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  1. #1
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    Nov 2005
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    Denver Subaru Transmission advice?

    my 2014 Subaru Outback had to be towed back to Denver from the foothills with a bunch of dash warning lights re the transmission yesterday....drivable, but let it get towed (101,000 miles on it).......my repair place of many decades, Comprehensive Car Care, in Denver.....said it has to go to a dealership because they (and no one else?) deals with CVT (continuous variable transmission) !!?? and they didn't have advice re a Denver Dealership!? Wow, surprised regarding no better direction to point me..........anyone with Denver Subaru dealership advice??? Shortline changed hands and suggestion was vaguely Groove.....Dang, thanks, Chet

  2. #2
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    Dec 2006
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    Your Mom's House
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    Subaru continuing to be the model of Japanese reliability! Although in this case, I'm going to blame you for buying a car with a CVT.

    I just took the lady's Forrester to AutoNation Subaru West, off the advice of a friend and the fact that their service department had less shitty reviews online than others. I needed the oil consumption test to see if we get a new engine, and they didn't give me any hassle. My parents had the oil consumption test done a couple years ago and multiple dealers argued with them about it. So, my experience so far is AutoNation West seems to be acceptable for stealership service.

  3. #3
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    Jan 2008
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    you see a tie dye disc in there?
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    4,652
    subaru clinc. not sure if they work on trans.

  4. #4
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    Mar 2012
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    The Bull City
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    Last time I had crazy transmission shit throwing gear grinding and random shifting barely drivable it turned out to be the alternator not delivering proper power to all that electrical computer shit that sends commands to the tranny. New aftermarket alternator and transmission working perfectly again.. That wasn't my Subaru though I have heard similar tales in the Subaru forums. Don't panic yet..
    Go that way really REALLY fast. If something gets in your way, TURN!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    5,013
    Second on Subaru in Golden. The service advisors are the best

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    is everything
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    call salta service. Those guys are super honest and know their subarus.

  7. #7
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    Sep 2006
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    6,388
    Fly BasinBeater and Tuco up to tag team it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    505
    +1 on consider the alternator especially if you got "a bunch of dash warning lights." Same experience recently on my wife's 2014 OB 3.6R with 5 spd AT not CVT, but it sure felt like the tranny to me when it crapped out on I-95 in holiday traffic. And it was the alternator, not the AT.

    Also +1 on "the model of Japanese reliability" snark. Bit of a threadjack but this vehicle was solid and cheap to run for 72K miles. From 73K to 83K it's cost over $2K in repair costs including PCV valve, fuel filter, exhaust solenoids, new plugs, the alternator replacement, and two separate roof leaks - sunroof and tailgate panel. Still cheaper than a new car -- but my extended warranty went to 72K miles and I'm a bitter old man.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    202
    OP, any update? I have a 2014 forester, which is the first year they put CVT in forester. love the CVT, but wondering if it's going to shit the bed on me at 91,000 when the warranty expires (they extended the transmission warranty a few years ago with no explanation)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    Amherst, Mass.
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    4,684
    Quote Originally Posted by LesterSmoove View Post
    OP, any update? I have a 2014 forester, which is the first year they put CVT in forester. love the CVT, but wondering if it's going to shit the bed on me at 91,000 when the warranty expires (they extended the transmission warranty a few years ago with no explanation)
    Whatever the explanation might be, I sure am grateful for that extension: my wife's Impreza CVT went at ~85k this past March.
    Fortunately it was -- to my great surprise -- still under warranty.
    Otherwise the repair would have been so pricey as to not be worth it in my view.
    (We have a new Impreza on order anyway now, mainly for the latest safety tech, arriving around Sep or Oct, so if anyone near Western Mass is interested in buyin a 2014 Impreza sedan that will have ~93k by then, just let me know!)

    I can scan in the work ticket if the OP is interested -- it's all a bunch of terms I've never seen before, perhaps because it's specific to a CVT?
    (Meanwhile, my 2015 Legacy has been absolutely flawless now even at ~105k -- will also be for sale, by later this month or early August if anyone is interested.)
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  11. #11
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    Dec 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by ts01 View Post
    [...]Still cheaper than a new car -- but my extended warranty went to 72K miles and I'm a bitter old man.
    So do I have, let's see here, five more years until I reach Bitter Old Man status?

