Transmission warranty woes only (problem occurrence log)

[rugbywrx03]

Just wanted to add to this list of problems. I have an 03 with average mileage and my gears/tranny are toast today. Nice fun ride on the tow truck and watched them have to drag the car since it was stuck in gear and wouldn't dissengage even with the clutch in. To unload it they had to shake it down the ramp and Im sure that was great for the dif's and tranny. Anyways, I'm hoping I dont have to go through the same crap other guys I know around here have and pay half for the gears or what not. I feel this is a worthless gearset to begin with if it can't last the life of the car. How many of you have paid for this repair and if so what were the costs? Im thinkin about goin with the RA gears if things get bad and subaru tries to bend me over. Thoughts?

[aero_civic]

I guess I'm added to the list too now. I work for a Subaru dealership. And I've had my WRX waaaay before I started working there. I've seen what happens to the WRX owners who have tranny problems, Its horrible. My dealership actually had me beleive it was from abuse. That was all a bunch of BS. I've never had a problem with my WRX. Then on the 25th, not even driving it hard. The transmission gets stuck. I drove off from the dealership in 1st gear, when i went to shift into 2nd the whole shifter got stuck. So i had no choice but to slow down and pull off the road. Then my gear shift freed up. I should've stopped right then and there. But i thought it was just a freak incident. after i had my lunch break, i drove back, 1 mile before i got back. i heard 2nd gear strip, then 3rd, so i skipped 4th and went into 5th. Talk about crap for a tranny. Then they try to accuse me of abuse. Those MUTHAFU*** . They will fix mine under warranty, but they're still charging me a 400 dollar deductable. I feel robbed, i only have 8000 miles on my wrx. Thats complete BS. I've heard as long as its not first, it should be complete warranty. and mine was just 2nd gear, and a 3rd gear synchro. And I still truly beleive something in the tranny went out, and the only reason 2nd and my synchro got eaten up was from the gay subaru tranny.

[aero_civic]

Does anyone know of a "Good" gearset thats not expensive?? Please help us with the crappy trannys. Alot of people will definetly be needing this upgrade.

[Rextified]

Woa...this is really gettin' out of hand. I had originally posted the "...heard and noise in an '04 WRX" is hopes to get results like this.
But, I have found other's who have shown far better patients with Subaru than I.
I have not had a breakdown (yet) but I have repeatedly been to the dealer and had the car driven for noises in 2nd and third" I have spoken to SOA numerous times and have insisted that there is a known problem and they were refusing to disclose that.
My 04 M wagon is a crazy fun car, but it is a $26k vehicle that sounds like is has the tranny of my old 90 TSi Talon with 120k on it. This is a neglet issue and Subaru is shotty at best.
Anyway, I shall keep you posted on if (or when) my tranny lets go and what the location of my foot is on someones arse.
It really is sad to have such an excellent car with such a poor Business behind it.
I just hope this thread will see a depletion of bad woes...
Drive on....

[illusion]

Originally posted by aero_civic
Does anyone know of a "Good" gearset thats not expensive?? Please help us with the crappy trannys. Alot of people will definetly be needing this upgrade.

http://www.rallispec.com
RST-1140 STi RA Gearset Kit for Subaru 5MT -- $1450

[turbo2nr]

dirty wrx, there are only four bolts in the trany, you can take off the transfer case while trans is still in car. the bolts hold rear main plate to back of main body, in the transfercase body, there should be a lock-washer somewhere in your trans also. don't worry, it's probably not damaged

[trabadoor22]

and should i be concerned and look for a different car?

With this many people having issues it's a little hard to look the other way. I was serisously considering getting a used '04. I even put some money down for a holding fee today, but after reading this I think I'm going to stick with my Honda. Sucks too since I really liked the car.

[turbo2nr]

mrt has great options besides a total replacement. only need 1st and 2nd gears to be stronger and they make straight cut racing gears or the quiet ones with a synchronizer or dog engagement rings. i will be happy to change them! very fast and easy! scott hudson 804-285-0777

[SonicYellowWRX]

if it doesnt break, it will shift like crap and refuse to go into gear at the least opportune times. i read all the posts about people have tranny problems before buying mine and it hasnt broken yet at over 26k miles... although its less than ideal. i find it shifts better with fresh fluid but that doesnt last long, maybe a few months and with maybe 20 miles a day max driving in mild traffic. i've changed the fluid more than called for by subaru, but thats the only way for the damn thing to shift smoothly. i would recommend it for sure. change the fluids and do it often. i'm guessing redline would last longer, but i havent tried it yet.

[wrxracer]

some of the things on here are the reason i no longer have or will buy another subaru. i had a couple items added on, non-stock of course and sometimes i would run the car hard, but it was not abused. so when the trans problem's started all i got from both the dealer and SOA was no matter if the car is stock or modified, any metal shavings in the gear box will void the trans warranty, you must be abusing the car/trans.. i was like have you never heard of metal to metal wear? so needless to say the car had 24 some odd thousand miles and all service was done by the dealer. it really is bad when there is not even a doubt that maybe the thing just gave out, by the way it was 2nd gear that went out... subaru..

[J.D.]

http://www.rallispec.com
RST-1140 STi RA Gearset Kit for Subaru 5MT -- $1450

This is good information for down the road when others start to fail. My question is, is this $1,450 STi RA gear set everything needed to replace the transmission or is that just the main components and there is other stuff we also have to buy?

Thx,

JD

[illusion]

It's just the gears themselves. If you need syncros that will run you another $500, and I'm not sure how much the shift forks are, but if you have a bent shift fork I'd have that replaced at the same time.

It depends on whether you are being proactive or you are fixing a problem. Most of the time when a gear shreds it end up taking out a syncro, then we try to force it in gear which bends a shift fork.

[wacer6591]

i now have been added to the list. i purchased my 04 wrx with 13k on it and i have zero mods done to it other than wheels and tires and now i have 15k on the car. they are now attempting to not cover the replacement of 1st gear. i mean come on i take better care of my car than myself. and now im reading everyone is having this problem. i am willing to hold out until they fix my car under warranty. and i dont have the funds to just get all this payed for. they are quoting $1100 for labor and $200-$1000 for parts!!! this is BS!!!!!!!

[AKESREX]

Well, I'm at 75000 miles and she's back in the dealer service bay for another go-round
of 5th gear, 5th gear hub and shifter fork. All repairs have been done under warranty and
this one will be the same way. (1st time at 4400, 2nd time at 19000 and 3rd time at
33500)
There is no doubt in my mind that the transmission issues mentioned on the prior
5 pages have several causes. 1) These transmissions are not a perfect design and
supposedly haven't neally been ungraded in capacity since they were originally designed
many years ago. 2) Shifting technique will prolong the life of these transmissions.
3) Very careful attention to detail when setting up the gear clearances makes a world
of difference in longevity of these parts.
4) Although purely conjecture on my part, I'll bet very frequent lube change-outs for the
trans would make a very large difference in how long these transmissions last.

I just bought this car last week from the company I work for for $2000. But for the trans
problem it's been literally bullet-proof for the last 75000 miles. And believe me, I definitely
put it to the test over the last 3 years.....

[E-Wrex]

I bought my wrex new, it's at 7500 miles or so and it feels like it's having trouble getting from 1st to 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd. It likes to miss gears completely and sometimes won't go into 3rd even with the clutch fully disengaged. If the tranny goes, I'm swapping the sti 6-speed and calling it done. **** you subaru for hiring idiot engineers for your tranny. **** your engineers, **** them in their stupid asses. costing me money...for **** that should be under warranty...grumble...grumble...