Subaru of America Reviews 112

Disappointed and Frustrated: Seeking Resolution from Subaru of Ontario

I’m reaching out to share my extremely frustrating experience with Subaru of Ontario, hoping this review will finally lead to a resolution of my ongoing issue. My 2019 Subaru Crosstrek has had multiple problems with the dashboard lights turning on, and it has been nothing short of a nightmare to get it fixed.

Initially, I was told by Subaru of Ontario that my car was out of warranty. After visiting a local mechanic, I was advised to contact the dealership again. This time, when I spoke to a sales rep, I was informed that my car actually had an extended warranty, which wasn’t communicated to me initially. I had my car towed in for repairs, and it stayed at the dealership for over a month.

When I picked it up, I barely drove two blocks before the same dashboard lights came back on. After taking it back to the dealership, I was given a rental, but when the issue persisted and I got my car back, the rental was taken away, and no new rental was offered when I brought the car in again. To make matters worse, I ended up spending around $3,000 renting a car out of pocket while my car was still at Subaru.

Throughout this process, I was repeatedly asked for service receipts, even though all my maintenance had been done on time at my uncle’s shop. The ordeal lasted over a year, with me reaching out to Subaru of America for support, but I received no meaningful help. At one point, the service manager even threatened to put a lien on my car if I didn’t pick it up, which was completely unfair given the circumstances.

At this point, I have made the difficult decision to stop paying my monthly payments of $480 for a car I’m unable to rely on, after more than a year of trying to get Subaru of Ontario to properly address my concerns.

It has now been over a year, and my car is still not fixed. The lack of communication, poor customer service, and complete failure to resolve this issue has been unacceptable. I am incredibly disappointed in Subaru of Ontario and feel that they have shown no regard for my time, money, or frustration.

BEWARE GILLMAN SUBARU: They botched my 30K mile transmission maintenance service by leaving the fill and drain plug loose causing a leak. Fathom that. I was left with a mess and $170. out-of-pocket for the diagnosis and repair. For over a month I have tried to get Gillman to reimburse me, but they do not even bother to return my calls. I contacted the national service line with no luck. I finally went to the Gillman Subaru dealership weeks ago. The service representative, Marissa Carreon, said the service manager told her to inform me that “the check was in the mail”.

I received reimbursement after six weeks of having my telephone calls and emails ignored. It was sent to the wrong address to boot.

Buyer beware! We have a Subaru Forester and really like it. However, we will never buy another Subaru because of shady practices we have experienced. The seatbelt latch stopped working (nothing we did), so we asked that they fix it according to their Seatbelt Lifetime Warranty that covers "the seatbelt and related components". The technician at Greenville Subaru told us they would not cover it because the latch wasn't covered under the warranty (the latch is certainly a related component), and gave us an estimate for what would it would cost for us to get it fixed. That didn't sit right, so we called the corporate office for assistance. They have kept stringing us along, and after months have still not helped. The last we were told is that we need to get a "formal assessment of the seatbelt latch" so that the dealership can determine if it's covered under the warranty. However, we started this process by having them assess the seatbelt, so why would we pay to have it looked at again? This is obviously one of their tactics to avoid having to honor the seatbelt warranty they advertise. Long story, short, these are not the folks you want to be doing business with.

DO NOT BUY A SUBARU!
Our 2025 car has been in the shop over 4 months of the 6 months of ownership! Well beyond the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and All States Lemon Laws. Currently writing this review stranded across the country for over 4 months now!

130+ days out of service *(the last dealership had our car for over 3 months claiming to be ‘fixing’ the car). Over 36 MAJOR mechanical and safety defects. 15 repair attempts. Hundreds of pictures and videos as evidence to the malfunctioning. Invoices from 3rd party repair centers showing the mechanical defects.

And Subaru does nothing. No calls. No replies to emails. Nothing. Literally broken down and stranded across the country for months in the shop and these scam artists do nothing to help once they get your money of over 50k for these junk cars! And if you post a bad review or comment on social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc.), Subaru will delete your comment and block you so they can scam more people and hide facts and truth!

