urdrwho

If they are ranking 2019 it can't be an accurate measurement. At most, how many miles driven will be on 2019 models at this current time of the year?

I guess CNN has a different CR account. My Consumerreports.org will only go up to the year 2018 for reliability.

This makes no sense...

I'm staring at the CR screen for the 2019 OB and I'm on the Ratings and Safety tab. They are showing two OB's, the same darn car. For the one 2019 OB they give it an overall CR score of 81 and for the other 2019 PB they give a CR overall rating of 83. They're the same car. They are saying 16 city MPG and 34 Highway MPG (both cars).

The 2019 Legacy gets an overall score of 88. So all you Legacy owners bet a better score than the OB.

So if we can go to different data sets among different reports does any of it matter? I guess the only thing that matters is the anecdotal evidence given by each persons experience from driving their cars.

I had a car that I was using while I installed an engine in one of my daily drivers. It was a cheap Mitsi Gallant that had an issue with oil weeping past the valve seals. Ran fine except from a stop light it would puff some smoke. Aside from the puff, it had leather, a nice sound system, everything worked well, etc. I sold that car to a friends son who needed a car to and pointed out the valve seal issue. It was a $750 deal, sold as-is and he was going to pay me back in payments. He let his girlfriend use the car. She never checked the oil level and one day on the highway, she seized the engine, because she never checked the oil level.

So although he ran the car without oil, to him it was a piece of junk. To me, I could have kept running that car for a long time. He never paid for the car, his parents offered to pay me but I said no. It is his to pay and someday he may think back that he was the one to break the car.

To the buyer anecdotal evidence would be a gallants are a piece of crap but to me it would have been an ok car. I had already driven the car all winter, spring and summer. As a kid I had a car that had terrible piston rings and was a smoker. I drove that car all through high school but I kept an eye on the oil level.

What are they rating? Consumer satisfaction? Frequency or cost of repairs? Over how long of a period?

 

More details makes the information usefull.

I agree that it is just another data source and be it polls or data collection, methodology is king.

To their credit, Consumer Reports does publish their rating methodology, although I often disagree with them in detail (e.g. weighting factors). CR isn't gospel, just another data source comprising probably the largest sample size of any comparable ranklings.

The silence is in regards to people who are very vocal about my posts but silent on my points such as Consumer Reports. Maybe the red marks in CR isn't good enough for them?

Let's talk anecdotal. The guy that bought my Volvo - had a lot of problems with his OB. A friend at church mentioned her OB uses oil (she owns the year of oil problems). I had a number of issues on mine. All OB's mentioned are within a small space of model years. A small sampling yes but they are the only people I know that own or owned OBs.

I see someone mentioned BMW. I know a guy and his wife each owned one. He loves his but his wife had to replace her sunroof or something up top. It cost $$$ thousands and $$$$ thousands. Most all of the cost was labor of the technicians. She now drives a Kia.

My wife wanted a Legacy but because it was going to be my DD I wanted and got an OB. Because I liked my 97 OB so much I wanted another OB and we searched and searched for one. And then after purchasing one, the troubles appeared. Ya know how maddening it is when that automatic lift-gate decides not to open and you're standing in the rain holding groceries? And it was most often in the rain or snow. Dealer couldn't replicate. Of course not because it was a random thing. Nothing that will kill ya but very annoying and a known issue.

My experience wasn't just one thing but more like a death from a thousand cuts. Could be my model year of 2015? Looking at one site 2015 Subaru vehicles number of problems was the highest of all years except 2002. In 2002 the total was 1,123. And I've noticed the OB has higher problem numbers than the Legacy. Does Subaru still install a 490 CCA battery into their new vehicles?

Finally, you mention in your post that you are concerned about "the silence" from certain people in regards to your comments on Subaru unreliability .... could I dare to suggest that the "silent ones" are the silent majority who have few complaints about their cars

Well normally a fan-boy doesn't purchase something knowing it is a problem but they are very emotionally involved with their car. A fan-boy would be someone that in the face of fact, they refuse to accept a long term issue. I've posted something we all know and that was the subaru almost decade long head gasket problem. To the people that kept saying I was giving anecdotal eveidence, they have yet to come out and say, "yes subaru did lose some reliability during those years. Nope we only hear silence. No mention of that oil leak issue on some recent years. Nope silence.

