Has anybody had problems with excessive oil consumption in the 2015 Subaru Forester?

It's a little bit early to say. The 2015 Just arrived. Keep checking.

Untill the motor is properly broken in (the piston rings fully seal) you will always have slightly more oil consumption than an engine that is broken in. Also because of Subaru engine layout being a Boxer engine, you will notice slightly higher oil consumption anyway because it is easier for it to get past the rings and not all of it will drain back into the pan as quickly as an inline or V engine either so if your not giving it a longer time to drain back into the pan after driving it will also look like there is less oil. I own 4 Subarus currently ranging from 120K-200K miles on any one of them and have found that I use about 1-1.5 quarts per oil change. I figure $5-7 worth of oil to top it up between changes is not too horrible a deal.

I bought my 2014 Forester in early May. I have had to add 4 quarts of oil and the car hasn't even had it's first oil change. It has 5700 miles. I should not have to add oil to a brand new car at all much less 4 quarts! Not happy with this car at all.

Correction, that should have read 2015 Forester, not 2014. I would not recommend buying one unless you're prepared to to add oil constantly.

I have a subaru 2014 Forester and I would not recommend a new purchase for anyone on these cars. I have owned over 6 older subaru including 2 justy's. And I bought the Forester brand new and found that at 32,000 miles I still am adding over 2 quarts of oil between oil changes. I asked the dealer at Arapahoe Subaru in Colorado about it, since they service it and told me that's normal. My older cars never used oil like this new car is.

Sounds like class action lawsuit time.

Purchased a new 2015 Forester in May 2014. The oil light went on at 1,500 miles. I was advised to add oil (2 quarts) and bring in for a checkup. It apparently checked out fine, then it happened again at 3,500 miles with same result. I just took in at 7,200 and they say everything is OK but I am deeply skeptical as it was down 2 quarts. I have been advised if any further issues to request a replacement car. Katharine

Katharine, it would be advisable to get the paper work prepared at your earliest convenience. If this is happening repeatedly in the past and they can't find the problem. Odds are it will happen again.

I also have a 2014 Forester, manual transmission. Constantly adding oil and Subaru refusing to do anothing about but drag me back and forth to oil consumption tests. Just used 12oz of oil in 1200 miles. Dealer finally agreed to look into it. Unsure what is next. Very dissatisfied.

I have problems with my 2015. Engine just cuts out. Back to the dealer it went. Oh, I forgot to say, I only have less than 600 miles on the thing. They are trying to say its the Mobil gas. I have used that on all my cars and go to the same station. They are keeping it to drive for a few days to see if it does it for them. I just don't get it, 30 thousand plus dolllars and the thing stinks!

Mobile/Exxon as a company had there fair share of problems BUT produce an excellent product. As for Subaru...... They're got a problem. A big problem.

They sure do Mark, and when I brought that up , they said you can't believe anything on the net, yet proceeds to tell me "Google Subaru, you will see its ranked one of the best cars",,guess that is okay to believe. So I go back to get the car and they were sticking to their guns in saying it is bad gas causing the problem, yet they failed to remove this fuel and told me to take it home and drain it out. Hmm..I thought that is why I took it to the service dept, so they could fix the problem?. I told the little manager that I wasn't happy and they were not doing their job. He said he would have the techs remove the gas and he would drive it to see if it would still be cutting out. I asked about giving me a new car(this one only had 600 miles) he wasn't having that, then I told him I wanted out of the lease, he said fine, pay off the lease amount. The little man is a real ass. I will speak with the leasing bank tomorrow. They are not known to allow lease transfers but I won't be stuck with this piece of crap. Never again will I ever deal with this dealership again. I went ther ebecause they had such high ratings..lol lol,,,, guess the little manager was right, "you can't believe what you read on the internet"

Hi Sara. I am retired and living over seas now but I was in the automotive industry for many years. I'll put this in plain English. The "service manager" is a pimp. The "technicians" are like lady's of the evening. All that interests them is money. They want to replace parts. Not fix something, replace it. For example. Instead of soldering a wire back to a fuel pump they will replace it. That's how they make money. The pimp, whoops, the service manager gets a piece of the action so you can see where his interest is. Now, Subaru is not acknowledging that there is a problem. (Yet) So forget about them helping you for the moment. There's no money in it for them. Here's what I suggest that you do. Document each and every problem you have. What. When. How. Keep it simple but accurate. And the response you get. Also check out the Lemon law in your state. In TAXACHUTTES where I used to live, the dealer had 3 shots and just so many days to fix it or it went into arbitration. The consumer always came out on top. By all means, talk to the bank. They will not let you out of the lease. And you only hurt yourself if you don't keep to the terms you signed and agreed to. The bank didn't make the car, Subaru did and that's where you must take the battle. You strike me as a smart person. Be polite and persistent. You are going to deal with lot of people trained to say "NO" in a lot of different ways. Don't take it personally. Start with the Lemon Law. Tell anyone who you deal with at Subaru that you are prepared to tell everyone and anyone who will listen, be it by word of mouth or social media, just how disappointed that you are with this Subaru. Keep me in the loop. I'm glad to help.

