Does the dealer's story make sense?

Perhaps I'm going out on a limb here but I would still like to give it a try, seeing you guys are more knowledgeable than me.

 

Today, I test drove a 2011 Legacy. It all seemed fine, until suddenly the BRAKE + cruise control light started flashing, check engine and ESP were on solid. Then I noticed that when I accelerated and went above 4000RPM, the car would almost stall, although never shut off completely. Accelerating below 4000RPM worked fine and it kept driving.

 

Later, the dealer called us and said the problem was "the solenoid" and that they'll replace it. Does this make sense to you guys, given the situation explained?

 

From what I could find, the dash indicators basically tell you there's an issue and the different lights don't actually indicate a problem with that specific part. Correct?

 

When they say solenoid, I relate that to the cars starter, right? How does a malfunction there cause the car to behave like that? I mean, it started fine.

 

What I'm trying to figure out is if this makes sense at all. If not, I'm walking away from this car. I don't want to buy a car from someone who just cleared some diagnostics when there might be a deeper problem.

The car detected an issue that caused it to go into limp mode. There are several solenoids on any given car, so saying 'the solenoid' is tantamount to them telling you 'the part is bad, we will replace the part'. If I had to guess, they might have meant an oil control valve/solenoid for the cam gears, which would mean there was an issue with the variable valve timing system. If they pulled the trouble code from the computer that caused the car to go into limp mode and lit up the dash ,and it indicated an issue with this system and/or the VVT solenoid, then maybe their vague statement makes sense.

 

Is the car a turbo model? Either way, I'd tread carefully. The VVT solenoids do fail now and again, but sometimes the car will pop a code because one of the solenoids gets jammed up by debris from failing bearings in the oil. Make sure that that isn't the case here if you decide to buy the car. Better yet, have a pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic who knows Subarus.

Edited May 30, 2020 by awfulwaffle

Wow, thanks for that quick and informative response!

 

Unfortunately they called my wife and I feel like the women that passed on the message was just relaying whatever she heard from her mechanic.

 

The phone did record the conversation but it's a bit unclear. After replaying it a thousand times we're pretty sure she's saying "the solenoid sensor has to be replaced".

 

The car does not have a turbo.

 

We we're always gonna do a pre purchase inspection. This car is a good deal, but waiting on having them fixing this (they ordered the official Subaru "part") can have us miss on another good deal. It was my first Legacy (or Subaru for that matter) I've ever driven and I was in love right away.

Well - it could be something simple, and a single part solves it - what sort of warranty do they give on their cars? I know a failure during a test drive would be a pretty big red flag for me - particularly when it's not a vary rare car... not sure where you are located, but there are lots of Legacy 2.5's out there! If you like the car and how it drives, you can expand your search area a bit - check cars.com, etc. and see what turns up. (another option is carmax, though you'll pay a bit more than a private sale - probably in line with other dealerships, and you can get a warranty for however long you like from them (cost depends on length and deductible you select) - they also stand behind their warranty. (bought a 16 Odyssey from them a year and a half ago - price was competitive with other dealers, and they fixed a number of things we found after the purchase - no questions - they verify the issue, and take care of it - very painless process)

I know a failure during a test drive would be a pretty big red flag for me - particularly when it's not a vary rare car...

 

This has been my mindset recently as I have been searching for a car to upgrade to. If a car has issues, mainly bigger ones like you mentioned then I tend to pass on the vehicle and I don't look back. If it's something minor like an allignment or a bit of a vibration then I address it with the dealer and would have them fix it...

You all might be right, this should be an easy enough red flag in a sense and maybe I should just make the decision to walk away. On the other hand, like mentioned above, it could be a simple fix. But even if they replace a sensor, it runs great during a test drive, and it passes an inspection, so I still trust it? Decisions...

 

Also doesn't help that I immigrated into the US 2 weeks ago and I have to get used to the way car dealers do business here.

 

I'm in the Raleigh area by the way and because of lacking a car, I'm fairly limited to my range when looking for a car.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention that I don't believe they offer any complementary insurance. Reviews on different websites for this place are very good.

Edited May 30, 2020 by Realone

Not sure about how dealers worked where you lived most recently, but it’s a wide spectrum from honest to dishonest here in the US. Absolutely verify their claims as to the cause and their fix, and have an independent qualified mechanic do a pre-purchase inspection. Even with your current transportation limitations, there are other cars if this one might have the potential to be a money pit and leave you without a reliable daily driver.

