kickson

I had just replaced with brand new bulbs today, and the original bulbs didn't really look blown, but it was a little hard to tell. Unfortunately don't have access to a meter anymore, so maybe I should invest in one. Hmmm... I'll have to take another look tomorrow when I have more time.

So I was driving home last night and got pulled over by the cops because my license plate lamp was out. Today I replaced the bulbs, but they still don't work. I tried to check the connections and they seem fine. Is there anything else I can try before I bring my subie into the stealership? Oh yeah, I'm driving a 2003 Outback Sedan. Thanks!

Actually I have been considering a trade, and I was the one who started asking the dealer about it. I've been wanting to get a wagon to have more space, and Subaru has a special deal of $19588 only until the end of the year. I know the dealer charges outrageous prices, but I figured my AC is still under my extended warranty which is why I brought it there. Unfortunately, labor and parts come to well above what I expected for brakes and my warranty deductible, and I figure I could just spend an additional $4000 for a brand new car. I'm just curious if $4000 for a new car sounds like a good deal although I'm sacrificing my goodies from the VDC.

Well thinking about it, I don't really need all the bells and whistles. Sure the extras are nice, but I figure I never really use any of the features. I do have a nice stereo in my Subie right now, and I guess that would be a drawback. I barely use my sunroof, heated seats, heated mirrors. Decisions decisions!

Hi guys, I have a quick decision I need to make regarding whether to trade in my car or not. Right now I drive a 2003 Outback VDC Sedan. This car is nice because it has all the fixings. However, I have taken this car to the dealer more times than I can count for various reasons. (heated seats not working, speaker not working, creaking) The latest problems I just found out is the compressor belts on my AC need replacing and the brakes must also be replaced to fix a squeaking issue. ($750) Now, I know I have a guarantee trade in value of $15800 for my car, and I just found out I can get a brand new 2007 Outback basic for $19588. What do you think, should I make the trade?

When I bought my Outback, the dealer offered gold plus plan warranty for 7 years, 80000 miles for $3000. Anyways, I bought it knowing I could refund it in 30 days. I searched these boards, and found that you can buy the same plan from other dealers within the US at a much cheaper price. I went back to the dealer and told him I was going to cancel. Immediately he said he could drop the price to $1500. Can you believe that? Anyways, I still declined the warranty and now have a 10 year 100,000 mile gold plus plan that I purchased for $1350. I've already used the gold warranty on some small things like nail in the tire removal. The factory warranty covered an issue I had with my heated seat not working, and a rear speaker that was out. I am finally about to pass the original 36,000 mile factory warranty, so am glad I have some additional coverage.

That's a tough call. I believe cars are never the same after an accident no matter if it is repaired. So if a VIN check is run on your car, will the title be clear or salvaged? I guess you can claim your car is in excellent condition if you note it was in a prior accident. But, I'd have to think the value of the car would not be worth a car in that condition.

Is it a squeal or a squeak? I may be experiencing almost the same problem on my '03 Outback VDC. Ever since we got really cold weather, I've been hearing a squeaking at random times. Sounds like coming from the steering wheel, but I can't consistently reproduce the sound. Only seems to happen every so often, but it even happens in warm weather too. I'm only at 27k, so I'm slightly upset.

I have an inactive Onstar system in my '03 OB VDC Sedan. I chose not to activate it when I bought in Dec '04, but my dealer gave me that option. I couldn't imagine the system already being out of date.

Thanks for the advice. Yeah, first thing I did was check balance and the fade. The 2 speakers from the rear door panels work fine, but the one behind the rear headrests does nothing. I had several other people listen or not listen to the dead speaker so it's not in my head. Checked the wiring as best I could without removing any panels and that looked fine. I am going to have that darn service advisor stick his ear to that dead speaker until I convince him it doesn't work. I think bad communication is why the service advisor screwed up the first time, but you would think when you point to the exact speaker that doesn't work, then he'd pay attention to that speaker.

Hi all, I own a 2003 outback VDC sedan with the Mcintosh stereo system. I had no idea until my sister told me that my rear speaker didn't work. This is not one of the speakers on the rear doors, but near the rear window behind the back seat headrests. Anyways, I dropped my ru to the dealer this past weekend, and the service advisor told me there was nothing wrong. I told the guy exactly which speaker was out, but either the guy missed it or was tone deaf. Unfortunately I did not have the service guy in the car with me so maybe that's why he missed it, and my fault for just dropping off. Anyways, I'm a total newbie when it comes to stereos and speakers. Are there any suggestions what may be wrong? I checked the connections by popping open my trunk, and they seem good. Solder points also seem good. Can anyone advise me how to remove the interior panels to get to my speaker? If I attempt this, will I void any speaker warranties? Was just hoping I could fix myself instead of bringing back to the dealer. Thanks!

