oHs n0S!!!!1! Teh Scott's C4r is teh f4ll1ng ap4rts!?!?!!1!

[sperry]

Alright, here's the low down on the stuff that's going wrong with my car, for the few of you that might care...

#1: CV joint

Looks like this has been coming for a while, since the car's been leaking grease from between the left-front axle and the diff. I took the car to Carson Subaru for warranty repair. The put it up on the lift, saw the exhaust and the rear swaybar, and they saw the saftey inspection sticker from AAX and called Subaru telling them, "the car has racing stickers, aftermarket exhaust and extensive suspension modifications". So Subaur denies my warranty. So I argued with SOA for a week on the phone, and I guess a saftey sticker and a 'B' means I have a track car, a turbo back exhaust makes "significantly" more power than stock even at 4200ft altitude, and a rear swaybar is "extensively" modifing the suspension. Nevermind Federal Law states I can do whatever I want with my car and it's their job to prve that it's what I've done that directly caused the failure before they can deny my warranty. Since the next step is to get a lawyer... fuck it. Subaru wins, I'm not gonna bother to try and get them to fix it. The last thing I want to do is pay money to a dealer to fix my car. They've already raped me on the price of the car, and on the lack of service, I'm taking SOA out of the loop.

So now here's the best part... I brought the car to Independant Automotive, and we looked at it. They think the axle, and the CV's are *fine*. It's just the seal between the CV cup and the axle that's leaking. They told me that this is a KNOWN problem with many older Imprezas... basically the grease they used is too lightweight and tends to leak... as it leaks the CV starts clunking... all they need to do it pull the cup off, repack it with the better grease and reinstall the seal. Shouldn't be more than an hour to do both axles. Isn't that great... my warranty's FUCKED by a $70 repair. I'm glad the techs over at Carson are up on their shit. I guess that's what happens when a bunch of Honda techs try to fix Subarus.

Moral of the story: don't bring your car in for warranty work unless it's BONE STOCK. Even then, the guys there don't have a clue and may make the car worse.

#2: Front Swaybar

First off, my Whiteline front swaybar has never fit quite right... always had some clunking. I've been back and forth with Whiteline looking for a fix, including a while there when I was running wagon endlinks on my sedan (oops!). Finally, I figured out the issue, the steering arm actually hit the bar!! So I sent off an email to Whitline, and they tell me they've got a newer front bar design, and they're gonna send it to me this week! I don't even have to send back my old bar, they're just sending me a new one... from AUSTRALIA!!

[img:94cd35a389=300]http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20Pictures/Doink%20WRX/Broken%20Stuff/Front%20Swaybar/WL%20frontbar%202%20small.jpg[/img:94cd35a389]

Moral of the story: Whiteline FUCKING ROCKS!

#3: Intercooler Hose

Last Thursday on the way to the meet, I start hearing a TON of noise under boost coming from the motor. Sounds like a big leak in my boost gauge or something. On the way home Matt drove next to me and described the sound as "a big ass balloon letting a ton of air out". So I got home and poked arund under the hood. Sure enough, the hose that runs from the intake manifold to the BOV easily pops off the manifold. Looks like that's my leak. So Matt (my roommate Matt) and I loosen the intercooler so I can wedge my hand under there and reinstall that hose (no easy chore). Finally everything's back together and I go for a test drive.... and it's still making the noise!

So now that it's 11pm, and I don't know what's wrong, and I've got to be in Lovelock the next evening, I have to call in to work and take Friday off. Friday morning, I pull the IC off to find a nice 1.5" long slit on the IC Y hose! That's neato!

[img:94cd35a389=300]http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20Pictures/Doink%20WRX/Broken%20Stuff/Intercooler%20Hose/IC%20hose%20split%203%20small.jpg[/img:94cd35a389]

I reinstalled the stock IC hoses, changed my oil, worked on the front swaybar, change to my race tires, and packed the car just in time to leave for Lovelock at 7pm. (BTW: with the stock hoses installed, I noticed *no* difference in performance... don't believe the hype y0!)

Talked to Vishnu on Monday, and they're sending me a new IC hose kit! Vishnu rules!

Moral of the story: IC hoses are overrated, but Vishnu still supports 'em! Yay!