 

Of course, I bought my used 2010 Legacy from a dealer 3 states away over the internet, so my credibility is suspect.

All that coming up on the test drive is definitely a cause for concern.

 

If you are still interested in the car and want to minimize the chance of getting stuck with an expensive lemon, you need to get the full report on what happened and how they plan to fix it.

 

The experienced members here may be able to help you determine if the dealer is naking sense, but a vague reference to a solenoid will only get you equally vague advice.

 

Also as recommended get a PPI and clarify the warranty for the repair done, and any warranty on the rest of the car.

 

Or if its too much of a hassle you can just walk away, as mentioned that model is not rare and you may find a better car and/or a better deal if you look around some.

Assuming you mean Raleigh, NC, there are 2 Carmax locations there - the other cool thing about them is they have lots of different vehicles, so you can try all sorts of things without going to a separate dealer. Not sure how car buying/test driving is working in the midst of this pandemic, but there are always options!

Sounds like a solenoid in the transmission. If it were me, I'd walk away and find another car. They probably cleared the code hoping it would stay out.

They probably cleared the code hoping it would stay out.

 

Sure as hell sounds like something a dealer would do...

All that coming up on the test drive is definitely a cause for concern.

 

If you are still interested in the car and want to minimize the chance of getting stuck with an expensive lemon, you need to get the full report on what happened and how they plan to fix it.

 

The experienced members here may be able to help you determine if the dealer is naking sense, but a vague reference to a solenoid will only get you equally vague advice.

 

Also as recommended get a PPI and clarify the warranty for the repair done, and any warranty on the rest of the car.

 

Or if its too much of a hassle you can just walk away, as mentioned that model is not rare and you may find a better car and/or a better deal if you look around some.

 

This ^^^

 

Get the specific DTC, the specific repair including the part numbers used and tell them you want to take the car for the weekend to have it inspected independently and to drive it for a couple days.

 

If they say no - walk away and don't look back.

 

If they say yes - drive the car a ton over the weekend, make sure no further issues and when you take it to the mechanic for inspection have him scan it and make sure all the monitors have run in the ECM.

Thanks to all your comments, we did eventually walk away from this one. And given they didn't call us back yet, I suspect more was up. Maybe this is blasphemy on this forum, but we eventually ended up with a 2014 Corolla. Why? Because we were looking for a reliable first car and this seems to be it. I already miss the space and handling of the few Legacy's we test drove but I think this is for the best. We're probably gonna need a second car soon anyway so I'll be on the lookout.

 

Not sure about how dealers worked where you lived most recently, but it’s a wide spectrum from honest to dishonest here in the US.

 

Just to answer that; I would be lying if I said there are no dishonest car dealers in The Netherlands. Most of them however, are associated with a "dealer union" (I don't really know how to translate it) that gives guarantees and warranties. You stick to those, and you can be pretty sure you're not buying a lemon, or have some sort of warranty to back you up.

 

I will say, we bought this car from a user car dealership and the experience was very pleasant. So far so good!

Thanks to all your comments, we did eventually walk away from this one. And given they didn't call us back yet, I suspect more was up. Maybe this is blasphemy on this forum, but we eventually ended up with a 2014 Corolla. Why? Because we were looking for a reliable first car and this seems to be it. I already miss the space and handling of the few Legacy's we test drove but I think this is for the best. We're probably gonna need a second car soon anyway so I'll be on the lookout.

 

 

 

Just to answer that; I would be lying if I said there are no dishonest car dealers in The Netherlands. Most of them however, are associated with a "dealer union" (I don't really know how to translate it) that gives guarantees and warranties. You stick to those, and you can be pretty sure you're not buying a lemon, or have some sort of warranty to back you up.

 

I will say, we bought this car from a user car dealership and the experience was very pleasant. So far so good!

 

Lol it's not blasphemy. If you got a good deal on a good car, I think all of us are happy for you! We would all rather see someone be happy with a good purchase, rather than see someone really upset that they ended up with a really crappy car.

Buying a used car is a gamble. I got my 3.6R as a certified pre-owned with 35k miles. I went to a reputable dealer too. I highly suggest this to anyone that if you're buying a brand, buy it from a dealer that services that brand. Seem to have better luck that way. Not to say that there's not bad Subaru dealerships, though.

 

Sad you didn't get to enjoy a Legacy