We bought our 2010 Subaru Outback new and it's since done 204,000 km. It has been religiously serviced by the dealer, has never been in an accident, and never been off-road. But we have had five major component failures, two this year alone.
Each time we have been told that it is the only instance that Subaru is aware of happening in Australia.
A glow plug went eight months after purchase and all four had to be replaced under warranty. A steering arm snapped two years ago and the whole component had to be replaced. It was out of warranty but they helped us by not charging for parts. A year ago fifth gear would pop out into neutral under acceleration, and again they assisted with parts and we paid for labour.
A few months ago a ticking noise was noticed, Subaru has advised that injectors were faulty and all four require replacement at a cost of $8000-$10,000, and that there would be no assistance this time. Advised that parts are not even stored in Australia and they have never heard of this happening.
A second opinion from a mechanic that specializes in Subarus stated there was nothing wrong with the injectors, so we crossed our fingers and hoped he was right.
Two days ago the steering failed. There was a horrible grinding noise and the steering seized.
It was towed to Subaru and we were advised that the whole assembly requires replacing at $4000 for the part alone and the part doesn't exist in Australia and it will be a 6-8 week wait for the part to arrive.
I know there is mileage on the car, but are my expectations too high in thinking that these sort of major components of the car should last more than six years? Do I have any rights at all with Subaru coughing up the costs of repairs?
It's not unusual for diesel fuel-injectors to become noisy when they wear, I'm sure Subaru would have come across that before, and it's the same with all brands. The gearbox jumping out of fifth is also a fairly common complaint, one I'm sure Subaru has encountered before.
The steering failures are of concern, and should be of concern to Subaru, given that the steering is a safety item. That the parts are not stored here is nothing new, many carmakers rely on stores held in Asia for their parts, and bring them in as needed. That said, they should be available overnight given that we have jet planes these days and they no longer have to go by steam ship. You should not have to wait six-eight weeks for them to arrive. What that suggests is that Subaru does not care about owners of older models like yours.
Unfortunately you don't have any rights as such with the company, it's really down to your negotiating skills to convince them that they should come to the party and help with the cost of repairs. But with your car having done more than 200,000km I don't believe you would get anywhere on that front.
I would suggest you try an independent Subaru mechanic to repair it, and use second-hand parts, but more than that I would think about selling it.
Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should
not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information
provided in the answers.
Comments