Experiences with Subaru Powertrain warranty?

[armstrom]

I'm just curious if anyone can share information or experiences with the Subaru 5/60k (or 7/100k certified pre-owned like I have) warranty. Specifically, I'm curious what they cover and do not cover. I have not been able to find any "fine print" online or in my sales material that would indicate if some critical (and expensive!) subsystems are covered or not.

Specifically, is the HPFP covered as part of "the engine"? How about the Cam shaft position sensors? ECU? Oil controlled valves for variable valve timing?

I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this... Most of the critical issues with our cars are related to the engine and these supporting systems.. I'm curious if anyone has had any luck getting them covered under the powertrain warranty (assume a bone stock car, I understand once you mod all bets are off).

For reference, my car only has ~22k miles on it but is past the 3yr bumper to bumper limit. I bought it as a certified pre-owned though so it has 7/100k powertrain.

Thanks!
-Matt

[go_a_way1]

HPFP is not powertrain as far as Toyota is concerned.

[mav1178]

Your warranty is only as good (or bad) as your communication and relationship with your dealer.

-alex

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by mav1178

Your warranty is only as good (or bad) as your communication and relationship with your dealer.

-alex

this can be true. My dealer loves me (hell I used to work for them) so I get the gold treatment every-time I go. I am also a big spender (do all the maintenance and do it way more often then needed) so they like it when I go to visit every 3 months lol!!

[mav1178]

An example:

Your car has the front timing cover seeping/leaking. Your car has bolt-on mods but no forced induction. As long as you have a good relationship w/ the dealer they'll help you get this covered under warranty since it is not directly attributed to the mods and there is no increase in crankcase pressure.

vs:

Your car has the front timing cover seeping/leaking. Your car has a supercharger. There is less of a concrete case for the dealer, since the mod can contribute to premature seal failure (increased crankcase pressure). Some dealers may choose to warranty it, others may not. Ultimately how you treat them is going to be how they treat you.

-alex

[armstrom]

Originally Posted by go_a_way1

HPFP is not powertrain as far as Toyota is concerned.

Bummer I'm assuming Toyota and Subaru would have similar stances on this. I'm less "worried" about the HPFP though. It seems the only issue with the pump is the crickets sound (which I have not yet experienced). I came from a VW TDI so HPFP issues are MUCH more costly if you have them (Think $10k full fuel system replacement!). Most of the reports I hear are people just getting toyota/subaru to swap out the pump trying to eliminate the noise, not actual catastrophic failure.

The problem with the CAM sensors/ECU is more concerning to me. It seems to happen to a number of people but I can't seem to find any threads with a detailed technical analysis of the failure, just people reporting how many times the dealer has swapped out the ECU And how long the car spent at the dealer.

I am trying to decide if I will go FI at some point so while I haven't encountered any of these problem in the short time I've owned my car I would like to get a better understanding of what recourse I have with the dealer if I do.
-Matt

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by armstrom

Bummer I'm assuming Toyota and Subaru would have similar stances on this. I'm less "worried" about the HPFP though. It seems the only issue with the pump is the crickets sound (which I have not yet experienced). I came from a VW TDI so HPFP issues are MUCH more costly if you have them (Think $10k full fuel system replacement!). Most of the reports I hear are people just getting toyota/subaru to swap out the pump trying to eliminate the noise, not actual catastrophic failure.

The problem with the CAM sensors/ECU is more concerning to me. It seems to happen to a number of people but I can't seem to find any threads with a detailed technical analysis of the failure, just people reporting how many times the dealer has swapped out the ECU And how long the car spent at the dealer.

