Undeserved reputation for reliability?

[Tim]

Out of all the problems I had, the svx never left me stranded. All of the problems allowed me to continue to get home with caution

[Myxalplyx]

Well, I'd love to join the crowd here but I can't say the same. I was one of those folks that had the fear of purchasing one due to the problems that I knew about. The two main problems that discouraged me was:

1) Possibility of needing to buy a new transmission,

2) Wheel bearing issues.

I have been part of the SVX community since the yahoo days and I only bought one last year. Those two items scared the crap out of me, especially the tranny so I said I would never purchase one unless the person I bought it off of cared for their car (Thanks Chike).

Another thing that discouraged me is the car's weight. I always felt like Subaru was used to making lightweight or fairly lightweight vehicles. Going to this heavy car would pose them some long term problems due to parts being stressed over the years and eventually breaking. It was just my personal philosophy. Funny thing is, I still feel this way about the SVX (Not the late model Subarus). It just the transition from to the SVX and it being new territory and all. The car looks so heavy.

I don't drive it much. Perhaps my attitude needs to change with threads like this. Currently, I have anti-freeze leaking from somewhere (It never hits the ground but I smell it big time) and a left turn, clicking from the drivers side. I just have been lazy to fix those items. No other problems I know of. Something in me though is just waiting for something major to happen. I'm a pessimist at heart so.

I do like the car very much though. Always wanted one, hence me lurking forever on the boards.

[CorSVXette]

You talk about a transmission cooler and in-line filter. Is that a good idea for these cars? Should I install those things?

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by Myxalplyx

Well, I'd love to join the crowd here but I can't say the same. I was one of those folks that had the fear of purchasing one due to the problems that I knew about. Something in me though is just waiting for something major to happen. I'm a pessimist at heart so.

I do like the car very much though. Always wanted one, hence me lurking forever on the boards.

The bad reputation, because most of the stuff posted here, relates to problems is surely the reason for this thread. I came here after purchasing my car and the inference was that I had been stupid and purchased a lemon. By contrast the SVX has been the best all round car I have owned, and I have had a good cross section of makes and models.

When I delved deeper, it did not take long to realise the degree of abuse dealt out to the car on many fronts. Four wheel burn out attempts, red line at every opportunity, mods galore upsetting the original design parameters, stalled transmission starts, etc. Worst of all, piss poor butcher mechanics.

Most cars well over ten years old and with over 100,000 miles achieved, and all that is visible to visitors here, is moan bloody moan.

THE SVX IS A DAMN GOOD AUTOMOBILE.

[crazyhorse]

No matter what automotive forum you go to, you're going to hear stories of broken cars. It's what forums are for. The more "love" you read from a forum, usually the more reliable the car.
The most love I've ever seen in a forum is at the www.fordpinto.com forums. The Pinto guys not only love thier cars, they suffer the slings & arrows of it's "firey" reputation. (yeah 7 cars caught fire injuring around 15 people) Taking that out of the picture, Pintos are likely MORE reliable than any Subie, & cheaper to fix. (unless you bend it)
The Subie sites I belong to are more friendly though. (subaruxt.com USMB, & here)

[Turbone]

Originally Posted by CorSVXette

You talk about a transmission cooler and in-line filter. Is that a good idea for these cars? Should I install those things?

Yes, by all means, install a cooler and change out the in-line filter. If yours has the recall filter on it, you can change it to the Perma Cool set up.
Look in the "How To Docs", theres info for both installs.

[nextse7en]

I hate to be the one to disagree, but the svx was well thought out in may areas, the others, however, are for more prone to failure than most modern cars (the exception being land rover, the other car I own.)

In many areas, the car indeed was a new platform, and deserved to be designed as such, but for whatever reasons, subaru really dropped the ball on the last 5% of development.

While it is certainly not a major issue, the sun visors will provide me with an excellent example, regardless.

If one tears into the visors they will find that they are EXACTLY the same visors used on all loyal and GL-DL cars, they have simply been wrapped in velour, as a result, the retaining ring cracks due to additional weight. And we have to replace them.


The 4EAT was designed to push a lighter car with a smaller motor, if heat doesn't kill your tranny, then the weight will grenade the front diff, it's a matter of time.

Bearings, PS pump, brake system, all designed for lighter cars, all fail.

I love my SVX, I love what Subaru did right, which is most of the car. Someone obviously loved this car in the design stage, and it shows. I salute Subaru for allowing the public to drive something almost no one ever gets the chance too.


We get to drive a concept car. I just wish they had conceptualized better.


-Patrick

[Myxalplyx]

Originally Posted by nextse7en

The 4EAT was designed to push a lighter car with a smaller motor, if heat doesn't kill your tranny, then the weight will grenade the front diff, it's a matter of time. ........
Bearings, PS pump, brake system, all designed for lighter cars, all fail.

