Subaru denying coverage, HELP!

[vxracer]

You didnt fill out an arbitration form did you? Thats how they will avoid being sued.

 

Good luck, but I predict you will have to negotiate down to this: They buy ***new*** (demand it) motor. The oil consumption wasnt your fault, or caused by you either. You will have to spring for the turbocharger due to not checking the oil to see if it was low in the first place which caused the turbo failure altogether. I do hope they fix it all, but doubt it. If you deal with SOA only, they are a little more fair, and didnt have an arbitration form. IF THIS HAPPENS, dont let the dealership off for anything at all not brand new, because they get a check for the whole job anyways from SOA, are not put out at all, and are not deciding anything for you. See rule # 1 below. They will try to make cash off the deal anyways.

 

Oh yeah, expect it to take months of back and forth, parts, install, possible f$%^ ups due to idiot "people in the back". DO A FULL WALKAROUND AND FLUID CHECK BEFORE YOU PICK IT UP. Been there done that too. Write down your mileage before you turn it over. Been there done that.

 

Keep us posted, and remember this rule #1--- Every dealership owner IS a millionaire because they are f#$%&*! people in the a$%!!! They are good at it, and hire people that are good at it too.

[Opie]

If you deal with SOA only, they are a little more fair, and didnt have an arbitration form. IF THIS HAPPENS, dont let the dealership off for anything at all not brand new, because they get a check for the whole job anyways from SOA, are not put out at all, and are not deciding anything for you.

 

Wow, this is way off...

 

Any driveline warranty repair (Engine or Transmission) is approved or denied by SOA (via field reps), not by the dealership or any dealership employee. So if an engine or tranny repair is denied coverage it was done by SOA. If you say SOA is more fair, you are comparing them to themselves.

 

Dealerships will repair what SOA authorizes them to repair under warranty and that is all SOA will pay for. If they SOA specifies a reman part, then that's what you will get. If the dealer installs a part that is not authorized or performs a repair that is not authorized, SOA will not pay the dealer for any of the repair.

 

[insert commentary]

Dealers will fix anything for anybody, and would love to warranty everything that comes in the door, but they also want to get paid for the repair. That's where the trouble comes in, if the customer doesn't think they should pay for a repair...and SOA says it's not a warranty repair, who's gonna pay the dealer for the labor & parts?

 

Nobody works for free...and dealers are not different.

[End commentary]

[toburke]

Just talked to SOA again. They are sticking by the no records, no warranty argument. The woman suggested at one point that they think I may have purchased the car in this condition (I purchased it a year and 1/2 ago), which I didn't really get.

 

I'm going to write her an email w/ the full story so I can get the response in writing. They kind of run around my questions on the phone.

[LikeUCare]

Dude....what a crap deal. I have recently had a really bad run of luck with a 2.5i SE, just found out today the manufactor is going to buy it back.

 

As for your situation, proving you did the oil change is key. If you can prove this, they are going to have a really hard time denying a warranty claim for something like this.

 

As for who to call, the 1-800 is the ticket, it will prompt you to the appropriate department for warranty issues.

 

Who is denying the work claim right now? If it is the service manager with no input from the factory rep, you should elevate. You definitely need to open a case up with SOA. It isn't up to the service manager at a dealership to deny this work.

 

As for the metal in the oil.....with a localized buzzing or whining in the turbo area, IMHO, I think they are smoking big crack rocks to just automatically assume that you need a completely new engine. I would definitely think a turbo rebuild is in order......with a couple of good flushs of the block as well as a good inspection of the heads......but with you using syn oil, I would imagine that it would offer the block some protection. This is just a shooting from the hip thing mind you.....but wouldn't you say the turbo is the farthest extremity in the oil artery???

[gfxdave99]

Lawyer + BBB time

[toburke]

Well, after weeks of fighting w/ Subaru they finally offered me some help. Not nearly enough in my opinion. I went ahead with the engine replacement, but will be selling the car. I think I'm done with Subarus.

 

I talked to the service manager on the way out and he said NEVER to use Mobil 1 on these cars. Also, that Subaru will be putting out a bulletin saying this. I thanked him for telling me before this happened. Apparently, Subaru is also finding out the hard way that these cars eat Mobil 1.

 

Anyone have an s2000 they wanna trade for an LGT w/ a new engine? hahah.

[Origtopcat]

Well, after weeks of fighting w/ Subaru they finally offered me some help. Not nearly enough in my opinion. I went ahead with the engine replacement, but will be selling the car. I think I'm done with Subarus.

 

I talked to the service manager on the way out and he said NEVER to use Mobil 1 on these cars. Also, that Subaru will be putting out a bulletin saying this. I thanked him for telling me before this happened. Apparently, Subaru is also finding out the hard way that these cars eat Mobil 1.

 

Anyone have an s2000 they wanna trade for an LGT w/ a new engine? hahah.

 

I just called my local dealer to inquire on the brand oil they use. They told me Mobil 1. - I would like to see a copy of the bulletin when/if SOA issues it.

