This review is for Marin Subaru's service department:
I brought my 2017 Subaru Impreza here for service 7 times between March 2018 to October 2020.
The issues started after 70,000 miles. During a routine service, they noticed that my rear wheel bearings were worn out. I could tell when I was driving and wasn't shocked that they needed to be replaced at that point in the car's life. Unfortunately, things started to pile up shortly after this. My coolant light came on and was blinking, so I brought it in, and they confirmed what was happening. Upon inspection, they found that the coolant system had oil mixing with coolant, and the upper radiator hose had a cut/gash and was leaking. How that came to happen is something I'm still unclear on, as I had it serviced and the fluids replaced regularly. They recommended an engine tear-down at $1,074, which I agreed to. At that point, they discovered that all of my car's valves were gummed up, and I needed a new short block assembly. My total cost for that visit (including a major service where my oil filter, air filter, cabin filter, fluids, spark plugs, and more were replaced), plus all drains cleaned, came to $4325. They also replaced my PCV valve and ignition coil, which were recalled and covered under warranty. Nothing like this had ever happened to the only car I'd owned before this, so I hoped that would be the end of it. No such luck!
After this, my check engine light, hill start assist (this was in my flat driveway), and vehicle dynamics control warning lights all came on at once, and the car began shaking and vibrating while idle- I brought it in immediately. They did a diagnostic and replaced my catalytic converter; there was a recall for ignition coil short-circuiting, so they took care of that and performed a test drive. I had noticed a sloshing noise (similar to when the radiator hose had a cut/gash), but they couldn't verify what was causing it and told me not to worry about it. Shortly after that, my car gave out on Highway 101 (this happened three times, and an additional two times on surface streets). This was caused by fuel leaking on the engine from the fuel injector. They replaced the fuel injector seals, test-drove it, and told me not to worry about it. Next, the check engine light came on again. They found that a sensor was faulty and replaced it, moved and replaced my oil control valves which had somehow gotten messed up and contaminated, and replaced both intake control valves.
At this point, I was extremely concerned as the issues were piling up rapidly. I was scared to drive my car but couldn't in good conscience sell it to someone else when I felt so unsafe every time I drove it. I spoke with the service advisor and expressed concern that my car was a lemon. He immediately clammed up and dismissed my concern.
After picking my car up for the last time at their service department, I drove it home (16 miles). The next time I drove it (13 miles), I felt uncomfortable and scared but decided to push through it. After all, the service advisor had told me when I picked it up that I could rest assured the issues were all taken care of and they'd see me at my next regularly scheduled service many months from then. Reader, what could possibly go wrong?
A lot.
While driving home on the 101, I suddenly smelled gasoline and saw the fuel gauge drop from almost full to empty. I was scared (this was during rush hour), and there was no shoulder or emergency lane to pull into. I managed to get from the fast lane to an exit, and my car ground to a halt. Every warning light the car had was on. People in other cars were blasting their horns and screaming at me. I couldn't move my car, and I was frozen with fear. As a woman screamed at me from across the intersection, "GET OUT OF YOUR CAR! GET THE **** OUT!" I opened my door and ran. My car was on fire and billowing smoke. I will never forget the sense of complete and utter helplessness and horror I felt while crying and watching it burn while waiting for the police and fire department, praying that no one else would be hurt by my car. After my car was extinguished and the firefighters had finished scraping the melted plastic and rubber from the road surface, the car was taken away on a tow truck, and that's the last I ever saw of it.
Almost three years later and I'm still scared of driving. Last I heard, my insurance company sued Marin Subaru for some of their costs associated with the total loss. I didn't get a new free car or anything that other people seem to expect when I talk to them about my experience with this. What I got is a phobia of driving, being a passenger in other people's ICE cars, nightmares, flashbacks, and I lost a lot of money on a car I'd hoped would last at least ten years. I'm genuinely grateful to be alive, and for a long time, I'd tried to let it go and focus on that, but some experiences have such a profoundly lasting impact they warrant a negative review. read more