Subaru Oil Consumption Lawsuit - Letter from Subaru & Short Block Replacement Advice

What is the exact amount of oil you burned in 1400 miles?

Did you measure this yourself?

What have you typically been consuming? X qts over X # miles?

Does your VIN# fall into the range for the lawsuit?

I can help you with this, just let me know

thanks

I burned almost a quart after the 1,400 mile consumption test and burned just under 2 quarts as of this morning (just shy of 3,900 miles). When the dealership measured my oil consumption after the 1,400 miles, they only used the dipstick as a measuring tool, and the issue I had with that was that they checked the oil hot since I had just driven an hour straight to the dealer and they never let it cool off. I added oil this morning and I put in almost 2 quarts.

 

Last oil change interval, I burned just over two quarts in 5,000 miles. I change my oil religiously every 5,000 miles and that was the first time I've ever noticed any significant loss of oil.

 

I don't believe my VIN falls into the range of the lawsuit since I have only seen '13 Legacy's listed and mine is a '14.

 

capttris, any insight you have will be greatly appreciated!

I burned almost a quart after the 1,400 mile consumption test and burned just under 2 quarts as of this morning (just shy of 3,900 miles). When the dealership measured my oil consumption after the 1,400 miles, they only used the dipstick as a measuring tool, and the issue I had with that was that they checked the oil hot since I had just driven an hour straight to the dealer and they never let it cool off. I added oil this morning and I put in almost 2 quarts.

 

Last oil change interval, I burned just over two quarts in 5,000 miles. I change my oil religiously every 5,000 miles and that was the first time I've ever noticed any significant loss of oil.

 

How many miles are on your car? 2 quarts in the grand scheme of things isn't too bad as long as the oil consumption doesn't increase. I would watch your consumption see how it goes. If your car falls within the VIN range and mileage, maybe you have some miles to further assess the oil consumption.

 

I know the typical car owners look at an engine repair as major positive, but I don't look at it that way. An engine replacement is a major repair. I look at an engine repair as opportunity for mistakes - missing bolts, improperly torqued bolts, misplaced wiring fasteners, broken connectors, etc. I am a DIY mechanic and I often see evidence of repairs. Some of the people I know who had engine replacement had some issues with installation, I wonder what they don't notice. I am anal about doing my repairs, so maybe I am just a little cautious, but I cringe at thinking about a dealer replacing my engine under warranty.

I am not looking forward to engine replacement either. I have the same concerns, which is why I have so many questions for the Service Manager.

Capttris, what dealership are you dealing with?

Metric Subaru on Long Island.

why?

Metric Subaru on Long Island.

why?

 

Metric is normally really good, so they should take care of you.

So I dropped by car off to the dealer for the short block on 7/18. They told me it would be ready in about a week and they would call me when the engine was out and apart, to discuss any parts that I wanted to preventively replace.

So I figured that a 1 week total job would mean a phone call/email about 2-3 days in, right? wrong...

I drop off on a Monday. 1 week goes by and NOTHING... no communication

9 days later I email the Service Advisor and Owner of the company just to check in.... no response.

Beginning of week 3, I send another email and the Service Manager emails me back to say everything is complete and come pick it up..... WHAT???

I asked what happened to calling me when the engine was apart and he tells me everything was fine.

I said REALLY? You reinstalled the spark plugs that had 72,000 miles on them with an oil burning engine, into a NEW ENGINE??? REALLY??

 

Long story short, I reached out to the owner of the dealership and he verbally said that he was sorry and the Service Manager was wrong and made a mistake. He said I can bring my car back in and he would replace the parts I wanted with ZERO labor cost and just charge for the parts. Right thing to do and very nice of him.

I said thank you but it would be a bit of an inconvenience to bring the car all the way back again and either sit and wait or get a loaner again, etc. I asked if he would extend his offer out for another 30,000 miles and he actually agreed.

I sent him an email to confirm and I am waiting on his response.

 

Hopefully he agrees back and I can look to have them do this work in the next year or so, when I am having them do other work.

