The service engine light has gone on 7 times and each time it was taken in.
It was not fixed until I contacted Subaru directly.
The EMC was sent out to Subaru to be reprogrammed.
Parts already needing to be replaced have been numerous - rear brakes, oxygen sensor (twice), battery and clutch.
Most recently it will not start in cold weather.
There appears to be no end in sight.
We are still trying to get the problems corrected.
Love the heated seats, sunroof and heated mirrors.
Very disappointed in the unreliability.
Did a lot of research before buying.
Reliability was my first concern.
Did not expect to spend so much time at the dealership while I'm still paying and under warranty.
We are having the same problem with our 2003 Forester: it does not start well in cold weather. Recently, it takes nearly 10 attempts before starting, whereupon it will stall and need to be restarted. When the car starts, black smoke emits from the tailpipe.
The first time we returned it to the dealer the EMC was reprogrammed. The second time the dealer could find nothing wrong and said it was normal. Has your problem been resolved yet? Any suggestions concerning measures the dealer can take? We're concerned because of the wear on the starter and future reliability.
Unfortunately I have experienced low reliability with my ECM as well. Took four (4x) visits to the dealer to finally fix the problem after I demanded they replace the unit and not re-program it which was nothing more than a band-aid fix as the problem would re-occur within 5 Months. This was my first Subaru Car purchase and after this nonsense it will be my last. I wish that I had never invested in a Subaru.
Without doubt the worst mistake I have ever made in my life was purchasing one of these horrible cars! Also never before, with any other car manufacturer that I have ever owned, did I experienced the level of sheer incompetence and a we-could-not-care-less-about-you customer service attitude than what I experienced at the Subaru "Factory Authorized" Dealership Service.
Actually, owning a Ford Taurus of any model year will make you appreciate your Subaru. Ford has the same "we could care less" attitude and purposely says they can't duplicate your problem until they run your warranty out!
I agree with the statement about the incompetence of Subaru service. For example, the last five times I had the oil changed at the dealership they over filled the engine by about half a quart of oil. The oil level was way above the "hot" full mark and half way up the twist on the dipstick. When confronted, they would drain the excess oil out or sometimes I would do it myself. When I change it myself the level is always correct. Finally, I confronted the service writer and asked why this was always happening. He explained that the oil delivery device was always going out of calibration. I then asked why don't you check the oil level after you fill it if you know there is a problem?
Silence over the phone...
Enough said.
Overfilling the sump with oil is very dangerous for the engine.
The crankshaft can whip around splashing the oil.
If it generates excessive crankcase pressure this can blow your sump gasket and cause massive oil loss.
Also it can whip the oil into foam, so that you actually lose oil pressure and the engine is ruined.
Either way, it's more work for the dealership of course.
I should add that this makes them crooked, saboteurs.
I just posted reviews of my 2000 and 2002 Forester.
The 2000 was A Lemon and I got the 2002 as a replacement. I just traded that for a Honda. No luck at all. Check engine light went on all the time with the 2000 and it bucked and stalled. They never could pin point the problem, so I got the 2002 free of charge via the Lemon Law.
The 2002 ran fine till the warranty ran out. Then the 02 sensor went bad (no big deal.) Then the right wheel bearing went ($400+) and I read this is a flaw that can happen to all four wheels.. So I started to worry.
Well, at 56K the Clutch went!! (1200!!!) NO WAY... SORRY.. its gone. I'm done with Subaru... others have had luck, not me...
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