Subaru does a masterful marketing job and if someone had never driven a subaru the advertisements make them look as rugged as the Willy's WWII Jeep was in its day.

Fan-boys are not just Subaru owners, they are also Ford owners and everything in between. For two decades I drove a brand that was known as a luxury sport vehicle. On some of those forums they had to split up the specific models. The reason was that the purists were picking on the people who owned cars that were now produced by Ford (Ford bought them out).

As I have stated over and over and over, I am not anti-Subaru but I did find that my 2015 was not the Subaru of old. It was a CPO and therefore compared to buying from a private seller, I paid a premium price. In the first week I found the HU issue. Then there was the coolant loss, evaporation or whatever but it was unlike any subie I had ever owned previously --- and more. Then I started reading posts about bearings going out at rather low mileage, not mine but enough posts to raise an eyebrow. Going back and forth to the dealer so often gave my car the nickname of boomerang.

My OB was about a week old to us when people came to buy my Volvo V50. Their remark, "oh I see you have an OB, we had one that looked exactly the same, same color." Inquisitive I asked, you had one, what happened to it? Their response was this, "we got tired of constantly taking it back to the dealer for fixes." Anecdotal yes, but running into someone that has my same car was statistically unusual.

And then our car started its need to go back to the dealer. Then I see posts of failures for parts that in my years of driving were normally parts that failed over 100,000 miles. Add to all of it, I am not a CVT fan. I have a friend that just bought a Nissan Rogue and he says the same thing about CVT's in our city traffic. On the OB forum the description was a put-put feeling.

My last OB Limited that I sold was a 97 and had over 300,000 on the engine. It's brother that I owned at the same time was a 95 Legacy wagon and had high mileage. They both were of the vintage years that had the rust cancer on the wheel wells. Yes that rust was something that Subie's of that vintage were prone to show. The 97 is still running around the city and the 95 went to auction.

I am not very sure that the 2015 models will, in 20 years, be as prevalent as the older subie. The older 20 year subie's that are still running around is what just might allow the marketing department to tout longest ownership.

I wish I still had that 97 OB Limited. Great seats, everything inside was perfect (yes it had rust) but the 2.2 I installed was running fine. It was a freak'in workhorse.

Truth be told with all the electronics in cars today, I wonder who is willing to hold onto them once all that expensive electronic equipment begins to fail?

The point is that the subaru forum poster boys never accept the problems as a manufacturing problem.

People who are just being a fan-boy for subaru doesn't help change things, the squeaky wheels change things./QUOTE]

 

I find this concept of "Fan Boy" interesting. Is there really subaru owners out there who are stupid enough to buy the brand knowing full well they are pieces of "unreliable crap"? If they only find out about the lack of reliability after their purchase, do these same people continue to drive these "crappy vehicles" just because they are "fan boys?" One poster on this subject recently said "my anecdotes are just as valid as yours; no more, no less" and with that "validity" point in mind, I submit my anecdote that I have read where Subarus are up near the top in relation to brand repurchase and also up near the top in regards to the brands kept the longest.

 

I am going to be most disappointed if I don't get 300,000 miles out of mine. ( I will be changing the transmission fluid at 100,000 though). But if it starts falling apart then I'll get rid of it ... unlike another poster on this forum who states that he has had his vehicle towed 8 times and his list of complaints is never ending ..... even if there was a significant replacement cost involved, why this poster continues to drive a Subaru has me beat. Perhaps it's like in the animal kingdom where some protect their young to the point of death, and then there are others who eat their own

No you didn't offend me. I was serious when I said nobody ever said anything and I never noticed. I'm glad you said something or else I would have continued with my incorrect spelling.

Years ago I had a friend that was an English major and his thing was dangling participles. In school I couldn't diagram a sentence if there were / was / were / was a gun to my head. I was a math head. So when he an I were business partners I did everything math and he did everything grammar. My wife is a grammar person and when she edits, she marks up all my stuff.

