2003 Subaru Outback review from North America
"Overall good car, but not a very good clutch design"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I have a 2003 Subaru Outback with a five speed manual transmission. Since it has been new I have experienced clutch chatter when first starting out (clutch not warmed up yet). The car now has 31,000 miles on it and the chatter seems to be getting more frequent. It will chatter longer after the initial start-up and will sometimes chatter when shifting to 2nd gear now. The clutch works fine and when it gets warmed up it is very smooth. However, when it is cold it is extremely annoying. It also seems to be worse when it is relatively humid. One dealer has said they know there is an issue and that there is a new clutch design available, but would not replace the clutch since they personally could not get it to chatter (since the car was warm since I just drove it to the dealership). Another dealer says it is considered normal to have chatter in first gear. I do not agree with this, and really don't feel like leaving it at a dealer over night only for them to tell me this is normal. Has anyone else had any similar experiences? Advice?
Other than that I am generally happy with the car.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 31000 miles |
| Previous car | Jeep Grand Cherokee |
| Date of Entry | 4th August, 2004 |