#4: Exhaust Leak

So, now it's Sunday morning at the Lovelock autoX... I'm gridiing my car, and I notice the exhaust sounds kinda throaty. Then after the 1st run, It's downright obnoxious! So I'm laying under the car looking for the leak, and I can actually feel the exhaust coming out of the flange that's between the cat and the resinator! So, I finish the day and drive back to Reno in a car that sounds like Gary Sheehan's USTCC WRX . Once I'm back home and the car's cooled off, I put her up on stands and crawl under there with a slew of 14mm tools to replace that gasket. Turns out the gasket is fine... it's actually the exhaust hanger that broke! The thing tore right out of the pipe, leaving a nickel sized hole in the exhaust!

[img:94cd35a389=300]http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20Pictures/Doink%20WRX/Broken%20Stuff/Exhaust%20Hanger/Hanger%202%20small.jpg[/img:94cd35a389]

[img:94cd35a389=300]http://www.seccs.org/gallery/Car%20Pictures/Doink%20WRX/Broken%20Stuff/Exhaust%20Hanger/Hole%2012%20small.jpg[/img:94cd35a389]

I asked Ken at Vishnu when I called about the IC hoses about the exhaust. I told him I'd take it to a shop for repairs if Vishnu footed the bill. Well, the boys over at McVay's muffler had that thing done in about 5 minutes, for a whopping $20! If I'd have figured it would have been such a cheap and painless fix, I wouldn't have even bothered Vishnu with it... I figured that whole section of exhaust would have had to come off... at least an hour of labor... but McVay's is the bomb... they fixed it right on the car.

Moral of the story: Not all welds are welded equally... McVay's should be your 1st and last stop for exhaust work in Reno.


So, I think that's all the shit that's gone wrong over the last week... makes me wanna sell my car and buy an STi... anyone interested in buying all my aftermarket stuff?!? Vishnu Stage 1, good to go! Overkill IC spray system!! A bunch of sets of rims and tires!! EDM lights, STi grill! I only need to sell all my stuff for about $6000 to afford the STi, help a brutha out! Hey Theo, this is your chance to buy me out of STX!

But on the other hand.... these problems aren't that bad. As long as it's not a sign of things to come, I'm still very happy with my car. A set of JIC coilovers and I think I'm faster than Matt and his RICED out STi.

[ArthurS]

Well 3 out of the 4 things that happened to you are from aftermarket parts. So I think your actual subie has held up pretty good from being a daily driver and autocrosser. If your clutch and CV have been the only problems in the time you have owned it, thats not to bad at all. And it is tight that whiteline and vishnu will replace their faulty parts. Excellent job for both companies.

If you do sell your car, you know I will grab some of those parts off yea

[sperry]

Originally Posted by ArthurS

Well 3 out of the 4 things that happened to you are from aftermarket parts. So I think your actual subie has held up pretty good from being a daily driver and autocrosser. If your clutch and CV have been the only problems in the time you have owned it, thats not to bad at all. And it is tight that whiteline and vishnu will replace their faulty parts. Excellent job for both companies.

More on this subject... I finally got everything all fixed up!

The leak from my axle/diff junction is due to a known defect. In fact it's listed in the current issue of EndWrench, Subaru's technical magazine that goes out to the dealers, and is available at www.endwrench.com

Originally Posted by Summer 2003 End Wrench

Grease Leaking From Inner Axle Joints
If you encounter a 1998 Subaru that has grease leaking out of the inner axle joint along the transmission splined stub shaft, the situation can be repaired by doing the following:
• Remove and disassemble both inner axle joints.
• Clean the grease from the joints.
• Inspect the “freeze out” plug that covers the splined shaft area in the base of the inner joints to be sure that the plug has not fallen out.
• If the plug has fallen out, it may be possible to reinstall it. Make certain you do not block the air bleed hole. This air bleed hole is located at a point around the outer circumference of the seal plug. If the air bleed hole is blocked, then there is a possibility that the axle boots may be damaged.
• Install new grease P/N 28093TA000. (This grease is used on 1997 model year vehicles).
• Reassemble.

Guess, what... the '02 WRX has the same type of DOJ's, filled with the same high viscosity grease that occationally works its way out of the axle seal. So $150 in labor, and $4 in grease later, both my CVs are repacked.

