2000 Subaru Outback Base from North America - Comments

17th Dec 2005, 22:15

"Okay so far, but a few concerns"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

I've only had the car for a few months (bought it used) and have driven it about 2000 miles. Here's the rundown:

It hesitates to upshift from 2nd into 3rd gear (automatic trans) on gradual acceleration. Must go up to 27-32 mph to get the thing to shift - would be better if it shifted at about 23 mph. On moderate to fast acceration this is not a problem.

Brake rotors are warped and need to be replaced - get a shudder through the steering wheel when I touch the brakes at highway speeds. Will replace them myself next summer.

Car pulls to the left all the time - rotated the tires back and forth to no avail. Apparently needs an alignment, which will probably be pricey with the AWD.

Bucket seats feel like slabs of granite after 30 minutes or so - bought seat cushions, which help somewhat, but not as comfortable as a decent bucket seat.

The Subaru dealer sold it to me with one odd-ball tire (one slightly different tire can ruin the AWD system) and wouldn't fix that or any of the mechanical things the car needed. I definitely won't be buying another car from "Armando's" in Canfield, Ohio.

I like the looks of the car and it's size meets my needs nicely, but wonder about quality and reliability. Also, there is no in-depth repair manual available for us do-it-yourselfers - maybe not enough are sold for Haynes or Chilton's to write one.

General comments?


13th Sep 2006, 13:02

It is extremely important to have all tires the same make, model, and size. Alignment here costs under $60 for all four wheels.

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