I am trying to decide if I will go FI at some point so while I haven't encountered any of these problem in the short time I've owned my car I would like to get a better understanding of what recourse I have with the dealer if I do.
-Matt

Dont forget you only hear the bad on here, no one reports that their car is doing fine haha!! and we (on here) are only such a small percent of the world wide owners. I think you should be fine

[armstrom]

Originally Posted by mav1178

An example:

Your car has the front timing cover seeping/leaking. Your car has bolt-on mods but no forced induction. As long as you have a good relationship w/ the dealer they'll help you get this covered under warranty since it is not directly attributed to the mods and there is no increase in crankcase pressure.

vs:

Your car has the front timing cover seeping/leaking. Your car has a supercharger. There is less of a concrete case for the dealer, since the mod can contribute to premature seal failure (increased crankcase pressure). Some dealers may choose to warranty it, others may not. Ultimately how you treat them is going to be how they treat you.

-alex

Thanks for the detailed response. Is this something you would expect to be covered under a powertrain warranty or bumper to bumper? I'm mostly curious what's covered if you have no mods. I fully understand any warranty work after mods is a crapshoot. I know the standard line of the dealer has to prove the mod caused the failure, but once they dig in their heels it's often easier and cheaper to fix the problem yourself than to hire a lawyer to prove the dealer is in the wrong
-Matt

[justatroll]

My 2013 BRZ has 35k and my subaru dealer has done the following with no questions asked:
HPFP (twice) didnt fix crickets.
Window wiper seals
Both rear axles due to the notorious "click".
Headlights (condensation issue).
Re-seal whole front timing cover (just last weekend).

No mods, same dealer has done all my maint. from the beginning.

[grinerizer]

Just went through the labor time guide. I used a 2013 Subaru BRZ as the vehicle. The fuel pump is covered under the classic and gold plus powertrain warranties. Assuming your CPO comment was factual, you have the gold plus plan. If you want to PM me your VIN, I can verify coverage for you in greater detail

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by armstrom

Thanks for the detailed response. Is this something you would expect to be covered under a powertrain warranty or bumper to bumper? I'm mostly curious what's covered if you have no mods. I fully understand any warranty work after mods is a crapshoot. I know the standard line of the dealer has to prove the mod caused the failure, but once they dig in their heels it's often easier and cheaper to fix the problem yourself than to hire a lawyer to prove the dealer is in the wrong
-Matt

Your post already is off on the wrong foot.

Prove the mod caused the failure? Lawyer? Dealer is in the wrong?

That's just asking for a hard time.

At the end of the day, ask yourself this: if you mod, are you ready to pay for any/all repairs out of pocket? If not, then build a relationship with a dealer and see what they are willing to accept.

Warranty work after mods is not a crapshoot if you understand what you should and are able to claim.

-alex

[armstrom]

Originally Posted by mav1178

Your post already is off on the wrong foot.

Prove the mod caused the failure? Lawyer? Dealer is in the wrong?

That's just asking for a hard time.

At the end of the day, ask yourself this: if you mod, are you ready to pay for any/all repairs out of pocket? If not, then build a relationship with a dealer and see what they are willing to accept.

Warranty work after mods is not a crapshoot if you understand what you should and are able to claim.

-alex

Sorry, I shouldn't have spent as much time on that aspect in my reply. My car is currently not modified, I was just curious what to expect if I run into any of these common issues while under the powertrain warranty. My whole point was that if I WERE modified and ran into a dealer that would refuse to do ANY warranty work it wouldn't be worth fighting, I would just try another dealer and if that didn't work ultimately end up doing the work myself. This is all purely hypothetical though. I have no issues with my car at the moment. I just like to be prepared as it seems some of these issues are not terribly uncommon.
-Matt

[armstrom]

Originally Posted by grinerizer

Just went through the labor time guide. I used a 2013 Subaru BRZ as the vehicle. The fuel pump is covered under the classic and gold plus powertrain warranties. Assuming your CPO comment was factual, you have the gold plus plan. If you want to PM me your VIN, I can verify coverage for you in greater detail

CPO is accurate (at least the dealer sold it to me that way!) I assume you work for a dealer? If so I will PM the VIN to check... I added my vin on my.subaru.com and it doesn't indicate what (if any) warranty remains.
-Matt

[grinerizer]

Yeah, it won't show you on mysubaru. Correct, I work for a dealer. Just shoot it over, and if you have any questions, I'll do my best to field them for you.