 

Overall the engine bay is not 100% perfect from the factory anymore, but its probably about 90% the same. I will clean it up myself and move on...

i have a 2013 with about 87k miles and got the letter in the mail about the oil consumption class action lawsuit...the reimbursements are BS and any testing the dealers do are BS as well...you pay for a test and the dealer will say it's acceptable so why even pay...i drive mostly highway and do 7500 mile oil change intervals and when the low oil level light comes on i put in a half quart and then when it comes on again i put on the other half quart...a couple weeks after the second refill it's usually time for an oil change...never owned a car where i had to keep an extra quart in the trunk knowing full well that i would definitely use it all...hopefully they can fix this defect cause it's enough to make this first subaru my last...i would also like to see a little less wheel and a little more tire if i go with subaru again as well...other than those 2 things and the dumb window weather strip folding down i like the car...i hope to drive this car into the 200k miles range like i did with my 05 mazda 6i...only time will tell if it can hold up

My 2013 had 21K miles (after 3 1/2 years) on it when I swapped it with the wife. I drive about 2K miles per month. The low oil light came on at about 23K only about 4K after she had the oil change. I was ready to go to war with Subaru when we got the "The Letter". I went into the dealer and they had to run the test which involves them doing an oil and filter change and asking you to drive at least 1200 miles then returning to see what the oil consumption is under these conditions. They told me the car "passed" and did not need the new short block. I asked why the oil consumption was so bad. They said you needed to run full synthetic 0-20. I was sure that the oil change was with full synthetic but not that it was 0-20. After another 5K I went for an oil change and specified full synthetic 0-20 which the tech highlighted on the work order.

Now 4K miles later and the low oil level light comes on again. I took it back to the stealer and they are running the test again.

This is my second Suby I had a 1998 OB that went 235K and never needed a drop. Needless to say I'm not a happy camper.

 

What experiences are people having out there with this problem? If this doesn't get sorted out I'll dump this car and never buy another Suby!

i have a 2013 with about 87k miles and got the letter in the mail about the oil consumption class action lawsuit...the reimbursements are BS and any testing the dealers do are BS as well...you pay for a test and the dealer will say it's acceptable so why even pay...i drive mostly highway and do 7500 mile oil change intervals and when the low oil level light comes on i put in a half quart and then when it comes on again i put on the other half quart...a couple weeks after the second refill it's usually time for an oil change...never owned a car where i had to keep an extra quart in the trunk knowing full well that i would definitely use it all...hopefully they can fix this defect cause it's enough to make this first subaru my last...i would also like to see a little less wheel and a little more tire if i go with subaru again as well...other than those 2 things and the dumb window weather strip folding down i like the car...i hope to drive this car into the 200k miles range like i did with my 05 mazda 6i...only time will tell if it can hold up

 

If you read the fine print you can see what the settlement deems excessive consumption so you shouldn't be disappointed when you "Pass" the test. Every automaker has been going through the same issues, this is not specific to subaru, so if you are swearing off of subaru because of oil burning prepare to stay away from Honda, Toyota, Nissan, GM, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Ford, Dodge,...you get the picture. I do hear that Tesla's don't have this issue

I just got mine back from getting the short block replaced. The low oil light came on about 3000 miles after I drove the car off of the lot (2014 with 40k). It was a CPO car, so I wasn't too worried about it. I've never owned a Subaru that DIDN'T consume oil, but to consume over 2 qts in 3k miles seemed a little more than usual.

 

The dealership did the consumption test, and they said it only lost 6.8oz. I asked the service writer what happens if the light comes back on again. She told me to bring it right back and they would check it again. 2900 miles from that point, the light comes on again. I bring it in and the service manager handled it from that point on. I dropped it off on Thursday and picked the car up today. They replaced the entire short block, timing chain and assembly and the oil level sensor. We will see what happens from there.

 

And OP, I am really shocked you had that kind of experience with Metric. They are normally really good. Dave is a man of his word, so whatever he told you, he will honor.

 

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

My '10 Legacy 3.6R burns about 1 quart per 2-3000 miles. Yet it wasn't covered. I saw a consumer reports study that 17% of the subaru 6 cylinders burned over a quart per 1000 miles. Down to 2% on the 2016's though

My '10 Legacy 3.6R burns about 1 quart per 2-3000 miles. Yet it wasn't covered. I saw a consumer reports study that 17% of the subaru 6 cylinders burned over a quart per 1000 miles. Down to 2% on the 2016's though

 

This is my 5th Subaru, and all have burned some amount of oil. It is normal for them to consume oil, but more than a quart between oil changes is excessive. Hell, I don't think I have owned a car that didn't consume at least half a quart between changes. I would still bring it in to the dealership with your concern, if it is still under warranty.

