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I bet, if you tried (especially these days, when its so easy to look on the internet) you could find someone with any brand of vehicle that has a similar story. Its sad but true. Sit back and think for a minute what is involved in a 2008 vehicle. The electronics that put us on the moon were nothing compared to what the most basic car has to have today. Emissions, mileage, safety regulations....these cars are AMAZING! And it works, for the most part. But there are always going to be 'problem cars'. Its too bad that SOA dropped the ball on this car, at least as far as its owner is concerned. Keep in mind there is always 2 sides to every story as well. I would bet a large amount of dollars that the ratio of 'troubled' vs. 'trouble free' cars in Subaru's fleet is way, way less than say... GM, or Volkswagon, etc... The funny part of this story for me, and the only reason I replied to this thread is, I know someone with a Ridgeline. And he is not at all happy with the truck. And the resale value to trade it is awful. (Honda did not make a home run on this truck) Happens to the best of cars, believe me. I guess I would hope for better reports from SOA, as the bottom line is, the car is only as good as the support behind it.

When I was shopping prices for the clutch parts on my 97 Impreza a month ago, our local parts store offered me 2 choices.... one kit came with a sleeve to fit over the worn tube, and (I assume) a oversized T/O bearing to slide on this new sleeve. I assumed then, that it must be a common problem, so I waited until I had my car apart before I decided on what clutch I was going for. My 'tube' was in perfect shape so i didnt need the repair kit, but this may be something to look into for you.

Engine out and its very obvious why the clutch failed (other than at 140,000 it was probably due anyway) The plastic plate behind the flywheel is bleeding oil profusely, the entire bell housing was full of oil, and the clutch disc/pressure plate completely saturated. The t/o bearing shaft seems fine to me, not worn like I had expected after researching this job. (maybe all that oil kept it well lubricated so it didnt wear- lol) It is a real treat yanking an engine on a Subie for me. I know I have an advantage using the facilities at work, but I wouldnt have a problem pulling a Subaru engine in my driveway, and no way would I try that on a AWD Nissan. Or even a FWD for that matter. They really kept service in mind with their design and thats something most every other company has long forgotten about. Ordering a bunch of parts Monday morning and with a little luck, I'll be driving her next week at this time. I'll get the seals, TB, clutch parts, etc installed on lunch breaks, and stick the engine in next Sat. As much as I loved the Outback last winter, I really cant wait to have a AWD standard shift car in the snow. Thats gotta be fun! (oh, it came with a practically new set of Blizzacks too!)

OK, Ive read a lot here (again!) Ive decided that since I do want to do the TB while Im at it, and previous experience and advice here tells me to do the seals, etc... Saturday morning, the engine comes out of Izzy (sorry, but all my cars get names. And this is Izzy Imprezza) Ive read here and heard elsewhere that I may need to deal with a sleeve, to deal with wear on the throwout bearing shaft. I have a great advantage here, since I can tear this apart and deal with whatever I find, and push Izzy back outside if I have to order more parts..I feel for the guy that has to have the car up and running on Monday regardless. This will be a winter beater. I dont want to break the bank, but I dont want to miss 'needed' maintenance either. So she's gettin the timing belt, the cam seals, the metal plate if needed... along with the clutch parts. I have a lot of experience with Nissans, and few Nissans run the water pump off the timing belt. At 140,000, if it were mine, and a Nissan, I wouldnt change the pump. But then, it wouldnt be a drastic issue if the pump failed. I think its unlikely that a water pump would fail without symptoms before damage was done on a Subaru. And I guess thats my questions.. if you are 'aware' of your car and listen for unusual noises, could a water pump fail and cause valve damage before you caught it? If you were planning on 'winter beatin' a rig without spending more than needed, would you do the water pump at 140,000.

Hey y'all. I was a regular visitor here while I was figuring out all the issues with my 96 Legacy OBW. I ended up with a great car after a lot of help from this site. Then, I was faced with a decision that I agonized over. I 'inherited' a 03 Nissan Sentra, and for many reasons, including the fact that I work at a Nissan dealer, I decided to sell the Outback. With winter coming up shortly, I have been kicking myself for not keeping it, but whats done is done. Today, we took on trade a 97 Imprezza Outback Sport. 2.2, 5 speed stick, and I bought it on the spot! Im back, all you Subie fanatics! After all the 2.5 DOHC issues with the last car, I was happy to see the 2.2 under the hood, since you all have told me its the premier Subie engine. And Ive always been a standard shift man, so that influenced me as well. It needs a clutch, so I got a fantastic deal on it. I can barely drive it the clutch is slipping quite bad, but I did some tight donuts in the yard and felt no torque bind (another issue I had with the last car, solved with the solenoid C replacement) Other than that, it appears to be in great shape. A couple very small rust spots, no holes, just surface. This is going to be a great winter rat. Now to go search 'clutch repalcement' and find the easiest way to go about that. I guess it was inevitable, I got the Subie fever now. Looking forward to bugging you guys when I run into problems again LOL, take care, Doug