We bought a BRAND NEW 2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness in 2024. In less than 300 miles, the car STARTED LEAKING GAS! Within 1 month of ownership the car began with literally DOZENS of electronics issues, transmission issues, engine issues, and more. The car has left us STRANDED across the country 5 times now as dealerships across the country cannot fix the car because Subaru of America will not authorize the repairs to fix the car in any of its problems. Ask yourself why they would not repair a car that is brand new and pouring out gasoline or the heat and a/c doesn’t work!? Or why not fix the slipping transmission!? The dealerships are as crooked and corrupt as the manufacturer. Forging documents, Falsifying business records, failing to complete repairs and more. These dealerships are so incompetent- they do not even know how to change oil or rotate tires (Formal cases have been open with Attorney Generals in multiple states due to fraud and negligence).

We are now again pursuing lemon law as Subaru of America forged documents and paperwork to falsify records so they would not have to buy-back the car… even though it has been in their possession for the last 3+ MONTHS!

Take pictures and videos of everything! Print and save your emails! Record all calls (esp) Subaru Customer Advocacy as we have because they are synonymous with forgery and fraud to escape liability.

Look up your local state lemon laws to protect yourself. Contact your state attorney general. Call the BBB. Contact the FTC. Contact the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Protect yourself from these criminals and avoid these cars and manufacturer at all cost. Empower yourself to be protected and educated.

Do your research and notice how many lemon law claims, TSB (trouble service bulletins), manufacturer defects, recalls, mechanical defects, and more are present with these Subaru’s.

If you are looking for reviews before buying! READ how many hundreds of reviews are negative about this manufacturer- and AVOID SUBARU AT ALL COSTS!

Junk cars. Junk dealerships. Junk Corporation.
I am reaching out to convey my serious concerns and frustrations regarding the ongoing safety problems with my 2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness. It is critical to highlight these issues, as they not only jeopardize my family’s safety but also indicate alarming lapses in quality control and customer service.

When I purchased this vehicle, I anticipated quality, reliability, and the esteemed reputation of the Subaru brand. However, within just five months, I have encountered over 36 distinct issues, many of which pose considerable safety threats. To make matters worse, I have been stranded across the country for the last four months while my car remained in the shop for a total of 120 consecutive days. Despite five repair attempts during this time, the core problems with the vehicle remain unaddressed. I have literally had my car in my possession for 1 of 5 months of ownership.

Safety Concerns:
Several issues I have experienced directly impact vehicle safety and performance. These include:

Gas Leaks During Refueling: Fuel leaks from the tank during filling, creating a serious fire hazard.
Malfunctions in Key Driver-Assistance Systems: Problems with the Eyesight sensors, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, and Forward Collision Warning have compromised the safety features essential for safe driving.
Airbag and Seatbelt Failures: Malfunctions in the airbag system and seatbelt warnings greatly reduce safety during potential accidents.
Reverse Automatic Braking System Failures: This safety feature has malfunctioned multiple times, posing dangers while reversing.
Sensor Malfunctions: Issues with various sensors, including obstacle detection and the Reverse Camera, have intermittently engaged or failed, further endangering safe operation.

Mechanical and Manufacturing Issues:
Beyond safety concerns, numerous mechanical defects raise serious alarms about the vehicle's quality:

Gas/Fuel Damage to Exterior Panels: The car's exterior has suffered damage due to leaking fuel.
Transmission and Differential Problems: Malfunctions in the differentials and transmission have rendered the vehicle unstable and unpredictable on the road.
Rattling Noises: I have experienced unsettling rattles, clunks, and knocks during braking, reversing, and turning, indicating potential issues with the suspension, brakes, or chassis.
HVAC and Radio Failures: Both the HVAC and sound systems have completely malfunctioned, adversely affecting the driving experience and underscoring poor quality control.
Defective Parts: Continued issues with wheel bearings, brake pulsation, and premature tire wear signal deeper problems, such as misalignments or suspension issues.

