Wrx reliablility? My RSX blows.

[mrbigisbudgood]

I can talk about the cold weather concerns, since I'm in Milwaukee.

Last week, temps were dropping around -10 to -15 in the AM. My WRX never had an issue starting, she fired right up each morning. However, it did make ALOT of noise, like something was loose for about 30 seconds. I understand that might have been the turbo starving for oil. I always let the motor warm up before I drive anywhere.

The tranny is a different story. It does not like cold weather. Felt like I was driving a Kenworth, the short throw kit probably only made it worse. I also had issued getting it into 1st unless I was at a complete stop. This also went away after the tranny got warmer.



And yes, it really does suck gas money. I usually take "the long way" home because I want to drive the car a little more.

[ScoobySteve]

Sorry to hear about your problems, RSX-Sucks. Hey, we had another guy with that handle on these boards at one time.

WRX reliabiity ? Lemme see, 63k miles. I drive it hard too.

One loose steering fluid fitting. Tightened it. Cold clutch shudder has gradually gotten worse over over time, but always goes away once everything's well warmed up. Burns a quart of oil every 2500-3000 miles. Thin paint chips easily, replaced a broken windshield. Some kind of rattle in the dash which I can't find, but it's not too bad. That's it.

The transmission itself seems fine to me, though the gearing could've been improved upon.

[allan r]

no problems starting in -10 or worse weather so far this winter <knocks on wood>. but on the worst days it cranked really, really slow.

[GV27]

Originally posted by driverj
If you having money in your pocket, this is not the car for you. It will make you want to drive like Evil said. You'll be at a gas station frequently. I had to make up stuff to go out for so I could drive.

My Honduh history:


I had a 2000 Si that rattled the day I got it. They had to take the whole rear out to correct the problem. The tech said all kinds of ish was not correctly installed from the factory

My 2000 Odyssey had to go back 6 times for all kinds of recalls and door malfuntion problems.

Now my I just got a warranty extension for my 2001 Accord due to tranny issues. /rant

They are not getting my money again anytime soon.

My Honduh history:

1995 XR200R. ? Miles (no odometer). No issues except occasionally when riding in rivers the cylinder would fill with water. Then you'd have to pull the plug, dry it off, pump the water out with the kick starter and reinsert plug before you could go out and fill it with water again. What a PITA.

1988 CRX Si. Put 180k miles on it. The power sunroof was a PITA - it had to go in like 4 times for that. It needed a clutch at 75k and 150k. Timing belt at 80k and 140k. My buddy has it now and the Ansa muffler has a hole in it.

1989 CR250R. No issues until the thing tried to tear my leg off.

1992 CBR600F2. 35k miles. No issues 'cept it eats race compound rears every 1000 miles after final drive lowering.

1998 Civic DX. 60,000 miles. No issues.

2000 Civic EX. 40,000 miles so far. Radio replaced by Alpine under recall. Power window tracks tend to stick. No other issues.

[Retro]

Well the only problems I have had with the wrx are:

1) The clutch shudder. People at first would say all kinds of stuff about it being from the way it was driven.
2) The reverse gear.. not really a problem, it's just that it sometimes takes 3-4 tries to get in gear, and sometimes you grind no matter how careful you are.
3) The clutch grab point has been known to change on people
4) The dealers suck. Even for solid non mod warranty work they make you leave the car overnight as if you are going to lie about a known issue... and of course if it doesn't happen they laugh and point.
5) Rattles at certain resonance points. I can't play some songs without rattle, and some road vibrations start the rattling.
6) Some people on the boards think Subaru can do no wrong.. but thats not really Subaru's fault, so scratch this one.
6) The subaru has a finiky shifter. Some days it will shift great and feel smooth, and others the synchros will fight and not let you in unless you double clutch.
7) Some have reported over reactive ABS that to my knowledge still has not been resolved.

All in all it has about the same number of problems my VW has except that the VW problems were usually absolute failures (window mechanism) that the manufacturers refused to acknowledge until much later on. At least the dealer I went to was great about doing warranty work.

Now remember you asked for the bad aspects of the car, and most of these can be worked around... even though you really shouldn't have to. Nonetheless it's one of the better vehicles I have had the pleasure of driving.

[keystah]

Okay, to answer some of your Q's. WRX has 5.25" components up front and 4" speakers in the rear. www.iaperformance.com has spacers to allow use of just about any 6.5" component up front and 5.25" rear.

