Author Topic: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru service bulletin, PCV issue  (Read 12982 times)

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Offline AdamMc

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I just got off the phone with Renzo at Subaru City in edmonton and he was informed, and then informed me, of a recall that was sent out by subaru for all 08-'10 WRX and WRX 265's on the PCV valve that many of us are having issues with.

Subaru is sending out letters but it will take a while before the letters get to you, and/or, you might not get it if you havnt updated your current address with your dealership.

Anyway, I believe the instructions were to at least give them a call and they will at some point need you to come in and have your car fixed up.

(Renzo knew about this forum, so if he is on here - hopefully he will chime in with exact details for what we should do to make sure our cars aren't going to Kick the bucket).


boiboi9

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Did you get the recall number?? I just called CS and SoC, and the both hadn't heard anything

Offline AdamMc

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Did you get the recall number?? I just called CS and SoC, and the both hadn't heard anything

Sorry he didnt tell me the number - i wasnt aware they are numbered (Never had a new car worth recalling lol).

All i know is that there was what sounded like a lady talking to renzo in the background, and she said the recall was just issued.  Renzo didnt know about it at first.

I have to call him tomorrow regarding my car, so i'll ask for the Recall # when i do

Offline Cyni

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Its probably just a service bulletin to make the service managers aware of the issue and how to correct it.  I doubt there is a "recall".


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My car is going in tomorrow for a different TSB.
If I remember, I'll ask Renzo about this one.

Offline AdamMc

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Its probably just a service bulletin to make the service managers aware of the issue and how to correct it.  I doubt there is a "recall".



Do they send service bulletins out in the mail to the customers?  Because apparently that is what subaru is doing about this issue.

Offline STI_Crazy

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Sorry to highjack this but i just run into this one:

http://wot.motortrend.com/6617814/recalls/recall-roundup-subaru-wrx-hit-with-possible-fuel-line-leak/index.html

It's for 03-04 WRX's sold mainly in the states but some of you may have brought one back.

Offline mars636

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I wonder if it is the same problem people were having back in january,   where the pcv valve froze and the dealer recommended to cover the intercooler,  there was a thread about it on here.

Offline AdamMc

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I wonder if it is the same problem people were having back in january,   where the pcv valve froze and the dealer recommended to cover the intercooler,  there was a thread about it on here.

yes its that issue.  They have a 'kit' to fix it i guess, which is what they are doing when we bring our cars in.

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Re: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru recall, PCV issue
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2009, 01:19:51 pm »
I wonder if it is the same problem people were having back in january,   where the pcv valve froze and the dealer recommended to cover the intercooler,  there was a thread about it on here.

http://www.westernsubaruclub.com/smf/index.php?topic=5311.0

Page 2 is where the BS starts.

Offline mars636

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Re: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru recall, PCV issue
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2009, 01:20:02 pm »
Is the kit a block off plate for the hood scoop :P

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Re: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru recall, PCV issue
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2009, 01:21:39 pm »
OK, I just spoke to SoC, they informed me it was "just a service bulletin to make the service managers aware of the issue and how to correct it". So cyni was correct.

It is not a recall, but it is for the frozen PCV valve. They also informed me the dealer do not have the correct tool to replace it yet, so they couldnt do anything about it for a few weeks, the bulletin was issued yesterday.

Offline AdamMc

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Re: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru recall, PCV issue
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2009, 01:28:07 pm »
OK, I just spoke to SoC, they informed me it was "just a service bulletin to make the service managers aware of the issue and how to correct it". So cyni was correct.

It is not a recall, but it is for the frozen PCV valve. They also informed me the dealer do not have the correct tool to replace it yet, so they couldnt do anything about it for a few weeks, the bulletin was issued yesterday.

Good detective skills!  I changed the title to Service bulletin.  I was told recall over the phone, but service bulletin or recall - who cares as long as my car gets fixed damn it!

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Re: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru recall, PCV issue
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2009, 01:29:22 pm »
OK, I just spoke to SoC, they informed me it was "just a service bulletin to make the service managers aware of the issue and how to correct it". So cyni was correct.

It is not a recall, but it is for the frozen PCV valve. They also informed me the dealer do not have the correct tool to replace it yet, so they couldnt do anything about it for a few weeks, the bulletin was issued yesterday.

Good detective skills!  I changed the title to Service bulletin.  I was told recall over the phone, but service bulletin or recall - who cares as long as my car gets fixed damn it!
Agreed!

Its also good to know they have been paying a little bit of attention to recent issues!

Offline AdamMc

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Re: 2008-2010 WRX and WRX 265 only (not STI) - Subaru recall, PCV issue
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2009, 01:39:51 pm »

http://www.westernsubaruclub.com/smf/index.php?topic=5311.0

Page 2 is where the BS starts.

Unbelievable.  If i have any kind of experience like that poor guy had - im going to pop a vein somewhere.

Offline OCEANSUBARU

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I'm booked for Thursday!

Thanks for the heads up Gangsta  O0


What I want to know is when they thought they should start telling people about this.......uckfaying Subaru, I love my car but the people behind them have to be the dumbest itshays on the planet. /rant
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It's a TSB.
Which means they don't tell anyone about it unless you go in and say "I've got this problem."