And the clunking? Well, that was a loose bolt on my lower control arms. This was actually my fault... when I removed my ALK, I had to tighten this bolt to a whopping 180+ ft lbs in a space that my torque wrench simply can't fit. I used my longest crecent and tightened it as tight as I could. This is exactly how I installed the ALK and had no problems. Turns out it's not tight enough on the stock parts, and it loosened just enopugh to click when the car pitched under power. All it needed was a half a turn.

It's a crying shame that Carson City Subaru had to go and whine to SOA for a known defect and half a turn of a bolt. It's even more pathetic that SOA's 1st reaction is always "deny 1st" when it comes to warranty questions. If Carson's mechanics were competatent, they would have diagnosed the problems before biching about and exhaust and stickers, and realised the problem was not the axle, it was bad grease and a loose bolt. And even then, if they had called SOA and told them "I have a customer's car with the wrong CV grease from the factory, but he's got an exhaust, can we work on the car" I'd hope SOA wouldn't try to deny that.

Bottom line: Subaru makes some fucking cool cars, but SOA is a pathetic company to deal with. SOJ needs to bitch slap their American wing around a little, or the US customers are going to start buying elsewhere. No wonder it took so long for SOJ to bring the real deal Subaru's to the states... they must not have had much confidence in the company that sells 'em in the States... I know I don't.

BTW: The guys over at Independent Automotive are awesome!! (Tom worked on my car, and he knows his Subarus! Aparently he's the ex head tech of some sort from Lithia before it was Lithia.) Not only were they straight forward and upfront about what they were doing to the car, they also let me get under the car with 'em and help diagnose the problem. You'll never get that kind of communication from a dealer. The only thing that sucked was the amount of time it took for us to figure out the deal. Since we didn't know what was wrong, Tom went ahead and repacked the CV's, and that didn't fix anything but the leak. It was really pure luck that Tom and I were looking that the control arm and bullshitting about the ALK that we thought perhaps it might be loose (it's not obvious even when you're looking at it).

[sperry]

One more thing:

Since my car's running good again, and it turns out my issues weren't because my car's wearing out or anything, I'm re-thinking the whole STi deal. I really do love my car, and if it's not going to fall apart around me, then it will be much cheaper to add some coilovers and step up to SM next season than to buy an STi (even tho AS looks like it's going to be a kickass class to run in next season). The jury's not in yet, since I've got till April to decide what I'm doing, but unless there are more signs that the DoinkWRX is gonna fall apart, I think I can wait for the STi Legacy to make it stateside.

But then again, the STi OWNS! Argh!

[MattR]

Awesome! I'm so glad Independant was able to figure out the problem. Thats a real relief that there was no major problem at all. I am however realy disappointed in the service you got from SOA and Michael Hohl, absolutely disgusting. I think you'll have an easy time hanging on to your car now that its quiet4r and not leaking.. Good deal

[tysonK]

they would have diagnosed the problems before biching about and exhaust and stickers

dude they actually bitched about your stickers oh my god. I guess we all out of warranty work cause I know have more than stickers. that really blows.

Seriously though I would not mind knowing how much money SOA makes by denying warranty claims. I'm sure it has to be huge. The fact that we are dealing with a one sided justice system that wil never let you win just kills me. I almost want to call 20/20 and get an investigation. I mean look at your situation one of the problems clearly was SOA being a corporate barbarian and clubing you over the head. I'm sure the fine print is probably on their side. Or is it?

From the Warranty Booklet:
--"These warrantes do not cover any part which malfunctions, fails or is damaged DUE TO any unauthorized alteration or modification made to the car such as the removal of parts or the installation of parts, equipment or accessories or improper repairs or adjustment not approved or reccommended by SOA."

--"These warranties do not cover damage to a covered component directly caused by the failure of a non-covered part, accessoty or occurrence of event."

occurrence of event: god damn, everything is a fuckin event.

and the bastards add this also

--"These warranties do not cover damage to any compnent that is the result of operating the vehicle in any competition or racing event."

I liked how they separated competition and racing event in that last part Because a Car Show is basically a competition right, so when your axle falls off during moving your car in a Show and Shine your warranty can be voided, I guess they would have to find out about it.

