Subaru Problems

Noises like this can be hard to trace, but you're obviously on the right track and will ultimately establish the cause. Taking the shaft out seems like a good course of action having worked out that it is possibly at the heart of the problem. Good luck.

Glass is not something that is normally covered by the warranty, but the problem your wife has experienced is not normal. I would expect it's a design or quality issue, a product failure as you say, and should be fixed under the warranty. Go back to the dealer and have them take photos of it and send them to Subaru with the request to have it repaired under warranty.

Sadly, 2011 is not one of the better years for a Subaru. The new-generation model Forester arrived in 2013 and it gets The Tick. Ironically, a Forester from 2002-2009 is a good choice.

The Impreza is a good choice with all-wheel drive safety and a raft of airbags, so too is the Corolla, but you could also consider the Mazda3. It's best to stick with the recognized Japanese brands, European brands can be appealing, but they tend to be more troublesome and more expensive to service.

With modern stability control systems and on-demand all-wheel-drive you are far less likely to get caught out with understeer (where the nose of the car pushes wide) than you once were. Having said that, the Kluger — and the LandCruiser for that matter — aren't city-friendly vehicles. If you no longer need to tow but still like the safety net of all-wheel-drive, why not look at a Subaru Outback or Forester?

Subaru is well out of step on service support in Australia but the orders come from Japan. You will save money by going outside the dealer network for logbook servicing.

The Forester gets The Tick from me but only the latest model. It has improved quality and refinement, which came after Subaru — and a lot of Japanese brands — cut costs through the GFC.

For your needs, I would recommend the Subaru Forester. It is a great country drive, comfortable and safe, and gets The Tick. The Koleos is getting very dated.

You should buy what you like, particularly with retirement looming, and the Liberty definitely gets The Tick and will be fine as a long-term purchase.

The Sorento has just been voted the 2015 Car of the Year so it gets The Tick from me. There is an all-new CX-9 next year and a Santa Fe update soon. Today, the order is Sorento, Outback, Santa Fe and CX-9.