Justin Time

If our in-house Subaru experts can't help you could also try posting on this forum. Vast knowledge and lots of lovely Subaru Outback geeks. https://www.subaruoutback.org/ It's largely north American based, but some Australian and European/UK contributors too, so there may be a big time difference (that's code for maybe they're all in bed in the US at this time 🙂 ). Best of luck.

Sorry, I can't help you on the steelies advice, except to say if you fit none Subaru wheels to your Subaru this might count as a modification in the eyes of your car insurance company, so best to check. I've tried to source some new steelies from a Subaru dealership and was told they need to be sent direct from Japan so there's quite a wait (too long for me) before they're shipped to the UK. So, Ive been forced to stick with my alloys and get winter tyres to fit. Best advice re tyres so far seems to be Winter Tyres 2021

Sorry to hear youve had this hassle. It's a long shot but have you tried posting your inquiry on this site https://www.subaruoutback.org/ ? It has a massive membership, for Subaru, and I've been impressed by some of the all-things-subaru-geeky but extremely knowledgeable membership contributions. Best of luck.

According to the Subaru eyesight manual it needs to be recalibrated after replacement of the windscreen. Apparently, it can also be affected by lifting or lowering the suspension, certain non-standard tyre profiles (including flats 😉 ), snow chains and the like. I read somewhere that different qualities of windscreen glass has different qualities of refraction and that this needs to be taken into account too s part of the recalibration process. Sometimes, I really miss the simplicity my old, 1963, 6 volt VW Beetle 😞 tsk!

Yeah, worth a go. My insurance company (M&S) has a note about using 'not insurance company preferred repairers' and asks for two quotes (so you could phone two Subaru dealers and ask for an emailed quote). Also, remind the insurance company that the insurance premium on the Subaru takes into account the safety 5 stars rating etc. and the windscreen and the gubbings (like EyeSight) is an important part of that. Do they want you and your family to be driving around in a less than specified safe vehicle if they insist you go for the cheapo option?

Sorry to hear that. Will your insurance company contribute to the cost? Subaru UK don't seem to have their own motor insurance scheme such as Skoda UK (finance) have for their vehicles, guaranteeing original parts.

Thanks for the update. I'm pleased that you managed to source a new screen, but geez that is expensive. I guess you also have the heated element too (?) which maybe adds to the cost. Yes, insurance cover is certainly the way to go, and now I also understand why my insurance premium was £100 extra when i changed it from Skoda to Subaru, despite the latter having a better suite of safety equipment. I really liked the overall look of the Forester when I considered buying a new vehicle in April, but the OB was the only new Subaru that took a full size spare wheel. I also found out that the e-boxers XV and Forester have much reduced fuel tank capacities which was the final straw. It's a shame Subaru UK aren't selling the new non-e Foresters they have elsewhere. I know there's some comfort in having a spare, especially if you live in a rural area and/or do some light off-roading, but to be fair while I've had a spare in my last 3 cars and have covered some 150,000 plus miles in that time, I only needed to use the spare once (now that's really tempting fate!!!). Also, given the need to have all tyres matching on an AWD, I'd never use the 'tyre repair' gunk as that would ruin the tyre (I beleive most garages refuse to clean them out) and result in having to buy 4 new matching tyres. Much better to call the AA for a tow and hope the punctured tyre can be fixed and so avoid the added expense.

Really sorry to hear that - what a !Removed! ( word removed! was .. an adjective, blood·i·er, blood·i·est. stained or covered with blood: a bloodX handkerchief. bleeding) pain. I need access to a car everyday living in a rural spot so at least I'd hope for a courtesy vehicle. I'd also read on a US Subaru owners' website that there have been issues with 'weak' windscreens. It was posited in one thread that the screen is 'thinner' in places to accommodate the Eyesight system to function more accurately. Not sure how true that is. But I understand that Eyesight also needs to be recalibrated when a new screen is fitter. Subaru windscreen cost Regarding access to Subaru spares, I've been unable to get hold of a new set of steel wheels any-time-soon, or even Subaru wheel nuts as apparently these have to be ordered directly from Japan and shipping takes weeks (months?), especially with the current global supply issues. I guess that owning a brand of car that has relatively low sale figures in the UK also impacts on the availability of spares.

I read this today and thought of your post https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/check-engine-light-eyesight-lane-departure-rab-collision-avoidance-failures.537365/ so it's a very very long shot but maybe.. just maybe... fingers crossed it's that simple - fuel cap?