Let me clarify my statement. Not all service mangers are pimps and not all technicians are street walkers. But frankly, some are right there with used.car salesman, lawyers and politicians.

I have a 2015 forester that is burning oil. about 7000 miles. light on 3 times already. do not buy this car until the issue is resolved. I was told this a "breakin peroid" and can use 1Qt ever 1200 miles Sounds like BS. D. Hunter

Yes! I have a used Legacy 2013 (had 9500 miles when purchased in August 2014). Car salesman never told me about this problem and from what I have read recently it's been out there a while. Twice my oil level light has come on since having the car for what a little over 2 months?

Purchased a 2014 Subaru Forester because of "Subaru's good reputation" -- much to my surprise, my NEW car burns oil. I have to keep checking the oil because it needs to be added on a regular basis. at my first oil change the Subaru mechanic told me this just happens and I have to keep an eye on it, that sounds like garbage to me when talking about a new car. I'm angry I switched to Subaru, never again!

my 2014 Subaru forester had the engine block replaced due to excessive oil and now I run out every 1200 miles instead of every 3000 miles. Horrible result! Still fighting with Subaru.

same problem, dealer is did a slide of hand show to get me past the New York State 18,000 mile limit so I can not lemon law this thing in New York. send me story..... subaruscrew@gmail.com

I bought a 2015 Forester (manual) last August. After 9200 km, I got a low oil level light. Checked the oil and could not see oil level. Had the car towed to dealer who told me it ran out of oil, and that it is normal to consume up to 1 l per 2000 km. B.S. I wish I had known about this when I bought the car. The reviews I looked at made no mention of this.

To add to the chorus: I was lucky enough to have a very responsive dealership. They replaced the engine block in my 2014 manual Outback last month. Today, 2000 miles later, the low engine oil light came on again. I'm waiting to hear back from the dealer now. Can't imagine what they'll try next. In every other way, I really love my car, but this is a deal- breaker for me. My last car was a Honda CRV. I put 268,000 miles on it but I never had to add oil, ever.

2012 Forester, going to the dealer because I finally questioned why it is using so much oil? What I was told from the service person over the phone sounds like denial and was told it is the PVC valve. Really sad now with this car and don't want to dump it on someone else so I will have to deal with it. Feel sorry now that I blamed oil use on my wife as she has run cars out of oil before but never a new one? Must say that the oil light never went on even though it was down 2 liters at one point. Can't see me buying another Subaru unless this is resolved.

For what it is worth, I have a 2010 Forester and put in 1/2 quart oil every 2500 - 3000 miles. I thought this was alot!!! as my previous car was an Outback and did not need to add oil between oil changes.

Are those of you who are having these oil consumption issues driving manual or automatic transmission cars? The service dept at my dealer said that the problem is mostly with the manual transmissions, which is what I have. Just wondering if that's the case.......

I have a manual

I also have a manual transmission.

I have a 2001 Subaru OBW am ready to upgrade to the latest OBW. Guess I am going to wait or go for something else. Shame, the 2001 has NEVER used excessive oil.

I'm looking into buying one of these cars as well. I've done my research and it looks like this issue is only on the 2.5 liter engines, and not the 2.0 liter turbo charged engines. Can anyone on here who is having problems clarify if they are driving the 2.5 or 2.0xt? And also whether they are driving and Automatic(CVT) or Manual? Thanks!

Yesterday my wife picked up her 2015 outback, automatic, 4 cylinder. Not sure about liter size.It is provided for her by her company. It has about 200 miles on it. After she arrived home last night, i could see smoke in the headlights, and smell burning oil. After she left this morning there was a puddle of oil where she parked, about the size of my size 12 shoe, but rounder, and again the smell of burning oil inside the car and outside. I got on google right away last night, and started coming across all the oil related problems. There are posts about adding oil every 2-3 thousand miles and it almost sounds like it is normal, or not a big deal. My wife actually likes the car, and so do i, but there's no way we are going to be putting oil in it like that. That's just silly to expect people to be cool with that. I wont mention the brand of my 2002 that has never leaked a drop of oil. Or just about any car ive owned. She's taking it in today. I may update, or i may just forget about the whole thing. Hopefully the later

I just dumped my '14 Forester Limited. I noticed all these threads after checking my oil level. Of course the dealer explained the normalcy of the oil consumption but i'm just not having it. I've owned several cars in my lifetime and NOT ONE did i EVER have to add oil in between changes. That's even with some over 100k miles. This is just not acceptable on a new vehicle. I traded it since the value is still really high. Figured i'd get out while i can to avoid any headaches. First subaru = last subaru

We've had the short block replaced on our 2014 Forester twice (i.e., we're on engine #3 now). There were high oil consumption issues on the original engine (a quart per 1200 miles) and on the first replacement engine (a quart per 900 miles). At first, the local dealer advised us that the condition was normal, and would eventually go away. We began pressing the dealer harder and harder -- made them add the oil, diligently checked the level after they filled it to make sure it wasn't over -full, etc. The dealer gave us something of a hard time for short block replacement #1, but were much better about #2. So far we're at 2500 miles without adding oil. I agree with the previous poster -- after taking our last 4 Honda's to 150,000 miles with virtually no problems, the 2014 Forester has been a gigantic disappointment. It probably will be our last Subaru.

