Subaru Outback Problems

The spare, while it would have become harder in the time it has been sitting in the rear of the car, would still be quite serviceable. Tyres can sit in dealer’s stock for longer than that before they’re sold off as new tyres. The decision to buy three Yokohamas or four of another brand is a line ball one. The Yokohamas would set you back around $910, four Michelins would cost about $20 more, and four Dunlops about $100 more. If you were to buy the three Yokohamas you would do well to put the current spare on the road and rotate all five when you come to do your rotation, that way the spare won’t be sitting in the back in the sun getting hard.

I reckon you're quite justified in claiming against Subaru given the relatively low kays you're done.

The speedo is allowed to read up to 10 percent higher than the real speed of your car, plus 4 km/h, and there’s nothing you can do about it. A GPS, which is more accurate, can be a useful guide to your real speed.

First, you need to have it checked out to find out exactly what is wrong, there’s no point in guessing. The cost of catalytic converters, particularly genuine factory ones, is very high and the cost you quote doesn’t surprise me, but it is possible to source non-factory parts and they work just fine at a fraction of the cost. I would also suggest you take it to an independent Subaru mechanic to have it checked. They will have the clues on replacement converters if that is indeed what you need.

Subaru advised us that without direct knowledge of the car the usage appears to fall within their acceptable limits. But if you have doubts they recommend that you book it in to an authorized Subaru dealer for checking. It is good that you check engine oil levels regularly as despite some perception, they do use some oil over time. Subaru's Customers Relations department (1800 22 66 43) would be happy to advise you of the nearest dealer location.

Clutches are considered wear and tear items; they wear out. It’s really a matter of whether they have a reasonable life span or not. Yours has done 90,000 km, which is in my view quite reasonable, and you know little of how it was treated before you bought it, so you have no real chance of claiming Subaru was at fault.

Here's Subaru's answer: "As with most brands gearboxes are not totally sealed units. If the vehicle is exposed to very heavy sand, the clutch may fail and sand could be evident during replacement." From that you should get the message that you shouldn't attempt to drive through heavy sand.

We have had previous reports of this issue and have approached Subaru for their comment, which was that they were not aware of a problem. They also advised that owners should only use Subaru- approved globes, suggesting that any problem that might exist was related to non-factory globes.

It's not a blown head gasket, so I would try Bars Leaks or some other similar product and hope that seals the coolant leak. The replace the gasket, which is the best fix, you'd have to take the engine out as the mechanics suggest.