Great to hear you're enjoying the car Richard. How is the cvt different from other autos to drive ? I ask as I've only driven a cvt auto (well, apart from a 15 min test drive of a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport auto around a ring-road so too brief to really notice).

Brilliantly clear instructions - thanks. I'm tempted to change my pin to a new, easier for me to remember one, but as I have butter-fingers and a knack for technological mayhem, I'm leaving well alone (for now!!). 😂

Seems so... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJgUiZgX5rE

I've not had that happen yet, but at the w/e I had my first in-car warning symbol that eyesight wasn't functioning. I was 'wild' car camping (sleeping in the back) in the Lakes and when I started to drive away on a fresh, dew soaked, cold morning, even though the condensation cleared on the top of the windscreen inside (from my breath), obviously it hadn't cleared sufficiently on the eyesight camera lenses. It only took a couple of miles driving with the a/c on before eyesight started to function. While on this trip, I also used the 'carabiner trick' to fool the car into thinking that the rear hatch was closed (when in truth it was wide open) and so stop the battery drain which can happen when leaving the hatch open ( only needed on auto open/close boot hatches) for long periods, as often required when car camping.

At risk of asking a daft question, as you'd think the dealership would know if this is an option or not, but.....Is using your home wi-fi to update maps possible on a 2019 XV? I'm not sure when Subaru equipped/updated their info system in the UK, but it is possible on the late Gen5 Outback and I believe the Forester too. Sorry if it's not.

Srotty., I can't answer your q re why a cvt is any better (or worse) than other forms of auto gear box. I just love mine (but am also glad its got a 100,000 mile warranty attached!). But tyres, now then! Cheekily changing your q a bit, I've been using winter tyres (not all season) for over 20 years now, ever since i moved to the NE of England (God's own country) and had a few early commuting scary moments in my old ford escort, on long drives home in the dark and snow/ice. Now I know better, and I can't understand why anyone who lives north of Birmingham, and away from the milder coast, doesn't change from their usual summer tyres to winter tyres (or maybe all-season), November to April-ish, especially if they drive their kids/family around and care about their well-being. Best current advice is from: winter tyres and All Season tyres It's a no-brainer, especially if you live in a rural spot. Down-sides? If you have one set of wheels and you have the tyres changed twice a year (winters on then off) there's a cost, and you need somewhere to store them, unless you use a 'tyre-hotel' but that costs too. If you have two sets of wheels (say alloys for summer and steelies for winter), there's the cost of the extra set of wheels, and TPMS valves, but you can switch the wheels at your own convenience at home, at no cost, until the tyres wear out. Again, you need space to store them at home. Yes, there's also a cost of investing in a second set of tyres, but then the other set aren't wearing out when they're 'resting'. People often mistake having a 4x4 with better winter traction - they're wrong if they have summer tyres on. A 2x4 with winters on is better than a 4x4 with summers on. If you've no, or little tyre traction then it doesn't matter if you've 4x4, 6x6....etc - you ain't going anywhere (safely).

Cheers Jay. I'll look into that.

There's loads I love about my Outback, but one of my early grips was with the DAB radio reception which is far worse than the DAB in my old (2016) Skoda. I think the culprit is probably the awful antenna printed on the rear hatch. The new Gen 6 OBs have a sharkfin antenna, so I guess when I next buy one of them (likely no time soon ) I'll be sorted. In the meantime, does anyone have any advice on how I can improve the present reception, aside from bent wire coat-hanger suggestions ?

My last car, a Skoda, also had no service booklet as Skoda started to do all there's electronically as digital records. But what if, like me, you used an independent Skoda garage? No problem. Just keep your service print out invoices and, IMPORTANTLY, staple the payment/debit card receipts to the copy so as to verify payment and authenticity. When I had a warranty issue with the Skoda, I simply photocopied the service invoice sheets, with receipts of payment attached, and gave them to the Skoda dealership as proof I'd kept my end of the service/warranty bargain. I used copies, not the originals, as I didn't trust the main dealership not to lose them! I eventually, this year, traded in the Skoda for my current Outback and the service records (sheets and receipts) were all seen as authentic proof - no problems. My current Outback does have a booklet. But remember, booklets and service stamps can be mocked up easily. I'm still going to keep the service sheets and receipts as they're much more difficult to fake. Re your question. Do your records have the names, addresses and contact details of the VAT registered garages you took the car to? Mileage authentication for each service? Details of what the service entailed? Ideally, do you have proof of payment also, which match the invoices from the garages? For an older car (say 2015) that looks in good really nick, it probably isn't a deal breaker if you haven't, but it will most likely reduce the trade in valve.

