[T1000]

If you dont think dealerships lie, ok then. for me, the nail is in the coffin. my car is already out of warranty period.



no tech can guarantee any future warranty claim will be honored or denied, that is the entirely arbitrary decision of SOA.



if youre buying a used STI, get the normal PPI, leak down, and compression test. if those check out - negotiate as low as you can.

I agree with you that not all dealerships, even people in general, are honest. However, I don't see why multiple techs at different dealerships would consistently want to put themselves in such a bad situation with not much to gain.

Your profile shows that you have a 2017. Unless it's salvaged or has tampered odometer readings, you might even be eligible for the 100k 8yr engine bearing settlement extension.

I also agree with you that techs can't guarantee warranty however I do believe they are a significant part of the equation for approval. I wouldn't say it's a 100% arbitrary decision by SOA. SOA should have a process in place to make consistent decisions on denying warranty based on support. It's only arbitrary when they give you a pass for goodwill to approve warranty when they have support to deny.



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[crick0234]

I agree with you that not all dealerships, even people in general, are honest. However, I don't see why multiple techs at different dealerships would consistently want to put themselves in such a bad situation with not much to gain.

Your profile shows that you have a 2017. Unless it's salvaged or has tampered odometer readings, you might even be eligible for the 100k 8yr engine bearing settlement extension.

I also agree with you that techs can't guarantee warranty however I do believe they are a significant part of the equation for approval. I wouldn't say it's a 100% arbitrary decision by SOA. SOA should have a process in place to make consistent decisions on denying warranty based on support. It's only arbitrary when they give you a pass for goodwill to approve warranty when they have support to deny.



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i would ask FORMER techs, not ones currently working for subaru. Former techs owe nothing to subaru so are more free to speak honestly. I dont know if there's company policies... ie: will an apple employee tell u this particular iphone blahblahblah sucks? will the be more forthcoming in telling u how to hack their phones?

and i think techs are the first barrier to entry. for warranty fullfilment, SOA would send a rep out to do an inspection. a tech could say its 100% warrantable but the rep could totally deny it.

 

[enoxard]

Your profile shows that you have a 2017. Unless it's salvaged or has tampered odometer readings, you might even be eligible for the 100k 8yr engine bearing settlement extension.

regrettably, i sold the 2007.. i currently own a 2017.

You can read about them here

:: enoxard's 2007 OBP :: Dom 3 XTR :: 440/400 ::

and here

enoxard returns: stockAF 2017 STi .

good luck on the hunt!

 

[T1000]

i would ask FORMER techs, not ones currently working for subaru. Former techs owe nothing to subaru so are more free to speak honestly. I dont know if there's company policies... ie: will an apple employee tell u this particular iphone blahblahblah sucks? will the be more forthcoming in telling u how to hack their phones?



and i think techs are the first barrier to entry. for warranty fullfilment, SOA would send a rep out to do an inspection. a tech could say its 100% warrantable but the rep could totally deny it.

That would be the most ideal but unfortunately I don't know any former techs. Hopefully we have some in the forums that can chime in.

I think the best solution is to find an unmarried car and have a tech run their test to see the results. I would be willing to chip in couple dollars for the test just to get a concrete answer. Just need to find someone willing to bring their car in.

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[T1000]

regrettably, i sold the 2007.. i currently own a 2017.



You can read about them here



:: enoxard's 2007 OBP :: Dom 3 XTR :: 440/400 ::



and here



enoxard returns: stockAF 2017 STi .



good luck on the hunt!

Sweet ride!

How do you like the 17' compared to the 07'?

FYI, you might want to blur out your plates in case you ever have to deal with warranty. I hear some dealers lurk. Also if you plan to use your Blackstone records you should blur the IDs as well.

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[Boilermaker128]

They can send the ecu of to get read thoroughly, but it'd have to be for a good reason, An expensive warranty claim could do it.

Can they see past peak boost levels easily? That'd be an easy give away.

 

[enoxard]

.. edit .. nm.. the internet will never come to consensus. and even if it did, would likely be wrong.

 

[cby1]

Sorry to revive what is a painful thread for many - but - we've heard about ignition cycles and other counters being reset when the ECU is flashed (also when the battery is disconnected, as I understand it).

