1998 Subaru Impreza problems

“BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR BEARINGS ON THIS CAR FAILED BEFORE IT REACHED 60,000 MILES. NO INJURIES -- I'M CAREFUL AND HEARD THEM FAILING -- BUT REPAIRS WERE VERY EXPENSIVE. MR”

“TRANSFER CLUTCH ON THE POWERTRAIN OF MY 1998 SUBARU IMPREZA BUCKS AND BINDS IN TURNS, APPARENTLY DUE TO THE TRANSFER CLUTCH HANGING UP AND STAYING APPLIED. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST SINCE THE 50,000 MILE MARK AND CONTINUES TO DATE. DESPITE THIS PROBLEM FALLING UNDER SUBARU'S POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, TWO SEPARATE SUBARU DEALERS HAVE REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY, AND INSTEAD HAVE "ADDED LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL ADDITIVE" TO THE DIFFERENTIAL-A FIX I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ANOTHER SUBARU DEALER IS NOT AN AUTHORIZED FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOW FACED WITH $900 IN REPAIR BILLS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED FOR 1997 SUBARU IMPREZAS (NHTSA ITEM NUMBER SB053575).”

“98 SUBARU IMPREZA 2.5RS. I HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY THE FIRST TIME . AROUND A YEAR AFTER THAT,THE CAR OVER HEATED AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO A AUTO REPAIR SHOP THAT I WORKED AT AND HAD THEM TEST THE CAR TO SEE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AGAIN. THEY DETERMINED THIS BY TESTING FOR ANY EMISSIONS IN THE COOLANT. THERE WAS ALSO A LARGE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR(OIL)AS WELL. SUBARU WOULD NOT WARRANTY THERE ORIGINAL WORK SO THE CAR SAT FOR A BIT BEFORE I COULD AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED. WHEN I SAVED UP SOME MONEY FOR THE REPAIR, I BROUGHT IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER TO HAVE THEM DO THE WORK ON IT. I WAS EXTREMELY UPSET WITH THE WORK THEY DID BUT GOT THE CAR BACK WITH A FUNCTIONAL ENGINE. NOT MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPEN(OVERHEAT). AGAIN, I PULLED OVER RIGHT AWAY TO LIMIT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. AT THAT POINT, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOME AND IT SAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE THE BAD CHOICE TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. THIS TIME I SENT IT TO BOFFO AUTO REPAIR. THEY RECOMMENDED A NEW MOTOR BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THE "HEADS" HAD BEEN DONE, THEY MILLED THE HEADS SMOOTH AND NEW "HEADS" WERE NOT TO…”

“AIR BAG RECALL AND IMPENDING SUIT AGAINST AIR BAG COMPANY”

“INTERMITTENT FAILURE/SHORT OF POWER TO THE MAIN COMPUTER (ECU) AT APPOX. 120K MILES. CAR WOULD NOT START, NO CHECK-ENGINE LIGHT. AFTER WAITING FOR TOW TRUCK, IT STARTS AND RUNS FINE. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND HE SAYS NOTHING WRONG. TWO WEEKS LATER, SAME THING. HOOK UP OBD II MONITOR AND IT SAYS ECU RECIEVING "NO PWR." TOWED TO SHOP. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED AS FAILED ECU AND REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, SAME SYMPTOMS (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, "NO PWR" ON OBD II MONITOR), BUT AN HOUR LATER CAR STARTED FINE AND OBD II SHOWED NO PROBLEMS. TOOK TO MECHANIC WHO FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HAPPENED AGAIN A WEEK LATER, MECHANIC FINDS NOTHING. TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT, FAILED AGAIN, WOULD NOT START AFTER MANY DAYS AND STILL SAYS "NO PWR." TOWED TO MECHANIC, AND ONCE IT GOT TO SHOP, STARTED FINE -- MOVEMENT DURING TOWING CAUSED POWER TO BE RESTORED TO ECU. THUS, IT'S A SHORT IN THE POWER PATH THAT RUNS THE ECU. MECHANIC CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. MECHANIC DISMANTLED FUSEBOXES AND FINDS NO APPARENT SIGNS OF SHORT ANYWHERE. SAYS IT'S A "SUBARU BUG." COST TO DATE: APPOX. $2000, AND NOT YET FIXED.”

“THIS CAR NEEDED REPLACEMENT OF BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS AT SLIGHTLY OVER 67,000 MILES. NO OTHER SUBARU I HAVE OWNED OR HEARD OF NEEDED SUCH REPAIRS. MY PREVIOUS SUBARU HAD OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT WITH NO DEFECTS. THE SHOP PERSONEL AT THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOME OTHER IMPREZAS, AS WELL AS FORESTERS. I WROTE A LETTER TO SUBARU AMERICA, AFTER SIX DAYS I HAVEN'T RECIEVED ANY RESPONSE. I INCLUDED A COPY OF MY REPAIR BILL AS WELL AS MY RENTAL CAR FEES.”