FYI, there is a range where the engine lugs, a few hundred RPM above that where it runs as a normal car, then the problematic RPM range. (~1,600 to 1,900). It does sound like the engine is lugging, but that is not what is actually happening.

You certainly DO have the right to "drive it on a race track" just as the Dealer has the right to "deny warranty work" if they determine you have done so.

Now if you participate in a "open lapping day" and the car is 100% stock, then they should not be bitching.
But if they see evidence of racing pads, oil cooler, and big fat tires, then they have the right to question you.

Based on what you have said, you fall into the former category (as do I), so that should not be a factor of warranty work.

However you had a transmission shifting problem and you clearly had aftermarket shifting parts installed. I was surprised to hear that they agreed to give you a new one without a hassle.

Just wanted to toss my 2 cents in the same ring as Tcoat after reading the entire OP.

Take this with a grain of salt but it is also very unprofessional to go and post all of these people's phone numbers/emails(is this called pulling a trump now?jk) as if you are trying to name and shame. No one on these forums needs to know who the mechanics, customer service, and every person involved was. You also cannot expect a mechanic to call you before every different thing are going to do to your car.

If something like this happened to me I would be livid too but posting it on the forums is not the way to go about. I still hope everything works out in the end.

First, the dealer does not have the right to deny warranty work if they determine I have driven it on a race track.
Second, using a different shifter spring had absolutely nothing to do with third gear grinding. They are unrelated. If you really understand how transmissions work you would not question this.

I understand your point. I would never post home phone numbers, addresses, etc. about employees of Subaru or dealerships. The fact is, the contact information for these people is public. Anyone can find it easily with an Internet search or simply walking into the dealership.
People should be accountable for their behavior. It is not my responsibility to protect the unaccountable from themselves. Sometimes the truth hurts, and hopefully I can help others from experiencing the same thing I have.

So full of fail.
You got THREE facts wrong in that last post.

Straight from Subaru warranty:
Damage Caused Due to Use of Vehicle in Competitive Events: These warranties do not cover damage to any component that is the result of operating the vehicle in any competition or racing event.

They can claim that ANY damage is due to "racing" if they know you were "racing".
Everybody wants to claim "the Mangusson Moss act" blah blah.
That will ONLY APPLY if YOU choose to take them to court.
How often do you think that actually happens?

YOU are clueless and I rebuild transmissions as a hobby.
My current racecar has a MT rebuilt by me.

Pat, sorry to hear this. Whichever route you pursue, I sincerely hope you get it straightened out. How far are you from Heuberger Motors? They have an established positive reputation on this site, and might be willing to help.

Was this Go Subaru West off of Colfax? We bought my wife's Impreza there and our (limited) interactions with the dealership have all been pleasant. We had some work done on her car just out of warranty and they comped us some services that they didn't have to.

We're thinking about buying a new Outback in the next year or so, maybe we'll have to rethink which dealership we go to.

As a dealership employee (parts clerk and service advisor) I can assure you that if a client asks something particular I will do everything possible to meet their requests. I would definitely ask my tech to call a client before doing work.

You're taking his statement a little personal... To be fair, HDPE is not "racing", it is largely considered a non-competitive instructional event. There's no semantics here, the very definition you posted specifically refers to competitive events, which this isn't.

Yes the shifter springs are a "shifting part" under a blanket statement. However saying these external shifter springs would cause a failure like this inside the transmission is like saying a weighted shift knob would also cause a failure. The only purpose of those ball detent springs is to keep the stick in position once it's already in gear; it doesn't change how the gear shifts, only how it feels. Blaming a synchro failure on this is a pretty big stretch.

Even still, the dealer has full discretion on whether they want to advocate for Subaru to support warranty work, so EVERYTHING is in a gray area. It only becomes black and white when there's a disagreement.

My cousin works at Toyota and has told me many stories of what Toyota technicians do to customer's cars. This is why I work on my own cars.

My sympathies @Pat

I am totally with you, buying a new car for warranty is a farce in this day and age, I have yet to meet an honest dealership manned by intelligent forward thinking employees, it always seems to be about following whatever rules and processes are in place to maximize their own profit. They happily replaced a transmission to get paid by Subaru but the second the job ran over time and started costing them money you were all of a sudden a drifter and a racer with a void warranty (totally bullshit in your scenario).

Bleh one more point in my determination that even if my whole powertrain melts down I'd rather rebuild it myself out of pocket than run through the gauntlet of a covered legitimate warranty claim. Especially since I autocross and as a timed event it's 'competitive' my name is easily serachable I'm SOL.

Wait that means I can now justify a supercharger right?
:burnrubber:

Edit: The only things missing from this story are grease stains on the interior a dent in a body panel and incriminating dashcam footage.

He specifically stated that he is a driving instructor for NASA.
That is definitely outside of the expectation of "regular use".


So if we now believe that Subaru should warranty cars used for competitive racing instruction, I suppose we should let the guys at Subaru BRZ Stage 2 Nürburgring rental know this.....

Driving a car on a racetrack does not constitute competition or racing. My insurance covers what I use my car for on a racetrack even though the wording is nearly identical to your quote.
You may know more about the inner workings of transmissions than I do. You certainly seem to think so. I would love to hear from you a detailed explanation of how a shifter spring would affect the functionality of a synchro. Subaru certainly didn't seem to think it would.