Lack of Support and Customer Service:
What has been particularly disappointing is the absence of support from Subaru throughout this ordeal. Having been stranded for over four months, I have received little meaningful assistance from customer service. My attempts to communicate have gone unacknowledged, placing my family in a precarious financial and emotional situation. Furthermore, I have gathered over 600 pages of evidence, including communication logs and repair orders, that validate my claims.

Throughout this process, I have faced what I believe to be dishonest and unethical practices from both Subaru and the dealerships. On multiple occasions, I have encountered falsified documentation, fraudulent repair records, and a refusal to address critical safety issues. Both the manufacturer and the dealerships all participate in a charade of creating lies and false narrative to protect their moneys as opposed to the safety of the consumer. This troubling lack of transparency and disregard for customer welfare is unacceptable.

My experience with this vehicle has been nothing short of a nightmare. The persistent issues, coupled with Subaru’s inadequate response over the past three months, highlight an urgent need for improvements in both quality control and customer support.

I have a 2020 Subaru ascent. I have had nothing but brake problems with this car since it was brand new at 37,000 miles. I had to take the car back because the car felt like it wasn’t going to stop when you hit the brakes at highway speeds. The vibration was unbearable so I took it to the Subaru garage because they knew they had a problem with this since with the rotors and brake pads being under sized for that large vehicle. They went ahead and turn the rotors and put all new pads on it , but by about 60,000 miles. The problem was back. I took my car into the shop. They replaced all the rotors and all the brake pads all the way around the car and said that would fix the problem but charge me $1300 for the repair at a Subaru garage. I recently received a letter stating that there is a recall on the brake issue campaign going on for all ascent models starting from 2019 through I believe 2023 that guaranteed if you were experiencing these problems they would go ahead and upgrade your brakes at no charge under warranty up to 6 months from the letter date or up to 150,000 miles, or if you had this repair done submit your receipt ,bank payment statements and the invoice of the repair that you paid they would reimburse you. I said great. They finally realize that they have a major problem and went ahead yesterday and submitted a claim with everything they requested it only took them 24 hours to reject my claim because the invoice from Sheehy Subaru in Fredericksburg VA did not state that my car was making vibrations and other noises associated with the brakes that they were not going to honor the warranty and reimburse me. All I have to say is it would be a lot easier to reimburse me by $1300 then to lose a loyal customer that owns two Subaru right now .I think it’s time to go to Honda or Toyota . I am very disappointed in Subaru . I thought their customers actually mattered. Think twice before you buy a Subaru ascent because the brakes are atrocious on it.

I have a 2021 Ascent that I bought in June of 2023. It has already needed two transmission replacements, brake system replacement, and now needs the entire engine replaced. The subaru dealership says it's because my last oil change was 20k + miles ago, however, my brother is a subaru mechanic and replaced my oil just prior to the vehicle hitting 60k. (The sticker was simply the last time it was brought to a facility to be replaced.) My mechanic brother bought the parts himself and did the work so I don't have the receipt for it. He just forgot to remove the sticker. All I have is a PayPal payment made to him on 11/4/24. The dealership I brought my car to said that since it's barely past $60k miles, that I can call Corporate and they will do a goodwill repair at no cost to me. However, Corporate refuses to replace the engine because the receipt I have access to, isn't an itemized record of the work done on my specific vehicle. I would understand this if it wasnt for the fact that my brother, as a Subaru Dealership mechanic, has personally replaced a blown engine that was not only out of warranty (past 6 years/60k miles) but had modified parts installed (voids warranty altogether) under Subaru's goodwill repair policy. Other Subaru mechanics at his dealership have had to do the same despite the fact that they specifically told Subaru it shouldn't be covered. So here I am... a single mom with 4 kids, hearing over the phone that they will only cover $3500 on a $10,000 engine (not including labor). My vehicle is a lemon! 2 transmissions, brake system, and now an engine replacement and I have only owned it for 1.5 years. I am done with Subaru altogether if this is how they're doing business. It's not fair that other people get replacements under waaayyy worse circumstances than what I have. I have access to records that can prove what has been stated and I will be sure to share them with my lawyer.
Looks like I'm buying a Suburban!

Apple Watch app does not work and Subaru doesn’t have a fix for it. Also when starting from my phone, I always get an error. CVT makes a screeching noise when accelerating swiftly from a stop.

