Meeting with Subaru field engineer in two weeks
 

I'm meeting with a field engineer in two weeks to go over some of the concerns I have with my BRZ. I was told to make a list of all my concerns since I will only have a limited time to meet with him and for him to look at the car. I'm going to make a list consisting of the following:

1) Rear shelf popping noise (not solved by TSB)
2) Rattles and general noisiness from area by radio & climate control
3) DI fuel pump chirping even after pump replacement per TSB
4) Passenger auto window down functionality (or lack thereof)
5) Other miscellaneous rattles (headliner above driver's head, headliner towards the middle of the car, driver's door by small window, and others I think of between now and the appointment)
6) Taillight condensation

Are there any other concerns that you as a community feel I should put to the engineer? If it's not something I'm bothered by, and definitely if it's not something I've even experienced with my car, I won't bring it up since it would waste valuable time that could be focused on more pressing concerns. Otherwise, if you feel it's worth mentioning and isn't on the list above, please post it below and I'll consider mentioning it.

Update 2/24:
I met with the engineer this past week and presented him with the above list.
1) Parts have been ordered. I'm not entirely sure what this means, but we'll see what happens at my next appointment.
2) We were unable to duplicate this issue. It was raining which made it difficult to focus on interior rattles.
3) The paperwork indicates "no problems found at present time." If I get a chance to speak with the engineer again, I'll try to get his take on it. I was able to duplicate the chirping noise and he took a video of the engine.
4) The main window switch was replaced, but the issue remains. I'll follow-up with the engineer since he agreed that the operation of the window was erratic and asked for me to provide feedback.
5) See #2.
6) The taillights didn't have condensation in them when I brought the car in so the engineer was unwilling to replace them. He instructed the dealership to park the car outside so we could look for condensation in the morning, but the dealer disregarded his instructions (I know because when I picked up the car, the temp gauge wasn't pegged to the cold side, and it was very cold outside).

I received the car with the driver's interior door handle misassembled, which I will have the dealer correct at my next visit. I will keep you all posted on any new information as I come by it.

seems like you have everything covered. let us know what the outcome is!

Here's my list, don't know if it'll help or not.

- GPS/Bluetooth signal issues
- Tail light condensation (not fixed after first replacement)
- Idle Chirp
- Idle rpm dip
- Window rubber tearing/wind noise
- Dead pedal rattle
- Passenger window auto down

Do you have a Limited or Premium?

Limited -- See what I listed next to "drives" :D

I see SSM DZE BRZ. Never knew there was another name for Limited.

SSM = Sterling Silver Metallic
DZE = Manual Limited
BRZ = BRZ ;)

Clunk going into second gear.

I have an FRS but under light throttle cruise at low speed there is an occasional hiccup in the engine. Running premium, ~4500 miles, happens in third or fourth gear at around 25-30mph. Don't know if anyone else has this issue, I've never had any other issue with this car.

If you are having the same rattle near the head unit/ AC area, I think I know where this coming from. When you hear it, press down on the center part of the vent near the windshield on the raise tab part. See if this greatly diminishes your rattles in that area.

When are they going to fix the lights? People getting rears replaced 2 and 3 times, what gives

Since you have a Limited, if you ever had any issues with the car not starting while pressing the start button even though the key is with you, then that might be something you should have him take a look at.

Limited time, eh? I think your problem will be exhibiting these issues to the tech in a way that he can see they are obvious.

1) Practice your presentation of them. Have a good idea of the loudness of each item, and make sure your car is in a place with low enough ambient sound to clearly hear them. Don't be on the shop floor. Be in the showroom, or on the side of the building away from the street.

2) If you can manage it, a tight space will give you the benefit of an echo to enhance the sounds heard outside the car.

3) Definitely scout the place with your ears this week.

4) And for the on-road tests, know where the quietest roads are--newly paved, low traffic roads are the best, perhaps with lots of trees or houses around to deaden the sounds of the city.

Yes, we know you have valid complaints, but your tech needs to know it too, and that will put him on your side. When he says he can't hear it, give him quiet time. Don't try to talk him into it.