What about that peak boost level "since the beginning of time" that is displayable on the center info screen (my car is a 2019 STi)? As the poster prior to Boaty McBoatface (Grand Tour Shout-out ;-) mentioned, that value could be a dead giveaway. Does anyone know if the peak boost gets erased/reset when the ECU is flashed?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[STINick19]

What about that peak boost level "since the beginning of time" that is displayable on the center info screen (my car is a 2019 STi)? That value could be a dead giveaway. Does anyone know if the peak boost gets erased/reset when the ECU is flashed?

The peak boost value on the display is reset when the ECU is reset from disconnecting the battery, when the ECU is flashed, or can be reset manually via the display settings.

Subaru may store the peak boost value elsewhere that could persist through an ECU reset/flash.

 

[STINick19]

Reading up on Subaru's class action settlement for spun rod bearings provides insight into what they attempt to check for. They're denying claims for any sign of modification or abuse.

11. “Excluding Conditions” means the following vehicle conditions or modifications, which, if currently present or previously existing in the vehicle, exclude the Settlement Class Vehicle from receiving a repair under the terms of the Extended Warranty:
a. Any modifications to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) or any ECU “tune,” whether currently installed or “unmarried” (e.g., COBB Accessport, RomRaider, etc.);
b. Any “piggyback” device designed to intercept and alter ECU signals or standalone ECU (e.g., UTEC, Apexi, Megasquirt);
c. Aftermarket air-fuel controller;
d. Any device designed to increase boost from the turbocharger;
e. Manual Boost Controller;
f. Aftermarket boost control solenoid;
g. Use of aftermarket or modified mass air flow (MAF) or manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor (or other electrical circuits);
h. Use of wastegate pressure restrictors;
i. Aftermarket or modified turbocharger;
j. Front mounted intercooler with aftermarket hot or cold side intake piping;
k. Modification of OEM boost control system and control hoses;
l. Non-factory specification camshaft;
m. Connecting rod broken (e.g., broken from revving beyond redline);
n. Use of Nitrous Oxide injection systems;
o. Use of E85 fuel;
p. Use of alcohol injection;
q. Use of water injection;
r. Use of aftermarket fuel injectors with nonfactory specification flow rate;
s. Modification of OEM exhaust system components and emission controls, including catalytic converters;
t. Max Data well over set limits. (e.g., excessive RPMs caused by missshift);
u. Evidence of non-sanctioned drag racing and or street racing from a “stop” or a “rolling start”;
v. Evidence of any Excluding Conditions having been removed prior to arrival at retailer;
w. Multiple engine oil changes greater than 8,000 miles apart; and
x. Evidence of use in a competitive automotive event other than for static display only.

The following vehicle conditions or modifications, which, if currently present or previously existing in the vehicle, shall not alone or collectively exclude the Settlement Class Vehicle from receiving a repair under the terms of the Extended Warranty:
a. Installation of aftermarket Cat-Back exhaust (e.g., aftermarket exhaust installed after (or downstream of) the factory catalytic converter);
b. Installation of atmospheric blow-off valve;
c. Installation of aftermarket cold-air intake; and/or
d. Installation of aftermarket top-mounted intercooler.

So basically they'll try to find any reason they can to deny a warranty claim.. evidence of an ECU flash, prior modification (returning to stock), abusive driving, exceeding factory ECU parameters, etc. This implies that they review ECU logs/parameters, check for signs of mechanical tampering or abuse, and so on. This could just be a scare tactic to reduce warranty claims or they may have the ability to find such evidence..

What surprises me more is that the BOV & intake aren't excluded since they both require a tune..

The takeaway is modify at your own risk ("pay to play") since you'll be jeopardizing the powertrain warranty on your car... Just say no to warranty fraud

 

[T1000]

Reading up on Subaru's class action settlement for spun rod bearings provides insight into what they attempt to check for. They're denying claims for any sign of modification or abuse.

So basically they'll try to find any reason they can to deny a warranty claim.. evidence of an ECU flash, prior modification (returning to stock), abusive driving, exceeding factory ECU parameters, etc. This implies that they review ECU logs/parameters, check for signs of mechanical tampering or abuse, and so on. This could just be a scare tactic to reduce warranty claims or they may have the ability to find such evidence..

