I have a 2005 Subaru outback. The head gasket failed and now the Subaru dealership here has accused me of improper maintenance of the car. I have looked on various discussions here and it seems that leaking head gaskets is a contant problem with them at least until 2003. What is the best way to deal with this dealership or should i even try
I am curious about the accusation of “improper maintenance”.
Can you elaborate?
The dealer claims that I have been changing my oil regularly( the usual three months or 3,000 mile change). That’s about the best I can explain it
I meant to say not changing my oil regularly
Easiest way to deal with this is to show and document where/how the 30/60/90K services were performed on this car. No service must be performed at the dealer, but proof of the required maintenance services is required for a warranty claim. Do you have any proof of these services?
Otherwise, have them better explain/document “improper maintenance”.
I think the normal oil change interval, after the first one or two, is 7500 miles. Check your owner’s manual maintenance schedule to verify this. I don’t think 3000 mile intervals are required, but only dealer recommended. For warranty purposes, the owner’s manual rules.
An exception to this might be the engine with turbocharger. It has a shorter interval.
Let me also say that the head gasket issue is more often related to coolant issues and not oil changes. Subaru’s partial fix is to provide a coolant system conditioner/stop leak that should be put in every time you change coolant. I figured for $1.37 it was good “insurance”. See your owner’s manual for details.
As jayhawkroy stated, the normal oil change interval on this car is every 7.5 months or every 7,500 miles–whichever comes first. The only exception to this is if the car has been subjected to “severe service”, and in that case, the interval is far shorter.
Has the car been subjected to severe service–as explained in the maintenance schedule?
If not, then the normal maintenance schedule applies, no matter what the people at the dealership may tell you.
I strongly suggest that you contact Subaru Customer Service in Cherry Hill, NJ (contact phone number is in your Owner’s Manual) in order to discuss the issue with them. Have your maintenance records in front of you when you call them in order to answer their questions regarding maintenance. If you have maintained the car according to the mfr’s requirements, I believe that Subaru of America will come to your assistance.