1998 SUBARU IMPREZA

AIR BAG RECALL AND IMPENDING SUIT AGAINST AIR BAG COMPANY

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 AGA

Mileage: 72,000

HEAD GASKET FAILURE ENGINE OVERHEATED ON 16 HOUR TRIP.. TOOK TO SUBARU DEALERSHIP, THEY PUT IN A NEW "STARTER BOLT" STATED IT WAS A BAD GROUND?? ON RETURN HOME CAR OVER HEATED AGAIN.. WAS REPAIRED BY SUBARU, TECH SAID IT WAS COMMON. 2ND HEAD GASKET FAILURE, TWO MONTHS LATER, OIL IN ANTIFREEZE... DRIVING 55-65 MPH FOR 10 MIN IN 75-80F WEATHER, NOT UNDER HARD ACCELERATION. FEAR THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. CURRENT RECALL ON 99-01 MODELS FOR "COOLANT ADDITIVE". POOR HEAD GASKET DESIGN IS LEADING TO FAILURE... SEEMS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM ON 98'S (2.5RS DOHC EJ25 PHASE 1) *JB

Mileage: 29,000

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

Mileage: 120,000

THE ENGINE KEPT OVERHEATING AND AIR WOULD APPEAR IN THE RADIATOR. ANTIFREEZE WOULD BE PUSHED OUT OF RADIATOR AND THE HEATER WOULD BLOW COLD AIR. THE CAR HAD TO BE SHUT OFF REPEATEDLY AND ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN AND THE ANTIFREEZE REPLACED. A CHECK OF THE COOLING SYSTEM DETECTED NO LEAKS. WE WERE TOOK THE CAR TO A NUMBER OF GARAGES UNTIL FINALLY ONE GARAGE TOLD US THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS MOST LIKELY CRACKED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3600. ACCORDING TO THE GARAGE, THEY HAVE REPLACED A NUMBER OF ENGINES FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, SPECIFICALLY ONE WITH THE DOHC.*AK

Mileage: 98,000

1998 SUBARU IMPREZA 53,000 MILES AND THE AUTO TECH AT SUBARU SAYS I HAVE A PISTON SLAP, $2500.00 TO PULL ENGINE AND CHECK THIS OUT. I HAVE CHANGED OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES BROUGHT IT IN FOR THE 30,000 MILEAGE OVER ALL CHECK UP - WHAT IS UP WITH THIS MOTOR? *JB

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.

Mileage: 67,000

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.

Mileage: 67,000

ENGINE STALLS WHEN TRYING TO TAKE OFF AFTER STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. THERE IS ALSO A RAPPING NOISE IN ENGINE UNTIL ITS BEEN RUNNING AWHILE. *JB

THE WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED PREMATURELY.*JB

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).

Mileage: 51,478

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

THE WHEEL BEARING HAS FAILED THREE TIMES. NLM

CONSUMER STATES THE CLUTCH HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES.*JB

THE FLYWHEEL IS INOPERATIVE.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THE SPEEDOMETER IS INOPERATIVE.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THE STARTER FAILED.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED TWICE.*JB

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. MECHANIC STATED THAT WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM CONSTANTLY, AND HAD DEALER SERVICE VEHICLE ON SAME MALFUNCTION 9 TIMES.*AK

REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED TWICE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS A POTENTIALLY A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY QUIETLY SUPERSEEDED THE OLD BALL BEARING USED IN IMPREZAS AND FORESTERS WITH A NEW ROLLER BEARING FROM THE LEGACY. PLEASE SEE THIS URL FOR MORE INFO: HTTP://WWW.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=110396&PERPAGE=25&PAGENUMBER=1. *AK