That's the difference between TSB and recall.
Recall = public relations nightmare, deaths caused. Will cost us $42M.
TSB = will cost us money if they find out, but no one will die if it happens. So let's not tell anyone. Will only cost us if they ask nicely.

Offline AdamMc

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It's a TSB.
Which means they don't tell anyone about it unless you go in and say "I've got this problem."

That's the difference between TSB and recall.
Recall = public relations nightmare, deaths caused. Will cost us $42M.
TSB = will cost us money if they find out, but no one will die if it happens. So let's not tell anyone. Will only cost us if they ask nicely.


point taken.

Except apparently they ARE going to be telling people about it via mail.     Also!  you'd think Subaru would be proactive about it.  With this issue alone, the likely hood of someone seizing an engine is quite high.  If you take into account the cost of this PCV fix vs the cost of replacing engines under warranty, it would make sense to me that Subaru would contact its customers and warn them of the signs of failure.


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If they actually are doing mailers for this, then good on Subaru.
However, like it or not, Subaru is just another car maker.

Companies would rather shell out a few bucks for some failed engines, than do a recall notice which would be widely advertised and have some reputation damage.

Offline silent

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It is also possible that they just install this PCV "kit" whenever someone brings their car in for maintenance/servicing.  That would minimize the number of problematic engines without the PR disaster of a recall.

boiboi9

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It's a TSB.
Which means they don't tell anyone about it unless you go in and say "I've got this problem."

That's the difference between TSB and recall.
Recall = public relations nightmare, deaths caused. Will cost us $42M.
TSB = will cost us money if they find out, but no one will die if it happens. So let's not tell anyone. Will only cost us if they ask nicely.


point taken.

Except apparently they ARE going to be telling people about it via mail.     Also!  you'd think Subaru would be proactive about it.  With this issue alone, the likely hood of someone seizing an engine is quite high.  If you take into account the cost of this PCV fix vs the cost of replacing engines under warranty, it would make sense to me that Subaru would contact its customers and warn them of the signs of failure.

Hmm, I was told no mailers where going out...time will tell I guess.

Offline AdamMc

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Hmm, I was told no mailers where going out...time will tell I guess.

Word of mouth - you always have to take it w/ a grain of salt right!  Someone might be confused temporarily and that's where it all starts!  As my 'contact' was 2nd hand over the phone at a dealership, and yours was from SoC directly, im more inclined to believe your info is accurate.


IF there are mailers going out - i'd be very happy.  If not, im in the same mindset as Oceansubaru.  I think this issue is serious enough that the customers should probably be notified.  It doesn't have to be as public as a recall, but even just a heads up of the warning signs would go a long way to helping prevent bigger issues.

Im very happy that the Service tech on the phone knew exactly what was wrong before i even finished with the details: that says to me that even though its a common issue, its at least recognized as something they need to look at asap instead of trying to pass blame.  That helps build confidence in the dealership (at least in my mind).  Had i taken my car in and they tried to blame the issue on not using a crush washer in the oil plug (like in snacker's linked thread) even though they know what the real issue is - i would be extremely angry.

Offline OCEANSUBARU

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Hmm, I was told no mailers where going out...time will tell I guess.

Word of mouth - you always have to take it w/ a grain of salt right!  Someone might be confused temporarily and that's where it all starts!  As my 'contact' was 2nd hand over the phone at a dealership, and yours was from SoC directly, im more inclined to believe your info is accurate.


IF there are mailers going out - i'd be very happy.  If not, im in the same mindset as Oceansubaru.  I think this issue is serious enough that the customers should probably be notified.  It doesn't have to be as public as a recall, but even just a heads up of the warning signs would go a long way to helping prevent bigger issues.

Im very happy that the Service tech on the phone knew exactly what was wrong before i even finished with the details: that says to me that even though its a common issue, its at least recognized as something they need to look at asap instead of trying to pass blame.  That helps build confidence in the dealership (at least in my mind).  Had i taken my car in and they tried to blame the issue on not using a crush washer in the oil plug (like in snacker's linked thread) even though they know what the real issue is - i would be extremely angry.


When I called I spoke to Renzo, The same guy you talked to and he started laughing.
I'm pretty sure he was thinking HOLY **** Word spreads fast in that community (Naturaly I dropped the club name) The only thing I'm a little unhappy about, They wouldn't give me a loaner for the day.....But oh well, His service on the phone was enough to make up for that.  :D
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Offline richie_rich

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Glad I didn't have the problem yet this year, as opposed to last year.  Picked up a oil catch can to combat this, but didn't get a chance to install it.  I'll probably do it this weekend.

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I just got back from Subaru City. I had the car in there for another TSB, and asked them if they could do this one while they were at it.
They had it done before 10am.

Apparently the TSB involves re-routing the tubes going to the PCV so that they are not directly in the path of the air coming down through the intercooler.

I don't have a pic of the routing beforehand, so if someone could take a pic, that might help.
Note, they do not replace the PCV, only the tubing that goes to it.
As the title of the thread says, it is only for wrx and 265, as the STI routes the tubing differently.

For those that want to OCD about the numbers and various things... I'm too lazy to scan this. But here's a pic.



Some various pics of the modification. Click to go to the flickr page to see full size.