The two last Subarus I bought new have had CVT's go out before 50,000 miles. The last one a 2019 Subaru outback has been a lemom. Three batteries, fuel pump recall, terrible navigation system prompting a class action suit, etc. I was advised to take it to the dealer for a DCM check that causes battey drain. The parts were so faulty they warranty them for 100,000 miles. The dealer said it would be $199 to check it. Subau advocacy promises and lies. Below is just a small example.

I hope you are well. I'm sorry that I would not have your service records to provide. My recommendation would be to request your service records from each respective Subaru retailer. I will be following up with you on Wednesday, 12/18. Have a nice weekend.

I hope you are well. I am following up as promised however, the lemon law review is taking longer than anticipated. My apologies for the delay and I would be happy to follow up with you again on Monday, 12/23. Have a nice evening.

I am writing to follow up as promised. As I stated in my previous email, the review is taking longer than anticipated. Due to the holiday, I will follow up with you again on 12/31. My apologies for the delay. Happy Holidays! DON'T BUY SUBARU. You may get a good one if they make one. The CVT's before 2019 were so bad that they had to extend the warranty till 100,000 miles. They replaced fault DCM's with defaulty ones. The navigation systems are terrible and they changed companies from Tom Tom to who knows what.

I had bought a set of 4 tires from a Subaru dealership in north Texas. My daughter ended up on the side of the road with a flat tire. Luckily she was assisted by a tollway workerto put her donut tire on the car. She drove three hours home on the donut. We went to a Subaru dealership in South Texas to repair/replace the tire as needed. Well...even though Subaru dealerships are connected for pretty much any other form of maintenance or part history, they're not connected on tires. So they replaced the tire. Since they had no connection to the other dealership, this tire was replaced without interacting with NATIONSAFE, the apparent tire warranty company. Even though this was a coverable event, NATIONSAFE denied the coverage because they weren't notified of the event prior to.
As it stands now, I would avoid buying any tires from Subaru if you expect the warranty to be supported.

I'd be glad to update this review if the problem is resolved. This tire should easily have been covered by warranty.

I bought one of the infamous 2002-2014 2.5l Stuparoos with the FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. They knew about the problem but did NOTHING to help customers who had to spend over $3000 to replace them or risk engine failure. All these years MUST have this done or the dealer will NOT accept it as a trade-in. I wrote letters and requested a $3000 credit on a NEW Stuparoo. NO DICE! I told them that other manufacturers offered AWD sedans and went with a Toyota. Very pleased! I've warned my friends and some didn't listen. Well, it seems the newer ones will leave you stranded (doors won't unlock and push button start won't work). Software glitches are draining the battery and Stooparoo has been unable solve the problem. "A lawsuit alleging that some Subaru vehicles have a design defect that causes the battery to drain. You can file a claim online or by mail at subarubatterysettlement.." Before you even think about a new Stooparoo, talk to owners of recent year's models. Most of them have horror stories! Read the reviews here. Also research ALL of the class-action lawsuits.

