Hi I saw your response in regards to my post two months ago on my 2015 Forester. I had the short block replaced and before my first scheduled oil change the light came on and I was a quart low. I call SOA and now they are telling me that the oil consumption is normal. FRUSTRATED!!

A 2015 with an engine replacement already? That figure for oil consumption is an average ... it's based on all cars ,, not 2015's .. Time for "The Lemon Law" or a Lawyer. You are simply encouraging them to screw you by listening to their BS.

What does the consumption test for oil usage show for where it is going ? Is it on the spark plugs? running out the valves, or what do they say? That is the answer you want to know. I have seen legacy 2.5L leak because of factory misses in cylinder head upper to lower sealer, could it be external leakage at all? Sure, engines use oil, and someone taught you they should not. Which one was taught by an auto manufacturer? The one who claims they should not and probably irons his panty briefs? What's important to you, is is there an easy way to reduce oil consumption, so, you run the test at the dealer, with the engine guy, and ask him to find where it goes... Then, what can be done. If youy dont like what they say, travel to another subaru expert, and get another opinion. What can be done so it defies logic and its shlit dont stink? There could be some o-rings, or some sealer, see what they say.

This is from Consumer Reports ~~~~~~ In fact, our data shows that owners of 98 percent of 2010 to 2014 cars did not have to add oil between changes. But the cars that do burn oil do so furiously. Even if only 2 percent of vehicles sold since 2010 have this problem, that still represents about 1.5 million vehicles on the road. ~~~~~~http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/06/excessive-oil-consumption/index.htm

I saw where valve stem seals became a problem for cars I once thought were flawless, you just could not get good ones. those cars smoked on startup, then cleared, and ate a quart between changes, sometimes more. A car with a new short block begs the question, has consumption test and smoke test been done by an engine builder tech who has not worked on this car? My own engine needed 3 sets, and one head needed redone more times than the other, strange, then it received a set it liked, weird, I know. they were two part numbers tried and no rhyme nor reason to it.

maybe they will tell if they have any external leakage, or if theres any oil , even cooked , coked up spark plugs can still fire but the blue cloud comes out after a hotsoak? or takes a complete temp cycle, and does it in the AM ? It has to be going somewhere. Is it when it climbs a hill in city driving under heavy load? The tech uses the specifics of any bulletin for parts, changes the oil, uses the right specified oil, marks the plug and filter then, road tests and looks for clues, reinspects the engine. sends it away. Then reschedules it, rechecks everything. the customer treats it normally and according to his instructions. Then the tech inspects where he suspects for even slight evidence. That's how you make it reduce consumption. You also check for oil present swapping with other fluids, or failing to drainback within the specified drainback time. going up the pcv or anti-backfire as equipped, etc etc, even ito the crank case breather. Has any of this been done? thats alleviating customer frustration with record keeping of tests run for consult later. And he can look at any other problem childs they have, and call the engine plant (if it was american made) They may have a recourse in subaru for import application data. you have to keep bugging them if you want to make them check every possibility. saw this with flutter noise bulletin, they said it didnt apply, ordered the parts anyway from subaru online, that fixed it. politics or no politics, we were ready to call the ghostbusters.

Tom the oil for my car ranges from 8-10 dollars a quart and I have been documenting all my problems, copied responses from forums similar to this one and articles addressing the problem from Consumer reports. I am not encouraging them just collecting my ammunition before taking it to the next level and showing I have tried everything with Subaru to rectify the problem. They said the problem with the original motor was something to do with not contacting properly, I will look at my record and get exact terminology. I just know that I happen to be one of the poor customers that got one of their lemons. It's unfortunate because I really do love everything else about the car but I cannot be constantly worried about this issue and only a year and a half into owning it. My last car was a 2006 Hyundai Elantra and people can say what they want about Hyundai but it was so far the best vehicle I have ever owned. It died at 267,000 miles and the only thing I ever changed on that car was brakes, tires, oil and the alternator. It had the original clutch and timing belt. I had just spoke to my husband about changing the timing belt and that week that is what killed my car. At 267,000 the light NEVER came on to tell me the oil was low. I loved that car and if I have to get another car I will be going with Hyundai or Kia. Saddest part is I did a lot of research on SUV's before deciding to go with Subaru and never came across anything about them having these problems until it started happening to me. Thank you all for listening and for your help.

Sorry for your problems and believe me when I say that we (IMO) get more posts about that new model car than any I can remember. I can recall a woman who loved her old Subaru then bought another ... nothing but problems .... try searching our data base for Subaru and see what comes up

Your short block is NEW! If by "between changes" you mean 7500mi then indeed it's VERY normal for a horizontally-opposed motor to gobble a liter in that use...especially as it's breaking in. Note that if use 0w20 synth, especially for break in, your consumption will be higher as the rings will take longer to seat. I'd simply use 5w30 winter, and then go to 10w40 for hot weather. Same holds if you're down a quart in only 3000 miles...but I'd watch to see if it lessens over time. I remember in the 70s when my Beetle's opposed motor would only hold straight 40w racing oil...and only if the rear lid was propped open by a 6" stick! Those were the days....

Just reread your initial query. Your oil press light came on when only 1 qt down?? That's not how they're set up. What did the dipstick indicate? One qt down is just above the LOWER dot. These 2.5i will run fine down 2 qts, which is a dry stick, having 2.5qts in there...enough to run ok if not too stressed. So something's doesn't jive here...maybe you were THREE quarts down? But even that's normal for a new short block over 7-8k mi.

The possible good news is that I have many clients with 2.5i with over 200k mi who's engines NO LONGER even dirty up...nevermind consume...their 10w40 as the motors have self- polished from long-term use that they run "clean"...and even get better mileage! So I'd dig deeper and see what SOA is doing about their HO motors running on super-skinny 0w20 synth. SOA has always been very tough re warranty claims, and successfully avoided many situations that would've resulted in recalls among the big players. Now that they're surpassing 3% sales in North America the spotlight's on, and the pressure to act professionally SHOULD result in acting more honorably. The stories I could tell you of decades past....

Thanks SGB, the reading of your experience was good for the topic. Wanted to ask if you have exper. with these skirtless dancing pistons in the 2.5L. Had one that was noisy 30 days after sealing the heads. AM start, rattle, then subsides with temp, quiets with ATF down the pcv in small 1/2ounce doses during diagnosis after warm. Goes nugga, nugga, nugga coming down the drive to visit. She doesn't want to tear it down, or short block it, but her question was, is it going to grenade one of these days? 90K been 10K since then. she drives like ernie irvan did.

oh, 04 legacy awd, quieted the timing tensioner already.

Dannyl, I'd have to hear it. Piston slap can come and go longterm use. Weird.