I'm one of the nicest people you could ever meet - I'm just a stickler for spelling and grammar. Didn't mean to offend, if I did.

My 2015 OB did not have mis-matched tires. They were brand new tires.

Personally I never found the electric steering to present any problems, not one.

It is not just my opinion but the opinion of people who write articles; the opinion of those who were polled.

Plus if you read (yes I knew my posts are long) but I said reliability has come back up.

Look in the past, years ago, Subie had some very bad years for reliability and if you can't be objective and admit that --- well I don't know what to call that.

Head gaskets and oil leak problems aren't a minor issue.

But it isn't just me saying things about engine problems in the past. I opened my consumerreports.org account and looked. From 00 to 09 major engine had big red marks. That is almost 10 years of bad and that would equate to a lot of people. Things didn't start getting best marks (dark green) until 2014. That is a lot of years until the major engine hit best marks.

So this has now entered the silly phase. You keep saying they are my opinions, I keep giving links to articles and there is no where else to go. If you aren't willing to accept that Subie had bad years then all I can say is cultism. As people have said cars can have bad years and Subie is not exempt from it. It appears that in 2014 someone shook up subie and they fixed things. I do question why it took them so long to solve some major problems.

CR doesn't take into consideration complaints like "coolant disappearance".

CR does note things that have been mentioned on subie forums -- battery issues; Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure. "“Shuddering when starting up until about 20 mph” "“both right rear and left rear bearings failed at 25k - 35k miles”"

2015 Outback

Overall Reliability 3 / 5

My Volvo 2016 V60

Overall Reliability 4 / 5

Wifes 2011 Honda CR-V

Overall Reliability 5 / 5

I have to wonder about people who post the next sentance as a complaint about a car!?!??! Seriously - a complaint!????

"“Car was hit by a deer” Anonymous, IA (2015 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 3.6-L 6 Cyl)"

My sole intent was to refute your unsubstantiated assertions:

 

• "Quality has gone downhill for Subaru."
  
• "Going to all electric steering has been a nightmare."
  
• "They [subaru] know the issues and just look the other way."
  

Remember, you're the guy who repeatedly complains about poor vehicle tracking and blames the electric steering, but then admits to driving an AWD vehicle around on grossly mismatched tires ... two 50,000 mile tires, one 25,000 mile tire, and one 10,000 mile tire. What could possibly go wrong?

Ha! thanks. Yep I never ever considered the spelling and you are the first to catch it.

Good eyes

But on a serious side, all these attacks on spelling or things like I complain play right into the hands of the idea that owners tend to be cult-ish. Instead of researching and debating with facts, it is juvenile to just present personal attacks.

Would you also present the same king of debate tactic if you were about to purchase a 2013 Elantra and I instead brought the engine problems to your attention? If you were about to buy a certain year Nissan Rogue I believe you would want to hear about the Nissan CVT issues?

So apparently when people on Subaru forums bring up Subaru problems you are supposed to shut up. Really I can name on three fingers the individuals that constantly throw wrenches at me. On the other hand, no two hands, no three hands I have had people send private messages in my support.

This is a forum about cars and normally things stay car talk until certain people start throwing wrenches.

My first subie was a 1983 Subaru DL. Fun car but it didn't last long. I had it for about a year and then valve problems appeared. Ha! My front seat broke one day and I had to put a 5 gallon can in the rear to keep the seat in an up position.

I don't come around much, only when I get an e-mail that someone posted to a thread that I had followed at one time.

And after years of owning Subaru’s, you still spell it Subbie. It’s Subie, not Subbie.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No not all cars have inherent problems that are apparent time after time and for years. You would be more correct saying some cars.

The point is that the subaru forum poster boys never accept the problems as a manufacturing problem. How many years did the head gasket issue exist? Two thousand posts on coolant disappearing / loss and what do you hear from fans...it is evaporation. Fix the damn thing subaru and go to a closed system. With such a stupid system you never know if it is evaporation or is it truly a problem.