    All of our Subaru sedans over many generations have been highly reliable up until around 100k.
    After that, I think that brand is best for people into DIY or mechanic buddies who give discounts, given the ratio of repair costs to new car costs.
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  12. #12
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    Sep 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    So do I have, let's see here, five more years until I reach Bitter Old Man status?

    All of our Subaru sedans over many generations have been highly reliable up until around 100k.
    After that, I think that brand is best for people into DIY or mechanic buddies who give discounts, given the ratio of repair costs to new car costs.
    I was a bitter young man so it came naturally. You'll be fine.

    Also I can't believe I'm asking this to you of all people, but are you factoring in depreciation, sales tax and insurance in your ratio of old to new car costs? Though once you consider the new safety tech it's not just a math problem.

  13. #13
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    May 2007
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    Sandy, Utah
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    14,410
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    So do I have, let's see here, five more years until I reach Bitter Old Man status?

    All of our Subaru sedans over many generations have been highly reliable up until around 100k.
    After that, I think that brand is best for people into DIY or mechanic buddies who give discounts, given the ratio of repair costs to new car costs.
    based on around 35K orig cost and youre 2014 being close to 100k miles works out to like $7K/yr to drive a car, sounds spendy.

  14. #14
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    Dec 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by ts01 View Post
    I was a bitter young man so it came naturally. You'll be fine.

    Also I can't believe I'm asking this to you of all people, but are you factoring in depreciation, sales tax and insurance in your ratio of old to new car costs? Though once you consider the new safety tech it's not just a math problem.
    Oh good, glad to hear that!

    As for the detailed lifespan financial analysis, I haven't bothered running that (even though I would be the ideal candidate, in terms of both aptitude as well as propensity to engage in such activities for "fun").
    I do recall that Consumer Reports claimed that keeping a car forever was the most cost-effective approach, but I've noticed previously that many of their financial assessments in various contexts were fundamentally flawed (as you attorneys like to say).
    In general though, hard to put a $ value on the annoyance of having a car unpredictably out of commission for repairs (although I could of course do so implicitly if I ran my analysis and determined how much more I'm paying not keeping cars throughout their entire lifespan).
    Plus I've been impressed by the blind spot monitoring on rental cars recently. And I can't keep putting my daughter and another keep on the "60" portion of a 60/40 fold-down (with skis of course occupying the "40" almost all the time), so I'll be breaking my string of five Legacy sedans since the pass-through that was eliminated in the 2015 redesign isn't returning for 2020.
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skidog View Post
    based on around 35K orig cost and youre 2014 being close to 100k miles works out to like $7K/yr to drive a car, sounds spendy.
    With the major caveat that this doesn't come anywhere even close to a true lifecycle analysis:

    • $21,600 purchase price for 2015 Legacy
    • $1,250 tax
    • $8,200 low-end KBB private-party resale
    • $14,650 5 yr ownership cost (but of course obviously operating cost)
    • $2,930 annual ownership cost (for over 20k miles/yr)
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  16. #16
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    Dec 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by ts01 View Post
    [...] your ratio of old to new car costs?
    Also, I meant to clarify, my take was that Subaru sedans are so absurdly cheap that I feel it skews the repair<>replace decision toward the latter (even if based purely on $ the repairs might still come out ahead).
    By contrast, of my two most frequent carpoolmates for backountry skiing and ski mountaineering trips:

    • One guy has an old BMW 3 series wagon that he bought used for something like $4 grand, and now has something like 200k miles, but he does a lot of the work himself. You'd think the car was only a few years old judging by its appearance, plus of course those designs were so far ahead of their time that they still seem current. Although no tech inside, whether for safety or otherwise.
    • Another guy has an old A4 wagon that he bought used with middling miles, now well over 100k, and he's often off to his indie mechanic for one annoying fix or another.

    A new A4 Allroad is around $50 grand depending on trim, etc.
    And BWM recently discontinued the 3 series wagon.

