Justin Time

That's good to know. So, if Subaru will change the CVT oil for a vehicle that tows, I can't see why they wouldn't simply in good faith change the oil, on demand, for any owner who just diligently wants to ensure (and have the reassurance of) the longevity of their vehicle's transmission. Nothing lasts forever and the notion of 'sealed for life' raises issues of what 'life' actually means, and to whom. We do own the vehicles afterall 😄 !

That sounds as if Subaru UK are being very contradictory. TomGr7, of this parish, reported that Subaru UK / dealerships are refusing to do a CVT oil change, because the CVT is 'sealed for life' https://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/27183-advice-needed-on-cvt/?tab=comments#comment-176531 But, if Andy's manual says a CVT oil change is needed for his Levorg for towing!!!! How best to sort this? Anyone from Subaru UK reading this? We'd appreciate some clarity, please.

Looks like you're well on the case. Good one, and handy to know too. Thanks.

Just checked P91 of the Owner's Manual supplement for Eyesight system and it reads ... "The ON/OFF status of the Lane Departure Warning is restored when you restart the engine." To me, that reads as if it's off, it stays off, and vice versa. Sorry, just seen your last post re the default of the 2015. That's a pain. Have you tried lookign for advice on the SubaruOutback.Org site?

Interesting, I've a 2020 OB and if I switch the Lane Departure Warning off, it stays off even on the next start-up and beyond, unless i deliberately switch it on. However, when switched off the dash light does blare away in the instrument cluster. I wonder if staying off on start-up is a more recent 'tweak' with the later Gen5 OBs. Does your Lane Departure warning on/off switch work the same way? That is, you have to press and hold the switch, which is positioned to the right and below the steering wheel, next to the A auto stop/start switch, and keep it pressed for a few seconds before it bleeps (both for on or off)? Also, as with my last two vehicles (Skodas), with the OB I've trained myself to unconsciously and automatically press the auto stop/start off every time I get into the car, as this does not stay off on start-up, sadly. That seems t obe the same for all makes of vehicle.

I can see where you're coming from with that thought. But Subaru do advertise the towing ability of their cars, and I've not read any small print caveats suggesting that towing within their specified weight limits requires any special/different treatments. I always think it's best to email Subaru UK directly with these queries (isn't that what they're there for?) or if you contact a local dealer to put your query in writing too. That way you always have a record of their answer/advice. And, if they fail to reply in a reasonable period of time then that becomes a valid customer service issue to take up. That always makes them sit-up and take you seriously (like all companies out there) as if its in black-and-white print you've got evidence 😉 . To be fair, I'm new to Subaru and so far they've always got back to me, eventually, and I believe they are really trying to be No. 1 with customer care in the UK - or so they say in their car industry briefings!

Yeap, that would be correct (10K miles/12 months ) for a newer (2018+) turbocharged Subaru model according to the pages in my Service and Warranties Booklet and also for 3.0 and 3.6 litre models (see page 13 and 14, if you also have the booklet). It's the 'normally aspirated' 1.6, 2.0 and 2.5 engines that are 12K miles (in the UK, at least).

My 2020 Outback's in-car nav system doesn't have live traffic info either. I think that's the limitation of the Subaru system compared to some stand alone sat nav systems (e.g Garmin) or maybe a nav app run through a smart phone. The Subaru in car sat nav generally seems very basic. For example, despite the car linking to my home broadband allowing me to load the most recent nav/maps updates, it still fails to detect the 50 mph speed zone that's been on the A66 between Brough and Warcop for at least 8 years!

Thanks for the update Andy. 12,000 miles keeps Subarus inline with most other car manufacturers in the UK, albeit that until recently most cars were 10K miles, like my older Skoda Yetis and Octavias (has the notion of variable service intervals been ditched nowadays? You don't see it being advertised much anymore). It does make me wonder though, if in the US/Canada the service intervals are much shorter, and in Europe too (at just over 9k miles), and I suppose that'll include the Republic of Ireland (?), why there is such variability, on the same vehicles. It can't all be down to climate differences, with such closely neighbouring countries having such service mileage differences. Something doesn't seem right. I'd read somewhere (I think it was on subaruoutback.org) that the oil viscosity regulations for servicing cars in the US require less viscose oils than the UK, and that explains the difference, but I can't fully believe that accounts for it. Still, I'm very happy its 12K here - helps to save some pennies 🙂 .

