Justin Time

Yeap, that was another of my issues when I recently (March 2021) collected my new OB. I asked the sales person why they're serviced in places like Japan 36K and Canada 50K, but not in Europe, the US or Australia. He said it was due to the climate and humidity in Japan!! I didn't believe that - hogwash. However, as someone pointed out on the US Subaru forum, if it was a massive problem then the forum would have been choked full of horror stories given how Subaru sell 700.000 cars a year in US every year, and have been increasing their sales year on year for the last 20 years, so lots of 100K plus vehicles on the road. I was reassured by getting one if the last Subarus with a 5 year 100K warranty too 🙂 Try emailing Subaru UK directly and asking [email protected] and write to the motoring press. Subaru's new boss is keen to increase the sales of Subarus in the uK and has ditched poorly performing dealerships (Like Croxdale Durham) and is opening 15 new dealerships, apparently (Teesvalley and Penrith incuded).

Really sorry to hear that...BUT, when I was researching which car to buy, I did come across a few reviews where people complained about battery issues with Subarus. See one of the XV reviewers on the Subaru UK Reevoo site (I think) who had multiple problems with a brand new e-boxer XV over the first few days/weeks of ownership (in lockdown, so only short journeys). I also read in reviews how some people have left their Subarus at, for example, an airport carpark before flying off for a couple of weeks holiday only on return to find their batteries flat. Apparently, even when switched off, modern Subarus are still pumping out amps ( I can't recall the drain but its relatively high apparently for modern cars). I mentioned this to the sales-person when I collected my OB and his advice was.....' to always drive with the sidelights on'. Why? Apparently it's because the extra drain of the sidelights, compared to the LED Daytime Running Lights only, means the alternator is forced to fire up and replenish the battery. I really don't know if that's true, mumbo-jumbo or he was telling me a 'story', but I have been doing just that about 50% of the time and no battery issues (now I'm tempting fate!!!), although I've only used the car for longer run (30 plus miles) mainly. According to many on the subaruoutback.org forum, the quality of the Subaru batteries are not all they might be, but again that my just be their opinion, and may also not apply to Europe. To be fair, there don't seem to be a lot of battery complaints on this forum, although the forum seems to have v little 'traffic' compared to other car make forums, due to the very low number of Subarus sold in the UK. Anyway, hope your problem is sorted and you've no further issues. All the best.

Congratulations on the arrival of your new XV. I'm glad all is well. I'm still learning about my new Outback, and the radio issue was a puzzle for me too. Checking on the helpful subaruoutback.org web site (which is a US site with masses of information and advice for all Subarus), the radio issue has been well discussed. Basically, it will come on once your restart the ignition, even if you switched the radio off just before turning the ignition off. No one has any idea why Subaru has set up this arrangement, but the 'trick' is to turn the radio volume down to zero, just before you switch the engine off, if you don't want the radio to be audible next time you restart. At least with Subaru you can switch the radio off when driving, but with my friend's new Peugeot the radio is on constantly and can only have the volume lowered. Must be a 'new' car thing? 🙂

Andy, where did you find that information onboard? In the OB, on the central info screen, I've checked in the 'car info' app and selected 'maintenance' - then 'overview' sections and it just says 'no events'. The reminder box is set, but there's nothing in 'events' or 'schedule' either. In fact, it even gives me a keyboard where I could type in the event. Puzzling.

Will do Andy. Your post has made me wonder what the car's 'on-board' service monitor has been set too - manual's schedule or warranty booklet's schedule. I'll investigate!

🙂 I don't, but aspire to have one (again)! If you have a Subaru OE guard, is it easy to install and remove?

Thanks for the reply. That's interesting. I've emailed Subaru UK asking for confirmation and have scanned in the two contradictory schedule tables on the relevant pages from the owner's manual and also the service and warranties booklet. I'll post their reply here as soon as it's received. Obviously, I'm hoping that for the UK (where the service and warranty booklet was printed and published) it's 12,000 miles, which is closer to the norm for most modern vehicles at 12,500 miles I believe, or 12 months, whichever comes first. Checking out Subaruoutback.org, where there are members mainly from the US, but also Oz and Canada too, the recommended schedules appear to be all over the place. with some models even suggesting 6 monthly intervals! What a mess. Same confusion regarding the CVT servicing - 36,000 miles (Japan), 50,000 miles (Canada), 'sealed for life' (UK,Europe and the US). My OB was reg in December 2020. I can't see why the 2.5 Lt OB engine is so much different from the 2.0 Lt Levorg to require different service interval mileages. I've noticed that the owner's manual was printed in Japan and there's a wide range of countries it's distributed to compared to the UK specific service and warranty booklet, so maybe it's more 'general' advisory intervals. I'm clutching at possible explanations here!

