If I understand correctly, Subaru has changed its recall of certain 2010 Outbacks to a “do not sell” for those made between July 31, 2009 and Dec. 1, 2009. If that is the case, how is it that the dealer seemed happy to sell me any 2010 Outback on the lot and ignorant of the recall/do not sell issues?
http://www.allworldauto.com/blogs/2010/05/25/2010-subaru-outback-recall/
I can find no publicly announced “Stop sales” order…This is a minor problem with a transmission cooling line…
Just curious, but where did you get the info about this Recall being changed to a do not sell order?
A Recall is a Service Dept. issue and odds are the Sales Dept. (which doesn’t have much of a relationship with the Service Dept.) is ignorant of the Recall.
In answer to the questions, there are quotes I found on the internet from 2 sources below. When I asked the salesperson, he said he went to the repair staff who said it was true, but they don’t have the parts yet.
Quote #1:
From: JENNIFER NEWMAN
KIDS: 2 AGES: 3 & 7
ESCAPE: READING, BUT NOT AT WORK
Meet Jennifer
SHAREPRINT
Subaru Halts Sales on 2010 Outback and Legacy
MAY 26 2010 BY JENNIFER NEWMAN
Subaru has issued a stop-sale notice for the 2010 Legacy and Outback because of a recall for the inspection and possible replacement of a high-pressure cooler hose that can crack and potentially leak fluid, which could lead to a fire.
This involves 29,000 vehicles, including both those already sold to customers and on dealer lots. It impacts models built between July 31 and Dec. 1, 2009.
Dealerships will receive replacement parts this week while Subaru begins notifying owners. The fix is free. The automaker says the halt in sales will last only a couple of weeks.
For more information, owners may contact Subaru at 800-782-2783.
Quote #2: Subaru has announced that they are recalling certain models of the 2010 Outback and Legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from July 31 through December 1, 2009. They stated that a crack can occur in the CVT cooler hose resulting in a fluid leak.
The manufacturer has not yet provided a description of the consequences as it relates to motor vehicle safety. Subaru will notify owners and dealers will replace and affected cooler hoses free of charge. Subaru has not yet provided the agency with a notification schedule. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-856-488-8500.
The stop order is for 4 cylinder CVT(link an automatic) models only.
It does not cover the other models. There is a fix for the problem of simply replacing a hose. So they can sell the car if they have the part and it happens to be CVT. Also they may have sold the entire allotment of cars made between the dates indicated.
The Subaru Outback 2010 is a hot seller and a decent car if it appeals to you.
Kita
You are making certain assumptions here.
First, you are assuming that the car(s) in question have not had the necessary recall repairs made to them. In reality, it is very possible that the cars on the dealer’s lot have already been inspected and repaired if necessary.
Also, you are assuming that the cars that you see on the lot were manufactured during the 7/31/09 through 12/1/09 time period. Since Subaru’s sales increase on Outbacks this year (a record 41% increase) is so high, it is unlikely that the dealer still has cars on his lot that were made during that time period. Have you personally checked the build date that is imprinted on a label on the driver’s door jamb in order to determine when a particular Outback was manufactured?
If you are interested in one of these cars, here is what you should do:
Look at the label on the driver’s door jamb. If you see a build date within the 7/31/09–12/1/09 time period, copy down the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Then, go around to the service department and ask them to enter the VIN into their data system in order to determine if the car is one of the recalled vehicles, and if so–if the specified repairs have been done. If the car was manufactured w/in that time frame and has not yet been repaired, then simply demand that the car be repaired prior to your purchase of it.
A Do Not Sell order from the manufacturer means “do not sell until the necessary repair has been done”, so it is very possible–even likely–that the dealership is not in violation of this order. Until you cease making assumptions and until you base your actions on actual hard data, you are likely to be coming to wrong conclusions.
Thanks for the info. If it sounded as if I’m making assumptions, I expressed myself poorly. I realize it’s for a limited period, etc. That’s why I brought up the problem with the salesperson. I asked what month the Outbacks (with CVT) were built and I asked if repairs were done if they were built in that period. The salesperson didn’t know about the problem. He very nicely asked the repair shop, and the shop said they don’t have the parts to make the repair. It wasn’t easy for him to find date made so I told him not to bother. If I got to point of buying I’d ask him to find out for me. It just seemed odd that they hadn’t told sales people so they’d be informed when people had questions.
I thought Subaru learned their lesson with CVT’s with the Justy…I would imagine a cooling hose to be the LEAST of your concerns…
“It just seemed odd that they hadn’t told sales people so they’d be informed when people had questions.”
That runs counter to my experience.
With very few exceptions, I have found car salespeople to be extremely ill-informed regarding the cars that they are selling. In almost every case, when I enter a car showroom and attempt to discuss the vehicle’s features with the salesman, I find that I know more than he does about the cars he is selling.
Car sales personnel seem to be very well-schooled in financing details, but I don’t finance cars. If I want to know something about the features or functions of a car I do my own research, simply because I am very likely to get misinformation from the sales staff.
One of my favorite stories is told by my brother and sister-in-law. They had already done their due diligence, narrowing down their car model choices, and they visited a showroom. In order to test the salesman’s knowledge, my brother pointed to a button on the dashboard marked “traction control”. Even though my brother knew how those devices work, he asked the salesman to explain its function. The answer was…“Oh, when you push that button it makes the car heavier”!
My brother told the salesman that he was truly impressed that the car maker had figured out the ability to defy the laws of physics with just the push of a button. While the salesman scratched his head in puzzlement about that response, my brother and sister-in-law stifled the desire to laugh at this dummy, and they left the showroom in search of intelligent lifeforms.
You’re exactly right about the vast majority of car salemen and their lack of mechanical knowledge; and I’m glad you refreshed my memory with that story about your brother. That’s got to be about the funniest one I’ve ever heard from a salesman. 
Too bad there’s not a hidden camera and Youtube video available!
The CVT in a modern Subaru appears significantly simpler than modern automatic transmissions. I believe it is made/supplied by Nissan’s supplier JATCO which has had decent luck with CVT. Hopefully Subaru customers luck out with this one, it is selling very well. Thankfully Subaru still is a decent company and offers manual transmission across the majority of models. That was my initial draw to the company.
Not yet OK, not yet. There are some funny ads out there though if you search enough.