Brisvegas

Thanks for a great post. I've done a lot of "layman's research" via Doctor Google on this very subject, and the report you quoted is actually the only one I have read that "dares" to suggest that lifetime transmission fluid is a possibility. That doesn't mean that this report is automatically correct ... but on the other hand, I think a report such as this, coming from an organization like Blackstone Laboratories must surely carry a lot of weight (no pun intended). Thanks again for posting it.

Ahhh Beamer, I've always thought that you are a bit on the crazy side ..... but I do like the humor here

Will be sorry to see you go .... I hope for your sake the Mazda 3 doesn't have "i-stop" ... otherwise you might be sorry for letting your "boring Subaru" go

I saw this video today and I was reminded of the above post ... which mentioned the quality of paint on modern cars. The clip below is obviously not Subaru specific, and so if the moderator deems that it is not relevant to this forum and deletes it, then I will totally understand. It's just that maybe there are some forum members, who like me, have not given much thought about how complex repainting a vehicle "correctly" can be. I just thought it might be of general interest to forum "car people."

You have made the same comment on a couple of your replies to forum posts. I'm sorry for you if that has been your experience .... but here in Australia the general consensus is that Subaru are one of the better manufacturers in regards to customer service. That certainly has been the case for me and my experiences at my local dealership.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I take note of your past ownership of mutiple Subaru models so that obviously gives you the necessary "Subaru experience." I can't match that experience but can I ask a few questions in relation to your comments above. I will start at the last one first, when you say in regards to the CVT's "if these have been failing as frequently as the 205-2016 units" ..... have they been failing frequently? I haven't heard that, certainly not here in Australia at least ... and I might be wrong, but I don't recall seeing any posts on this forum regarding late model CVT failures. I have seen many posts where owners have expressed worries about the longevity of CVT's and obviously about (as you point out) the servicing of them ... but as far as I am aware there has been no mass replacement of CVT's on newer models. In regards to Direct Injection I guess I have to take on board that it is probably as you say "a maintenance item" ... I just figure that any time you take a car to the dealership (or elsewhere) and ask them to open the engine to decarbonize it, then that is one more opportunity for something to go wrong. https://www.carthrottle.com/post/n4m5rxo/ And finally on Turbos. I think it's more than you are suggesting in regards to simply replacing a faulty turbo ... it's the stress that a turbo can put on an engine .... " adding a turbocharger to a smaller engine makes it work harder. A turbocharger increases combustion chamber pressure and temperature, which adds more strain on all internal components including pistons, valves, and the head gasket. The harder the engine works, the faster it wears out." ....and also as you state in your reply ... the possibility of damaged turbo parts being introduced into the engine. https://www.samarins.com/check/turbo-car.html Thanks again for your initial reply, I appreciate your interesting comments

I tend to follow your train of thought. I drive very conservatively (and with a lot of highway miles) and fully expect to join the 300,000 mile club one day DI and to a lesser extent Turbos, in my mind can possibly pose more of a longevity threat than a CVT that's in the hands of a sensible driver. I include DI because of the obvious effects of carbon build up, and Turbos can change some people (not all) from normal drivers into lunatics. I always find it amusing when manufacturers produce a vehicle with a smaller motor which incorporates a turbo, with the intention being to have a fuel saving engine, and then the purchaser knowing that he now has a turbo, starts driving like a maniac and therefore negates any fuel saving benefits.

Good news .... I hope Beamercub doesn't read this

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-loses-lawsuit-over-faulty-outback-windshields

Thanks for that. This following article is not much different to the one you included ... but whether it is accurate or not, it says " .. Although a total of 2,107 vehicles are affected, a Subaru spokesperson told CR via email that the majority of affected vehicles have not yet been delivered to dealerships from the factory, and that fewer than 20 of the affected vehicles are in customer hands. ..." https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/some-subaru-legacy-outback-owners-could-get-new-cars-after-recall/ P.S. I'm kinda glad we get the Japanese made ones here

There was a time early in my ownership when I was having the exact same problem until I realized what I was doing wrong. In my 2016 model, the emergency brake will not release if the seat belt is not connected. When I buckle up there is never a problem

Thanks for that. I agree with the guy in the video who states that the message from Subaru head office is "mixed." I have been down this track with my dealer service center, who I might add, I am happy with. They however belong to the " lifetime" fraternity and they say that it is a complicated procedure to change the fluid. I told them that I don't agree with the "lifetime" theory, and so at that point they said if I decided that I wanted to change transmission fluid at some point in the future they could still do it. I couldn't help but mention to them at that point, that if they are such strong believers in not servicing the CVT's and that if it is, as they claim, a "complicated procedure to do correctly" wouldn't that mean that they don't have a lot of experience in doing it, and therefore even if I eventually decided I wanted it done ... wouldn't I be better off going to a CVT specialist for the job rather than bringing it here? There was an awkward silence for the next few minutes

Yeumy ... I always find your posts informative, but I think in this case you are being a little harsh mate Whilst I agree that the theme of the youtube clip in question was specifically about Mazda ..... the underlying point was why they don't use a CVT, and obviously anything about CVT's is I believe at least, relevant to Subaru owners in some way. As a Subaru owner, I personally am interested in any CVT article, whether it be positive or negative, and I found the video of interest.

Aaah you will probably get some varying opinions after saying that I personally prefer Grnlantern's plate position (in his earlier post) .... but others will agree with you.

Thanks, I enjoyed the vid ..... even without any context

I came across this today. Maybe you have already purchased speakers ... but if you haven't, then perhaps you might find this helpful.

Really ?? Are we talking about the car that gets all the trophies

Sorry about that ... I'm not up with my earlier generations ... I enjoy watching Subaru videos and I thought during the vid that one of the guys mentioned 5th Gen. Obviously I was mistaken.

Hopefully your seats aren't as bad as in this video which I happened to be looking at a few days ago But putting that aside, as well as the worthy recommendations you will get from helpful forum members here, if you Google "Car Leather Seat Cleaning" you will see a multitude of videos on the subject.

I think the car looks great BECAUSE of the red lip. I think some car colors suit a red lip and some not so much .... I think yours definately does.

Well done, I'm glad it worked out. On following your posts on this problem I admired your calm perseverance, and the fact that you didn't just rant and hate... which nobody benefits from.

Hopefully you are not considering a Jeep wrangler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8kZWa8Q3Gg

You have been reading my mail, because I know exactly how you feel. I'm pretty certain I'll keep mine ... but that doesn't stop my daily looking at numerous car review sites ... (most of which, like a Lexus, I couldn't afford anyway)

To Spencerone .... Norskie's comment here is often heard .... I'm not saying he is wrong (what would I know anyway) ... but I would dare to suggest that if you drove sensibly and "babyed" your CVT then I'd suggest that there is every chance you could drive it forever. I don't think that necessarily means you have to drive like a grandma .... but just don't put the transmision under undue pressure. And keep in mind what Waldguy said in his post " Remember that Subaru has extended the CVT warranty out to 100,000 miles or 160,000 km and 10 years, so put this on your 2028 calendar as a consideration." P.S. I hope to drive mine "forever" as well.