All in all the warranties stipulations look like they could be on our side a bit. But we can't afford lawyers to argue our warranty claims. If SOA really wants to void our warranty it wil be difficult to stop them, but we can fight.

and here is the people you should give your story to Scott, they might help you but I'd like to see what they say anyways:

Subaru of America
Subaru Plaza
P.O Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUABRU3(1-800-782-2783)

that the address in the warranty book, they also wnat your VIN number, and some other stuff call me if you want or look at page 36 of the warranty booklet.

[sperry]

Thanks for the info Tyson! I've read most of that already, and I have the Cherry Hill address from my first warranty issues with Lithia regarding my clutch issues.

If you read the warranty provisions, they all state that the racing, or aftermarket parts have to explicitly cause the failure. That's partly due to the Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act that provides for the use of aftermarket parts without the invalidation of your warranty. Basically, Subaru is supposed to prove that my parts or actions caused the failure of the warrantied item. Well, Subaru never bothered to show my that my cations caused my problems, nor did they care to attempt after I explicity cited the LAW to them. Not to mention, it's gonna be kinda hard for them to prove that racing or an exhaust somehow cause the factory to put the wrong grease in my CV joint.

[dknv]

I keep wondering if this lockdown on warranty work is recent. I had my clutch replaced earlier this year under warranty, and my brake rotors turned a few months ago, under warranty - at Lithia. The custom exhaust was on there when they did the brakes, and the track stickers have been on the car since last fall, and never a word about them.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by dknv

I keep wondering if this lockdown on warranty work is recent. I had my clutch replaced earlier this year under warranty, and my brake rotors turned a few months ago, under warranty - at Lithia. The custom exhaust was on there when they did the brakes, and the track stickers have been on the car since last fall, and never a word about them.

The service manager over at Carson told me they got a memo requiring them to report mods about a month and a half ago. But I couldn't get SOA to admit that, so I don't know which one of them is lying.

Here's a copy of the letter I'm going to send to the parties involved, as well as www.deniedmywarranty.org:

September 29, 2003

To Whom It May Concern:

On September 13th 2003, I brought my 2002 Subaru WRX in to Michael Hohl Honda Subaru in Carson City, Nevada. I had noticed CV grease leaking from the seal between the front left axle and the front differential. I had also noticed a clunking/clicking noise that occurred when applying and backing off the throttle. When I dropped off the car, I was asked if I had any engine modifications to the vehicle, to which I replied that I had replaced the exhaust.

The dealer’s service tech put the car on the lift and noted my aftermarket exhaust, rear swaybar, as well as a safety inspection sticker on the windshield. He immediately lowered the vehicle and reported his observations to the service manager, Jim Heinzen. Mr. Heinzen then called the district service manager, Pat Buckley, and told him that I have a race car with a bad axle. Mr. Buckley then denied my warranty for the axle repair.

When I discussed the issue with Mr. Heinzen, I asked what was wrong with the car. Mr. Heinzen couldn’t be specific, since his technician did not diagnose it. He told me he thought it was the axle. I asked why he believed my exhaust would cause my axle to fail. He explained to me that he is required by Subaru to report any and all aftermarket items to Subaru of America before he is allowed to work on a particular warranty claim, regardless of whether or not he believes my parts may have caused the problem. He suggested that I take up my issue directly with Subaru of America, and provided me with the proper phone number.

I called SoA and talked with Adam, establishing case number 537 790. Adam told me that it is the dealer’s discretion for determining the effects of aftermarket parts on warranty claims, and that SoA provides a contact if the dealer is unsure about whether or not to proceed with a warranty claim. He told me that the dealer is not required to report all aftermarket parts to SoA. Adam suggested that I contact the dealer about resolving my issue.

So I contacted Mr. Heinzen again to discuss my issue. He tells me that the main issue is not my exhaust, as I was originally led to believe, but that it was my safety inspection sticker that indicated that my car was being used as a track car. I told Mr. Heinzen that my car has never been on a racetrack. He tells me that the decision isn’t up to him, but that it’s SoA’s decision. I told him that Adam explicitly told me that the dealer is responsible for making the determination as to whether or not my parts or actions caused the failure. Mr. Heinzen tells me that Adam is “an idiot” and that he’s wrong because all dealers were given a memo requiring them to report any aftermarket parts to SoA, even things as common as aftermarket wheels. Mr. Heinzen reiterated that I will have to discuss my problem with SoA.