Cheers Jamie. That's useful to know. Due to the warranty, I've got to use a VAT registered garage. I think Stan Palmer at Carlisle was also a Subaru dealer, but were also 'struck-off' by Subaru like Croxdale. Not sure what Dennis Common, Tustain Motor Group (and Subaru) are like at Alnwick. It's really difficult to know if the reviews you read are genuine.

Looks very tasty. Good one.👍

Subaru Uk have now got back to me and stated: "I can confirm that Subaru models imported and distributed by Subaru UK will carry a 12000 miles or 12 Month (whichever occurs first) service schedule. The details as printed in the service and warranties booklet provided with your Subaru Outback are correct for the UK market." 12K MILES (or 12 months, whichever comes first) it is then 😄

Apologies if I was 'stating-the-bleedin''-obvious' 🙂 No offense meant...

Understood. Not sure if you're referring to a local Subaru Dealership, but in my experience the glossy dealerships are not the best at actual problem-solving such as fully investigating the source of an issue. Are there any local motoring forums that might recommend an independent garage in your area? One of the best national car forums is https://briskoda.net/ . I know you own a Subaru, but the forum is excellent and has a huge membership and so lots of 'traffic', and might be able to advice on a local garage. Again, without knowing how old your car is, I'd say smaller none-chain, independent garages tend to cater for cars that are out of warranty and so older, and with owners who aren't just prepared to cough up wads of cash periodically and who are more budget savvy. These garages also tend to encounter (and thereby gain experience) of technical issues that frequently only occur in older, higher mileage, vehicles. Hope you get it sorted asap.

Hi Anna. I'm not exactly answering your question as I don't know the region you live in. However, issues with alternators and brakes are fairly ordinary parts of any vehicle to fix and to my knowledge don't require any specific Subaru specialists to deal with. The keys might be, but only due to ease of access to parts and I'd not be surprised to find most garages able to fix that issue too. By garages, I mean those that are VAT registered and qualified. Mind you, I'd avoid the likes of Halfords, Kwikfit and such. A competent independent garage should be able to sort all those issues for you.

I'm completely new to driving an automatic after 40 plus years of driving, but I've enjoyed the CVT experience. It is very smooth. I do miss the down shift breaking effect of a manual on the hilly, winding B roads I travel on a lot, and I now have to use the brakes more than I used to as a result. I've tried using the manual override paddles on sharp hilly bends, etc., but the lack of clutch action coupled with the use of brakes doesn't quite work for me. However, the CVT is great on faster A roads and motorways. I do wonder why Subaru have put 'pretend' gear changes in what would otherwise be one consistently smooth acceleration experience. Seems to undermine the CVTs advantages a little. I also find being able to use the gear shift lever manually to 'lock' the car in 1st gear, is handy off road. It acts a bit like a pseudo-low range box, where I can allow the almost imperceptible tweaks on the accelerator at extremely slow, creeping speed, and I don't have to worry about slipping the clutch and playing at feathering the accelerator as I had to in a manual (without low range), to prevent a stall. Allows greater and finer driving control over obstacles.

Cheapest was up in Alnwick. Most expensive was Dales Subaru - Barnoldswick. Penrith and Darlington were just a bit cheaper than Dales.

Just an update on this. Still no reply from Subaru UK (2 emails sent now), but I've phoned 4 dealers and each have confirmed the 12K MILES (!!) and couldn't explain why Subaru EU insist on 12,500 KMS (that's 9K and a bit miles). No worries, 12K MILES /12 months it is then (for the OB). I also asked about prices of the first servicing cost and these varied from £258 including VAT to one dealer offering £198.20 (modified by adding "that's Subaru's book price, but our price would be £170"). That's 100 quid plus difference. Happy Days... 🙂