What surprises me more is that the BOV & intake aren't excluded since they both require a tune..

The takeaway is modify at your own risk ("pay to play") since you'll be jeopardizing the powertrain warranty on your car... Just say no to warranty fraud

It's there........

b. Installation of atmospheric blow-off valve;
c. Installation of aftermarket cold-air intake;

Pretty much they're saying if you have fun with your car expect warranty to be denied. They could have just said the car can only be used for casual commuting if you want it warrantied.



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[STINick19]

It's there........

b. Installation of atmospheric blow-off valve;
c. Installation of aftermarket cold-air intake;

Pretty much they're saying if you have fun with your car expect warranty to be denied.

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They're in the "will not void" section along with a catback & tmic:

The following vehicle conditions or modifications...shall not... exclude the Settlement Class Vehicle from receiving a repair under the terms of the Extended Warranty.
a. Installation of aftermarket Cat-Back exhaust installed after (or downstream of) the factory catalytic converter;
b. Installation of atmospheric blow-off valve;
c. Installation of aftermarket cold-air intake; and/or
d. Installation of aftermarket top-mounted intercooler.

 

[T1000]

They're in the "will not void" section along with a catback & tmic:



The following vehicle conditions or modifications...shall not... exclude the Settlement Class Vehicle from receiving a repair under the terms of the Extended Warranty.

a. Installation of aftermarket Cat-Back exhaust installed after (or downstream of) the factory catalytic converter;

b. Installation of atmospheric blow-off valve;

c. Installation of aftermarket cold-air intake; and/or

d. Installation of aftermarket top-mounted intercooler.

Oh wow you're right. Almost sounds like they are ok with an intake with no tune which we all no is not good.

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[cby1]

Thank you very much STiNick. Clear and comprehensive answers.

I guess we're back to trying to poll some ex-STi techs or ex-SOA employees to figure out what they really can find - OR - as many have said, be prepared to pay to play. Or use your STi as a Glorified Grocery Getter.

I just want to do a COBB Stage 1 tune to 1) Get rid of the annoying stumble, and 2) Protect my car from the (obviously) sub-par factory tune - that's it - nothing crazy, not even bolt-on parts. Sad, sad days.

 

[Noximus]

If you need the warranty to afford the car, then don't mod.

 

[cby1]

> If you need the warranty to afford the car, then don't mod.

Yeah, that's always the pat answer, isn't it?

But if Subaru actually intended this car to be more than a Honda Accord, you'd think they might just release it with a proper tune so there was no dilemma. A "Sports Car" that stumbles around 4K RPMs - pretty much every time you accelerate with any authority at all - is not a Sports Car.

Why did I buy it? My '04 STi *was* a sports car - finally sold it due to rust-through in the left rear quarter panel. Had I known 1) How bad the tune was (test drive is hardly enough to really tell), and 2) how much harder Subaru has gotten about warranty issues since the bearing failures - I would have sucked it up, and done the bodywork on the '04.

BTW, "affording the car" has nothing whatsoever to do with "needing" the warranty. I bought the car cash, and I own a 911 Turbo. It's a matter of having to do something to FIX what the manufacturer should have done properly in the first place "causing" warranty issues that sucks. It's the Principle of the Thing.

 

[T1000]

If you need the warranty to afford the car, then don't mod.

It's a lose lose situation. Drive with crappy stock tune with warranty vs fixing the tune without warranty. Not about affordability. Cars should come reliable with warranty.

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[Noximus]

Affording a car, if viewed responsibly, includes all relevant risk and maintenance costs required.

 

[T1000]

Affording a car, if viewed responsibly, includes all relevant risk and maintenance costs required.

Right..........and then after doing all the maintenance, spin a bearing, you get a lawyer, go through litigation, and have Subaru extend the warranty.

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[Noximus]

Right..........and then after doing all the maintenance, spin a bearing, you get a lawyer, go through litigation, and have Subaru extend the warranty.

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Welp, looks like you already know what you're doing. Fill your boots. We'll talk again when it happens.