Back on the phone with Adam, he tells me my warranty repair was denied because my aftermarket exhaust creates significantly more power than the car does from the factory, and that power would cause my axle to fail. I explain to him that living at 4200ft, even with an exhaust, a WRX probably would not make even the stock 227hp because of lack of oxygen. He tells me there’s no way to prove the amount of power my car is making. So I ask him how can it be determined the exhaust caused my axle to fail, if it can’t be determine how much power it makes. Adam then tells me my warranty was denied because I’ve tracked my car. I tell him that my car has never been on a racetrack, and that my dealer improperly gave the district service manager that impression due to a safety inspection sticker. I also explain that it’s Subaru’s burden to show that my actions directly caused the failure of the axle, as per the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and their own warranty literature. Adam ignores my arguments, and explains that Subaru is “highly confident” in their decision to deny my warranty, the failure to the axle is my fault.

Having been road blocked for a week in all attempts to get my car repaired by the dealer, I brought it to a well recommended Subaru shop. They recognized the leaking CV grease from the current issue of EndWrench magazine, Subaru’s own service tech publication:

Grease Leaking From Inner Axle Joints
If you encounter a 1998 Subaru that has grease leaking out of the inner axle joint along the transmission splined stub shaft, the situation can be repaired by doing the following:
• Remove and disassemble both inner axle joints.
• Clean the grease from the joints.
• Inspect the “freeze out” plug that covers the splined shaft area in the base of the inner joints to be sure that the plug has not fallen out.
• If the plug has fallen out, it may be possible to reinstall it. Make certain you do not block the air bleed hole. This air bleed hole is located at a point around the outer
circumference of the seal plug. If the air bleed hole is blocked, then there is a possibility that the axle boots may be damaged.
• Install new grease P/N 28093TA000. (This grease is used on 1997 model year vehicles).
• Reassemble.
Available at http://www.endwrench.com/pdf/summer2003/INSIDERI.PDF

The technicians found the grease in my 2002 WRX to be the same grease that caused the leaks in the 1998 models. I had the inner CV cups repacked with the proper grease at a cost of $4 in grease and two hours in labor. The technicians also located the source of the clicking noise as a loose bolt on the left front lower control arm. A half turn on this bolt ended the clicking noise.

I’m highly disappointed with Subaru of America and Michael Hohl Subaru. I encountered resistance and incompetence at every level of my dealing with this problem.

First, the technician that initially inspected my car should have been aware of the known issue of CV grease leaks, especially since it was featured in the most recent EndWrench. Instead, a general “the axle’s bad” was the diagnosis given to the service manager. It was this incomplete diagnosis that was then repeated to the district service manager without the caveat that the diagnosis wasn’t complete. I don’t understand how a service department can feel confident to pass along an issue for warranty review when they admittedly don’t even know exactly what the problem actually is. How can someone decide an aftermarket exhaust or racing caused a problem, if no one even knows what the problem is? Furthermore, at no point was I consulted as to the meaning of the stickers until after the warranty was pushed to the district service manager. I find it ironic that they had no problem replacing the clutch in my car a year earlier with the same sticker on the windshield.

Second, no one that I talked to was aware of Subaru’s warranty or Federal law regarding warranty work:

"These warranties do not cover any part which malfunctions, fails or is damaged due to any unauthorized alteration or modification made to the car such as the removal of parts or the installation of parts, equipment or accessories or improper repairs or adjustment not approved or recommended by SOA."

"These warranties do not cover damage to a covered component directly caused by the failure of a non-covered part, accessory or occurrence of event."

"These warranties do not cover damage to any component that is the result of operating the vehicle in any competition or racing event."