The link I gave about the line is a problem. I am familiar with the Harley Davidson line and once they made it that one person can stop the line, quality picked up. So subaru -- join modern line management and let one person stop the line. What the heck!

For years I espoused how reliable my subbies were but that was before my 2015. I am ticked off to see so many of the same complaints over and over for a car that IMO was once a bullet proof car.

People who are just being a fan-boy for subaru doesn't help change things, the squeaky wheels change things.

"Subaru Drops Significantly in Consumer Reports Reliability Ratings; is the Helium Coming Out of the Balloon?

In the recent Consumer Reports Reliability ratings, Subaru drops out of the top 10. Is the Helium Coming Out of the Balloon?

As Subaru sales continue to rise, the company has underlined the importance of quality control moving forward following a spate of recalls and a drop in its Consumer Reports reliability rating."

The Quality Question: Why Has Subaru's Reliability Gone Downhill?

Subarus used to be known for their rugged durability. Now the socially progressive brand is dealing with severe engine related issues.

BY STEVEN LANGAPRIL 18, 2017

"When I first started off in the car business, way back in 1999, Subaru was right up there with the best. Better than Nissan. Way better than the Koreans and the domestic cars. Even better than Volvo which back then was saying a lot.

I used to buy every Outback and Forester I could get my hands on here in Atlanta, and I sold them to folks who were a pleasure to do business with because..."

Now granted Subaru has moved back up the ratings scale but there are thousands upon thousands of subaru owners who are owners of defective cars such as head gasket, oil leaks, etc. SUch people probably bought with the idea that subarus are bullet proof. Some defects are not a question of if but when will the problem appear. People just don't know it. Its like I just bought an investment condo and had to educate the real estate people on the problem of polybutylene piping. People who have the piping don't just don't know.

All cars have problems. Some problems are notorious for specific makes or models. You can go on any car forum and find the top 5 most common issues, so what exactly is your point? Perhaps you have an image painted in your head that Subaru is supposed to be perfect?

I loved my older subarus but the 2015 OB was somewhat a piece of crap. I still suspect that it was used for business in downtown Philadelphia so there were a lot more hours on the clock than the odometer.

Yes I initially posted on the legacy forum because it is the forum I was already signed up for with my other subbies.

I just think watching the subbie forums is like the movie Ground Hog Day. You keep seeing the same issues over and over and over -- year after year after year. Bearings, head units, coolant loss etc. Why the hell doesn't subaru join the modern world and install a closed coolant reservoir? It would put an end to the lost coolant --- unless there is more than evaporation at play.

Maybe there are other areas that they should join the modern world?

Engineering tours the plant.

"The visit is for their main plant at 1-1 Shoyacho, Ota, Gunma Prefecture 373-0822, Japan.

Nissan was recently in the news with a small scandal where the final inspection was done by workers that did not have the official government certificate to do the inspection. Less well known is that Subaru apparently did the very same thing.

The information flow is not quite as good as I would like it to be. There were only a few small andon boards. Unlike many other plants, the worker also does not have the power to stop the line. If there is a problem at Toyota, they would pull the andon cord to stop the line. At Subaru, I have been told that if there is a problem, the worker has to make a call to a supervisor before the line gets shut down. I would guess that as a result, the workers are much more hesitant to escalate an issue, and more issues may simply be put down the line. Hence it is a bit surprising to me that Subaru enjoys a good reputation for quality."

So I am here for your entertainment and enjoyment.

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/138-gen-5-2015-2019/411617-2015-wheel-bearing-issues-anyone-else-8.html

Can you believe almost 2000 posts just on head units?

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/138-gen-5-2015-2019/465882-2018-headunit-issues-thread.html

And 800 on the battery. Why the hell would they put a 490 CCA battery in a new car!

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/138-gen-5-2015-2019/391217-gen5-replacing-original-battery-better.html

Here is a test for you, what problems are inherent in a Subaru that is considered an engineering / manufacturing problem?

If you ever have any objective evidence to present, I'll be glad to consider it.

