2006 Subaru Legacy Spec B Bad Alternator am I the first?

[2006Specb122]

My sister was in the market for a new car. Several people urged her to get an inexpensive new car for the reliability and low cost of repairs.

 

She really liked my 2006 Subaru Spec B but a new Spec B was out of the question.

 

I told her to test drive some subaru's and give them a thought.

 

She liked the WRX and was also looking at a Honda and Infiniti.

She had another car worth about 10k to trade and was looking to spend about 15k. So in other the target price was about 25k.

 

That was bout what the new WRX base models were going for.

 

When we were looking we came accross a 2006 Spec B with about 42k miles. It was owned by wife of one of the managers at the Subaru dealership.

 

The 2006 Spec B was going for about the same price as a new WRX.

My sister test drove it and decided it was definately the car she wanted and it came loaded with leather, sunroof, and navigation.

 

Remember, how others had urged her to purchase a new car. (Like a Honda Civic or Accord.) I told her how Subaru was one of the most reliable auto makers and she would be fine with the Spec B. My spec had about the same mileage and had never had a single problem outside the fan relay recall.

 

Then this week as she was visiting a friend in the Bay Area (two hours from home) she began experiencing prolbems driving. First she noticed that two lights came on the dash. The battery and brake light were solid.

And she noticed she had lost power steering. Other than that the car seemed to operate and drive without any other issue.

 

She immediately called me and I happened to be near a computer.

I did a quick search on the forum and found that was an exact match for symptoms of not having the Alternator fuse in correctly.

I had her check the fuse and replace it with a fresh fuse.

No luck.

 

It was dark and getting late. She wanted to get back to her friends house before anything serious happened and was not going to attempt to drive home.

 

She didn't make it very far before the navigation went out.

Then the dash board lights started going out and she quickly looked for a spot to park the car for the night.

 

She had it towed to the nearest Subaru dealer (MARIN SUBARU) at a price of $160.

 

The Subaru dealer reported that the alternator is bad and the battery was damaged as well. So to replace both alternator and battery would be $600.

 

$329 for the alternator, $100 for the battery, $35 for tax, and $129 for labor.

 

Both the Marin Subaru dealer and my local dealer that I contacted were unable to lcoate any alternators as nobody has ever ordered one before. It needed to be specially ordered from Subaru. (I should have asked them to take an alternator off one of the inventory cars. Word has it nobody is buying cars these days anyways.)

 

So now my sister had to find a ride home and will have to find a ride back to the dealer next week before she can drive back home at a cost of $760 plus the gas for her two rides back to the dealer and home.

 

I feel that her alternator should not have gone out after just 50k miles on a Subaru. Those cars are known for reliability. After talking to various dealers who didn't even have this part in the computer yet it is defiantely a fluke thing.

 

Do you think I woudl have any case contacting Subaru of America and asking for their assistance in paying for this bad alternator. Can I get a break of some kind?

 

I recommended this car because I thoguht Subaru vehicles were reliable.

I hate that within the first two or three months of having the vehicle that she has had to shell out $760 for a freaking alternator.

 

I remember replacing an alternator on one of my Ford Mustangs. (FORD)

I think it had like 160k miles when I replaced it.

 

My car feels like it isn't even broken in yet and I hope to get many more miles out of it. Of coruse I opted for the extended warranty when I bought my car and my sister did not want to spend the extra cash.

 

I just didn't think that she would have any problems like this and we did get the 100k power train warranty just not the full coverage.

 

Anyone have any experience with stuff like this?

 

Do you think that since this is the very first bad alternator from any 2005-2009 Subaru Legacy that perhaps they migth take care of this one if I contacted SOA?

 

I would like to continue to recommend Subaru to family and friends but its a bad taste for my sister to spend $760 for something like an alternator at 50k.... seems premature for that kind of failure.

[c-lo]

DEEEP Breath.

 

subarus ARE reliable. Hondas ARE reliable. Toyotas ARE reliable. Doesn't mean that part won't break down. don't freak out or feel bad because you recommended a car to your sister and something happened to it. what if you recommended a honda to her and the same thing happened?

 

Cars ARE NOT indestructable nor are the parts that operate them. Unfortunately some parts break down sooner than expected. I'd have to look at warranty stuff, ( I don't remember things otherwise), but shouldn't this be covered? And yes, I'd call SOA and bitch.

[2006Specb122]

I understand. The big thing that family (parents) were recommending a new honda civic or accord. Obviosuly if she bought a "NEW" car it would be covered.

This car has about 48k miles.

 

The alternator is only covered under the 36k mile warranty.

 

We have the 100k extended but only for power train (big stuff)

 

I sent a comment on the web. Couldn't quite fit the entire story but most of it.

 

I could also have my sister call and as you said, act like a female dog to them.

 

Thanks for the feedback....

[fastwgn286]

Not necessary. It doesn't hurt to ask and be polite. It's a fluke on the part of the alternator manufacturer, but Subaru doesn't want too much bad rep in the process. Repeat customers usually get very good treatment because thats business that Subaru doesn't want to have wash away to Honda or Toyota. Worst case, they pay 0% and you're back at square one.

 

To put it in perspective. A lady had a transmission go in her Lincoln Aviator (read Ford Exploder) last year when she turned up looking for a car and debating whether to replace tranny or new car. She called Ford and Ford was willing to pay for 80% of the cost, even though it wasn't under warranty anymore. Why would Ford, a big company with lots of customers, go through the trouble to buy most of this woman's transmission?

 

Answer: they didn't want her to become like me, Ford owner turned Subaru owner

[CTATV]

No problems with mine