Funny how things change so quickly, but I now have made the painful decision that Sarah, the 96 Outback that I've loved and poured my heart and soul into, not to mention a lot of $$ and sweat into for the past year+...has to go. I bought that car to be a 'winter rat'. I didnt have a clue what I was getting into (the 2.5 issues) I have solved ALL the issues, with unbelievable help from this board, and in the process, I have become a bigger Subaru fan than I was before. And I have been a Subie fan LONG before I owned this car. I remember looking at a Subaru at a local fair with my uncle, must have been the early 70's, and we both were wondering how you pronounce 'Subaru' LOL. I also owned for a short time, a '79 4WD wagon years ago. But Sarah has been my big 'inroad' to the Subaru family. And I'll say, with the most heartfelt honesty I can possibly put into it....I have never, ever, found a better brand-oriented site that offers the overall help that you all have here. Its just fantastic, and Im glad to have found you all. Here is the problem. I have 'inherited' a 2003 Nissan Sentra. A black, 4 door, 5 speed stick. This is the type of driver I've had for many years, and in this day of $3.50 a gallon gas, it just seems the car I have to keep. The fact that I work at a Nissan dealership also is a big plus, but please know that I own/drive all kinds of cars, Nissan be damned. LOL. gettin real off-topic, but my 'herd' contains a Jeep Scrambler and a '68 Fairlane Conv. But I do need to thin the herd, and its either the 'new' Sentra or the Outback that has to go. I will probably kick myself in the a** next winter, but right now its Sarah that is on the block. Anyone in upstate NY who is interested, let me know. She has had ALL the 2.5 issues taken care of. New in the past year: Head gaskets, timing belt, water pump, etc.. solenoid C, front brakes, rear struts, I think this is going to be one of the hardest sales I make. I really love this car. But if anyone here is interested, I'd love to see her go to a Subie person.

I had our parts manager look at/measure my Subaru boot when I had the car on the lift yesterday. He rattled off the Nissan part number and told me it was in stock. I do not know tonight what the number was, or what the Nissan application is. I will post it tomorrow when I return from repairing the ole' girl. (whatever the Nissan application is, the boot is going onto a 96 OB 2.5 automatic)

Gloyal makes a good point. If caught early enough, isnt rebooting the original shaft a much cheaper and better option than sub-par aftermarket axles? Maybe because Im in the business and keep track of stuff like leaking boots before many people would notice, but my late, great Nissan Sentra went to the grave with her original driveshafts in place. At 240,000 miles. The outer boots on both axles were replaced as needed, I believe the inner boots were still original (my memory could be wrong about that) I check all the boots every time my cars are 'up' for service. In fact, my 96 OB is getting a new right front outer boot tomorrow morning. Its just cracked open, and Im reasonably sure Ive caught it in time. Its also another Nissan/Subaru part interchange, since Im using a OEM Nissan boot right out of our parts dept! (anyone interested, I will post the part number tomorrow)

A Pinto! And apparantly still in one piece and drivable. Makes me soooo jealous of you folks outside the SALT belt! EVERY ONE of my favorite daily drivers over the years has eventually been retired because of major rust. Its unavoidable here no matter how well you wash/repair, etc. My original interest in this thread had nothing to do with the Pinto of course..Im still gathering every bit of info on the 2.2 into a 2.5 swap which I figure I will be doing eventually (provided my 96 OB does not succumb to the rust first- so far, it isnt a issue at all) So good luck, CrazyHorse. I hope you are up and running real soon!

In my early years in the business, I cleaned s**t outta cars that would turn your stomach. If I had to do it again (and I wouldnt!) I would wear rubber gloves. I'd give you examples, but someone might have just finished dinner. But I dont think you could shock me with anything in this topic.