    By contrast, for my wife's replacement Impreza, she really could benefit from the better seats (power adjustment & more supportive leather) on the "Limited" trim, and then Subaru makes you get the moonroof to get even more of the safety tech, but even going all out (by Subaru standards) that's still only $24,300 (before tax).
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    my wife's Impreza CVT went at ~85k this past March.
    Fortunately it was -- to my great surprise -- still under warranty.
    Otherwise the repair would have been so pricey as to not be worth it in my view.
    (We have a new Impreza on order anyway now...

    (Meanwhile, my 2015 Legacy has been absolutely flawless now even at ~105k -- will also be for sale, by later this month or early August if anyone is interested.)
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    All of our Subaru sedans over many generations have been highly reliable up until around 100k.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    ... my string of five Legacy sedans ...
    - current Impreza with transmission failure at 85K miles
    - buying another Impreza with the same transmission again
    - recognizes that Subarus tend to fall apart at 100K miles
    - bought 5 in a row already, still going to buy more

    You know there are other, more reliable vehicles made, right?
    Quote Originally Posted by powder11 View Post
    if you have to resort to taking advice from the nitwits on this forum, then you're doomed.

  18. #18
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    Dec 2004
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    Getting into major thread drift here, but ...

    Quote Originally Posted by El Chupacabra View Post
    - current Impreza with transmission failure at 85K miles
    - buying another Impreza with the same transmission again
    - recognizes that Subarus tend to fall apart at 100K miles
    - bought 5 in a row already, still going to buy more

    You know there are other, more reliable vehicles made, right?
    • The transmission failure was covered under warranty. (We did happen to get lucky though with no inconvenience.)
    • For both my wife's Impreza at nearly 100k and my Legacy at over 100k, so far we've paid only for schedule maintenance and typical wear items replacement (and no problems whatsoever with the CVT on my Legacy).
    • Planning on replacing a car at ~100k is fine with me. (And the prior Subaru sedans I kept past 100k didn't start to fall apart, although a major repair every year or so was typical.)
    • I'm parting ways with Subaru over the continued lack of a center pass-through (and because of my newfound adoration of sedan-like hatchback designs), but my wife wants another Impreza, and since the current one has worked out fine for us overall, I have no problem with that.


    As far as alternatives for the Impreza for my wife, what would you suggest for a sedan (yes, sedan, not hatchback or wagon or SUV or crossover -- she's insistent upon that), in a comparable size class (she doesn't like bigger cars, even the current generation Legacy), with comparable rear seat legroom, and AWD of course.
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  19. #19
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    Dec 2003
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    Seattle
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    And I can't keep putting my daughter and another keep on the "60" portion of a 60/40 fold-down (with skis of course occupying the "40" almost all the time), so I'll be breaking my string of five Legacy sedans since the pass-through that was eliminated in the 2015 redesign isn't returning for 2020.
    Talk to someone who has been in a big accident with skis inside the car..
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  20. #20
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    Oct 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post

    As far as alternatives for the Impreza for my wife, what would you suggest for a sedan (yes, sedan, not hatchback or wagon or SUV or crossover -- she's insistent upon that), in a comparable size class (she doesn't like bigger cars, even the current generation Legacy), with comparable rear seat legroom, and AWD of course.

    A new Mazda 3 would be pretty high on my list. Assuming there's enough back seat room.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by PNWbrit View Post
    Talk to someone who has been in a big accident with skis inside the car..
    Yeah, that is a good point ... I feel better though about the center pass through, given that it's much more constraining.
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  22. #22
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    Dec 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Tortoise View Post
    A new Mazda 3 would be pretty high on my list. Assuming there's enough back seat room.
    Hah, I just noticed that now for the first time!
    My first reaction was, huh, since when is the Mazda 3 available with AWD?
    Answer is, ummm, as of only a few months ago...
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan S. View Post
    Yeah, that is a good point ... I feel better though about the center pass through, given that it's much more constraining.
    I know someone who suffered a TBI and another who had years long back injuries from skis inside car accidents.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  24. #24
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    Dec 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by PNWbrit View Post
    I know someone who suffered a TBI and another who had years long back injuries from skis inside car accidents.
    Eek!

    Did the skis just launch forward like torpedoes?
    (And how did the skis hit someone in the back?!?)
    Mo' skimo here: NE Rando Race Series

  25. #25
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    A hatchback? JS is moving up to the A7, great choice, enjoy!
    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
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