This happens to me everyday, without fail, and only once. The car just hiccups and goes about its business. About 2 miles into my drive to work, usually 4th gear. Only once but everyday.

:popcorn:

How about a fix for the windows that "freeze up" every cold morning. I'm getting tired of resetting them.

crunchy/notchy 2nd gear

No idle issue? As in when the engine is cold, the idle is crappy and you can feel vibrations through the car (even though the idle needle is sitting solid at 650rpm). When the engine is fully warmed up it's rock solid and not a single vibration can be noticed. That one, this really pisses me off.

You can thank the EPA for that one. They have to retard the timing so much to get quick the catalyst to light off quicker. This reduces power and makes the engine sound weird, since its all about making heat and not power at that point.

Read the manual, it explains it.

Here's my list:
....

Driver's and passenger side door control switch cable is loose in the door and rattles. Last time I brought it to the dealer they said "can't be fixed." My experience with that specific dealer leads me to take that as "we didn't even try," but might be worth mentioning as I'm not the only one who has door rattles.

I have it on the passenger side too. try to open it and fix it yourself I believe is a easy fix with some tap...dealers are all BS. thats why I tried not to go to dealers only if theres major problem like engine light and recall and balalala big problem that would cost a lot!

I don't feel a car with less than 10k miles on it should require me to rip off the door panels to stop rattling. I'm sure I can fix it myself, but that's not the point here. It's an issue out of the box, and I'm sure Subaru is looking for this type of feedback to correct it in future model years.

FWIW, my Limited doesn't exhibit ANY of those issues - so it is possible for them to get it right. My gearbox is sluggish when cold, otherwise I have ZERO issues in my car. Best of luck with a resolution.

See my first post in this thread for issues I've had with my Limited. All the TSBs apply too, but I'm waiting for more dealer experience with the fixes before I bring mine in.

FWIW, I have the passenger door panel rattle.

Yup, that's pretty much my mentality at this point. Every time I've gone in to the dealership there's a whole lot of headscratching and "Uhhhhhhh....." going on. Recently I had on of my TPMS sensors go bad. First thing they assumed when I brought it in was that I was an idiot: "It's cold out, you probably just haven't filled up your tires with air. Pressure goes down when it's cold out."

After they found the passenger front sensor was sending an intermittent signal, and that my tire pressure was fine, they ordered a replacement. I went in yesterday to have it replaced, and then was informed they couldn't reprogram them because their tool "didn't accept the code." So now I have to wait another week for them to figure out how to program TPMS.

Confidence in my dealer, right? Useless.

Not sure if the anyone else is having this issue but I changed my door speakers the day after it rained and there was water inside the door. Must be the cheap window seals... :/

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28183

weird... almost makes me want to check whatsup now because if theres stagnant water just chillin in there it's eventually going to cause mold/mildew buildup which is absolutely disgusting

Yea, it wasn't like it was puddles of water in there but it was enough for me to take notice. Especially since it was just from a little rain... not like it went through the car wash like the other person.

either way water shouldn't be getting in our cars... The small amount of splash that might occasionally isn't a big deal because it dries so quickly but if you're finding water that hasn't dried it's most likely because of the amount of water getting through which is no bueno.

I have heard a few squeaks and rattles in my FR-S, but not consistently and not anything I wouldn't expect. I guess I'm just not terribly picky about such things. I did have a problem with the driver window auto close, but it somehow fixed itself. Not leaks hear even in touch-free automatic car washes. The cars shouldn't leak at all.

Ask him about the burning smell people are getting in the car. Are there gasket/oil sealing issues that he knows about? Is there a fix in the works? Our cars smell terrible at low speeds..

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26197

The results of my meeting have been added to the first post.

I hope you get your stuff fixed bro. No real issues here.

That's why there is drain holes in the bottom of the doors, my advice check that these holes are clear and spray some rust preventative oil in there or get it undercoated ( oil sprayed underneath, inside the doors, the rocker panels and in any other seam). This is what most most people do for vehicles that are winter driven, but it wouldn't hurt to do it regardless as this will help in general with corrosion. My $.02

Sounds like every other dealer trip I've had. Went last week; they couldn't find any interior rattles and my transmission operation was normal according to them. :mad0259: