Rolls Canardly

Update on my particular situation: Took the car to the dealership, they were courteous and professional. Asked them to address the coolant leak, clutch judder, and do an alignment, which the car needed. The verdict on the coolant leak was a head gasket. They replaced the left side under warranty. They called and asked if I wanted a new timing belt for the cost of the part--$60. I said go for it. The clutch problem they said would cost $1100 for new clutch and flywheel. Because it wasn't a "safety issue" they would not cover it. I told them to forget it. I can get used to it, I suppose. I am satisfied with the job they did on the alignment. Spent $142.00 and I hope my car is good to go for a while. I think my opinion of Subaru reliability has taken a hit. New head gasket after only 53k miles? Glad it was covered under warranty, but WTF? My old Mazda must have spoiled me--170k trouble-free miles and the original clutch when I sold her.

Yikes! I too have an '01 Outback. It has 53k miles. Lately, I've been smelling antifreeze--mostly when the car is warming up, but noticeable when stopping, etc. No puddles or obvious leaks that I can find, just the smell. Also, I have observed coolant consumption of a few ounces per outing. I am dropping it at the dealership tomorrow. Wonder what they'll find? I'm also going to have them address the clutch "judder". Are these problems routinely covered by the 60k drivetrain warranty? Thanks!

I don't know if you can say one brand is significantly better than another. I use Mobil 1 in my Outback, Castrol 20W-50 in my RX-7, and whatever is on sale in my truck. The important thing, IMHO, is that you change it regularly.

Hey! My first post on a Subaru forum. I had some trouble getting the plug wires off my 2001 Outback Wagon as well. The first time I tried, I pulled like mad for ten minutes, then gave up. Going back after them with greater determination, I found that they really weren't that tough once I pulled some stuff out of the way--the air box on the passenger side and the washer reservoir on the drivers side. Pretty straightforward after that. The Champion plugs I pulled were pretty far gone. I'm pretty sure they had never been changed with 54k miles on them ( I just got the car). I replaced them with some new NGK's and she seems to run fine. Hopefully my fuel mileage will improve slightly. So, anybody have a favorite plug to run in the 2.5? I'm partial to NGK based on my experience with Mazda rotaries, but I know some engines seem to prefer certain plugs. What does a Subaru like?