Foghorn Leghorn IT'S A JOKE, SON. --- it was a joke.

What a strange reply

 

Dude bitches without even so much as an anecdote.

Good to know. What I do know is that SXM was not affected on any of our other non-subbie cars. My dealer was going to charge for that update but now someone else has to pay.

My dealer also said that there was a possibility of the update bricking my HU?

My car was a CPO and the lines where noticed on my first road trip which was about a week after purchase. Sales guy said his Legacy has the lines and he just lives with it. Dealer wasn't going to do anything until I got SOA involved. SOA told dealer fix it with no charges.

SOA is your friend.

The Sirius categories issue was fixed with a firmware update. It was something that SXM changed that messed up some non-SXM receivers.

It is just total crap that so many people have HU issues on the subbies. Also there is that issue where Sirius categories will not propagate. Was that issue finally fixed.

I couldn't take all the issues anymore and moved on. I feel bad seeing all the same constant failures. People bought the marque expecting a carefree ownership. I have no complaint with my current purchase, not one and the forums aren't loaded with people having issues.

I will give subbie one thing, it was my experience that if you got SOA involved things moved quicker and often got fixed. Dealers on the other hand are willing to give out the working as expected for broken parts.

I see my 97 OB Limited driving around the town. Darn guy wrecked the front of it!! It still has the rust above the wheel well, you know the one and the place that existed on subbies of that vintage. I wonder if he knows that I swapped a 2.2 into that engine bay? I wonder if he cares?

Well I was responding to another person but if you must, as always I accept your kind words.

If you ever have any objective evidence to present, I'll be glad to consider it.

You must have missed your marching orders that contain the mantra -

Subaru is always perfect

Subaru is always perfect

Subaru is always perfect

Keep repeating until you no longer have an opinion.

+1 wtf is he talking about?

 

//

 

I’ve just started smelling coolant when parking in the garage. Doesn’t bode well

 

 

Originally Posted by ammcinnis View Post

That is only your opinion ... which you have expressed over and over on this forum, without offering any objective evidence. Others disagree; their experiences have been different than yours.

Well after 6 months of owning my 15 OB Limited CPO I get rid of it. Went back to Volvo's this one being a V60 T5 Premier AWD.

I no longer have any coolant loss be it a true leak, evaporation or any other theories. It has a modern sealed reservoir. With the OB I could get a whiff of coolant when it was hot outside. Dealer did a leak test and I had several pounds lost in 10 minutes. Dealer said such a loss was within acceptable limits of loss. Ok --- whatever???

I no longer have any of the list of complaints I had with the OB.

In my life I've owned 5 Subbies and the OB was not anywhere near as satisfying as my other subbies. Was it just my car or is it the new normal?

Here were some of the complaints off the top of my head and not the full list:

Brake fade

Coolant loss

Head unit issues

Lift gate sticking

Driver seat had something hard under the squab

Sticking gas filler door

Driver & passenger side wind noise

CVT (subjective I know)

For a car that had 30,000 miles on it the real list was too long for my taste.

Oh and with the OB when I wanted to listen to a Sirius XM station, it was NOT the station that would play when I re-start the car. Unlike the OB, the V60 is not a nanny State vehicle. The OB felt it was in my best interest, that if I was listening to an XM station when I stopped the car, upon restarting the car the HU would convert to #001 Sirius advertisement station. Subaru has stated it is for the safety of children. Hey Subbie, I'm 66 years old and can decide on my own!

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/subaru-owner-siriusxm-comedy-channels-are-intentionally-censored-108993.html

I'm not anti-subaru but I was not pleased with my own OB Limited.

A liter is quite a bit, but I would keep an eye on it while you're under warranty. If you want to try something in the mean time, you could get a new radiator cap to see if that helps at all as an inexpensive fix. I would also confirm there is no leaking from the hose connections or crack in the overflow tank. I probably lost 8oz of coolant every 5,000 miles or so when my car was new until I hit 20k miles or so. But the amount it uses has become less with time and I'll only need to put in a splash (~2oz) every 5,000 miles or so. (I don't really even need to, but I like keeping it at the full line when cold).

