'05-'09 Legacy / Outback - brake line corrosion recall

[scontivt]

Yeah that is weird, what's also weird is I have had two other subarus with the same brake line failing points with no recall.

 

If I was planning on keeping this car indefinately, I would be so stoked if my brake lines were replaced, but I'm chomping at the bit to buy the new '15 WRX, but have to wait for two things:

 

1 - House - real PITA, don't ask lol

2 - 1st Kid - ETA my birthday in ~3 months...lol - Excited and can't wait.

 

I really hope all they have to do is spray the wax on mine like last time, don't want my car to be down a couple days +

[TSiWRX]

Yeah that is weird, what's also weird is I have had two other subarus with the same brake line failing points with no recall.

 

Not part of the other models and affected years?

 

That makes me and . Subaru should really pony-up the bucks for repairs to other models/years, too, if it is clearly the case that similar concerns exist.

 

If I was planning on keeping this car indefinately, I would be so stoked if my brake lines were replaced, but I'm chomping at the bit to buy the new '15 WRX, but have to wait for two things:

 

1 - House - real PITA, don't ask lol

2 - 1st Kid - ETA my birthday in ~3 months...lol - Excited and can't wait.

 

<--- laughing with you, not at you.

 

Trust me, I know. I know.

 

The house is a continuing expense. Two weeks ago, we replaced the gas dryer, dishwasher, and our grill. Yeah. $$$$.

 

As for the kid? A slightly OCD friend of ours is running a tab on his daughter. The kid's 10, now, I think, and the tab is close to $400K. For what I pay for my daughter for tuition, I can drive two Porsches!

 

I really hope all they have to do is spray the wax on mine like last time, don't want my car to be down a couple days +

 

From the thread on LegacyGT.org:

 

I work at a subaru dealership this is essentially the same recall as before except they are using a different spray to coat and they are also focusing on a larger area of the vehicles lines.

[scontivt]

Thanks TSi+WRX - The other vehicles were a 1999 Impreza Sport and 2000 Outback Sport- Back in 2007, when I had the 1999 Impreza, my brake junction box, the same one inspected and waxed in the Legacy's recall last year, rotted through and I had to run new brake lines from the inside to the rear. Same thing happened 3-4 years ago with my 2000 Outback Sport. But, all vehicles rot out up here, the only reason I think my 2005 LGT was covered for the last recall was because it was the first year of a generation that is just barely getting out of warranty. Oh well... lol

[TSiWRX]

^ I hear ya, bruddah.

 

Cleveland is pretty much right smack in the middle of "The Rust Belt."

 

"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

- Fight Club, 1999.

 

Yup, pretty much everything up here rusts through, too.

 

I was up in VT last year in the fall. My first time. I loved it up there.

[scontivt]

Yeah, VT is actually my ideal climate. Not too hot in the summer and not too cold for too long in the winter... now if they would stop salting the darn roads and use plain old sand, and require snow tires, I would never ever leave... lol

[StkmltS]

I'm taking mine in to get looked at on Saturday. I'll try to get some pics before I take it in. I'm only at 95k so I'm expecting the <1 hr treatment.

[covertrussian]

Took mine in to get it checked out today WQK-47, Subaru deemed my lines not damaged enough to replace... notice that you can still see the line splitting even after wax.

 

Before:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Brakes/Lines/CIMG1351.jpg~original

 

After:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Brakes/Lines/20140905_172855.jpg~original

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Brakes/Lines/20140905_173111.jpg~original

[Rolobefree]

Sounds like you need to dribble some brake fluid on those connections, or loosen them ever so slightly...

 

I'm a little late to the game for going in for this recall (Toronto area)... recently had the car up for an oil change and was able to snap a photo of the area in question. In the opinion of my car guy, he called them severely corroded.

 

I feel like the fluid in my brake reservoir has slowly gone down in the past couple weeks.

 

My concern is that Subaru dealer will just squirt the anti-rust juice on it and be done with it, regardless of how corroded.

 

Does it make sense to squirt a bit of brake fluid on the area?? Anyone had success with that?

 

Thanks for all assistance in advance.

[WahooNo2]

The anti rust wax crap will eventually flake off. Last week I was leaving work and pushed on the brakes and my foot went right to the floor with no warning. I pumped a few times and realized that I had not blown a soft line but instead a hard line. I drove home carefully taking back streets using the emergency brake *always make sure that works*. Eventually i got the car up and found the line broke right by the gas tank holding point which was a known failure spot too. I dropped my car off at subaru and they covered it under the recall for 150 dollars as a deductible or something like that and they replaced the hard lines from the abs block to the caliper and also spilled brake fluid on one of my head lights.

 

Long story short... if you live in salt land you should remove the panel and check that the rust goo is still on the 4 way connector and also that the gas tank area isn't badly rusting. I am lucky it didn't pop when I was on a highspeed turn on the highway or emergency braking with family in the car.

[Max Capacity]

Yea that crap is a Band-Aid at best. They did mine a while back.

 

Last Oct after letting the car off the jack stands, going for a short test drive in the neighborhood when I pulled back in the driveway the brakes felt funny. I got out and checked the brake fluid, it was about empty. I looked under the rear passenger seat and there was a big puddle of brake fluid.

 

I called AAA they took the car to the dealer, they replaced all the brake lines and put a new left rear caliper on. When I got the car back a few day's later, I told them the brakes felt funny still. They re-bled the system and found a little air in the ABS system. All winter I didn't like the brakes.

 

Last month, I realized why. They installed a new OEM frozen caliper. It wore my brake pads to nothing. I didn't smell it or feel the heat all winter because it was cold and I didn't roll the windows down.

 

So after they replaced the caliper, I had them do the right rear too. The car was a little better, the next week I replaced both front calipers and rotors. The brakes feel like they should now.

[jdeitz1979]

I had the brake line recall done in December. My local dealer did ok on the work I guess. They did the airbag recall as well while it was in for the brake lines. Since then they have reset my immobilizer three times because of an unknown issue. It's currently back at the dealer waiting for the the immobilizer to be out in. Been Two and a half weeks now, still they have the car. I've had good luck with my brakes before and after the service.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WahooNo2]

I cant figure out why an "outdoors" brand like subaru, won't use rigid stainless steel lines from the factory. Exhausts are now stainless, aluminum control arms and bodies are becoming popular too... just make the stupid cars safer and call it an "upgraded safety feature" or the "northern climate proofing package". Their new high end cars loaded are already touching high 30s and low to mid 40s. Spend an extra 75 to 250 on parts that wont rust wont and make the company look like crap in 7 to 10 years by issuing recalls and having the consumer experiencing failures.

[Max Capacity]

I cant figure out why an "outdoors" brand like subaru, won't use rigid stainless steel lines from the factory. Exhausts are now stainless, aluminum control arms and bodies are becoming popular too... just make the stupid cars safer and call it an "upgraded safety feature" or the "northern climate proofing package". Their new high end cars loaded are already touching high 30s and low to mid 40s. Spend an extra 75 to 250 on parts that wont rust wont and make the company look like crap in 7 to 10 years by issuing recalls and having the consumer experiencing failures.

 

I guess you haven't seen what some chevy trucks use for brake lines. A buddy at work has an 2004 he bought new to plow his driveway. The truck only had 17,000 miles in 2009 when it needed brake lines replaced, it also had a P/S pump fail.

 

Seems its about saving money at the factory more then long life. Look at all the rust on the pick up trucks.