Problems with WRX (not all experience)
1) Thin paint. If you live in a place with heavily sanded roads I HIGHLY recomend clear bra. This is not a porblem for people in southern states.
2) Transmission. Some people have blown the transmission. Some of these individuals have highly modified engines with a lot of power. Some blew these trannys drag racing. And some blew them from abuse completely stock.

Things that could make the WRX better (but not a problem per se)
1) Catless Uppipe. The stock catted uppipe increases lag and robs you of 10 HP.
2)Springs. The stock springs are a little soft.

That said my WRX has 38,000 miles on it and no issues so far really. For the most part I had no rattles until I threw a 12" sub in the trunk.

I should also add the WRX is a real quick car. Better performance than an Audi TT for less money. You can add 30WHP easily and safely for under $1000, or go with +50WHP for $1500...

As far as shifting goes, I've got the STI short throw in my car with a momo air leather/aluminum knob and it feels great.

[merlot]

Almost 37,000 miles, no major problems <knocks on wood>. Minor problem is the front floor mat doesn't stay in place, even with the "hook" attached. Dealer tried fixing it, but it didn't last. I'll have to look into it when the carpet mats go back in (currently have rubber winter mats in).

Dealer expeirence has been good. Took it in for the 30K service (I do the regular oil change and tire rotations myself), and forgot to bring synthetic oil with me. The dealer bought Mobil SuperSyn for me and used that... very nice

My old Audi dealer, on the other hand, were incompetant idiots.

[X2board]

The first gen RSX seems to have teething problems, my buddy had quite a few issues too.

I am also considering a WRX (possibly STi) model for my wife... although she loves the Integra type R, I want her in a awd for the weather. And the Forrester is just too much on the granny side for her...but it's pretty fast...lol

[keystah]

WRX will handle better, the Forester is faster. The 215HP is drastically underrated, its more like 250 or 260. Good gears too. Better torque in mid to low. As far as styling goes.... some girls dig it. Subaru rocks....

[glepko]

Originally posted by X2board
The first gen RSX seems to have teething problems, my buddy had quite a few issues too.

I am also considering a WRX (possibly STi) model for my wife... although she loves the Integra type R, I want her in a awd for the weather. And the Forrester is just too much on the granny side for her...but it's pretty fast...lol

The new turbo Legacy could fit the bill nicely as well, and it's not far away!

[Supasizefries]

I've got 82,000 miles on my 2002. Installed Stage 4 at about 70k and she's still in one piece. Here are the problems that I had:

1. Like you, the window came down on me in the rain. Went to the dealership to get it fixed. I was way over warranty but they fixed it free of charge. The motor was loose on its mount.

2. Windshield wiper reservoir leak. Fixed in 10 minutes under warranty.

3. Stock turbo seized at about 50,000 miles, not sure why. But, you can always get them used for dirt cheap on these forums.

4. Crappy thin paint. I put tons of highway miles on my car, and parts of my front bumper and hood look like they've been sand blasted...well that's an exaggeration but it's bad.

5. Clutch shudder. Annoying, but I've learned to live with it.

I love my car, but it does have its squeeks and other minor noises. From experience and reading other people's accounts, the engine at idle does have its own signature sounds that you may perceive as a problem, but they are normal. It probably won't be as quiet as Honda engines.

It's possible to destroy the tranny in stock trim. It all depends on how you drive the car.

[sht]

did you just get a lemon???

[keystah]

Motor Trend and Road and Track both did long term test reports on the WRX. R&T a WRB sedan. They had high praise for the little sedan and said that there were "virtual fist-fights for the keys" when they first got it. 40,000 miles, very few problems. Highly praised for it's value and sportiness. They did complain about the stock tires being noisy when worn down.

MT reviewed a wagon. Again highly praised, "a real sleeper", no major problems in 40,000 miles except for 1) stock tires 2) gas milage. They got 11.5 MPG for the first 3,000 miles they owned it. My guess is they couldn't stay off the boost.

Both companies had a large number of positive comments and only a few negative comments, based around gas milage and the stock Potenzas. Cheap car to own. And comes highly recommended. Also recommended by Comsumers Digest.

[AREITU]

Some RSXs, their brakes lock up for no reason.

It happened to my friend and he got a G35. He sold it though.

What's so bad about clutch shudder?
Remember: Failing transmissions and a first gear grind. Did they fix those for MY04?