Subaru settles in oil consumption lawsuit

I purchased a 2008 Tribeca with 52,000 miles in November 2016 it has been using one qt every 1000 miles. The Dealer suggested a oil consumption test. At 450 miles I checked the oil and found it over filled . when I took my SUV in at 1200 miles I told them about finding it over filled and I was told that I was not checking the oil correctly and that I needed to wait 5 min's after getting the the engine up to normal operating temperature. then they checked the oil and showed me that it was normal.2000 miles later it is time for my next oil change and I have had to add two qt of oil. I feel like I'm being scammed!

I have an 2012 Subaru forester uses 4 quart of oil per a 5000 mile oil change. I told dealer that it was using oil they said it was exceptable. I do my own work on the vehicles, been keeping track on the last too oil changes with the same results.

We purchased our first Subaru in 1979, loved it & have owned a Subaru ever since. Many we kept for 10 yrs & put 250K miles or more on them without having any major problems; that is until we purchased our new 2011 Forester.. We did not have any problems, that we were told by the Subaru dealer that did our service until Oct 2016. I noticed something leaking for a time after the engine had been run (at first I thought it was condensation from A/C) but when it did it when the A/C had not been run, we took it to be checked. Was SHOCKED when told the seal on the cam shaft was leaking, the oil & other fluid levers were low but the car ran fine & no lights ever cam on! That job cost $2K. Now we discover it is burning oil because the engine began making a clattering noise, we checked oil & none even registered on the dip stick. Again other than the noise no lights ever came on. We added oil & took it to the dealer for its needed oil change. Told them about the oil situation & was told to bring it back after 1,200 miles for oil consumption test. It failed & used almost a quart in that short time. Now Serv Mgr tells us about the lawsuit but we have 144K miles so are out of warranty!! Our daughter liked our Subaru cars growing up she purchased a used 2009 Forester. The engine blew on hers in Nov 2016 with 140K miles on it. No lights ever came on until the engine died. She had a used engine put in hers which cost her $4,500 & the one the dealer put in has a leaking head gasket. I have always loved Subaru but have lost faith in the company & the dealerships. Dealer told us to contact Subaru but the lawsuit has been settled & we are out of warranty. Guess we are F**Ked. Very disillusioned Subaru owner. Won't be buying another!!

Subaru's oil consumption test is so flawed. I've been having problems with my 2014 Outback for over a year now so I took it in for the several testing and they test it at 1,200. Well, my oil is gone at around 2,500 and so they say that my car passed the test and they won't do anything about it. It's still under warranty. I'm so upset! Never again Subaru!

I have a Subaru forester premium 2011. The car failed a rego inspection due a oil leak from O/S Cam Carriers and Tining case today. I could not see any oil leak in my garage floor.

What a joke...oil consumption test was rigged by Subaru World of Newton, NJ. They overfilled the oil, and the stench of engine additive when I started the engine was nauseating. They assumed because they were dealing with an elderly woman they could do whatever they pleased. That Crosstrek was using two quarts of oil between regular oil changes! Those creeps tried to low ball me on a trade in. Now I own a Ford because they offered me a better deal. That Escape burns NO oil between oil changes.

Not listed in the high oil consumption group is the 2013 Subaru WRX. The car ran great, but consumed 1QT oil/ 3,200miles. Driving conditions were "normal" driving and non-hotrod driving. I sold the car (43,500mi) (easy miles) last week and bought a new car. I was really disappointed in the oil use issue, in addition to the WRX's cheap and flimsy interior components and low-tech electronics. Would not buy another Subaru.

Purchased 2011 Forester new,at 60k started to burn 3 litres between oil changes,Subaru dealer said that was normal.made excuses like filler cap leaking,funny never any drips under car.It now has 195k.My 2006 only used .5 litre/6000km with 200000km.Guess where all this burnt oil is going(pollution)and Subaru is such an environment friendly company as long as isn't public knowledge.

I have a 2011 Forester ... after having a 2000 Forester go for 250,000 miles with no issues and original clutch when I sold it. This 2011 started using oil early on. I wasn't aware of the lawsuit. I keep a couple of quarts of oil always in the vehicle and always check before a trip as it is always down a quart ... Haven't figured out what I will replace it with, I need the clearance where I live, and like the AWD for winter driving.

I have a 2012 Impreza and kinda always had this issue going since the beginning. The oil light warning comes up every 4,000 miles give or take. I had the dealer check but they said it is under the expected conditions. It always sounded weird to me, because my old Nissan Versa had half of the number of trips to the dealer when compared to the Impreza, which is pretty much once every quarter. Really thinking on trading it in and going back to Nissan.

I owned a 2009 outback 2.5 till it hit 75k then traded it in on 2013 outback. I started burning about a quart every 1500 miles...close to hitting 100k, I happened on this site and spent two days further researching. After my review, I immediately traded my Subaru in for a Toyota. I will never buy a Subaru again. And I will counsel others to avoid the brand.

I had an 09 forester, and the engine needed to be rebuilt. They had no answer for me as to why there was no warning like for oil. Having had many Toyotas that used very little oil, i didn't think to check my oil, but did have oil changes. I didn't know there was a class action suit, but I decided to trade the car in and go back to reliable Toyota, very happy, I had a rotary Mazda long ago, and when the engine had an issue with the rotary engine, they replaced it for free. that kind of service is not very common anymore.

I have a 2015 outback it is using 1 quart of all between changes is this typical and expected if not what are my options

Hello All -- I am very fortunate with my dealer, VanBortel Subaru, in Victor, NY. I have had the oil consumption test since the letter came to me that there was an issue with oil consumption. We have had free oil changes for almost two years, the result showing the oil was not low enough. **Mileage on my 2012 Forester is now 100,000 AND -- finally, getting a new engine for free. We would always burn oil when driving long distance, never burning enough to fail for test. Engine is in our dealership, seeing them next week to replace. Very fortunate to have a good dealership advocating for us and also our being consistent with follow up with them helped...

