2004 Subaru Impreza Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT WHEN I HAD A FLAT TIRE (RIGHT REAR). I CHANGED THE TIRE, USING THE "DONUT" IN THE CAR. I DROVE ANOTHER 25 MILES NO FASTER THAN 40 MPH, AND US. SLOWER. THEN A DRIVER BEHIND ME FLASHED HER LIGHTS SIGNALING ME TO STOP. I STOPPED AND LEARNED MY CAR WAS BURNING UNDERNEATH, NEAR THE BACK. WHEN I HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT, I FOUND THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS BADLY DAMAGED. IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, PERSONS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ARE INSTRUCTED TO USE A SWITCH TO TURN OFF THE AWD WHEN DRIVING ON THE "DONUT." OTHERWISE, DAMAGE TO THE DIFFERENTIAL IS LIKELY. HOWEVER, NO SUCH SWITCH EXISTS FOR CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH I HAVE. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS, NOT GOING MORE THAN 50 MPH OR MORE THAN 50 MILES ON THE DONUT. BUT I DID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ANYWAY, AND THE FIRE (WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE HEAT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL SETTING THE UNDERCOATING ON FIRE) COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS. *TR

ON JULY 4, 2005, I GOT A GRINDING SOUND WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM A LIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME MISSING THE SHIFT. SEVERAL DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I STARTED TO DELAY MY SHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR. THIS SAME SCENARIO STARTED REPEATING ITSELF SEVERAL MORE TIMES. THEN THE SAME PROBLEM STARTED WHILE TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR. ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER. I TOLD THEM THAT I THOUGHT THE SYNCHRONIZERS WERE BAD IN 2ND AND 4TH GEARS. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALER CALLED AND TOLD ME THE SYNCHRONIZERS WERE BAD, AS WELL AS THE 2ND AND 4TH GEAR SETS, AND THE COST WOULD BE $2,900.00 TO REPAIR IT. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO "DRIVER ABUSE", AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER AND SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. TWO DAYS LATER, SUBARU SAID THEY WOULD REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION WITH NO CHARGE AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE, BUT NOT AS AN ITEM COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEY DID THE REPAIR. I HAVE FOUND THAT MY SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE IN THE 2002 THRU 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX AND STI . SUBARU DEALERS ARE DENYING WARRANTY REPAIRS FOR THESE TWO SUBARU MODELS, CLAIMING "DRIVER ABUSE". THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. MY THEORY IS THAT WHEN TURNING THE CARS AND SHIFTING, THERE IS TWISTING IN THE DRIVETRAIN THAT IS BRINGING THE SYNCHRONIZERS IN CONTACT WITH THE TRANSMISSION CASE CAUSING THE INITIAL DAMAGE. THE SENSOR'S WILL THEN NOT ALIGN THE GEARS PROPERLY AND THEN THE GRINDING STARTS. THE MORE THE CAR IS DRIVEN, THE MORE THE SENSOR'S ARE DAMAGED, AND, THUS, THE MORE THE GEARS GRIND. THE POINT IS THAT ALL SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE DAMAGED SENSORS, DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN, SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. SUBARU NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. SUBARU HAS PUT REDESIGNED, STRONGER SYNCHRONIZERS IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS OF THEIR 2006 WRX AND WRX STI MODELS. *JB

WHEN THE FRONT WHEELS WOULD SLIP, THE SENSOR SENT POWER TO THE REAR WHEELS. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE REAR WHEELS TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK *SC

UNABLE OR DIFFICULT TO PLACE CAR IN GEAR WHILE DRIVING ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. FIRST TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED IN ROADWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND LEFT ME STRANDED ROADSIDE. SECOND TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE EXITING FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY PUT CAR IN GEAR AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. ORIGINAL DEALER, REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER AND CORPORATE OFFICES WERE UNRESPONSIVE AND/OR UNCOOPERATIVE RELATIVE TO MY REQUESTS FOR VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE CLUTCH. AFTER MULTIPLE REQUESTS, ASSURANCE OF LEGAL ACTION AND REFUSAL TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO FEAR OF BEING INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, OTHER DEALERSHIP AGREED TO REPLACE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

