Stealership at It Again?
 

So I got a CEL at 17000 miles, and took the car to the dealership. The code was P0171. There was a leakage somewhere along the induction tube. They claimed that I had installed the aftermarket drop-in air filter incorrectly, and as a result, the induction tube came loose over time. They said that this problem is not covered under warranty, and charged $99 to fix it. I had installed that air filter almost a year ago, autocrossed with it last summer, and had it for over 10k miles, so I am definitely not satisfied with their explanation. Besides the air filter, everything is stock. Do you guys think that their reasoning is legitimate or should I try to take this up to Subaru and file a complaint? Thanks in advance.

The question is, did you pay for it before they explained everything to you?

No, I was out of town. My brother was the one who took it in, and they charged him for it after the fact. He ended up paying for it under pressure, but they never explained they were going to charge him for it before the service was performed.

Although it is highly unlikely that you caused the problem given the fact it took so long to show up it is also not out of the realm of possibility. Subaru will stand behind the dealer on this I am sure.
The question you have to ask yourself is "Do I want a record of a dispute for the sake of $99"? Personally I would eat that small amount just in case a bigger issue every came up. I would also be going to a different dealer next time even if I had to drive a ways. Contrary to popular belief not all dealers are out to screw you and want you to be happy and buy more from them.
My two cents worth.

Is it really worth the $99? I'd just take the hit and use it as a lesson.

It certainly is possible. Sometimes if something is just off a little bit, vibrations over time can shake things loose. I used to have an Evo that blew out a spark plug about 20-30k miles after I changed the plugs. Sounded crazy since that was under full boost.

Another time one the intake connection hoses blew off under full boost (again) probably about 1k miles after I did some work on something. Found out the the bottom part of the clamp was sitting halfway on the edge of the pipe. lol Loads of fun with that car.

That $100 sounds like it also includes the diagnostic time as well as the actual work to repair whatever the problem was. Typically you agree to an initial diagnostic time as a start (usually an hour). Probably .5s hr as diagnostic and .5hrs for the repair. Hourly rates vary per dealer so I can't say.

CEL comes back on. Rough idling, hunting for rpm and tons of vibration. Back to the dealer ship....

Thanks for everyone's input so far.

I stuck an aftermarket filter in mine just prior to a service at my local awesome "stealership". I asked the tech to make sure I did it correctly. I also go out of my way to be nice to the writers. Never had one issue I could blame on the "stealership".

If you had brought it in expecting warranty repairs you could have just declined any repairs. Having never agreed to pay any check out in the first place you could have taken your car and left. Its a little late now that your money is in their pocket.

If you are dealing with an air leak, pop the hood and see whats going on. If its making the car run bad you should be able to hear where the hissing sound is, look things over and make sure the tech didn't do some ghetto rigged repair.

Now that you paid they are on the hook to stand behind the repair, If they try to charge you more take it up with the service manager.

Is this the oiled type of air filter?

Looks like they will be giving you back that $99 and a free loaner while they solve this issue.

It's the paper type by Apexi.

Since they did not fix the problem, ask for a refund and insist they fix the problem under warrantee. If they give you a hard time, call corporate and file a complaint.

If you had an issue with your car that might cost money for repair, you should have taken it in, not your brother. Your brother might have not asked the questions you would have or consented to the repair before further inquiry. If something loosened up or something on the intake wasn't sealed and thats not covered under warranty, at least it was only $100. Next time be more careful or take a look under the hood yourself if you are so inclined. Again $99 isn't a huge hit. Auto repair is a service industry and service isn't always free. You need to speak up and ask questions if you're not sure. Referring to a dealership as a stealership is kinda ignorant BTW.

Know the facts. Also, go elsewhere next time if you feel you were unfairly charged.

An issue upstream of the drop in filter could have been caused by the filter improperly installed or a pipe clamp loosened or open on the intake tube. Sadly you sound somewhat ignorant to this stuff so instead you pay and question it afterward.