1 Lucky Texan

1. See if using the FWD fuse (any size spare fuse in the FWD position in the box under the hood near the strut tower) helps. If it does, you can drive that way indefinitely or until you get a new trans or decide to fix the clutch pack w'ever. Are all 4 tires identical? same brand/model size? they need to be. Has the trans or rear diff been replaced right before this problem began? maybe you have mismatched final drive ratios. 2. The trans will look overfilled of you forget to check the level while idling. It's the only fluid you must check that way.

rear diffs are very robust I guess, extremely rare to read of a failure but, anything can fail. you might experiment with the FWD fuse to perhpas eliminate a torque bind issue - does the car buck/jerk/grab when maneuvering tight turns in parking lots?

yeah, what ^^^^ said. swap tire pairs front to back. while doing that, check that calipers are free to slide and brake pad wear is even, inside vs outside. wouldn't hurt to examine axle nuts in case one is loose. is it a vibration you feel in the steering wheel or just 'everywhere'?

probably the missing is causing some fuel to be pulled so, the missing is the first priority. when you changed the wires and plugs (OEM went back on I hope?) was there any oil on the plug or plug boots? leaking valve cover gaskets can cause misfires.

I would bargain down hard if there's no solid proof the timing belt system was serviced properly. Otherwise, normal 14 year old car stuff in addition to awd issues you mentioned. is 05 still mechanical throttle? my 06 WRX is drive-by-wire.

you may have airbags in the seat backs - not certain but, be careful with those things.

not knowing the precise problem, have you considered an auto uplholstery shop or new covers?

not sure on specifics, but there are plenty of complaints over at subaruoutback.org

I dunno, some people with troublesome 4EATs have had luck with an additive like Trans-X helping with engagement issues. I guess it cleans valve bodies or swells shrunken seals or something.....

what car? Assuming it's an EZ30, sitting in the car, the right side bank is cyl #1 at the front of the car, #3 next moving back towards the firewall, and last is number 5' the left side is 2, 4, 6

My 06 WRX wagon ate 2nd gear, local tuner shop rebuilt it, $2K probably would have looked for a used one at car-part.com except mine had very low miles. they claim 3rd gear is weak but sometimes 2nd goes. and second is cut onto a main shaft.... wish I'd had the money for a 6spd swap

fingers crossed it isn't too viscous this winter.

broken axle? maybe center diff is stronger in reverse???

Maybe getting stuff out of Australia is faster?

the one I use looks like this; Pour diff oil SLOWLY .

I use a funnel with a hose. Check levels in the trans while idling, after running thru all the gears. The marks on the auto's stick are only a few ounces apart - not a liter/qt like engine stick so, sneak up on FULL.

first, you might want to check here; https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/121-subaruonlineparts-com/501795-new-lower-pricing-subaru-gear-codes-vip-s.html that's the most recent OEM source I used. Prices were good before the discount. I dunno who is quickest to ship but, I have also used ; fredbeansparts.com, genuinesubaruparts.com and amazon and ebay but I don't know who fulfilled the order.

folks love those engines....just wondering thanx

just curious but, does Subaru still sell 2.2l short blocks?

just wondering, on a hill, does Park (with no P brake set) hold the car?

a user in Wyoming would love to have the engine I bet paging @BlueSoob

yeah, cracked/broken forks are a known thing. doesn't mean you couldn't also have a problem in the hydraulic system too. I've seen someone (Cusco, Perrin or ?????) that offers a HD fork - probably a good option for folks upgrading to hi-perf clutches.

try parting it out? craigslist I guess is how folks do that nowadays or pull the better/smaller parts yourself and offer them in the classifieds on the forums?

^^^ awesome post

I think a second set of eyes ,safely, looking at what each front axle is doing could be helpful. Maybe one is broken in the inner 'tripod' joint and spinning some, catching a little, then spinning. Might need to put a piece of tape as a 'flag' on the axle or paint a little dot of liquid paper w'ever to make it easier to spot. If it isn't that, probably the front diff is bad in the trans. There is a magnet on the frt diff drain plug - if it has anything other than 1/8 to maybe 1/4 teaspoon of sludge on it, or worse, 'pieces' of metal, that points to its failure.