2003 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

TRAVELING WEST ON I90 NEAR MENTOR OHIO I ATTEMPTED TO STOP MY 2003 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON ON A SNOW COVERED PORTION OF THE ROAD. MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 45 MPH. TRAFFIC STOPPED SUDDENLY, AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. ALSO, THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT ACTIVATE. FURTHER, UPON IMPACT WITH THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

NOTICED THE SMELL OF COOLANT WHEN EXITING THE CAR AFTER DRIVING. I INVESTIGATED THIS AND FOUND A SMALL COOLANT LEAK COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE LEFT CYLINDER HEAD. THE CAR IS A 2003 SUBARU LEGACY GT W/ THE 2.5L ENGINE. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE NEW,AND HAD THE FIRST FEW SERVICES PERFORMED @ THE DEALER PURCHASED,AND EVEN HAD A TRANS RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED THERE AS WELL.THE CAR HAD AROUND 65000 MI. ON IT WHEN THE LEAK WAS FIRST NOTICED BY ME NOT THE DEALERSHIP,EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AS TOLD BY A SERVICE REP WHEN I QUESTIONED THEM ON IT. IT TOOK SEVERAL VISITS TO GET INFO FROM THEM ON THIS BECAUSE THEY "DIDNT WANT TO REVEAL TOO MUCH INFO" TO ME,THE CONSUMER.APPARENTLY IF SUBARUS COOLANT ADDITIVE WAS ADDED BEFORE 100,000 MI. AND DOCUMENTED @ A CERTIFIED SERVICE CENTER,SUBARU WOULD COVER THE BILL FOR A NEW CYLINDER HEAD GASKET, IF NOT THEN IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. MY QUESTION IS IF THE ADDITIVE WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE HEAD GASKET TO SURVIVE BEING RUN THEN WHY WASNT IT ADDED AT THE FACTORY OR DEALER BEFORE SALE,AND WHOSE JOB WAS IT TO TELL THE CONSUMERS THAT IT NEEDED TO BE ADDED.THE BILL IS AROUND 1200$ AND FROM MY RESEARCH AND OBSERVATIONS OF VEHICLES W THE SAME MOTOR (I WORK IN THE AUTO BODY REPAIR BUSINESS) THIS HAPPENS TO MOST FAIRLY EARLY IN THE ENGINES LIFE.I THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY SUBARU THE MANUFACTURER,AND RESULT IN A TOTAL RECALL AND REPAIR OF THIS PROBLEM.THEY HAVE ALREADY LOST ME AS A CUSTOMER, AND ACTUALLY THE LAST TIME I TRIED CONTACT W THEM THEYRE RESPONSE WAS "WE WILL REMOVE YOU FROM OUR CONTACT LIST". *TR

BROKE TAILGATE WINDOW. GLASS SHOP INDICATED DEALER-ONLY ITEM. DEALER INDICATED NO REPLACEMENT WINDOWS EXISTED IN THE UNITED STATES. DEALER ALSO INDICATED THEY ALREADY HAD ANOTHER SIMILAR VEHICLE IN THEIR SHOP THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN WAITING 3 WEEKS FOR A WINDOW, AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHEN ONE WOULD COME IN. VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD AT TIME OF INCIDENT. FORCED TO GET USED TAILGATE/WINDOW FROM JUNKYARD. NO NEW REPLACEMENT WINDOWS EXISTED IN THE UNITED STATES, EVEN THOUGH THE WINDOW WAS THE SAME ON BOTH LEGACY WAGONS (LIKE MINE) AND OUTBACK WAGONS, AND WAS THE SAME FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS EVEN BUILT IN THE U.S. WINDOW ITSELF WAS NOT DEFECTIVE - PROBLEM WAS NO AVAILABLE REPLACEMENT PARTS. *TR

