1992 SUBARU SVX Suspension Problems

I PURCHASES A SUBARU SVX 1992 MODEL. I TEST DROVE IT AND IT SEEMED FINE. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED OVER AND IT CAME BACK CLEAN EXCEPT FOR SOME SUGGESTIONS TO CHANGE BRAKE PADS , FLUIDS ETC. THIS WAS ALL DONE. HOWEVER A COUPLE MONTHS LATER A MAJOR PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE GEAR WOULD SOMETIMES NOT SHIFT, THE CAR WOULD MAKE A LOUD THUD SOUND IN REVERSE AND OVER REV ON HIGHWAY DRIVING. I FOUND OUT FROM VARIOUS FORUMS THAT THIS CAR HAS A FLAW , THE TRANSMISSION IS DUE TO FAILURE. EVERY CAR OWNER IN THIS FORUM HAS EXPERIENCED PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE COST TO HAVE THIS COMPLETELY FIXED COSTS OVER $4000. A PROBLEM THAT OWNERS SHOULD NOT PAY FOR BECAUSE OF FAULTY ENGINEERING. THE LATER MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT AS PRONE TO IT. WHY DID SUBARU NEVER HAVE THESE CARS RECALLED OR PARTS RECALLED? ANOTHER PROBLEM OCCURRED, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR BACK FROM THE PURCHASE LOCATION, THERE WAS A HUMMING SOUND FROM THE TRUNK, IT GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER AND AT 500 MILES LATER IT WAS A GRINDING AND LOUD SOUND. MY MECHANIC LISTED IT AS A WHEEL BEARING PROBLEM. ON SUBARU FORUMS AS WELL AS ADVICE FROM MECHANICS THE SUBARU IS PRONE TO SEVER WHEEL BEARING PROBLEMS. IN SOME CASES GENERATING HEAT THAT THEY HAD RECOUNTED CARS WITH MOLDED BEARINGS AND BROKEN AXLES. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE ABS SYSTEM. I GUESS THE BRAKE PUMP IS ALSO A COMPONENT THAT LEAKS. I NEED TO HAVE MY BRAKED REFILLED EVERY OTHER DAY AND THE FUEL PUMP COSTS AROUND 2000$ I WISH FOR YOU TO SEND THIS REPORT TO SUBARU TO VOICE THIS CONCERN FOR ME AND ON BEHALF OF THE MANY SUBARU SVX DRIVERS THAT ARE FACED WITH ENDURING THESE COSTLY MISTAKES DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING. SUBARU SHOULD HAVE A PROGRAM TO FIX THESE PARTS OR ALLOW A TRADE IN FOR CURRENT BLUE BOOK REFUNDS OR SOME WAY OR LETTING INDIVIDUALS KNOW THAT THEY ARE SORRY. THE CAR IS A FINE PIECE OF ART AND THESE MINOR PROBLEMS MAKES IT A PIECE OF JUNK. *NM

Mileage: 165,000

UPON PURCHASE OF CAR 1-2 WEEKS PRIOR, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR, AND WAS SLIPPING AT INITIAL ACCELERATION FROM A STOP UNTIL AROUND 1500 RPM, CAUSING WHEELSPIN UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. ON THIS DATE, TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR, LIMITING TOP SPEED TO LEVELS BELOW SAFE LIMITS ON MOST HIGHWAYS. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, AND WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. TOWED TO DEALER, DEALER RECOMMENDS REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION, ASKING APPROXIMATELY $4000 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I DIDN'T (AND STILL DON'T) HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT, SO I MANAGED TO LIMP HOME WITH IT WHERE IT HAS SAT SINCE. AT SOME POINT SINCE THEN IT HAS LOST THE ABILITY TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR. DEALER ALSO FOUND POSSIBLE WHEEL BEARING AND FRONT ROTOR PROBLEMS, IN ADDITION TO FAILURE OF FRONT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. WANTS ROUGHLY $6000 TO FULLY REPAIR VEHICLE. *NLM

Mileage: 110,020

I'VE HAD BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED, THE RIGHT REAR I'VE HAD REPLACED 3 TIMES, THE LAST ONE LASTED LESS THAN 1000 MILES, AT WHICH POINT I REPLACED THE WHOLE HOUSING AND BEARING.*AK

OWNERS OF THIS CAR WHICH IF NEEDED 100-1000 OR MORE OWNERS CAN CLAIM THAT THIS CAR BUILT BY SUBARU HAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS POORLY BUILT BECAUSE OF LACK OF LUBRICATION TO INTERNAL PARTS AND LACK OF FLUID COOLING. THIS IS MY SECOND FAILURE ON THIS SAME CAR. ANOTHER COMMON DEFECT ON THIS CAR IS THE WHEEL BEARINGS. I HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH REPEATS GOING ON 4 TIMES. THE BEARINGS ARE FAILING TOO QUICKLY FOR ANY CAR. I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING TO BE DONE SO THAT OWNERS OF THESE CARS CAN EITHER HAVE A RECALL DONE ON THE TRANSMISSIONS AND WHEEL BEARING OR COMENSATED FOR REPEAT WORK DONE ON THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU AND I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EMAIL REPLY.*AK

THIS CAR HAS HAD TWO BEARING FAILURES ON THE SAME AXEL WITHIN 20,000 MILES. FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER OWNERS AND OWNERS WEB SITES, THIS IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT BUT SUBARU WILL ONLY WARRANT REPAIRS FOR 3 YEARS/36,000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL PART AND 1 YEAR ON SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS. I CONTACTED THE DEALER FROM I PURCHASED THE CAR AND WHO MADE THE FIRST REPAIR, THEY ARE UNWILLING TO STAND BEHIND THEIR WORK. I CALLED THE SUBARU NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND THEY ALSO ARE UNWILLING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT BEYOND STATED WARRANTIES. AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS THERE ANY FURTHER COURSE THAT CAN BE TAKEN? *AK

WHEEL BEARING PROBLEM CONTINUES. WE HAVE REPLACED THE SAME BEARING (LEFT REAR) SEVEN TIMES SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE. SEEMS TO LAST APPROXIMATELY 10K BETWEEN REPLACEMENTS. TRANSMISSION WAS FIXED TWICE AFTER REPLACEMENT AT 81000 MILES.

