Subaru Problems

Assessing what is "normal" wear and tear on things like carpets is always difficult, but for the carpet to be wearing heavily after four years is not what I would call normal. I would also agree that the dealer should have told you they were fitting non-genuine parts to your car when they advised you to replace them. Perhaps the dealer was thinking they were doing you a favour by fitting cheaper wiper blades and saving you some money, but I doubt that Subaru would be happy with the dealer for doing that. I would approach Subaru's customer assistance people and argue your case for having the carpets and floor mats replaced, and at the same request that they have the non-genuine wiper blades replaced by genuine parts.

We haven't had any other reports of this issue here at Carsguide, so we asked Subaru for their help. They advised that they "have found that 'upgrade' headlight globes (brighter/ cleaner light) tend to have shorter lives. It seems that they have a trade-off between higher performance and longevity. This is true of genuine and non-genuine parts, although non-genuine parts seem to be worse as regards longevity. The recommendation is to buy standard genuine globes from the dealer, and try these." They added "starting the car with the headlights off will assist with longevity of the   bulbs." In general, they said, "if there was a problem with the car's electrical system, such as an alternator issue, the problems would be more general and not restricted to the headlight globes only."

When new the Liberty would get around 12 L/100 km on average. If the whirring noise is heard when you depress the clutch pedal it is most likely a clutch throw-out bearing, if the clutch is worn it will be taking up near the floor and you might experience some crunching of the gears. The clicking noise you hear when turning is probably the CV joints, which probably need replacing.

The biofuels people tell us to expect an increase in fuel usage of about three per cent, but that’s offset by the cheaper price of E10. Run a check on your car to actually measure the difference in consumption. Run it on E10 for a couple of tank fulls and then revert to regular unleaded, again for a couple of tank fulls. That will tell you exactly what your car is doing and if it’s worthwhile using E10. We have had a couple of other reports from owners saying their cars are using a lot more E10 than they were unleaded, but the biofuels people and the carmaker involved reckoned there was something wrong with their cars. Running a higher octane fuel will generally improve fuel economy and performance, but it costs more, so you have to balance the extra costs against the benefits to determine if that’s the best way to go.

We asked Subaru and the short answer is no. They told us that the roof cross bars between the Liberty and the Outback are different, as are the way they mount to the roof. Your Outback has a rail system, similar to current Outback and Forester, whereas the Liberty screws into the roof. With two different attachment systems, they cannot be interchanged.

If you haven't had the brakes checked, do so, as it could be the brake rotors causing your steering shudder. I wouldn't be expecting to rebuild the suspension as such, although you could have a suspension specialist check the shock absorbers for you. Likewise, I wouldn't be expecting the auto to pack up just because it's racked up 100,000km, particularly if it's driving normally without a sign of a problem.

There are a number of possible explanations for the poor seal that results in the noise. It could be that the car has been in a crash at some point and the door hasn't been adjusted properly when repaired; it could be that the door has dropped as happens on many cars over time, or it could be a faulty seal. Take the car to a body repair shop experienced in working on Subaru's and have it assessed.

Subaru's advice is correct and they confirmed it for us. The problems mentioned by the service manager are ones that might be experienced by owners of old cars, particularly those running carburetors. We also approached the Biofuels Association and they too confirmed that you could use E10 without a problem.

We asked Subaru to help us answer your questions and they have told us that the "manual release mechanism is to provide for emergency recovery if the vehicle becomes stuck in Park for any reason." We were told that there is no current or historical problem with the car, and that this type of mechanism is not uncommon. It was recommended that you discuss the issue of the recurrence of the problem with your dealer. We were also informed that the original switch should have been covered by Subaru's 24-months parts warranty, which applies when an authorized dealer installs a genuine part. Subaru says that it is possible that the extensive electrical modification and subsequent restoration that is made to emergency vehicles could have contributed to the problem with your vehicle, but that it is equally likely that the switch simply failed. It was suggested that you go back to your dealer and request that the warranty be honoured, and also request that the issue be referred to the Subaru regional office for technical review if it reoccurs.

A Subaru dealer would be able to fix it for you, so too should a competent panel beater or mechanic. If you're not sure of your local panel beaters or mechanics take it to a dealer who should have both the competence and parts needed to affect a repair.