(Final update 1/17) 300 miles and something's not right...

[teamturbo]

I wonder if you have a genuine lemon on your hands. Contact Scion directly (not dealer). I bought my car in FL. On a new car the manufacturer has to fix the problem within 3 attempts from what I remember before you can file a defect notification form. After that, if they fail to correct the problem, you maybe entitled to a buy back or new car. Interesting problem, keep documentation of your contacts with Scion, and post updates as you find out more.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by teamturbo

I wonder if you have a genuine lemon on your hands. Contact Scion directly (not dealer). I bought my car in FL. On a new car the manufacturer has to fix the problem within 3 attempts from what I remember before you can file a defect notification form. After that, if they fail to correct the problem, you maybe entitled to a buy back or new car. Interesting problem, keep documentation of your contacts with Scion, and post updates as you find out more.

I don't know if I do, but I really hope I don't have a lemon. I'm still hoping its a simple fix. But I also want them to do whatever they have to do to fix it. I'll worry about what to do if they can't fix it, if that happens. Thanks for the information by the way. I'll research it more if the worst case senario becomes a reality.

[Stewie]

Update

The car has around 970 miles on it now. The issue is still present. I took the car back to the dealer I bought it from and drove a brand new 2015 limited with a salesman. No vibration. Took the same salesman for a ride in mine car on the same route and he felt it. I told him about my experience with the service manager and he was shocked. He said he would talk with my salesman and the service manager tomorrow. He described it as feeling like something was opening and closing. [Turns out he's a car guy as well...he has a 700hp WRX]

Regardless of the above, I have an appointment with a different dealer in the morning. Hopefully everything will go smoothly and hopefully it will be an easy fix.

[Stewie]

Final update: Took the car to another dealer yesterday. He car had 980ish miles on it. Met the service manager. Super cool guy. He's an ase certified mechanic with years of experience. Drives a subaru cross trek because he's an avid biker. Cool guy. I tell him about my issue and the vibration. He says he wants to go for a ride jumps in my car and we take off. I'm driving. I've told him what to list for and what to feel for.

I get up to speed/rpm and ask him if he feels it. With a bit of timing and queuing, he felt it. To the point where he was pointing out when he felt it. We got back to the dealership. He said they were gonna keep the car and inspect it thoroughly.

I left and went to work. Got a call from the service manager in the afternoon, he said that his tech drove the car and couldn't feel anything. So he went for a ride with the tech and pointed out the vibration. They went back to the dealership and drove another new 2015 limited and they felt the vibration. They then drove a brz with the factory 18" rims (I'm guessing series.blue) and they didn't feel the vibration.

They concluded that the vibration is a characteric of the car. He told me to keep en eye on it and bring it back if it gets worse. This isn't what I was hoping to hear, but I was ok with it. I was hoping to hear they found something that was loose and they tightened it and that resolved the problem. But I'm ok with hearing that 'nothing seems to be of a safety or mechanical concern with your car' at this time.

I even think I remember reading on here somewhere (long ago) that the designer of the twins originally designed the car to be driven on 18" wheels. Maybe I'll just swap out the wheels and tires go up to the 18's and see what happens.

Thanks to all for the input throughout. Any recommendations on good 18" rubber would be appreciated. I'm looking for more grip and maybe a bit quieter if possible. Tires on the old car were re760s and they were great. But I see that most people on here run pss or dunlops or hankooks. Might try the pss and see if I like them. Thanks again

[EAGLE5]

I think you need to relax. Cars vibrate. Sports cars doubly so.

[jkonquer]

Originally Posted by Stewie

I left and went to work. Got a call from the service manager in the afternoon, he said that his tech drove the car and couldn't feel anything. So he went for a ride with the tech and pointed out the vibration. They went back to the dealership and drove another new 2015 limited and they felt the vibration. They then drove a brz with the factory 18" rims (I'm guessing series.blue) and they didn't feel the vibration.

They concluded that the vibration is a characteric of the car. He told me to keep en eye on it and bring it back if it gets worse. This isn't what I was hoping to hear, but I was ok with it. I was hoping to hear they found something that was loose and they tightened it and that resolved the problem. But I'm ok with hearing that 'nothing seems to be of a safety or mechanical concern with your car' at this time.

Make sure this is written somewhere in the service invoice. I had a similar problem on one of my tires (factory defect), took it to the dealer, and dealer said it was ok. Few months later the tire started to crack and the dealer said its because I hit something on the road. And the service guy never mentioned anything on my previous visit in the invoice and I did not have a proof.

I was able to convince the service manager to pay for the tire but it was pain.