VEHICLE HAD COOLANT FLUSH IN DEC 2007 (39,924 MILES). COOLANT LEAKED AFTER THIS SERVICE. IN JAN 2008 (40,912 MILES) SUBARU DEALER PUT ADDITIVE IN COOLANT TO SEAL LEAK AND INDICATED MANUFACTURER EXTENDED DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY FOR THIS MODEL. IN DEC 08 COOLANT LEAKED. HEAD GASKET REPLACED 6 WEEKS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED (46,457 MILES). THERE WAS NO EXTENSION TO THE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY DESPITE BEING TOLD SUCH BY SERVICE ADVISOR (APPARENTLY THAT ENDED IN 2002). SUBARU DID PAY FOR ALL BY $500 OF WORK. SUBARU ALSO INDICATED THEY WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THE DRIVE TRAIN BELT FROM FAILING AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT AT MY COST. *TR

FUEL SMELL IN CAR WHEN TEMP, IS BELOW ~20 F. RECALL IN 2001 AND SERVICE BULLETIN IN WRX IN 2002-03. BUT NOT FOR THIS MODEL. SMELL IS OVERWHELMING AND FUEL LEAK IS VERY DANGEROUS. SOA SAYS IT IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR THIS PART. CAR ALTHOUGH IT MATCHES SERVICE BULLETIN TO THE DOT. TAKING TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW TO GET FUEL LINE CLAMPS LOOKED AT, POSSIBLY TIGHTENED. CAN'T DUPLICATE ISSUE UNLESS VERY COLD. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MY HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING. WILL NEED TO REPAIR FOR $1,200-1,500. *TR

BOTH HEAD GASKETS BLOWN ON A 2003 SUBARU LEGACY WITH ABOUT 54,000 MILES AND REGULARLY MAINTAINED BY THE DEALER CAR JUST 6 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

CAR HAS 78,000 MILES. DURING REG OIL CHANGE IT WAS DISCOVERED ;HAT MY HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING OIL. IF NOT REPAIRED WILL CRACK MY HEADS. COST IS $2,2OO-$2,400. THIS SEEMS VERY PREMATURE FOR SUCH A SERIOUS, EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO BE NEEDED. OF COURSE WARRANTY RAN OUT @ 75,000 MILES. DIDN'T EXTEND WARRANTY BECAUSE IN THE PAST I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY NEVER COVER WHAT BREAKS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SUBARU LEGACY SEDAN; AND WHILE TRAVELING ON ROADS WITH SPEED LIMITS OF 45 MPH OR MORE, I HEAR SWISHES FROM THE 2 FRONT WINDOWS. THEY SOUND AS IF I HAVE THEM ROLLED DOWN JUST SLIGHTLY ENOUGH TO WHERE THIS CONSTANT, AND VERY ANNOYING, WHOOSHING IS HEARD. I TRAVEL ON THE HIGHWAY EVERYWHERE I GO, AND THIS SOUND INCREASES AS VELOCITY IS INCREASED. IT'S SO I'M CONSTANTLY CHECKING THE POWER BUTTONS TO MY WINDOWS TO SEE IF I HAVE THEM ROLLED UP ALL THE WAY. ONE DAY ME AND 3 OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS; RODE IN MY CAR TO SPEND THE AFTERNOON TOGETHER AND ONCE WE HIT THE HIGHWAY, THEY ALL COMMENTED ON THE ANNOYING NOISE. THEY EVEN ASKED IF MY WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP TIGHTLY. MOST OF THE TIME, IT'S SUPERLATIVE TO THE MUSIC COMING FROM MY RADIO. **TR

I OWN A 2003 SUBARU LEGACY SEDAN. AS I PICK UP SPEED YOU CAN HEAR AN INCREASING WIND NOISE COMING FROM AROUND THE FRONT 2 WINDOWS. AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH AND ABOVE IT GETS REALLY BAD AND IT STARTS SOUNDING LIKE A REF BLOWING HIS WHISTLE. I TAKE MANY TRIPS ON THE INTERSTATE AND IT GET REALLY BAD AND IT GETS WORSE IF THE WIND IS BLOWING. THIS IS THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAD OTHER THAN THE TRANSMISSION HESITATING AND SHIFTING HARD UPON STARTING OFF IN DRIVE. OTHER THAN THESE 2 PROBLEMS IN IS A GREAT CAR. *NM