I HAVE HAD A FIRST GEAR GRIND EVER SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE DEALER CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FIRST TECHNICIAN EVEN SAID IT WAS INTERNAL. FINALLY GOT THE FLUID CHANGED TO CORRECT THS ISSUE AT 14K MILES, HELPED BUT DID NOT FIX. AT 26000 MILES I TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND THEY ALSO CONFIRM THERE IS A PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP SAY THEY WILL NOT WORK ON IT DUE TO AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST. I EXPLAINED IT IS A PREXISTING CONDITION AND THE EXHAUST WOULD HAVE NO AFFECT ON THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO. DEALERSHIP STONEWALLS ME ON THIS ISSUE BUT PROMISES TO STILL FIX THE SEAT (SINCE IT HAS NNOT BEEN MODIFIED) I ASKED FOR THE TECHNICAL EXPLANATION OF WHY THE TRANNY WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THEY REFUSED TO ISSUE EITHER VERBALLY OR IN WRITING.*AK

FAILED TRANSMISSION FOR MANUAL DRIVE 2004 SUBARU WRX MANUFACTURER DENIED THE CLAIM

WAS AT THE LOCAL TRACK ON RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG NIGHT. LINED UP AGAINST AN SRT-4. LIGHT TURNED GREEN. I ACCELERATED TRYING TO GET A HOLESHOT. I HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE. SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH GIVING UP. THE SRT-4 WAS WAY AHEAD OF ME. I SHIFTED THROUGH THE GEARS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CATCH UP. THAT SRT-4 WAS FAST. THE LACK OF POWER IN MY STI REALLY DISHONORED MY FAMILY. IT FORCED ME TO BE HUMILIATED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS NORMAL AND TO EXPECT TO BE OUTMATCHED BY CARS LIKE THE DODGE SRT-4. THEY NEVER DID TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH NOISE.*AK

I BOUGHT A 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI IN JULY 2003 FROM BOB BAKER SUBARU IN EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA AND EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD ONE PROBLEM AFTER THE NEXT. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL SERVICING IS COMPLETED AT THE LANCASTER MAZDA-SUBARU LOCATION WHERE I LIVE. SEVERAL COSMETIC PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED SUCH AS: THE TRUNK LATCH DID NOT FUNCTION, THE BACK SEAT WAS UNHOOKED, THE SEAT LEVER THAT MOVES THE SEAT IN HALF, THE CUP HOLDER DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, AND THE HEAD LIGHTS FOGGED UP. MECHANICAL FAILURE HAS ALSO OCCURRED. IT HAS HAD AN ODD NOISE IN THE ENGINE SINCE THE BEGINNING WHICH SUBARU CLAIMS IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR BECAUSE IT IS A "RACECAR". THE STARTER SOMETIMES GRINDS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR, SUBARU COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM. THE LEFT REAR CHASSIS MAKES AN ODD NOISE WHEN ROLLING THAT SUBARU COULD NOT DIAGNOSE. IT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND NOW WHEN YOU TURN THE VEHICLE IT MAKES A LOUD METAL AGAINST METAL SCREECH. AS OF 6/18/2004 THE ENGINE HAS BEGUN TO FAIL. WHEN THE RPMS REACH BETWEEN 4000-5000 THE CAR CUTS OUT PRIOR TO ACCELERATING AND A BURNING SMELL IS DETECTED. I SPOKE WITH THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WHEN THIS CAR IS DRIVEN A LITTLE BIT HARDER THAN NORMAL THEY ARE NOTICING THAT SEVERAL OF THE IMPREZA WRX STI'S ARE BEING BROUGHT BACK IN WITH ENGINE FAILURE. THEY HAVE NOTED SEVERAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS TURBO BOG, OVERHEATING, POOR PERFORMANCE, AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS BURNING UP. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DISTINCT PROBLEM WITH THIS OVER $30,000 AND I THINK A COMPLAINT SHOULD BE FILED AGAINST SUBARU. WHEN IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IT BREAKS, AS IT WILL, IT WILL JUST SIT IN A GARAGE BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX A CAR THAT IS MANUFACTURED POORLY. SUBARU HAS ADVISED THAT THIS CAR IS A RACE CAR AND IT IS FAR FROM THAT. THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THIS CAR SINCE THEY OBVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED A POORLY MADE VEHICLE.*AK