'02 outback recently acqiured with 60-odd k has piston slap. my wife took it in for an oil change, had them check it out. she left with an appointment to have 2 pistons replaced. 1/3 paid by subaru, 1/3 by dealer, 1/3 on us which is covered under the used car extended warranty. our total cost will come to approx $100 for oil & gaskets... is this a typical story?

'02 outback recently acqiured with 60-odd k has piston slap. my wife took it in for an oil change, had them check it out. she left with an appointment to have 2 pistons replaced. 1/3 paid by subaru, 1/3 by dealer, 1/3 on us which is covered under the used car extended warranty. our total cost will come to approx $100 for oil & gaskets... is this a typical story?

 

Well, someone should give that dealer a medal or something. Was the piston slap particularly bad? Seems like Subaru SOP is to say "it's normal operating noise" as long as the slap goes away once the engine has warmed up. I've heard of dealers doing something about the slap if it persists after the engine reaches operating temperature. But $100 for doing major engine disassembly? Damn.

That is too lowi would figure your cut is around 400.00 since it should be about 2 hrs more then a head gasket change.

Make sure everything is in writing, and that there is a subaru warrenty on the work.

 

nipper

Wow. That's too good of a deal, especially under a weasel extended warranty plan. Beware. When they get in there they could "find " more than you/they bargained for and stick you with 100% of what isn't two pistons.

 

Can you live with that slap? I did. If you can, wait until the entire engine goes south and then take it in. THAT would be covered in full under the extended warranty and they know it.

 

That said, get it in writing that your car will be returned to you within a specific time frame and in 'at least' the same operating condition as when you drove it in for the repairs. Close the door on the possibility of them opening the engine and calling you for approval to put it back together at another $$$$$$$ at your, non-warranty, expense.

 

If it sounds too good, probable is.

 

I could be wrong. What do you all think?

 

Juan

1/3 paid by subaru, 1/3 by dealer, 1/3 on us which is covered under the used car extended warranty. our total cost will come to approx $100 for oil & gaskets... is this a typical story?

 

 

Are you talking about a $100 deductable or paying 1/3 of the total cost?

$100 is 1/3 of $300.

 

Replacing 2 pistons is more like a $1200 job at least.

Don't wait till your engine dies. You already brought your car in w/ a problem, which is documented not only at the dealer but with SOA. Most likely your engine will not die, I hear (read) that this engine slap is pretty common, and doesn't really hurt nething.

Just search piston slap and have a cup of coffe, extensive reading, second only to torque bind and climate control lights.

Oddly the problem seems to have gone away in 2003?

 

nipper

about 2 weeks into driving after repairs... took about a week - partly to wait for the insurance geek to show up which he never did. car was ready on time, about $110 out the door. she also got a fairly new legacy as a loaner [with the sport shift locked out by tire weights]. dealer and soa will pick up the rest even if the extended warranty doesn't come through. to that end the dealer documented, photographed and probably made plaster casts and applied the latest in forensics to gather evidence towards making them pay. apparently the left side pistons were in pretty bad shape. now runs quiet as it should. been too distracted to check on oil consumption, power, etc, but overall, we are satisfied with the job. i am entirely in shock that it all went so smoothly. if you are in northern new england, i will gladly refer you to this store.

 

p.s.

my wife knows how to negotiate as she deals with lawyers over special ed cases on behalf her school district. the customer ahead of her on pickup day threatened to take her business elswhere over some issue about timing or scheduling. point is that business goes both ways and she has always been treated exceptionally well there.

 

Oddly the problem seems to have gone away in 2003?

I don't know exactly when the problem was corrected. I drove an '03 Baja a few weeks ago with 68K on it. It knocks loudly even when warm.