I brought my 2016 Outback here because it was binding during low-speed turns and felt like the…read moretransmission was jerking into Park and Reverse with a noticeable clunk. I specifically chose a Subaru dealer because I wanted Subaru-trained technicians diagnosing an AWD/transmission issue.
I was told the transfer clutch was bad and replacing it would address my symptoms. Based on that diagnosis, I authorized the repair.
Communication was frustrating from the beginning. I initially approved approximately $700 in spark plugs but called the next day and asked not to have them done to save money. Afterward, the service writer repeatedly changed his answer about whether they had already been done. "I don't know" became an answer I heard far too often. To be fair, they eventually reduced the spark plug charge, although not the full amount.
My bill was $2,777.22. I planned to pay by debit but decided to use my credit card for points. Only AFTER my card was processed did I discover a 3% fee, bringing the total to $2,860.53. The service writer told me he'd been telling customers about the fee all day but "just forgot" to tell me. Had I known, I would have used debit.
Then came the bigger issue. When they called to say the car was fixed, I was also warned that my TCM "may go bad soon." I picked up the car, turned out of the dealership, and IMMEDIATELY noticed the binding was significantly WORSE. I turned right back around.
My dashcam automatically records when the car starts. The footage showed the car being moved around the dealership but no public-road test drive that I could find. That mattered because I couldn't understand how anyone could have road-tested this car and not noticed what I noticed before I could even leave the dealership. After I raised the dashcam footage, I noticed it being disconnected during subsequent visits. I'm not speculating why. That's simply what happened.
They then diagnosed the TCM as bad and replaced it at no charge. To their credit, that appears to have resolved the binding.
But this is the heart of my complaint: if there was already enough concern about the TCM to warn me it might fail immediately after pickup, why wasn't that part of the ORIGINAL diagnosis?
The jerking/clunk into Park and Reverse also remained. I was then told I needed an approximately $10,000 transmission. Later, the service manager told me they couldn't actually diagnose transmission issues because they didn't have a technician trained to do so. So how was a $10,000 transmission diagnosed?
I was also suddenly quoted approximately $2,000 for valve cover gaskets despite having no known leak when the car arrived. When I asked why this wasn't found during their initial inspection, the service manager said they don't inspect "internal parts." I pointed out that they had just performed the spark plugs and were working directly in the valve cover area, where evidence of a visible leak could have been observed.
After telling me they couldn't replicate the original jerking/clunk, the service writer also mentioned they had inspected my transmission mount and asked whether it had recently been replaced. I have since found multiple reports of similar symptoms involving the mount and plan to replace it myself. I'm NOT claiming the mount is definitely the problem, but I don't understand why it warranted their attention yet wasn't suggested as something to investigate before recommending a $10,000 transmission.
I eventually escalated everything to the GM. He mentioned a $5,000 solution for my car. I immediately said I could do that. Only afterward did the conversation change to $5,000 being contingent on trading the vehicle in.
My biggest issue isn't that an older car needed repairs. Cars break.
My issue is that I made a roughly $2,800 financial decision based on the diagnosis I was given.
Had I been told from the beginning, "Your transfer clutch is bad AND your TCM is bad or showing signs of a problem," I most likely would have found a way to trade the vehicle rather than put thousands into it.
Maybe I still would have repaired it. Maybe I would have traded it.
But that should have been MY decision to make with accurate information.
To be fair, they replaced the TCM at no charge and reduced the spark plug charge. I appreciate both. But neither gives me back the financial decision I made based on the original diagnosis.
I went to a Subaru dealer because I expected competent diagnosis, straight answers and clear communication. Instead, this experience caused me to lose confidence not only in this service department but in the Ourisman brand. I would not take another vehicle to an Ourisman dealership for service.
I've dealt with Fitzgerald Auto Mall and, in my experience, their diagnostic process and communication have been significantly better.
I spent roughly $2,800 before I ever got the complete picture.
That's the part of this experience I can't get back.