In case some other scavengers here, that like to save a buck when possible, are interested... My CEL was back on last weekend,(96 OBW) this time a rear O2 sensor heater code. On the lift, the problem was obvious... the outer shell on the sensor had cracked/rusted open. Made a couple calls, most local parts stores wanted in the $120 range. I had a late 90's Nissan Maxima exhaust system on the floor next to my bay, on its way to the scrap pile, with a familiar looking sensor still screwed in the pipe. Only difference was the connector. A little splicing, soldering, heat shrinking... Code is gone, car is fixxed. And I saved 120 bucks. I may have been hesitant if it were a front O2 that actually affects the car, but a rear O2 that only monitors the cat anyway...it was worth a shot.

when I bought my '96 OBW, had the same box hanging in the same position. It is for the alarm/keyless entry which is a 'add-on' type accessory, Im assuming either dealer or 'port' installed. Definitely not factory. I use the term port loosely, I realize the car was most likely built in Indiana. My box had been torn off its zip ties by a remote car start installer and then just shoved above the lower dash panel. The whole remote start installation was a mess which I ended up tearing out and replacing.

Well, I found this site after buying a '96 OB over a year ago...that car was to be a 'winter rat' and after a lot of work and time, it has become a fantastic driver. My 4X4 Nissan has not left the driveway this winter. With the help from this site, Ive fixxed all the small and large issues this car had, and it is now my daily transportation and one of my favorites of that category of all time. Today it hauled two 100 lb propane tanks, and my dogs in crates, to camp. So really, do I even need a pickup? Reason Im asking that, is the dealer where I work took in a 2005 Outback wagon Friday. Black (my favorite car color), 40,000 miles, 2.5 automatic. Looks to have all the stuff Id care about (heated seats, mirrors, ect. not really sure what was options in '05) The original window sticker was in the glove box- it was $26,700 in 2005. I can buy it for $13,000. Half price. LOL Im probably nuts, because I have the '96 all up to speed now and no reason to spend that kind of money, but Im seriously thinking of selling the Nissan and the Outback, and making this my one and only driver. Has a hitch too, so I could tow my small utility trailer. Im a sucker for a black car, and this thing just really catches my eye. I could get a lot of years out of it, Im sure. No HG issues in a '05, right? Talk me out of it, someone! LOL.

I did say in my post: 'IF you plan on having a reliable car for the long run...' I guess if you dont mind the aggravation of breaking down and replacing parts at inopportune times, or paying for a tow off a interstate, than by all means, buy the cheapest junk with the lifetime warranty. In the time I took to (accurately) read the posts and post my replies, you could be outside in the snow replacing more junk parts. Im inside and warm, on my 'relaxing' time, drinking a beer, laughing at your weird justification for buying junk alternators, and Im quite confident I'll make it to work tomorrow in my reliable ride. Thanks for the laugh, dude.

errg.. Ive been visiting this board as a Subaru owner for a year or more now, and early on I kinda learned to stay out of the 'dealer vs. aftermarket' arguments.... but I just GOTTA put my 2 cents in here. Nissan dealer tech here, for a long time. If I had a DIME for every time a car came in with a charging system problem, and the customer says: "I replaced the alternator already, at (name your favorite) and they gave me a lifetime warranty" ......... well, I couldnt retire, but I could fund a good vacation. Aftermarket alternators (and starters, for that matter) from the chain stores are J U N K. Some are no good from the start, some work for a while. Im sure if you are lucky, some work as long as you own the car. (Id love to know the % that do that!) The real kicker, and I bet this applies at Subaru too, is that Nissan will not except the 'crap' cores from the aftermarket rebuliders. So after you get sick of replacing it with those 'lifetime' replacements 2 or 3 times, and want the OEM reman....you eat the core charge too! Shocks, mufflers, brakes...and lots more you can deal with Midas, etc. But if you plan on having a reliable car for the long run, save yourself the aggravation.

Ok, Im not sure if anyone will find this post-worthy, but it gave me a chuckle. I took my dogs for a hike today. Im in the Southern Adirondacks of upstate NY and we have had our fair share of snow this year. But higher up in elevation, just a little further North, they have really got a ton of snow pack. We were headed to a little used trailhead where I can let the dogs off leash without bothering anyone. The road to the trail heads further and further higher in elevation and further away from civilization. Within 10 miles I went from dry pavement, to hard packed snow, to gravel road coated with snow and ice. Nothing extreme or impassable, but enough to make me appreciate the Sube. I got to the parking lot at the end of this dead end road and there were 3 other cars there... another Outback wagon, a newer Legacy wagon, and a Legacy sedan. Hmmmmmm..... I so wish I'd taken a camera! I wanted to make a sign and put it on a tree: 'SUBARU PARKING ONLY' I ended up chatting with the owners of the 2 Legacys. I can only paraphrase an old Honda commercial- you meet the nicest people driving a (Subaru) I just got a kick out of it.