Is this an official Subaru extended warranty? (Gold Plus Plan) When I bought my 2003, the dealer wanted $3000 for an extended Subie warranty for only 5yrs/70k miles $100 deductible. I accepted knowing I could refund within 30 days. I then joined these forums and read how you can usually find cheaper prices at other Subaru dealers in other states. In my opinion, it is worth it if the price is only $884, but ionly f it is an official Subaru Warranty. I've read the transmissions are quite expensive to replace, and you never know when electrical problems may arise. In my case, I found another dealer that only charged $1350 for a 7yr/100k $50 deductible. At the time, this was the actual price charged by Subaru, so the dealer wasn't trying to rip me off. Anyways, after I told my original dealer I wanted a refund, he said he would drop the price from $3000 to $2000. Talk about Stealership. I declined!

My dad had a similar situation with his Nissan Maxima. The key would not come out, and I don't think the key was able to turn and start the car either. The shifter was also stuck. We ended up jumping the car battery and the key was able to turn again. Not sure how the two are related, but that's what worked for him. You may also want to check the fuse box, as maybe one of the fuses have gone bad. Good luck!

Yep, a clear bra using the 3M may be the best solution. That way you can still see the beauty of your hood/bumper and don't have to worry about the knicks. Also usually comes with a lifetime warranty if there are any tears or discoloration. It is expensive, but well worth the money. I have one, and several of my friends do also. Just call around your local tint shops, and they should be able to give you a price. I'm thinking anywhere between $150 - $500 depending.

Yikes, definitely some worthy info to know about. I need to make sure I don't ever leave mine on by accident.

Haha, I didn't realize the hydroedge's came in the 225/60-16 size when I was browsing tirerack.com. After searching further on other sites, I realized they do, so scratch my earlier dumb question about the wheels.

Had a flat this morning, so now I'm shopping around for some new all season tires. I've been reading some excellent reviews on the hydroedge and it seem users also love the nokians. Here's a stupid question, if I chose to buy the hydroedge, does this mean I also need to buy new wheel rims? I'm driving an '03 outback sedan, and it seems the hydroedge aren't the same size as the originals.

I drive an '03 Outback VDC. I average about 25mpg driving highway and city about 50/50. Like Cookie said, the downside is the cost of premium gas. I can only get 91 in Colorado Springs. Don't know if 93 would make a difference!

Just curious, have you looked online to buy your car? I'm sure you can get a better deal than $26k for a subaru outback. You might also want to consider which car is better equipped to carry a child. I remember reading a thread that said outbacks are not the greatest cars for a child seat(do a search). With all that being said, I love my '03 outback which I did pay almost $25k for after taxes (H6-3.0 VDC). I get about 25MPG, but if I did it all over again, I would shop around over the internet before buying locally.

Sorry to hear about the accident. About the pain, don't be surprised if you have a stiff neck and frequent headaches for a few weeks. I was rear ended in my mom's infinity late June. Got X-rays and have been to physical therapy for a few weeks. Was diagnosed with some swelling and a muscle spasm for my neck. Actually went to see a lawyer cause I didn't know how to handle the situation. Don't know what type of insurance you have (full or liability), but if you have full than your insurance company should be able to cover any medical bills you have. The lawyer told me that your car insurance company paying for medical bills should have higher priority than your health insurance.

First, welcome to the boards. Now about reliability, I certainly hope they perform well after 100k. Unfortunately my 2003 AT outback is only at 20k, but no problems yet. Has anyone driven over 100k with a 2003 or later?

Hmm, any idea where from colorado the dealer's friend was from? Anyways, I drive an '03 outback with 3.0l and have had no problems for the 7k miles I have driven it. (now at 20k) I'll admit it doesn't have the greatest accelaration, but I don't drive it hard, and I think my A/C works great!

Haha, great post! Besides my '03 outback sedan, my next door neighbor has an outback wagon, and I've also noticed a legacy further down my street. I think I need to look harder cause I'm sure there are several more houses with Subies. I swear this is Subie City, cause I know I see more than 10 a day just driving to work and back. That's only 24 miles round trip.

Hi Jerry, I came across this website yesterday that lets you search for car parts in various junkyards throughout the world. If you do the advanced search, you can choose Colorado for your search. Good luck! http://car-part.com/

I agree to check the axle. Although I drive an automatic, what you described is what happened to my old nissan. I heard a pop, then I couldn't drive no matter where I had the auto transmission set. Turned out to be my front axle that broke.