I went into the dealer and they had to run the test which involves them doing an oil and filter change and asking you to drive at least 1200 miles then returning to see what the oil consumption is under these conditions. They told me the car "passed" and did not need the new short block. I asked why the oil consumption was so bad. They said you needed to run full synthetic 0-20. I was sure that the oil change was with full synthetic but not that it was 0-20. After another 5K I went for an oil change and specified full synthetic 0-20 which the tech highlighted on the work order...Now 4K miles later and the low oil level light comes on again. I took it back to the stealer and they are running the test again.

 

 

Your car is going to pass the oil consumption test again. It would probably need to double your current oil consumption to fail the test. Some '13-'14 2.5i Legacy's were burning 3 or 4 times as much oil as yours. An extra quart every oil change interval really isn't that much in the grand scheme of thing. All engines burn some oil, some just aren't measurable on the dipstick (their are also other contaminates in the oil the offset the oil loss).

 

I mention this before in this thread.

 

I know the typical car owners look at an engine repair as major positive, but I don't look at it that way. An engine replacement is a major repair. I look at an engine repair as opportunity for mistakes - missing bolts, improperly torqued bolts, misplaced wiring fasteners, broken connectors, etc. I am a DIY mechanic and I often see evidence of repairs. Some of the people I know who had engine replacement had some issues with installation, I wonder what they don't notice. I am anal about doing my repairs, so maybe I am just a little cautious, but I cringe at thinking about a dealer replacing my engine under warranty.

 

Do you really want to have the dealer swap out the motor because its burning 1 quart every 4k miles? You are talking about less than $10 of expense every 7500 miles. Most cars are switching to lower friction oil rings and low weight 0w20 oil for fuel economy reasons. Within the production tolerances, their is a chance you will end up with another regardless of the manufacturer car that require oil to be added between oil changes. Subaru , Toyota, Honda and among other brands have all had issues with oil burning.

For those who got "the letter", please read it. The old/original consumption was 1 qt or greater in 1200 miles determined engine replacement. Per the oil consumption lawsuit letter, the consumption is ONLY 1/3 qt in 1200 miles.

For any/all of you complaining that you don't think you qualify for this, you should more accurately measure your own consumption, rather than waiting for the low oil light to come on.

Simply top off even with the full mark, drive 1200 miles, and recheck the stick.

That's all the dealer is doing, other than an oil and filter change (to guarantee the correct oil is being used)

 

Other than poor communication with my dealer (and very low coolant level when inspecting the car when I picked it up), the new engine is good.

I have over 2000 miles on it and (knock on wood) all is good, no consumption. I was even expecting some consumption during the break in period, but nothing...

 

I am more than happy to answer any questions that any of you have on this.

I am dropping my Subaru off tomorrow for the short block replacement. I started the oil consumption test and before leaving the dealership I checked the oil level with the service manager and they had overfilled. He annotated the "over" fill line on the oil consumption form and I departed. When I took it back after approximately 1800 miles the line was down 1/3 qt from the "full" line on the stick (not the "over" fill line). Needless to say my car did not pass the oil consumption test and I am getting the short block replaced. Thanks for the information everyone.

I just switched to 5w40 Rotella T6 and over the last 1700 miles it's only burned 1/4 of a quart of oil. I definitely recommend anyone who has a 3.6 to switch from 5w30 to 40.

Island Boy,

Depending on how many miles are on your car, and how long you want to keep it, you may want to invest in replacing some parts, like spark plugs, belts, water pump.

The tech will simply be swapping over EVERYTHING from the old block so it's an opportunity to get some preventative maintenance work done and only pay for the cost of the parts, no labor.

Capttris, I had just over 63,000 when I dropped it off so they are doing the 60,000 mile service while the engine is out. Like you I asked them to call me once the engine is out to discuss any further preventative maintenance issues they might discover while they have the engine out. Thanks for the information. BTW have you had any issues with the new short block?