Re the Outback (Gen 5) and maybe other recent models in the range, has anyone else noticed an apparent contradiction between the Service and Maintenance intervals cited in the Owner's Handbook (every 9,000 miles/10,000 miles, alternating), and the intervals cited in the vehicle's Service and Warranties Booklet (every 12,000 miles)? Maybe I've misread something??

About 2 1/2 hrs drive away- 110 miles from County Durham. Here, http://www.subaruservicingyorkshire.co.uk/services according to a search online for indie Subie specialists. A bit too far for me to be honest.

Thanks for the replies. Interesting points to ponder. I too have a natural aversion to dealership garages having had poor experiences, albeit many years ago now. I was watching a Subtledriver YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OR7PEJwhdw about the challenges of distinguishing between the diif fill and drain plugs and the CVT diff and drain plugs, and wondered whether this and other issues might pose problems for a none Subaru garage. Likewise, MrSubaru1387 has advice about how to install and pre-pressurised, a replacement, new, inverted oil filter, etc. Fortunately, the OB has a 'lifetime' (oh yeah!) timing chain and not a belt so one less job to worry about. Reading your posts, my gut feeling is now to stay with the indie Skoda garage, who have been consistently good IMO for many years.

What's best for my OB's first service? A) Take it to a Subaru dealership B) search out a Subaru independent specialist (if I can find one near enough to me) or C) Go to the independent Skoda specialist I've been happy to use, and trust, for the last 18 years (who say they can also service the Subaru as they service other makes too) ? RAC guy I spoke to before I bought the OB said that one of the downside of Subarus is that they're quite specialised to work on, compared to other vehicles - true or not?

Any advice on useful OB accessories? I've bought a bumper protector, low level boot tray and rear seat back rubber protection mats, rubber floor mats, plus front and rear mudguards and a spare wheel plus kit. These are all highly functional and protective, for what I do, and I'm happy with them. But most of the other stuff I can see (e.g wheel arch trims, skid plates, etc.) appear more cosmetic - but perhaps not?

I'm finding out that Subaru OE parts can be expensive. They quoted me £168 for a single TPMS value! (but the parts guy did admit that there are other universal valves available elsewhere), and £168 plus postage for a single tyre, when I could get the same tyre from HiQ, Tyremen, ASDA, etc for around £130 fitted!

Agree. I've looked at all-seasons, but have always gone for winter tyres, usually (vredestines). Since changing to the OB I'm pondering what to do this winter. With my last two cars (both Skoda Yetis) I bought a set of Skoda OE alloys for the winter wheels acquired when I bought the first Yeti and so they fitted the second too. The alloys were on-offer or otherwise I'd have bought steel rims. With the car I owned prior to the Yetis' (A Skoda Octavia 1.8T 4x4) I just changed the tyres over and didn't buy a new set of rims. However, the advantage of having my own set of winter rims and tyres is that I can change them over, at home, whenever I want and i'd read somewhere that fitting and re-fitting a tyre multiple times onto and off a rim can create its own issues. Maybe I'll look to get a set of Subaru steel wheels for winter tyres, but with the Subaru that'll lead to having to also buy a set of TPMS values (about £100 https://www.impactdiagnostics.store/autel-tpms-valve-4-pack )and also the issue issue of re-registering them (about £300 https://www.autel.uk/diagnostics/tpms/ts508/ for the re-registering tool) which I'd prefer to do myself. Costs mount up! Anyone know the cost of Subaru steel rims? I'd only want Subaru OE so as to avoid any insurance issues (modifications).

And since Jan 2021 it's only 3 years! I luckily just bought an OB registered December 2020, so just missed the cut off. I can't understand why Subaru have made this change when competitors are offering up to 7 years. I was also shocked to read that the service intervals are 9000/10000 miles alternating, or every year, and not the 12500 I'd expected (they do but its in KMs)! Still I'm enjoying the car so let's hope all goes well.

I've also just acquired an OB, four weeks ago, and it came with Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport tyres on. I tried to buy another H/P for the spare wheel, but Bridgestone UK confirmed to me that they have now discontinued that model of tyre and that the Turanza was the next nearest! Yet Subarl UK said it, the Turanza, couldn't be used as a full-time tyre mixed with the others, but only used as a temporary spare. I'd hoped to have been able to have a 5 wheel rotation pattern so that all 5 tyres/wheels had a similar level of wear on them, just in case I got an unfixable puncture and then could avoid having to buy 4 new tyres! I eventually sourced a H/P but after a lot of effort (in the size for the OB 225/60 R18). Had a quick check of the H/T in 225.60 R18 and can't find another one of those either, but just a cursory check so far. I think both the H/P and H/T are classed as summer tyres, with no snowflake emblem on the side walls, but I'd read somewhere they were also described as "all season" in the US. As I live in the rural north Pennines, at altitude, I'll be fitting winter tyres come November, as I've always done for the last 20 years of motoring. Never tried all-season/all-weather tyres, but they could work too.