-Patrick

Thanks Pat for putting what I was trying to say in a better assortment of words.

I still ain't giving this car up though.

[shotgunslade]

I have probably abused my car as much as anyone here. It now has 19 track days on it, for a total abuse duration of almost 30 hours. It has almost failed me a couple of times, but always got me back home. Closest shave was when the power steering return hose split at Pocono. Luckily the local mechanic fabbed a replacement out of generic high pressure hose, and I got home. Most esoteric problem was when the power steering pump began hemorrhaging, spilling fluid on the AC belt, which jumped a groove and wore a hole in the timing belt cover, allowing a plastic shard of the cover to get lodged between the belt and the cog, causing the belt to jump a tooth or two. Young Tom scoped that one out and got my power back.

This post is just to reaffirm 2 points made previously. The car is no more fragile than the great majority of cars out there. Remember that our community, among car groups, is celebrating cars well beyond social security car years. Most of these cars aren't garage queens, either. Many of them are daily drivers and don't even have benefit of garages. Yet they plug on from day to day giving good service for 150,000 mile vehicles.

The second point is the necessity of having a good mechanic who knows the cars. The Subaru dealership checked out my car when I complained it was down on power and didn't find the shredded timing belt cover and jumped belt. I had to call in Super Tom for the rescue.

By the way, had a great day at Lime Rock Saturday. Will post some pics when they come out.

[JaySVX]

I don't think it's that the SVX is unreliable at all. Just that it can be quite expensive to properly maintain, especially if you frequently enjoy spirited driving.

I think the main point of unreliability is the automatic transmission. This, I have to agree with. However, I also have a 5 speed manual transmission in mine. After that, my problems have gone away(other than MAF, coil pack, lower control arm bolt) and most issues have been generated by me.

Over-all I love my car. There aren't many I'd be willing to take in it's place. Sadly, it seems the 2door sports car is on it's way out, so I'll be driving mine as long as humanly possible.

[dcarrb]

Originally Posted by Hop

IMO, it's not that they're unreliable, but when something goes wrong it's just hard to find someone that knows enough about them to fix them.

I continue to be surprised by how much trouble folks seem to have finding someone competent to service an SVX. Guess I should count my blessings.

In four years of SVX ownership, my mechanic's only dismissive comment about my cars targeted Subaru in general and had to do with the cost of tone wheels: "Fifteen cents wortha pot metal!" for close to $200 bucks each. And he didn't believe me at first when I told him my teal SVX had a rear wheel bearing going bad again, after some 40,000 miles. When once I asked the tech if changing the plugs and cam cover gaskets had given him any trouble, he rolled his eyes and said, "Pffft." Foolish of me to ask.

Someone raised the excellent point that these are old cars that should be driven and maintained as such to remain roadworthy. I cringe every time I read here of someone having this problem or that at "WOT." Spend much time there in a fifteen year old car and, well, duh... that car is not long for this world. And thus the fleet dwindles.

The bottom line is that with the exception of one dead battery (which was overdue to be replaced), my cars get me home. So long as they do that, they're earning their keep.

dcb

[svxistentialist]

On balance I am for the motion, and I have always said to intending owners that once they buy a good, cared-for SVX and attend to the known problems, they have got a very reliable vehicle.

On the other side of the argument, Kevin and Patrick are not wrong, there are parts of the car under-engineered, at least under-engineered for the uses to which it may be put.

A tranny cooler is needed. A well and properly rebuilt gearbox will last the life of the car.

Bearings once gone the first time will probably always recur unless the installer does it all perfect. Even doing this it is my opinion that the OEM bearings have an inadequate spec for the weight of the car and the forces it exerts. The heavier grade bearings installed by Tony in Australia have never broken down even under the most extreme use.

Knowing all these problems I would still buy another. The combination of virtues this car has far outweighs the known problems.

Joe

[redsvx]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

The combination of virtues this car has far outweighs the known problems.

Joe

Well said !!!

[AlcyoneDaze]

In a year (celebrating next week!) of owning this car, I haven't had to do anything beyond what I would label as standard maintenance: tires, belts, radiator, brakes, hoses, sensors, etc...

When you include stuff that falls under standard SVX maintenance, replacing the wheel bearings, brakes all around, and transmission ARE standard wear items for this car - i knew that before I bought it and suck it up

In response to the non-WOT crowd, I fully understand that every run up to 130mph is probably shaving years off the end, but its kinda like smoking; the last years are the wheezing, dying, crappy years anyway - so live for the present. have fun with what is a well-built reliable daily drivable car that sees 200+k regularly

[redsvx]

Looking in the 1996 Canadian Car guide from the Toronto Auto Show ... it lists the SVX at $45000 cdn ...
well if I bought the car today at around $5000 I guess ...
I could justify putting another $40000 into it to make it good as new or better