I also have a 2001 LL Bean that I can't keep front brakes on - I am having it torn down next week (5th set of pads, 3rd time for rotars) by a new shop (at least new to my Subaru, we have used before for big repairs on our other vehicles with great results) since my Subaru dealer and tire/brake shop have given me no answers except to question my driving and road conditions.
Yes I'm a girl and I drive like a mad woman but my 94 and 97 Sub wagons held up just fine - for over 60k miles with no brake work necessary. Plus, I'm not the only one driving in the de-icer they plaster our roads with (mag chloride) but I'm still the 'only one they've seen with this chronic of a brake problem'.
After talking today to the owner of the shop that will have my car next week, he says there has to be a source of pressure causing the problem - whether it is a kinked brake line (he's only seen that once before), bad valve (not sure where, I am a girl after all), bad master cylinder or even possible problems with the rear brakes not working properly causing the fronts to do all the braking and wear fast. Since I haven't had problems with the back brakes and I've had all new calipers installed by my dealer on the front, he doesn't think the calipers are the culprit, however he'll be looking at them also. He will replace the pads with a premium pad - not Subaru OEM.
I think Subaru dances around this issue quite well, my Subaru dealer was told (besides my driving skill and road conditions) that there are parts of the brake system on my 2001 6 cyl that were only used for that one year - they were changed on the 2002's. That wouldn't explain why your 2003 is having the same problem.
If there is any silver bullet discovered next week, I will post again - please let me know if you have had any luck with yours as well. I plan on getting the 2005 Outback as soon as I can order it - but if I go through brakes within the first 36k miles you can bet I'm rolling it for a Volvo XC90.