Just back from another overnight 'wild' car camp in the Outback. One of the reasons I bought the car was that, with the rear seats down flat, it allows me to stretch my full 6 feet easily (take the rear seats headrests out, reverse them and put them back in again to make a platform for a pillow). Sleeping bag and bedroll - sorted. Also, as most car campers will know, having the rear hatch open for extended periods is often necessary, if only to lounge in the back, with the nose of the car pointing into the wind, and take in the landscape while quaffing a brew. As I'm often stealth camping in areas with no phone signal, I don't want to get stranded with a flat battery. So I tried this Rear Hatch OB Battery Drain Fix and it works! To be fair, I've no idea if my car has had a fix for this known issue (it's still a reported problem on the Gen6 OB so maybe not). So....I'd be grateful if someone could see if it's still an issue with the late Gen5 OB and save me the hassle of being stranded/needing a jump start... 🙂

I've recently had the same issue through the Subaru website trying to get a price quote for an accessory (sump guard) from Ullswater Subaru. That's 3 weeks ago and not even an automatic acknowledgement email. I wonder if it's the Subaru website - the one that forces you to use the online contact form? I've found phoning the dealerships directly better. Regarding servicing, I telephoned half a dozen or so a few months ago, just out of interest for the cost of the first service (1 yr 12,000 miles). Most were asking (for the Outback) around £250, with the exception of the dealership in Alnwick which was £150 (I double checked that too). More recently, I was speaking to a member of staff at the Dales Subaru stand at the Westmorland Show the other week. Seemed very pleasant. Skipton (Barnoldswick) would be a couple of hours for you? About the same for me. The two more locally based Subaru dealerships (Darlington and Penrith) are new franchises and I wonder about lack of Subaru servicing experience. Mine's due a service in December. I usually use an independent garage I trust, but I think I might go Subaru dealership first this time and see what's what. Let us know how you get on Andy.

It might be worth posting your question on here https://www.subaruforester.org/ as the Forester is a very popular car in the US, certainly compared to the UK.

I can only answer part of your question (i think) , but according to my Subaru warranties and servicing booklet, all turbo engines Subarus have a 12 month or 10,000 mile (which ever is sooner) interval, while the naturally aspirated ones have a 12 month or 12,000 miles interval. So that would suggest the XT is more expensive to service than the XE, if you do 10,000 or plus miles a year? Other factors might come into play too, but I'll let the forum experts provide those.

Thanks for all your replies. I checked out the issue on subaruoutback.org and it seems it's not an uncommon issue. There's a Subaru Of America note to dealers over there to explain how to sort it out. Basically, the issue can happen with new Subies, with auto-levelling LEDs if they've been recently transported on a truck and haven't been on the level, as often happens. Long-term parkign on a hill/slope can also cause an issue it seems. The SOA advice was that the system usually sorts itself out after a period (although the time period wasn't specified). If that doesn't work there's a trick dealers can do with the fusebox in the engine bay to 'nudge' the correction. I'm pleased to say that the first option (just wait a bit) sorted it out for me. A couple of nights ago I was late home and was dreading driving back along the busy A66. As it happened, no one flashed me, not even the truck drivers who are usually quick to signal if youve forgotten to dip you headlights! So, result! I'll add that in the intervening days and the correction I hadn't done any night driving so it must have been the 45 min drive home on the problem night that sorted it. Still don't like the High Beam Assist though 🙂

Hi Otto Von. I can't answer your question directly, but if you don't find a solution on here, and you've also tried calling a few Subaru dealers, it might also be worth contacting. http://[email protected] directly (they're responsible for importing Subarus to the UK and managing the dealership franchises, etc.). I've found them to be helpful in the past with some queries I've had.

I had a bit of a rant (thanks Forum for the chance to therapeutically vent - I felt better for it afterwards - all calm now) on another thread last week about my issues with the auto-levelling headlights on my 6 months old Outback being set too high from the factory, causing other oncoming traffic to flash me. With the nights drawing in this is the first time I've really used the headlights. I've just phoned the dealer I got the car from to ask for advice and whether any adjustment would come under the warranty or, if not, if I'd have to pay for it. The point being that if its going to cost me I might as well take it to my village garage down the road. The dealer's advice was ambiguous at best about the warranty claim. So, anyone else with a newish Subaru had any similar headlight problems, and if so what did you do about it? Thanks.