I really hope and prey no one takes the rubber line and hose clamp repair seriously. Dangerous, illegal, and just plain stupid. If he seriously made this repair and it lasted as long as he says, I'd say he is one lucky man. And everyone who shares the road with him as well! I think Ive heard it all now....

I'll take a shot at this since no one has posted yet.. I notice you are in Maryland, so this may not be as applicable as to cars here in the 'salt belt'. The biggest cause of a low brake pedal here is either the caliper slider pins, or the brake pads themselves becoming 'frozen' from rust. The pads could visually look fine, but if they cant move when the brakes are applied, or the caliper slider pins cant move, it will definitely cause a low pedal. It was one of the first things I went through with my car (96 OB) I was very familiar with the problem because it happens all the time here with the Nissans I deal with all the time. And its worse with a 4 wheel disc system, since all 4 brakes can have the problem. Any chance of corrosion on the brakes then I would definitely start there.

I just perused this whole thread. Some awesome wagons here. I guess I could put ole' Sarah's picture up, but nothing special to look at. Picture a '96 OBW in the most popular color combo (at least around here- dark green with grey on the bottom) The only outward change would be the grille I 'borrowed' from a '97 that came in on trade, because it had the OUTBACK emblem which my '96 lacked. Shes fitted with 4 studded WinterForce tires now because we HAVE had a lot of that white stuff here! And today she is sportin the new, blue,2009 NYS inspection sticker, because we finally fixxed the pesky intermittent check engine light issue! Thanks to help from here, the EGR code was only the little in-line filter leading to the map sensor being plugged. Every day I drive that car I become more of a Subie fanatic, and I have to thank everyone here who has helped me with the big and small obstacles once again. This site rocks, people! Not since my days driving Saabs, long before GM was involved, and long before the internet, have I found such a great comradeship between owners and drivers of a common car. Great job!

I guess the majority here would call it the dreaded piston slap then! Im in for the long run with this car, it was bought for use as a winter beater and became my favorite daily driver after I got it on the road. It has a remote starter too, so when its cold outside, Im going to remote start her and let her rap to her heart's content. LOL! I'll be inside ignoring it.... We are having a good winter here so far, unlike the last few years we have already had a couple good snow storms. I put 4 new WinterForce studded snows on her this morning. A generic brand (at least I had never heard of them) but came highly recommended by the distributer. $299, studs and tax included. They look like great tires, I'll post how they work in the next storm. Thanks, once again, for all the replies. This site is the best.

Ive been putting off posting this, since either: 1) I completely mis- diagnosed and exaggerated the knocking issues of my engine, or 2) Ive gotton some kind of reprieve and I will jinx myself by bringing it up. Real short version: 96 OB, 2.5, bought with head gasket issues and replaced head gaskets, etc., and then drove car all summer with no issues other than slight piston slap on cold start. Several weeks back, I posted that the engine was knocking loudly when started and asked opinions of what was happening. I had already decided that the bottom end was failing and several replys to my post made that sound like a plausible situation. Ive been in the automotive tech trade for 30 years and nothing Ive ever been around has made that much of a ominous sound without being on its way out....lol. I know that the Nissans, that Im most familiar with, have never 'knocked' that loudly without having serious internal problems, and been close to flying apart by that time. Well, I decided I had nothing to lose, other than a tow bill when it blew, if I kept on driving it. And so I have. And it still scares me when I start it on a cold morning. It makes the hair stand up on my neck, man. Its just not normal. But drive that ole' girl for a few miles and slowly but surely, it becomes ALMOST quiet. It gets as quiet as it was in the summer on cold start. Still a little 'rap rap rap' but not the scary knock... I was still convinced that things were getting too loose and I was on borrowed time. (and still looking for a good deal on a 2.2 to replace my engine with) Last week, we took in on trade at the Nissan shop where I work, a 2003 Forester. I had to move this car after a snow storm and got to hear it on a stone cold (5 above zero) start. It is almost as bad as my Outback! This car has 40,000 miles and appears to be a well maintained car. Its a 2.5 and I assume the bottom end is the same or similar to my car. Is it possible that Im just way too paranoid about Subaru engine noises? Is it possible that this Forester could be as 'sick' as my car (I would find it hard to believe that, the Forester is a clean car) Im actually encouraged , after hearing that Forester, that my ole Outback might stick together as is for a while. Or, as I said above, I just jinxed myself and she blows tomorrow morning... Quite a ramble there, but if you got any opinions I'd love to hear them.

