I have a 2008 subaru tribeca that shifts hard at varying degrees between 2nd and 3rd gears,but not all the time. I took it into the dealer and of course they couldn’t find anything wrong, but they reset the computer anyway. It shifted hard as soon as I pulled out but did not continue, so I thought it was ok. Now 800 miles later it is shifting hard again. Any ideas?
Well, since this transmission is a new design for the '08 model year, there is a real possibility of some bugs remaining in the design. It is also possible that the vehicle’s onboard computers can be “re-flashed” with an updated shift logic, if one is already available.
Request an appointment with the “zone representative” the next time that he or she visits the dealership. They have the authority to authorize repairs that the dealership is reluctant to do and they frequently have some technical expertise about problems that owners are experiencing. Just try to keep everything on a civil and business-like footing in dealing with the dealership and the zone rep.
If all else fails, there is always the Lemon Law, so I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with the terms of that law in your state.