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT 80000 MILES. AT THIS TIME TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AGAIN. ALSO, WHEELBEARINGS ARE DEFECTIVE, WATER IS ABLE TO GET INSIDE AND CORRODE WHEEL BEARINGS. CONSUMER HAS HAD TO REPLACE THEM 3 TIMES.*AK

REPLACED 4 WHEEL BEARING DUE TO PERSISTENT ROARING AT ALL SPEEDS, BUT ESPECIALLY ABOVE 45MPH. REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED 20K MILES EARLIER. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE ABS WHEEL SENSOR FAILED, ALLEGEDLY DUE TO CORROSION, BUT POSSIBLY DEALER NEGLIGENCE WHILE REPLACING WHEEL BEARINGS.

REAR WHEEL BEARING PROBLEM, REPLACED, BEARING MAKE LOUD NOISE AGAIN

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NOISE &PULLY BEARING SEAL LEAKED

HAVE REPLACED WHEEL BEARINGS SEVERAL TIMES (4) IN THREE YEARS. TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACING. THESE A CURRENTLY KNOWN DEFECTS WITH THE SVX. THE TRANSMISSION IS A VERY COSTLY REPLACEMENT.

THE REAR WHEEL BEARING WAS MAKING NOISE WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER, ABOUT 14 THOUSAND MILES IT'S MAKING NOISE AGAIN.

HAVE EXPERIENCED WORN REAR-WHEEL BEARINGS ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. APPROXIMATELY EVERY 12 - 20 MILES (OF MOSTLY FREEWAY DRIVING) REAR-WHEEL BEARNINGS HAVE NEEDED REPLACEMENT.

I AM REQUESTING HELP TO PRESSURE SUABRU OF AMERICA TO RECALL THIS WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE 1992 SUBARU SVX. THE TRANY PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE TO DATE,THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, STEERING BOX FAILURE IS A NOTED BY MOST OWNERS OF THIS SUBARU MODEL. THIS IS COSTLY TO REPAIR AND UNFAIR WHEN A MANUFACTOR IS AWARE BUT WILLN'T JUST DO THE RIGHT THING. MY TRANSMISSION IS FAILING NOW, I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART AT $3.500 OR MORE. MY WHEEL BEARINGS STILL MAKE LOUD NOISE AFTER OVER 5 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR AT ONLY 44,000MILS. MY STEERING BOX IS MAKING LOUD NOISES. THE SAD THING IS THAT, SUBARU OWNER OF THE SVX`S ALL EXPERIANCE AT LEAST TWO, OF THIS PROBLEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHY CAN`T SUBARU JUST FIX OUR VEHICLES?

THE BEARING PROBLEM STARTED AS SOON AS I BOUGHT THE CAR - ORIGINALLY UNDER WARRANTY. NO PROBLEM, UNTIL CAR FAILED FIRST INSPECTION (AFTER INITIAL FOR PURCHASE) DUE TO REAR BEARINGS. REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES (AFTER THE FIRST 'FIX', PARTS COVERED THANKFULLY UNDER SUBARU PARTS WARRANTY). NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND CONCERNED THAT THE DEALER WILL POSTPONE 'AGREEING' THAT THE BEARINGS ARE INDEED WHAT I AM NOW HEARING (AGAIN) UNTIL THE PARTS WARRANTY DRIES UP AND I HAVE TO PAY THE FULL LOAD. ALSO, CAR WAS DRIVEN AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR A POTENTIAL TRADE/SALE, THE REP SAID THERE WAS A TRANNY PROBLEM. I PUT IN A DIFFERENT TRANNY FLUID (I'D ALWAYS NOTICED THE STEERING VIBRATION IN HARD, SLOW SPEED TURNS LIKE PARKING), AND THAT LESSENED THE PROBLEM. I DON'T FEEL TRANNY FLUID IS A FIX, BUT ALSO DO NOT FEEL THAT A TRANNY W/68,000 MILES SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHOWING SIGNS OF POTENTIAL FAILURE. NOT MANY MECHANICS WILL TOUCH THIS CAR, SO OWNING AN SVX (OTHERWISE PURE JOY) LEAVES YOU AT THE MERCY OF THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE SUBARU DEALER'S MECHANIC.

TRANSMISSION STALLS A BIT BETWEEN SHIFTING OF GEARS, SPECIFICALLY FROM 1 TO 2 GEAR. IT EFFECTS THE DRIVER BECAUSE IN THE MIDST OF DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOSES CONTROL OVER ACCELERATION OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN SHIFTING. ALSO, THE WHOLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM RATTLES AND SEEMS LOOSE LIKE IT WILL FALL APART.

REAR WHEEL BEARING MALFUNCTION.

REAR BEARING ON THE BACK OF THE CAR THAT HOLDS HOLDS IN WHEEL REAR AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED FOUR TIMES THERE SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN REAR BEARING REAR AXLE ASSEMBLIES, BOTH REAR WHEEL ANF FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED.*JB

REAR BEARING ON THE BACK OF THE CAR THAT HOLDS HOLDS IN WHEEL REAR AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED FOUR TIMES THERE SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN REAR BEARING REAR AXLE ASSEMBLIES, BOTH REAR WHEEL ANF FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED.*JB