 

A small amount of coolant loss however is not something to be overly worried about as the overflow bottle isn't pressure sealed, so you can lose some through there especially on extended trips when the coolant is hot for a long time. I would consider a liter a large amount.

 

If you aren't content with watching and waiting(not sure hold long you have until your warranty is up), then I would definitely recommend contacting Subaru of America directly by phone. The customer service I received when I needed to call about the dealer not replacing my head unit at warranty was phenomenal. If you are by another dealership, I would try that too, as some dealerships are just better than others in terms of service.

I think you are most likely correct about the possibility of it happening again. Two things working here: more design of the HU and the placement.

My CR-V has 8 years and 11,000 miles with the same HU but it is a bit recessed. My 2016 Volvo has 25,000 miles on the HU but it is a bit recessed. There is no chain or a sticky on the Volvo sites about HU failures. So what is up with the Subbie HU issues?

I just had mine replaced a few days ago.

 

Bought the car in late 2014 (2015 Outback).

 

1st screen faded and was replaced under warranty in summer of 2016.

 

Replacement unit failed just as bad by summer of 2018.

 

Cost of the replacement was $1146 for the part (original quote was $1230.) Dealer only charged $50 labor although it took about 1.5 hours. I was able to get some "Subaru Assistance" cash to put towards the repair by contacting SOA.

 

I have no confidence that the manufacturer of the screen has fixed the issue. I've had 2 that failed, each in less than 2 years.

 

I do have to park outside in the heat at work which I think accelerates the problem. I plan on getting a sun shade to use from now on. Not really looking forward to dealing with it every day but I would like this screen to last more than a year. I'm curious if it's more the direct sunlight, ambient temperature or humidity that is the main culprit. I always cracked the windows before but that didn't seem to help.

Not sure what happens to the screen. A capacitive touch screen will have grid lines but they are normally supposed to be invisible when the screen is active. Why do the lines end up showing when the screen is lit? My phone does not show any lines when it is on or off. I've angled the screen but nothing. Maybe I can't see them on my phone when it is turned of has to do with the glass??

I know that before my HU was replaced, there were many times the lines were so bad that I could not see my NAV screen very well.

On my Honda, I've tried to see the lines when the screen is off but I see no lines. But the screen on the Honda is recessed and maybe that helps hide the lines?

Bummer to just see this thread. I've had the gridlines on my 15 since day one. Just assumed it was SOP. AT 91k I'm SOL...

I bet those people were surprised!

That is pretty strange. Mine won't even open when I press the button and the shifter is not in P.

It was all for descriptive purposes, so pound me for taking artistic license to try and describe something that many people have never seen. I said in my last post that it wasn't a classic flat head but that big long engine with a nice inline six is flat enough for little critters to rest. It gives the critters a nicer place to lay at night than this engine ---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_flathead_V8_engine

Sometimes people use descriptors of convenience such as on the Jag list where you'll find it used in everyday discussions. Such as -- "Anyone interested in a good injected flat-head".

I swear on a bible when me and my ex-jag buddies are drinking some cold ones I will never ever use the everyday language and say flat head.

What after a few beers I may breach that contract.

The Jaugar XK-series inline-6 engines (1948-1992) employed DOHC heads with hemispherical combustion chambers and dome-head pistons. That's hardly the description of a flathead design. I know; I paid part of my way through college wrenching on XK engines, mainly the 3.4 and 3.8 liter variants.

 

The Jaguar XJ-12 V12 engine (1971-1997) did indeed have "flat" (i.e. flat bottomed) SOHC heads, with the combustion chamber volume provided by deeply dished piston crowns. I'v never worked on any of the Jaguar V12s.

Although it isn't like the classic flat head Ford, on Jag-lovers we considered it to be flat enough. It is a bit angled but not very much.

From owning an SIII and a XJ40 the enclosed is a pic of an engine bay is familiar to me.

After I removed and replaced an engine -- out in the cold brrr, I could tell you what happens after I missed attaching the ground bundle for the fuel injectors. Even my mechanic friend was stumped but I'll keep quiet about my little faux pax.