(knock on wood) - no, I have not had a single issue with it. And I'm VERY particular about my car and engine. I've gone over my engine with a fine-tooth comb and continue to do so. So far, I have about 10,000 miles on it and 0% oil consumption and 0 issues. I only had the spark plugs replaced.

They "forgot" to call me when my engine was apart so the Owner of the dealership agreed to replace these parts for the cost of the parts ONLY, for up to 1 year from the date of service.

So I will be going back to the dealer this summer (before 1 year is up) and have them replace the water pump, as I am at 80,000 miles now.

Capttis I wish I could say the same about my Legacy post short block replacement...

I picked up my Legacy after the short block replacement on Monday. I started it up and everything seemed fine. I drove it back to work (approximately 1 hour via interstate) and everything was good as I conducted the engine break-in. When I got to the bottom of the exit and began slowing down I noticed that the engine would flutter as if the engine was going to cut out as I was approaching the stop before the vehicle would come to a complete halt. While stopping at several stop lights the flutter would persist. The flutter at times would shake the entire vehicle and other times would be noticeable but not as severe and is occurring every time I bring the vehicle to a stop. The engine never cut out completely during this time.

 

I spoke with the service manager on the phone and he said the ECU would need to re-learn the idle as the battery was disconnected for a long duration during the short block replacement. He recommended driving it normally and to call back in a couple of days if the problem did not go away.

 

Needless to say, I took the vehicle back in on Thursday after speaking with the service manager and letting him know the problem was still manifesting. When the tech came out to look at the vehicle he immediately started the vehicle and it died. He started the vehicle a second time and it again died. The third time he started the vehicle found its idle and remained on. At that point we began the test drive to identify the fluttering occurring when stopping. The tech at first did not notice anything until I pointed it out to him. We then switched places and I showed him exactly what was happening while I was behind the wheel. During this time the tech was watching the tachometer. He agreed that he could sense the fluttering but the tachometer was not dropping significantly. We returned to the service department and he cleaned out the throttle body and said I was good to go.

 

After returning my vehicle it started properly and went to idle without dying. I took it for a drive around the dealership and the fluttering problem when stopping had not been solved. The tech got back in the vehicle with me and we again drove around identifying the fluttering problem. The tech identified the problem was still apparent and he didn't believe there was a significant issue. I informed him that this problem was not apparent prior to the short block replacement and the 60k maintenance was performed (new spark plugs, water pump were replaced) at the same time. He noted it could be fuel with the transition from winter to summer blend however I filled up prior to dropping my car off for the short block replacement and I had not filled up since then. He also noted that it could be the K&N air filter that I had installed last summer and haven't had any issues with either.

 

We returned to the service department and he contacted Tech Assist who recommended an ECU reset. He completed the ECU reset and after a 3rd drive the issue was still apparent. At that time he then handed me off to the service manager again and we went for a 4th drive where I informed him of the fluttering issue. He noted that he could feel the fluttering and would have the tech continue to troubleshoot.

 

After spending over 2 hours at the service department and 4 different test drives the issue is still there. I was given a loaner and went on my way hoping they can figure out what the issue is.

I just spoke with the service manager and he said the tech believes there isn't an issue that I should be concerned with and everything is normal. He said they have another 2013 Legacy coming in on Monday (10APR) and will be looking more into the issue then. I know there are a multitude of factors at play following the short block replacement but does anyone have any idea on what could be causing the issue?

Just shooting from the hip, my guess would be a vacuum leak. A couple minutes with a can of ether would be about all you'd need to track that down.

After my short block replacement, the only issue I had was they never purged the air out of the cooling system so I had to add my own coolant to bring it up to normal range, twice. (The plastic bottle was empty when I got home from the dealer).

The engine ran smooth and normal though. After brining the car back to have the plugs replaced, I did the ECM relearn at home, just for good measure. I never had the issue like you are describing.

The good news is that the Service Manager AGREES with you, that there is an issue. Now that you have their loaner car, there should be some sense of urgency for them to fix the problem as they are going to want your car out of their shop, and they will want their loaner back, to lend to another customer. So there is SOME urgency/desire for them to want to actually fix the problem.

This may sound fundamentally obvious to many people, but there are so many instances where a dealer "doesn't believe there is a problem" and they try to get you out the door. At least your dealer is "trying" find the problem and fix it.

Please keep us updated.