Faults:

At 181297 the front exhaust crossover pipe with catalytic converter developed an exhaust leak and had to be replaced.

Nothing else has gone wrong with the car since new.

Many oil changes, two sets of pads and rotors front and back, trans flush, coolant flushes, spark plugs, wires, brake flush, power steering flush, a couple sets of tires, and differential fluids in front and rear replaced.

The car has been very reliable and has not let me down. All work that has been done except for the exhaust has been preventive maintenance. I would like to think that helps prolong the vehicle.

General Comments:

The car has been great since new. The vehicle has never left me stranded. The car has constantly gotten around 30-32 MPG. I use this to commute daily and it has been perfect year round in rain and snow. I use regular all season tires and have not been stuck in any snow.

I highly recommend a Subaru to anyone looking for a reliable car to get you through all sorts of weather.

Faults:

The STI is a GREAT car. It has wonderful power, great handling and braking, and the grip is like a cat on carpet. I was able to put down 380 lb. ft. of torque with very little wheel spin in wet weather on summer tires. That's how much grip it has.

My engine blew a ringland at the 47000 mile mark. Pretty common for these engines unfortunately, and yes, mine was modified. I'm sure the mods did not help, nor did my driving. I do feel that Subaru should have a stronger piston in the car, but I believe they went to a tight sealing hypereutic piston due to emissions requirements.

The interior, even with the $37K price tag is economical to put it nicely. Lipstick on a PIG would also describe it. Oh well, I didn't buy the car for the luxury. The seats are good, especially my heated ones.

General Comments:

The car is a great buy.

Fast, nimble, and stops on a dime with change to spare.

http://www.vikingspeedshop.com

Faults:

A/C compressor went on the second day of ownership. Took 3 weeks to get an appointment for the dealer to fix it and give me a courtesy car.

Fuel cap wasn't sealing at 1000km, giving check engine lights. Had to go to the dealer 3 times until they realized it was the cap's fault and not the person putting in the gas.

Front wipers were torn after 2 months; did not bother going to the dealer, replaced by better quality wipers.

Rear wiper needs to be replaced every year. I rarely use it, but it will rip on its own.

Engine has been pinging since new, have been to the dealer easily a dozen times. Have tried higher octane gas, reprogrammed the computer, replaced spark plugs, fuel injection flush. I have even been told that it's normal by the dealer, that they have seen many Foresters with that ping. The motor pings when it's hot out (above 20C), when taking off, changing gears and accelerating at low revs.

Cruise control switch near the clutch pedal made clicking sounds at 5000km. Had to go to the dealer 3 times before they fixed it.

Clutch pedal assembly made cracking sounds at 10 000km. Again, had to go to the dealer countless times before it was fixed.

Front windows were rattling when half open at 10 000km. Dealer replaced the window seals.

Rear seats made cracking sounds at 30 000km. Went to the dealer and they blamed the noise on my tire pressure. Apparently 3-4 PSI over the required amount will cause cracking noises. I made a complaint to Subaru Canada and changed dealership. The other dealership found the problem quickly, but fixed it by wrapping the seat hinges with electrical tape. I admit it fixed the problem, but it's an eye sore, and the seats don't lock themselves easily when you fold them back up.

All the windows don't go up at the same speeds, especially the back windows; does this since new.

Hatch rattles since new.

Dash cracks really bad when cold out, since new.

Hand brake boot started to tear at 30 000km. The 2 dealers "near" me said it's my fault and it's normal wear, same with the rest of the interior trim, and is not covered on warranty. In my opinion, interior trim falling apart on a 2 year old car is not normal, it's poor quality.

Passenger side armrest on the door broke off at 35 000km (not covered on warranty, and the arm rest does not come on its own, it's the entire door panel and it costs over 400$; I glued it back myself).

Carpets are ripping at 40 000km.

Clutch makes loud squeaking sounds at 48 000km; needs to get fixed.

Front left shock is blown at 48 000km; needs to get fixed.

Loud clicking and cracking sound in front suspension when turning at 48 000km; needs to get fixed.

Loud gear crunching sound when driving at higher RPM (4000 RPM); needs to get fixed.

General Comments:

OK, first thing. The car is fun to drive. It's a great back road car. Handling is great, seats hold you in through the corners. The brakes are great and the engine makes a great sound (when it's not pinging!).

On long drives the car is comfortable and has plenty of space. In traffic the clutch is not the best, but you get used to it. Also, the A/C is not very strong, and also the heating and the stereo.

The AWD is great in the snow, but affects fuel economy. Getting around 9L/100km on the highway and 12L/100km in the city, under normal driving... push it and it gets worse. With such bad fuel economy and only 2-3 bad snow storms where the AWD shines compared to a FWD car, I find the AWD is not worth it.

Ignoring the fun this car will give you on a back road, and its poor fuel economy, this car is junk. I've owned many cars, including some bad names such as Neon, Sunfire and Cobalt. The Impreza's reliability does not compare to these cars; it's a lot worse.

With how fast this car's interior is falling apart and the speed that the mechanicals of the car are failing, I can not imagine this car lasting a long time, and I am very happy this car is a lease. When I first got it, I was thinking of possibly buying at the end of the lease, but now I can say I cannot wait to give the keys back and never own another Subaru again, and never have to deal with Subaru's very poor dealer services.