Subaru has agreed to replace block in my 2012 Forrester. But first I have to pay to replace two sensors that they say had oil leaked on them. The dealer told me that I had to pay for replacing ($680.00) before they would cover the new block. Has anyone else had this happen?

Just had the oil consumption test done only 13 Forester. 15 ounces down after 1200 miles = new engine block. Prior to that had brought it in for an oil change and it was practically empty. They did hat oil change for free and started the test. Apparently up to 10 ounces is “normal”.

My understanding is that using a thicker oil i.e. 5w-30, 10w-30 should help reduce the oil consumption.
0w-20 is causing issues in this type of engine.
To heck with saving a couple miles per gallon, I'd rather find an oil that will not be consumed so readily.

I think 2015 and onward, the issue has been reduced, but not eliminated.

I will say it's rather disgusting the way Subaru has handled the situation and I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to never purchase a Subaru again.
Then again, when dealing with dealerships, most of my experiences of any brand has been less than stellar, and closer to devious practices.

If you end up with a complete lemon, go to a lawyer and ensure that justice is served. You're the customer, not the dealership.

I have a 2011 Subaru Outback with 2.5 engine and a manual transmission. I just found out that there is a recall on oil consumption engines through an auto parts dealer here in Redding Ca. I believe that my car has been using oil for the last 20,000 miles, but up to this point thought it was my imagination (careless monitoring). After reading these histories from various car owners, I'm going to monitor oil consumption on my trip to San Diego starting this morning. 1,500 miles round trip....... I have no doubt it's using oil I hope to find out how much on this tripI talked to the dealership a week ago about this and the service manager mentioned nothing about any kind of recall. I've gotten no notice of any recall from the company or the dealership. I wrote to your forum last night and was not sure it went through. If it did, forgive my second note, please. 530-339-2179

I have a 2012 Forester. Since about 45K miles its been consuming oil. I had it in for a consumption test and was told that there was no issue. They fixed a small seal leak somewhere on the engine under warranty. Fast forward to Dec 2017. I regularly service my car every 5K it gets oil changes and all the standard maintenance is done like it should be. I have all receipts. I get in to start the car and it sounds like there is no oil in it. I shut it off and checked the oil, nothing barely a smudge on the dipstick. I put over 2 quarts in, drove to work, and called Subaru. They had me bring it by for an oil change and started the consumption test. 1200 miles later, my car is documented as having used 3/4 a quart of oil in that mileage which they claim is a problem. So it goes back to the dealer in a wee or two and gets a new engine. I did not get any argument, Subaru dealer was very detailed on notes on the issue and the paperwork they were filling out was created by Subaru as I watched what they were doing. Basically with 91K on it, my 2012 will have a new short block installed to fix the issue. I have been told the new short block has been changed in the valves to moderate the oil consumption issue. I do know if this continues I will be looking for a Honda and getting rid of my Subaru. I figure with a replacement I have 50K miles before I must do something to get rid of the car. By that time it won't be worth anything on the used car market due to age and mileage. Time will tell what happens with my vehicle, but at least Subaru has ponied up to the problem with my car.

I am on '90s Subaru number five, a 1999 Impreza L wagon with the 2.2 liter, 5-speed manual, AWD, and 159,000 miles. It leaks from the rear of the engine, and it's not a leaking oil pan. My 35 year observation is that Subarus over 70,000 miles may leak/burn one quart every 1,500-3,000 miles. That doesn't overly concern me, as all of the cars that I've owned since 1983 were used but one, and most leaked/burned some oil between 3,000 mile oil changes. Something went wrong way back in 1996 with the first 2.5 liter engines. A 15 YEAR problem with cylinder head gaskets on the 2.5, and now this EXCESSIVE oil consumption spoken of here. There have also been issues with the CVT transmissions. Possible bad cost cutting may explain why a new base Impreza barely costs more than a new 1999 Impreza did. I've had five 2.2 liter Subarus since 1993. They may burn/leak a little oil, but are otherwise practically eternal! I junked my last Impreza at 257,000 miles. Some local guy bought the engine at the junkyard and is still driving it in his car. I largely distrust the 2.5 (head gaskets) and 0W20 oil (too thin). I think Subaru may be chancing reliability for more fuel economy and more market share. It'll all blow up in their face if they don't build reliable cars AND PROPERLY handle customers. Fiat and Alpha Romeo went belly-up in the USA in the middle 1980s, and were absent for 20+ years. Why? Their cars were JUNK, and everyone knew it. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Our '11 Forester burned incredible amounts of oil. We did the test, the car failed miserably, and the short block replacement was done. Unfortunately it had to be pulled as the sealing compound did not harden. Now, all is well. Subaru was great. Now.....we wait for an airbag......

So this suit settles their admission to vehicles up to 2014. Guess what? My neighbors 2015 Forester, build date April 2015, is consuming oil like crazy.

I have a 2013 Subaru Outback that I took to the Subaru Greenville dealer to conduct the oil consumption test. The first time they required me to have $260 work of repairs before they would conduct the test. When I got home I found that the dealer put 26 ounces too much in. The next time I had the test performed I had them show me exactly the level the oil Just under the top dip stick hole. After performing the 1200 mile test I leveled the car, waited the required 10 minutes then checked the oil level 5 times. Each time it registered over the max hole. Too much oil. They screwed me a second time. Those Subaru Crooks in Greenville, NC. Don't buy SUBARU.