I had a problem, a big problem. Back in September I had taken my 2022 Outback to an oil change place in Cleveland Tennessee; within, say, fifteen miles of driving I started having problems; the check engine light was on, the car was running rough, the engine was dying whenever I took my foot off the gas. So I took the car to Crown Subaru, and learned that the Valvoline people has put roughly one and a half quarts of oil over the appropriate limit. I dealt with Matt White; he returned my car, but candidly mentioned that it sounded like a diesel.
I made it back near home, about 30 miles, when the troubles began again, which warranted another trip to Crown Subaru (in the meantime I had confronted the Valvoline manager to zero satisfaction. I had also called Subaru main office in New Jersey).
So the car undergoes the knife, destination unknown. I drive around a loaner from Crown Subaru for 2 weeks while they pulled the engine and went over the thing in detail. At this point I had no assurance that my warranty would pay for any of the work of parts that might be needed to get my outback on the road. And if you have spent any time in front of a television watching courtroom procedurals, you are familiar with the concept of "reasonable doubt;" Subaru certainly could have thrown the expense of the repairs back on me, and my only recourse would have been to sue the Valvoline franchise owner.
But what happened is that Subaru decided that the damage was so extensive that the oil overfill might not have been the entire problem, and they repaired the engine at no charge to me. The damage included replacing the engine block, replacing the camshaft, and about two pages of parts and sensors. I shudder to think of what the bill would have been, had Subaru not decided to do the honest thing, under the broadest definition imaginable.
What do you look for when buying a new car? Subarus are fun driving vehicles, but no one is going to label them as muscle cars. But if you are seeking a solid, reliable car, sold by a firm that is proud of their product, protective of it good name, and inclined to give the customer the benefit of the doubt, then why would you look elsewhere? Sorry that this love letter went on so long, but I think my experience was one that deserves to be known. read more