I purchased the use Subaru, 2014 XV Cross Truck hybrid July 30, 2023 in October this year. The vehicle started having issues where all the Services lights would come on every morning. When you start the vehicle. There were five Lights most stains, and every now and then Six Lights. I took it to Subaru, Tucson, Arizona, where I was residing at the time. They did their inspection and told me that the hybrid motor needed to be replaced at a cost of $7800 I explained to them that I had a Car shield extended warranty coverage, and to please bring it to their attention. Carshield misinterpreted the freeze frame data. and interpreted a reading of milliseconds for mileage, and stated that the occurrence happened prior to me, owning the vehicle based on the freeze frame data. I told Subaru Tucson Arizona to try to battle with Car shield and explain to them. They’re misinterpreting the data. They refused to follow up with. Carshield returned my vehicle to me and said they were sorry. After taking it back to Subaru, Tucson, four times. Between the end of October, and the middle of November 2023. There was nothing they could or would do for me. by December that year I canceled my policy with Carshield and they’re worthless coverage. Canceled the policy that I’ve already had for three years on my wife’s car and canceled my six month policy. I had on the Subaru. When I move back to Texas, I brought the vehicle to Subaru. edinburg. They looked at my vehicle and came up with the same determination that the hybrid motor had to be replaced with a discounted price of $6500 the dealership here in Texas. The first time had my car for five weeks and didn’t 100%. Tell me what needed to be fixed because they really weren’t sure. The second time I brought it in. They had it for a week and told me about the same issue would have to be replaced that the Price I mentioned above. I tried to get the service manager to work with Subaru America and try to find a way to reduce the cost of the expense to me seen how the Tucson Subaru dealership had the vehicle determine the issue while it was under coverage with Car shield and it should’ve been repaired and should’ve been covered with my $100 deductible.
The dealership spoke to Subaru America, and they basically told them that they have no interest in helping me out as a Customer
When I called and spoke to Subaru America, and tried to get them to open up a case. In reference to this issue after 40 minutes of explaining it to a gentleman on the phone. He told me he would have to transfer me to somebody else when he transferred me, it was a cold called transfer, and no one at the other end knew anything about my 40 minute story to the first representative, and they wanted me to repeat what I discussed with the previous representative. I told them. Why would I do that. If he didn’t document anything. I’m gonna talk to you now and you’re not gonna document anything. Just pass me to a senior representative, so I could try to get an escalated. Case. Started in reference to my issue. It’s so happens that no one ever took my story. No one never talk to me, and no one never listen to what I had to say.
So we’re now at the end of the road, Subaru. America basically said that they’re not gonna do anything for me when the first dealership screwed up and the second dealership here in Texas is helping me out and knocked off about $1500 from the price of the job which will help but it’s still gonna cost me $6500. Which I don’t have.
Anyhow, I bought this car. I own it out right? Can’t afford a car payment. So now I’ll have to just pay interest on my credit card until I can payoff the work that I’m having done here. Subaru Edinbrug Tx
After this experience, if I were ever to purchase a brand new car. I don’t think I would buy a Subaru as good as they might be. They don’t seem to back the quality other vehicle, and they don’t seem to Pack or Care for their Customer.
The biggest problem here in the Rio Grande Valley Texas is at the one big dealership is called Bert Ogden motors, and he owns all the different brands of vehicles and other than a couple of really good employees. That work with me and help me out a little bit, the actual owner of the dealership doesn’t do anything to help out their customers. In my Time living here. I’ve owned for Bert Ogden vehicles and have had a nightmare with their finance department. Every time going through the sale.
So to wrap this up, all I could say is Buyer. Beware with Subaru and Buyer. Beware with Bert Ogden.
Again, there are some good people working there. One gentleman name is Tim. I won’t say his last name and another good person is Aurelio. And he’s been a good Service person helping me, but his hands are tied. I believe, and can only do so much.
But SUBARU AMERICA IS NO GOOD

Took a week to get an advisor on the phone. Offered no help at all to a super loyal customer. When I told him I was thinking of going to Toyota, he said “sorry to hear that.” No loyalty program offer, nothing, and I’ve spent over $50,000 with this company over the years. I’m done

If I could yell from the roof tops of just how Subaru treats you after purchase to steer EVERYONE from purchasing their faulty products that they DO NOT back and make the consumer that paid high dollar for their vehicle suffer, I would!! Had a water leak due to manufacturing, now my car smells awful can’t even drive it Before the leak it had new car smell!!! My car has been to the dealership 3 times now. And still I have to say “oh well my $45k car smells like crap and I’m embarrassed!!” NO I’ve reached out to some attorneys. Which I will be hiring!!!! Steer clear of Subaru UNLESS you don’t mind throwing your money and time away!!!! They want to just give me some hush money. It’s not about the money. It’s about the fact I bought and FULL paid for a brand new car. That now smells like a nasty uncared for loaner car. Then there is the whole other issue of grinding in the rear axle that I’ve complained about since the first visit and no one seems to want to address that!!!!! They just say “we don’t hear anything” but everyone in my car does!!!
10-13-24 Update, I now have to actually hire said attorney. Subaru is shaddy, steer clear of them!!!!! Consumers shouldn’t have to battle large companies for their rights!
10-19-24 Update, Subaru still has my vehicle. They aren’t communicating with me. Left message, sent emails, nothing. Subaru REALLY doesn’t to back their failed product!!!
10-23-24 Update. Subaru has now decided to ignore me all together. They destroyed my car, stole my lemon law book out of it while in for repeated repairs. I have now spoken to the attorney generals office and have filed a claim.