[Stewie]

As opposed to my visit at the first dealership, the second one opened a ticket and documented my concerns. So hopefully if anything happens down the road, it's documented.

I did kind of find a way to reduce feeling the vibration. I'm 6'1" and I had he seat all the way back and the back of the drivers seat was touching/resting on the rear seat and the carpeted sheet metal below it.

I figured that the direct contact was directly transmitting the feeling to my lower back and ass which is where i constantly felt the vibration. So I moved the seat up slightly so that there is no contact.

I can still feel the vibration, but i don't feel it as prominently as I did before.

[aznatama]

step 1: Document at dealer. Done, good.
step 2: don't do anything to it, just have dealer try to fix it...
step 3: Keep going back to dealer to get it fixed.

If dealer can't fix the problem, or if it gets worse, then why not lemon the car? since you documented it so early, you'll get nearly exactly what you paid for it including interest.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by aznatama

step 1: Document at dealer. Done, good.
step 2: don't do anything to it, just have dealer try to fix it...
step 3: Keep going back to dealer to get it fixed.

If dealer can't fix the problem, or if it gets worse, then why not lemon the car? since you documented it so early, you'll get nearly exactly what you paid for it including interest.

I don't want to give up on the car just yet. I don't know if I'm hypersensitive to the vibration when it might just be something that is a normal characteristic of the the car.

Moving the seat up so that the back of the driver seat isn't making contact with the rear seat and the sheet metal below has helped to not transmit the vibration directly into my body via the seat-back as much, but I still feel it.

For now, I will keep an eye on it to see if it gets worse. I've cancelled all the plans I had in my head for fluids (motul - oil, tranny, & diff), suspension (springs and shocks/struts), wheels (18"), and tire mods as I don't want to have to deal with "the mod caused the problem" defense.

I might still consider a wheel and tire swap with something in the 17x7 - 17x7.5 size in the future because 1) I'm not a fan of how the stock rims look and 2) we get a lot of rain in the summer months and the stock tires don't inspire any amount of confidence in the wet at highway speeds. But for now, I don't plan on touching the car.

My number 1 concern has always been safety. If the vibration gets worse or if something breaks, then I'll be forced to consider all my options. If the issue leads to a failure which results in a loss of control and property damage/bodily injury then there will be a grossly different type of conversation to be had with Subaru and the two dealerships I went to... but that conversation won't be had by/with me.

[BRZnut]

If the car itself checked out ok, then I bet its a defective tire. It happens. Did you try rotating the tires to see if that changes the vibration?

[daiheadjai]

Another possibility is the wheel hub/bearing assembly.
I curbed mine at the track, and it ended up with a a slight (but noticeable) droning vibration when I hit about 80-110kph, and then again at 130kph.
It was particularly noticeable when I made gradual right hand curves (felt it in the steering wheel and through the footwell). Mine turned out to be the front left wheel bearing. I replaced it myself after multiple useless appointments with Subaru service - I even told them what was wrong, and what I did to cause it (to their credit, the service manager initially said they would replace it under warranty if they found the issue).

Might be the rear bearing?

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by BRZnut

If the car itself checked out ok, then I bet its a defective tire. It happens. Did you try rotating the tires to see if that changes the vibration?

I have not tried rotating the tires as of yet. When I took the car to the tire shop and a) they didn't have a road force tire balancer and b) the right rear tire spun perfectly balanced I decided against rotating them and left.

I will try rotating them over the weekend. Scratch that, this weekend is the daytona 24. I'll try to rotate them some time this week.

I had been contemplating ditching the stock rubber right now anyway. It would be smart to rotate the tires before replacing them. Thanks.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Another possibility is the wheel hub/bearing assembly.
I curbed mine at the track, and it ended up with a a slight (but noticeable) droning vibration when I hit about 80-110kph, and then again at 130kph.
It was particularly noticeable when I made gradual right hand curves (felt it in the steering wheel and through the footwell). Mine turned out to be the front left wheel bearing. I replaced it myself after multiple useless appointments with Subaru service - I even told them what was wrong, and what I did to cause it (to their credit, the service manager initially said they would replace it under warranty if they found the issue).

Might be the rear bearing?

Not quite sure but it very well could be. How do they diagnose it?

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by Stewie

Not quite sure but it very well could be. How do they diagnose it?

Unfortunately the only way is seat time. And techs tend to hear things different from owners - something that bothers you (i.e. a slight vibration or buzz) the tech will probably treat as an acceptable level of NVH (less work that way).

For me, I narrowed it down by driving at a range of speeds and turning left and right to varying degrees (I ended up finding that slight curves were the trigger for mine).