leogrrl

Thanks for your replies! I am outside of the 5-year timeframe, but within the 60,000 miles. So the dealer arranged to have Subaru cover half of the charges, with me paying the remaining half of the warranty prices. Is that fair? I just picked the car up. They ended up resealing (not replacing, my error) the oil pump, replacing the separator plate, and replacing the rear main seal, plus some other small seals (o-ring, etc.). While they had everything apart, I had them replace the fan belts and the timing belt. They also reported that the clutch was 75% spent, so I had them replace that too. The cost for these items was parts only. All said and done, it came to $900, plus tax, which is nearly 9% here in Washington State. That breaks down to $465 for the clutch, something like $150 for the fan belts and timing belt, and $300 for the various items to repair the oil leak. Did I get taken for a ride? Or is this fair? It's a lot of money, but I really, really hope that this covers just about everything for several years to come....

Hello, I have a 1999 5-speed Outback with 47,000 miles. We've maintained it and treated it well. Until this week, it hasn't had any problems. But when we got the oil changed last week, they told us the oil pump was leaking and would need to be replaced -- for $600. I expressed my shock about such a pricey repair for a relatively low-mileage car, and the dealer agreed to split the costs at the warranty rate. All was good until they opened up the transmission. Today they're saying that there was oil all over the inside, and that the separator plate also needs to be replaced. The as-yet unidentified problem could also extend to the rear main seal and, perhaps, the clutch. (I don't understand the connection with the clutch, but that's what they said.) The car has been fine. No burnt-oil smell, no strange behavior. We've had the dealer do all of the oil changes. The only thing that was the least bit weird was a loud knocking noise when we started the car after being out of town for a week. That was last week. On the phone, the mechanic said that the noise was typical of Outbacks that hadn't been driven in a while, and that it should subside after a few minutes. It did. Is any of this sounding suspicious to you guys? Am I being taken for a ride by the dealer? They have a good reputation as far as dealers go, but... if we were paying non-warranty/non-negotiated costs, we'd be looking at a $1200 bill as a minimum. Seems very high for a well-maintained car with only 47k, doesn't it? Or is this standard for Subarus? Previously, we've had a Honda, a Toyota, and a Mazda -- All totally problem-free at this mileage. Any input would be greatly appreciated -- Thanks so much. Michele