10th Jan 2009, 01:58
I have a 2003 Subaru Baja that has well over 120k miles on it, and I've had absolutely no problems with the engine. If you don't like your Outback, go buy something else and then you'll wish you kept it!
There is no other car that compares to Subaru; that's why they passed Volvo up a couple of years ago for being the safest car in America.
And I agree, who listens to AM radio? You will enjoy AM or Sirius a lot more.
11th Jan 2009, 19:53
The "oil smell" you are experiencing is a common problem and it has nothing to do with the transmission. You will notice it at every oil change and for some time afterwards as oil drips onto the exhaust. It is a design flaw. Subaru knows about it and should fix it.
19th Mar 2009, 06:12
AM radio? Whats that... I can't believe anyone listens to radio period in this day of mp3. You seriously bought an expensive car and then go online and complain that an AM radio sounds bad?
I have a 2006 and it has the smelly transmission deal going on, only when I go uphills and it has to work a bit, it has nothing to do with a leaky oil change gasket, the auto transmission in these cars are junk, mine is anyway.
55,000klms and I'm trading it off before the transmission oil is burnt again for the 5th time.
25th Jan 2012, 16:54
I have a 2007 Outback with 90K miles; no visible oil leakage.
I change the oil every 3K miles, and I too smell "oil burning" after oil changes in particular. After a while, just the smell from time to time. Is there a solution?
9th Mar 2012, 23:17
My 2007 Outback Wagon had the oil smell from the beginning, and my dealer finally said they replaced the valve cover gaskets. Problem went away, and they resurfaced, but this time it is the head gaskets. I am finally getting them replaced. This is a known issue and fairly common with a boxer engine, and is something you will have to deal with somewhere in the life of your Subaru ownership.
I seldom use the AM radio, but when I do and am going over serious bumps, or am far from the AM station and go over bumps, there is static. Usually it is the MP3 going. One thing I recommend is a better set of speakers if you did not get the upgraded radio.
29th Aug 2008, 15:12
If you like talk radio so much, why not buy a Sirius or XM satellite radio? Who even listens to AM anymore? Besides, usually stock radio/stereos are woefully inadequate, most people that take their sound systems seriously usually end up with an aftermarket unit anyways. Satellite radio is a thousand times better than anything AM has to offer.
To sum it up, giving Subaru a bad review because of a radio is pretty silly IMO, and head gaskets are a known issue with these cars. You bought another one, so it must not be that bad.