Subaru Levorg Problems

Subaru has told CarsGuide that the 2021 Levorg will, indeed, make it to Australia. There’s also speculation that it will be an even higher performance car this time around with the new 2.4-litre turbocharged engined from the WRX tipped to power the new Levorg wagon. The only catch is that, due to the need to supply other markets as well as Australia, Subaru may not be able to get hold of the first batch of the new Levorg until well into this year, perhaps even the last quarter of 2021.

Not sure where you heard or read that. Stuart, but it’s not even close to being true. Australia will get the 2021 Subaru Levorg, but the nuances of global supply from the Japanese factory mean that it might not show up in local showrooms until the fourth quarter of this year.

What precise form it will take is still a matter of great conjecture, but the smart money seems to think that it will be a muscled-up Levorg this time around. It will definitely have a turbocharged petrol engine and, again, the rumours suggest it might use the new 2.4-litre engine from the WRX, perhaps with a slightly different tune. A hybrid or plug-in electric Levorg? Not this time around, it would seem, and Subaru will probably wait until the next platform upgrade before it introduces electric-drive technology to the Levorg range.

Surprisingly, your car would probably run on E85, but it wouldn’t run properly. E85 is 85 per cent ethanol (and 15 per cent petrol) which has a lower energy content than straight petrol. As a result, a car running on E85 will need to use up to 30 per cent more fuel by volume to work properly. As your car is not tuned for this, it would probably run but would be down on power and may not idle or accelerate smoothly.

The bigger issue is that the high ethanol content fuel can be corrosive to fuel system parts (pumps and lines) not designed for it. While many Subaru models are, in fact, compatible with and suitable for E10 fuel (10 per cent ethanol and 90 per cent petrol) E10 has an octane rating of 94 while your car requires a minimum of 95-octane fuel. So even E10 would be a no-no.

With all that in mind, I think the best advice would be to drain the tank of the E85 as soon as possible. Refill it with 98-octane petrol and go for a drive to purge any residual E85 form the lines. Your workshop may even suggest a new fuel filter. If they don’t, ask about it yourself. The good news is that it’s very unlikely you’ve done any damage beyond the dent you’ve just put in your wallet.

I can understand why the key would normally not be covered by the warranty because it would be subject to wear and tear over its life, but in this case when the car is basically brand new I think you do have a case for the key to be replaced free of charge. In my view, based on what you have told us, Subaru should replace it as a gesture of goodwill. I am surprised and very disappointed that the Dept. of Fair Trading has dropped it simply because Subaru has not responded to their requests. That undermines the credibility of the department. I would seek legal advice on the merit of your claim before taking Subaru to court.

Your inquiry couldn't have been better timed, Ray. Subaru has just announced that the Levorg is coming to Australia, with the first deliveries expected in the middle of next year. And if you can't wait that long, the company has three sports-focused limited editions between now and the end of the year.