I've recently acquired a new Gen 5 (many are at discount now), and I guess you were test driving the new Gen6? I've read a lot of reviews about the Gen 6, a car that's been on sale in the US/Canada and Australia for a while now and they all look positive. Glad to see they're now on sell in the UK, albeit later, but with the added bonus any early issues iron out (such as being able to readily cancel the 'auto stop/start' without going into a labyrinth of on screen menus) . What I like about the new Gen 6 is the extra ground clearance over the Gen 5 - that's 200mm vs 213mm. Still not as good as the Forester or XV at 220mm but an improvement. Also, with the new Gen 6 you get as standard many of the accessories you have to buy for the Gen 5, such as boot trays, mudguards, wheel arch protectors, rear seat backcover mats, etc. The addition/option of a heated steering wheel and rear/front audible parking sensory is also a huge plus. Shame Subaru UK have dropped the 5 yr 100,000 mile warranty in favour of just 3 yrs, but I believe you can buy an extended warranty too, at purchase, of a new vehicle. In the US they also have the "Wilderness" version of the OB, but I don't suppose that'll be coming over here - shame. I'm also glad it's not a hybrid, and if they could also offer the 2.5T, now that would bring a smile. Good luck with the new OB. Let us know how you get on.

I believe that now you can buy cheaper universal TPMS valves and don't have to buy direct from Subaru saving time and money. You're right the Subaru ones are expensive, but (and this was from a Subaru parts manager!) the universal ones are just as good and are fitted with 433 MHz transmitter https://www.impactdiagnostics.store/autel-tpms-valve-4-pack . If you want to do a 5 wheel/tyre rotation pattern yourself and you've not got one of the new Gen 6 Outbacks or similar (which allow 5 TPMS valves to be registered on the car, instead of just four at a time) then you can buy an Autel TS508, ATEQ Quickset or similar tool.

When I went to 'look' at an Outback at a local Subaru dealership, they had a new one in the showroom. I noted that before I could sit in it, the sales person opened the bonnet and reconnected the battery's negative terminal. He explained that while some garages have showroom with a power supply to keep the batteries of static showroom cars topped up, this showroom obviously didn't. Having heard the rumours about Subaru's and battery drain issues I made a mental note of how easy the terminal was to get at. However, I guess that if you disconnect the battery it throws all the settings out to default on reconnection, and the alarm would also be disabled too. Would the doors operate lock/unlock manually with the battery disconnected?

Try this... https://www.subaru-global.com/ebrochure/Outback/2020my/CZCZ/assets/FHI/common/accessories_brochure.pdf

subaru accessories_brochure.pdfsubaru accessories_brochure.pdfI did try and find the URL last night but the search kept coming up with US and not EU pdfs- grrrh! I've also tried to attach (upload) the PDF from my laptop below, but there seems to be just a 908kb upload. The Simpsons Subaru accessories site does sell a brochure for £2-50 which seems a bit of a cheek.

Hi Tom, Re the email address IM (International Motors Group- based in Solihull) are the importers of Subaru cars in the UK. I've made a few inquiries and they've been helpful. Currently waiting to hear back about servicing intervals. Here are a couple of car industry articles explaining the Subaru new annual target of selling 10,000 cars (they sold 976 last year!) and what other changes are afoot. I was worried this last year that with such low sales figures Subaru might join Mitsubishi in pulling out of the UK and Europe - but all seems OK for now. https://www.am-online.com/news/dealer-news/2021/04/21/subaru-uk-looks-to-fulfil-vision-of-being-better-with-four-new-franchised-dealers https://www.am-online.com/dealer-management/manufacturer-insight/subaru-uk-we-have-not-treated-the-brand-correctly-in-the-uk I'm also wondering about where to take the car when it needs servicing too and for the moment have decided to take it to the independent garage I always use in North Yorks (not Subaru). I tend to avoid main dealerships and I also wonder if the mechanics at Darlington or Penrith new Subaru dealerships have a great deal of experience regarding working on Subaru anyway. I think there was also one in Carlisle (Stan Palmer?) but not sure if they exist any longer. One of the weird things about Subaru, is that given they sell so few cars they seem to have a relatively large number of regional dealerships across the UK. If you find a good independent Subaru garage up here in this region (Cumbria, NYorks, Co Durham etc.) I'd be interested. I can't see any on the net.

Hi Tom. I ordered mine from the dealership where I bought the car, as they offered me a discount because of the car sale. Otherwise, there is Simpsons Subaru who come up on a UK internet search (also called Subaru-Parts) and they-re on ebay. However, I think any dealership could order parts and maybe if you shop around you can get the best prices (discount). The Simpson's site only have a small online catalogue, but I managed to find a Subaru EU pdf accessories brochure for the OB with a wider range of accessories available and also, most helpfully, all the parts numbers.