The outer clear plastic 'finish' came loose from the chrome moulding around the windshield of my Nissan pickup. It drove me crazy for a week or more, and I could not figure it out. Finally, a big enough section came loose so it was obvious. I could not believe what was causing such a loud, annoying sound, but thats all it was. I tore it all off and the noise was gone. Not sure if it applies here, but worth a look....

Interesting thread and i have to put in my 2 cents. If any of you are in my age bracket (50) you will remember Detroit's first serious attempt at beating the imports. The Pinto and the Vega are what Im referring to here, and I distinctly remember reading the Consumer Reports article on these cars after they were introduced. CR based their 'frequency of repair' rating on previous small cars from these companies, meaning the Vega got a stellar rating, based on the deservedly great reputation of the Chevy II/Novas... I cant imagine any arguments, even from a die-hard Chevy fan, that the Vega was the biggest piece of s**t on 4 wheels. I wonder how many people got burned after relying on CR's opinion of that car. So much for my faith in CR, and there have been many more examples like that over the years. I think every car company around has had a blooper or 2. My experience has been 90% Nissan for nearly 30 years, and I can tell you which ones are bullet proof and which are not so great. Nissan's quality, IMO, peaked in the mid-90s for the most part. The 91-94 Sentra with the 1.6 L engine, either standard or AT, is amazing. In these parts, the only thing that brings them down is rust. And they hold up better than average even to that. But some of the newer models (02-06 Altima comes right to mind) are absolute crap. I get the feeling Toyota is in a similar situation, and thats sad. I bought a 96 2.5 OB without knowing it wasnt one of Subies best efforts, but the car is awesome other than the engine issues, and I'll get the bugs out. I hope Subaru is not dragged down into the pits with the rest, but I fear that whatever you buy, the days of 300,000 mile bullet proof cars is lost to the the almighty need to make the most $$$ while spending the least

Ok, I know there is a TON of information here on this topic. I have been spending a lot of time in the swap forum checking things out, but Im still a little confused... Some background: I bought a '96 OB, auto trans, and 2.5L DOHC. I knew it had head gasket issues when it was traded at the dealership where I work. Im a Nissan tech, but had little to no Subaru experience. With a lot of help from this board, I pulled the engine and did all the required 'stuff'. That was last winter/spring and I have been driving this thing non-stop ever since. Close to 10 k since the engine work, and all Ive noticed until recently is a little bit of piston slap on cold starts, which everyone here says is no biggie. No coolant loss, very little oil consumption, decent power and gas mileage. I freakin love this car! BUT.....the last couple weeks, its getting noisy, and not just when cold, and not just that piston slap. Its a real hard knock and bad enough to scare me, and its deep inside the engine, not a crank pulley or something like that. DAMN! After reading this board, Im not putting another dime in this 2.5 . Hindsights 20-20, right? LOL. Wish I had done the 2.2 swap right from the start, but thats water under da bridge. So, which 2.2 will be the easiest plug and play? This is where i get a little confused. Im in NY, the engine light has to stay off for yearly inspection, and I have EGR on this car. Can anyone tell me what year 2.2s will bolt in and have EGR? The front pipe issue isnt a biggie, but it would be nice to have the same dual ports as well...and anything else I should look for? I swear, Ive never had another car give me grief like this and still be a KEEPER. This thing is rust free, the interior is perfect, everything else now works as when new. Cold weather here now makes me really appreciate the heated seats and mirrors. This car is a great winter rat, which is what I bought it for in the first place! And Im not giving up. So, anyone that can tell me which year 2.2s I should shop for....I'd be greatly indebted. Thanks

here in the Adirondacks we have deer everywhere. Even a few moose! You hit one of them suckers, and its likely to hurt... I nailed a buck with a Nissan Stanza many years ago. It came over the hood but thankfully not through the windshield. The car was drivable and 2 days later, before I had it in for the damage estimate, a 87 year old man in a old Chevy Kingswood wagon ran a redlight and t-boned me...so much for 'fixxing' the Stanza. And I'll take the deer over a old guy in a tank any day! LOL. Seriously, I would vote with the majority and say its better to hit the deer than swerve with the potential of causing a worse scenario. But try to DO that when the suckers leap in front of you out of nowhere. Instincts take over. A good topic now that deer season is open here. I have to practice fighting the urge to swerve...