST AFTER A SET OF LIGHTS. THE REAR END OF THE CAR FELT VERY LOOSE AND THE CAR SQUIRRELED AFTER GAINING CONTROL AND ACCELERATING TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING THE REAR END SQUIRRELED OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE CAR SPUN 180 AND SLAMMED INTO THE SNOW BANK SIDEWAYS. IT HAS THE STOCK POTENZA 205-45-17'S I HAVE NEVER LOST CONTROL OF A VEHICLE IN MY LIFE LIKE THAT 2WD OR 4WD. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS MINOR THE DRIVERS SIDE DOORS ARE BOTH CRINKLED AT THE BOTTOMS AND PART OF THE SHROUD UNDERNEATH WAS BROKEN OFF. PLAN IS TO REPLACE TIRES ASAP SHAME ON SUBARU PUTTING OUT A WINTER VEHICLE WITH POOR PERFORMANCE TIRES. VEHICLE AND STOCK TIRES HAVE 36000KMS. *TR

THE LAST FEW MORNINGS I'VE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL AS MY CAR WARMS UP. A VERY, VERY STRONG ODOR OF RAW FUEL IS INSIDE THE CAR, AND IT SEEMS TO BE COMING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD VENTS, AND STRANGELY ENOUGH, ONLY ON VERY COLD MORNING/STARTS. THE SMELL EVENTUALLY GOES AWAY AFTER 15 TO 20 MINUTES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. I SEARCHED 3 TIMES NOW FOR A FUEL LEAK, AND AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, THERE ARE NO VISIBLE FUEL LEAKS ANYWHERE. I LOOKED AS GOOD AS I CAN, INJECTORS & HARD LINES, THE RUBBER FUEL LINES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE QUICK CONNECTIONS NEAR THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THERE IS NO FUEL ON THE FLOOR NEAR THE CLUTCH PEDAL, AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY LEAKS BACK AT THE FUEL FILLER PIPE, BUT I HONESTLY DIDN'T LOOK TOO CLOSELY BACK THERE AS THE SMELL IS CERTAINLY UP FRONT. I'VE NOW REMOVED MOST OF MY PERSONAL BELONGINGS FROM THE CAR AND WILL NO LONGER PARK IT IN MY DRIVEWAY, AS MY HOUSE ADJOINS THE DRIVEWAY. I AM CERTAIN THE CAR WILL SOON CATCH FIRE. A CALL TO THE SUBARU HOTLINE TELLS ME THERE ARE NO DEFECTS, AND ALL FUEL LINES EVENTUALLY LEAK. IN OTHER WORDS, TOUGH LUCK ON ME. SO, LIKE IT OR NOT, I AM MAKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SUBARU DEALER FOR THIS SAFETY REPAIR. I CAN ONLY HOPE IT BURNS IN THEIR PARKING LOT! *TR