Owning a new subaru was the biggest mistake I have made in my life. And I have made some big ones, bought a 2019 subaru Ascent premium fully loaded in november 2022, in february 2023 catastrophic engine failure due to manufacture defect almost took my life and my children's life. Over the course of the next 9 months Subaru installs 3, yes THREE new shortblock engines as each time they replaced it a catastrophic failure occured within a week. In 9 months, and three engines later, I am told two payments would be made as a goodwill gesture. Subaru never maid the payments, they told me they did, I was told "We'll take care of it with Chase, it is the least we can do" And then I wake up to my car missing from being repossessed illegally, no notice of risk of default, missed payment, no courtesy, then no notice to sell property, just a letter of deficiency saying they sold my $43K car for $10K leaving me with the deficit.
Scum. And yes I am suing.

I have read all the bad reviews and do not know which dealership they are referring to.. Try the Subaru on Newtown Road in Danbury Ct. I am pleased with there work...Today was a simple oil change, great news,:), but always bring my car here. The service manager Art Azzarito, and the general manager, Corey Henderson are the very best. They Care. Very pleased.❗

Subaru warranty extension programs is the worst ever I am so disappointed appointed with them. The customer service sucks. I will never ever own another subaru because they don't like to do recalls and also don't like t9 give you money that's owed. They are terrible.

Bought a new 2025 Subaru Forester in June. Unfortunately, a month after purchase, a deer ran in front of us on the highway and was unavoidable, causing significant cosmetic damage to the front driver’s side corner, (headlight/fender/hood bumper). This happened on July 5th, and the repairs have yet to begin because Subaru did not see fit to send Forester parts to North America to make them repairable. As a result, 20 parts are on backorder, with a delivery date for some reaching into mid September. At that point, the brand new car will have been out of commission for 70 days.
Subaru customer service has been totally unhelpful so far. We have a case number and a contact person, but she offers no information or explanation. She claims she’s trying to “expedite” the parts delivery without providing any information on how she would be able to do that. She is also lying repeatedly about contacting the parts manager at the repair dealer. When asked if this is a typical situation for a new Subaru model, even the parts manager admitted that he’s never seen this before. We realize it’s a new model, but It’s difficult to understand how a car manufacturer as established as Subaru could completely neglect to have parts available for a vehicle that has been on sale since May. Did they just hope nobody to have an accident? What if there is a recall? Will everyone who bought a new Forester be out of luck while they spend months getting their act together?

Subaru has so far offered no explanation, no options, no parts delivery details and no compensation for the amount of time the car is out of service. A huge investment is now depreciating in the lot of a Subaru dealership while models on sale now have discounts. This is completely unacceptable. This was our first Subaru purchase, and at the current rate, this will be our last experience with the brand. Their “Love” tagline is obviously complete marketing garbage. They’re just another greedy corporation with no interest in customer service. Do not be fooled.
Are there any consumer protection laws that apply to the inability of a manufacturer to repair their product in a timely manner?

Disappointed in my new Outback and the poor customer service. Brand new car came with an ant infestation and poor air conditioning. The ant infestation became apparent the first time I drove the car after getting home from dealer. Air conditioning "cools" the car to 80 degrees on maximum AC setting. This is my 4th and last Subaru.

After paying of my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek SUBARU is not willing to send a SIGNED letter to CA DMV that I paid off my loan. SUBARU was also given the option to fill out a form for CA DMV. Since CA DMV does not have the SIGNED pay off letter from SUBARU, nor the the form back they are not issuing my title. I paid off the car 77 days ago on May 1st, 2024! SUBARU is still holding the title of a car that is rightfully mine and non compliant with CA DMV.