These warranty restrictions mirror Federal law as described in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)) which basically prevents a warranty from being denied due to aftermarket parts unless it can be shown that the aftermarket parts directly caused the warranted item to fail. At no point was Subaru willing to demonstrate that my modifications or actions caused my problem. The best I got was a claim that they were “highly confident” in their decision that I had caused my problem. This strikes me as fairly ridiculous, considering that my problem occurred at the factory when the wrong grease was put in the inner CV joints. I’d very much like SoA to explain how my exhaust caused that to happen. I would also like to know how a sticker can be considered proof that my car has been on a race track.

In addition to the incompetence described above, I found the whole warranty process to be flawed and unreasonable. Throughout the whole issue, I never encountered anyone that was willing to take responsibility for my situation and attempt to help me resolve it. The dealer consistently indicated that I had to take it up with SoA, while SoA consistently indicated that I had to take it up with my dealer. Eventually, both parties pushed the responsibility of a final decision to the district service manager, Pat Buckley, whom I was not allowed to contact, and who never spoke with me or saw my car. This does not sound like a method for fairly resolving warranty issues, it sounds like a method for consistently denying warranty issues without giving the customer recourse for defending their rights as provided by Federal warranty law. The only option this leaves is legal recourse, which is ridiculous, considering the repair was less than $200. I would think pleasing their customer with good service would be far more beneficial to them than the $200 it would have cost them to fix my car, especially when it comes time for me to buy my next vehicle.

The bottom line is this: I am highly displeased with the way I’ve been treated by the service side of Subaru. I have never been the recipient of decent customer service without fighting some sort of battle with a dealer or Subaru of America. (See SoA case number 374 524 where Subaru attempted to deny warranty work for a known defect with my clutch.) Subaru makes some of the world’s best cars, but when something goes wrong, they do everything they can to force the problem back on the consumer. With service like this, it seems my only option is to protest with my wallet by buying only used Subarus, or by taking my business to another manufacturer.

Sincerely,
Scott Perry

I'd love some SECCS feedback on this before I send it off, so lemme know what you think!

[MattR]

*wipes tears from eyes*...thats beautiful man.

Seriuosly, very well written, I only hope that the right person sees that, buit very well done.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

"This does not sound like a method for fairly resolving warranty issues, it sounds like a method for consistently denying warranty issues without giving the customer a fair shot at proving their case."

This seems to slightly contradict your earlier point that by law they should have to prove aftermarket parts were responsible for failure, rather than you having to prove that they were not.


Spell Checking:

"He suggested that I take up my issue directly with Subaru of America, and provided my with the proper phone number."

"This strikes me a fairly ridiculous, considering that my problem occurred at the factory when the wrong grease was put in the inner CV joints."

Other than that, looks good. Fire it off and let those asshats have it.

[ArthurS]

Sounds good to me Scott. Send that off to the bastards.

[STIwish]

Thats great man!!! go get the bastards!

[Gorio]

Well said!
Good luck!

SoA = bad karma coming your way

[dknv]

Go Scott, Go!

cc: the BBB too.

[sperry]

My roommate has suggested I file a $200 small claims lawsuit against SOA. Chances are they'll lose by default, because it will cost them too much to bother to send a rep to court to fight me. I'm actually considering the idea, but to be honest, it's not the money that bothers me, it's the piss-poor customer service. I'd rather do something that would help change the way SOA deals with all their customers, so people don't have to go through this all the time.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Go get 'em you pimp.

Dr. Scott Perry =

[tysonK]

Yes, the service is the main issue here, although the money would be a mute factor if we had sufficient service given towards our claims and our cars.

Scott, you might also want to site Debbie's(If she lets you) clutch repair under warranty and the fact that she had many racing stickers and the exhaust. Just to magnify the inconcistency of the situation SoA puts thier customers in.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by tysonK

Yes, the service is the main issue here, although the money would be a mute factor if we had sufficient service given towards our claims and our cars.

Scott, you might also want to site Debbie's(If she lets you) clutch repair under warranty and the fact that she had many racing stickers and the exhaust. Just to magnify the inconcistency of the situation SoA puts thier customers in.

The word's "moot" not "mute".

I think I'll leave Debbie out of it, since I'd hate to screw up anything for her in the future on the off chance they figure out who I'm talking about. Besides, when I had my clutch replaced under warranty at Carson Subaru, I had the same sticker on my windshield... that's why I didn't even think about taking it off for this repair.

[tysonK]

yah moot.