"When Jaguar developed the HE engine, they were desperate to improve the highway fuel efficiency of the early V12 flat head engine."

http://www.tommackieracing.com/projects/current-project-bonneville-jaguar/60-v12-engine/

That must have been one special Jaguar! Are you saying it was a flat six or a flathead six? Either variant would be really "unique."

The HU problems are numerous............... I personally have the problem of a recent HU replacement but the radio won't hold my Sirius subscription.

This person had multiple replacements ---

"2015 Subaru

Complaint Number:

11115211

Incident Date:

July 29, 2018

Date Added to File:

August 1, 2018

Description of the Complaint:

I have had 3 radios replaced in my 2015 outback, since 12-8-17 problems include , navigation going out, the siriusxm going out, now the replacement unit( both remanufactured) has a chirp sound coming out of it when driving down the road on all channels. Very distracting as you look down at the dash to check for warnings, taking your eyes off the road.This replacement unit is less than a week old( replaced on 7-26-18. Subaru customer service contacted 8-1-18. First noticed on 7-29-17."

I live in the country and now that I know this I will find a place to install mothballs under the hood.

One of my Jaguars in winter there were always had signs of rodents sleeping at night on the flat six head. They never ate any wires and eventually I placed some mothballs in the engine bay.

Not sure if soy based is a good alternative because it sounds like a ready to go food source. Don't think I'll be chewing on those wires to see how it tastes.

Not sure if I want the wiring issue or this one --

"Complaint Number:

Year:

2018

Make:Subaru

Model: Outback

11091702

Incident Date:

May 3, 2018

Date Added to File:

May 4, 2018

Description of the Complaint:

Rear tail gate opens without activation at 35 mph while vehicle is in motion. I have a video but it is too big to send. My wife and I were on a busy highway after just purchasing flowers and plants at a local nursery when the tailgate just started to open all by itself spilling some of the plants on the highway. The tailgate locked in the open position at about two feet in the open position."

I'm a little split on this one. On one side I feel bad for the guy that had his cables and pipes chewed up by rodents.

On the other side you have all these crazy "green" people that push for regulations to limit/eliminate the use of plastics in automobiles. You have companies that innovate and come out with plant based alternatives. Then you have people sue the company because their "plant" got eaten by a rodent!

It should really be the city/town that needs to get sued for allowing said rodents to flourish.

 

May be this needs a whole new thread! Don't want to derail this thread from the grid lines on the HU.

From what I read those lines you now see, that are only visible in sunlight will / may become more and more visible. My 15 OB had them there all the time.

Is it time for Subaru to get thei "S" together on these HU's?

The guy that bought my Volvo had this happen ---

"Specifically, certain Subaru automobiles are reportedly built with a number of soy-based components or parts, including soy-covered electrical wiring, wire harnesses, insulation, fuel lines, battery caps, and other under-the-hood components or parts. These soy-based parts can attract rodents. "

https://chimicles.com/subaru-automobile-soy-based-car-components-class-action-lawsuit/

The grid lines on my head unit become more visible as the light on it becomes more direct. If the light is mostly directly on it, all I see is grid lines.

A quick look at the complaints of the CVT transmission, not just subbies but the magical mileage for failure is around 100,000 miles. So if it is going to fail, it may just be in the 60,000 > 100,000 mile range.

https://www.carfax.com/blog/CVT-pros-and-cons

My 1997 Subbie outback had 170,00 miles on the car and 250,000 on the engine. The 1995 had 205,000 miles.

My Volvo 2002 V60 had 205,000 miles on it and would run east coast west coast without any problem. My 2007 Volvo V50 T5 AWD had 110,000 on it and would also run east coast west coast without any problems.

Our 2011 Honda CRV with 117,000 miles on it runs up and down the east coast to Florida and back without any problems.

The above cars all have / had high mileage but none were CVT cars.

My 2015 OB Limited is a CVT with 36,000 miles on it and I am crossing my fingers that I can get the same miles out of it as my other cars. At least there is the extended CVT warranty.