[JohnnyT]

I've changed my own oil since I was 16 (a looong time ago). I always keep records. However, with my '04 Legacy and now my '06 LGT I use www.my.subaru.com. It's great. And Subaru would know when the entry was made, so they can't say they don't know that you ever changed the oil.

 

Sorry, it doesn't help you now, but maybe for the future. Good Luck!

[ercdvs]

I'm suprised nobody knows this..

 

the subaru website has a link to a 'mysubaru' site : https://my.subaru.com/

 

You have the option to enter your vin, etc and it will track ALL work done to your car by the dealer a few days after they enter it into the system.

 

It also allows you to enter user performed service (like oil changes) and update mileage as it diverges from the xxx/year estimates...

 

in once place, you see all service done to the car... its like entering it into the dealers computer yourself..

[qikslvr]

I use this to add my own notes to the dealers records(their entries are pretty generic) and to indicate tire changes and such that weren't done at the dealer.

[Efinirx8]

Man after reading this i'm going to run downstairs and check my oil level now just to be on the safe side.... I'll start keeping records of my own oil changes too with reciepts

[krzyss]

Also what exacerbates this problem is that synthetics advertise longer oil change intervals...... meaning you are even MORE likely to run out (if you are to begin with)

 

Nobody tells you not to check oil level.

 

Krzys

[lookslikeanevo]

im surprised nobody has mentioned why mobil-1 disappears...

 

i have used mobil-1 from 6000k miles, and no problems for me...ill lose maybe(maybe) 1/4qt in between oil changes

[Cossey]

Just curious... But if there was only a quart of oil in there, shouldn't the oil pressure light have came on? If not, it's possible the OPS is faulty, which could make this case go way in your favor.

[ivwarrior]

It's a pressure light. It basically only comes on when you have NO oil pressure. Think of it as a sign you just really screwed up your engine.

 

(I don't know the exact pressure that causes the light to come on, but it's really low, at the point damage has likely already occurred before the light came on)

[RobE]

I think the light comes on at 3 psi

[robinlsb]

Just curious... But if there was only a quart of oil in there, shouldn't the oil pressure light have came on? If not, it's possible the OPS is faulty, which could make this case go way in your favor.

 

Read the original post. If the OP light comes on, shut down the motor, PERIOD. DO NOT RUN IT UNTIL YOU HAVE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM.

 

Do not drive home, do not drive it to the dealer, do not go to the next exit. STOP the motor.:eek:

[gravitywrx]

I have the exact same problem, the turbo just went at 49,929 miles in my LGT wagon on the way to work. The car is completely stock except I have mobil1 in the engine since 500 miles. No problems until this happened, but my oil was not low, as I check it regularly, in fact I checked it 2 days before the turbo went. They are trying to deny the claim based upon me not having the reciepts for my oil, even though I have a log of each and every change with the mileage and a list printed out from Autozone purchases.

[virulosity]

How long does your receipt history have to be? I just bought a used car and the previous owner didn't keep any oil change receipts, but the major service records are there. Aren't the last 3 oil change receipts good enough? If I am missing a receipt for an oil change 20k miles ago would they deny coverage then?

[jonnyg113]

I just got my 06 with 23000 towed last night to the nearest dealer. I was cruising at 70mph when I lost throttle response. After I pulled over, I checked my oil level to find out that I could barely get the dipstick wet!

My last oil change was about 5000 miles ago using castrol gtx.

Fortunately I went into the dealer today to see what the problem was and they said they have to replace the turbo under warranty. Knowing about these horror stories that some members have had, I was so relieved to hear that I would be covered!

Though im not on the road yet, I hope they dont find any other problems. My car is stock, except for pos AEM intake, and resonator removed + hogwartz exhaust.

 

Oh yeah, they said the "turbo shaft" failed. If anyone knows how that happened let me know.

[gravitywrx]

well, they are fixing mine under warranty now, and the turbine shaft was broken in half in my turbo, but my oil level was fine. They put in a new turbo, and it went bad as the tech was out test driving it, they are now ordering another turbo. I would say this is a systemic problem with the turbo's in the 05 LGT's

[psucaptainkickass]

^ I would say you are just unlucky. There are way more 05's LGTs with no turbo problems than there are with turbo problems. <Knock on wood>

[gravitywrx]

I would say the problem is simply how many are bad, not the percentage. I haven't heard of this many turbo failures on WRX's, and I own an 02 with 140,000 miles. My LGT is the 3rd in the dealer with the same problem in 2 weeks, and most all are at 45-50k miles.

[fweasel]

^ I would say you are just unlucky. There are way more 05's LGTs with no turbo problems than there are with turbo problems. <Knock on wood>

But it is ironic how many people report of replacement turbo's dying on a test run shortly after being installed.

[jonnyg113]

I just got my car repaired for a broken turbo shaft. Then I had to drive 300 miles. The told me that my engine would smoke a little, and it did! The whole time. I have a feeling that this isnt as normal as they said. Other than that, the car runs fine.

 

Oh, yeah, they used mobil 1 as the replacement oil! So I guess I will have to make sure the oil levels do not run low.