Seems like a lot of these posts are for 2013 models or newer and manual transmissions. I have a 2010 Outback 2.5 Limited with the CVT transmission. The car has almost 70,000 miles and I have not seen any evidence of oll consumption. I do recommend synthetic oil, it does not break down as easy as conventional oil and can withstand higher temperatures. Drive conservatively and avoid racing the engine if you can avoid it. The engine will last longer and keep your car maintained regularly. There's no reason why you can't go 200,000 miles or more with these cars. Good luck.

As a Canadian, I can't hop on board to the US class action. I have a 2014 Impreza that needed a litre and a half of oil in less than 5k kilometers, so I'd likely be adding a litre/quart three times per maintenance interval. I am making sure to document the mileage and the complaint in writing to both Subaru Canada and my dealer so that I have an established complaint once the damage starts to be evident. I think the best approach to encourage Subaru to acknowledge and deal with the oil consumption problem is to use the social network tools to make as many people aware of the flaw as possible and focus on both the reliability and environmental aspect of their demographic. Subaru's are pitched as the car for the outdoor lovers. Yet these cars are emitting up to 3 gallons of oil into the environment per year based on usage of 2000 km or 1,200 miles per month. The more potential customers in those demographics that are aware of the polution these cars are generating and the impact on the long term reliability of the vehicles....anyone still considering a Subaru might also consider a Hummer.

I am very sorry to hear that. From everything I've read online, which is not always 100 percent accurate, it looks like the change in engine design from the time tested EJ 2.5 to the FB 2.5 is part of the problem. They apparently made changes to the piston rings and diameter of the cylinders. I think that the head gasket issue is solved with the introduction of the multi layered gaskets first used on the 2010 models. Also, there was a service bulletin for oil burning on a number of model years 2011-2014 Subaru Forester 2.5 For some reason, this only affected the 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5, maybe the Outback has better quality control? Question, do you have the manual transmission? The problem for you is that these service bulletins only cover the 2012- 2013 Impreza not the 2014 model that you have, which is very unfortunate.

Take a look at this below, www.caranddriver.com/news/Subar u-fb-series-engine-subaru-flat-four- engines You can also search for this , Car and Driver + Subaru New FB series flat four This article explains in detail what was changed and how the new engine is quite different from the previous moter in service since 1989. This article was published in January 2011. Hope that helps.

This might help, Subaru will replace the piston rings on some 2011-2014 Outback, Forester, and XV Crosstrek crossovers, and Impreza and Legacy sedans, due to a problem with excessive oil consumption.On some of these vehicles, Subaru has found unanticipated wear of the oil control piston rings. In affected engines, oil consumption will be higher than normal and consistent, and the condition remains until repair is made. The fix Subaru has come up with a fix for this problem in the form of a change in the surface treatment of the oil control piston rings. On affected vehicles, Subaru will replace the piston rings at no charge under the provisions of the cars' warranty. On vehicles out of warranty, customers will have to pay for their vehicle's repairs—a major out-of-pocket expense, since the engine has to be disassembled, piston rings installed and the engine reassembled, plus any other parts that were damaged as a result of oil loss, gaskets and fluids.Owners should closely monitor their oil levels, and to report consistent drops in oil levels to their dealer, along with the relevant Subaru TSB number, depending on which vehicle they own: 2013 Legacy & Outback w/ 2.5 FB engine: # 02-143-13R. Title: "Engine - Excessive Oil Consumption, Piston Ring Wear"

As a shopper looking for a good quality used car, I was considering a Subaru due to what I thought was a stellar reputation of reliability. Well, I have changed my mind after reading about this issue. I thing I will stick with Honda, for now.

I wonder if 2.0 XT engines have same problems, I didn't find any complains so far.

I have a 2015 Foresterand after 1000 miles oil light came on. Brought it to dealer and they said they would start an oil consumption test wich meant ann oil change and bring it back after 1200 miles. Oil light came back on after 1200 miles. Brought it in today and they said they are going to replace the engine. I am totally disgusted that I have a brand new car with 2400 miles and they are replacing the engine. When a asked the service manager if this is a common problem he said it has happened in some vehicles. Never did they disclose to me what a serious problem this is. I don't know what to do.

Who knows how pervasive this problem is, but, consider yourself lucky that it happened so early and your getting a new engine out of this situation.

Oil consumption defect rate is around 5% as per Subaru franchise owner. 2015 models have not undergone redesign. The problem will persist. Class action suit has been filed in NJ. This class action is still open so others can join although this will take years. I would file a consumer complaint to your State attorney general. My 2014 continues to burn oil even though it passed the SOA test.

John, thank you for your answer. I've got a friend with a 2009 Forester and I purchased my 2010 Outback 2.5 based upon her recommendation of Subaru cars. I purchased my car in May 2014 from dealer as a CPO vehicle and purchased the extended warranty to 100,000 miles. The car was in impeccable condition, but, did have 66,000 miles on the odometer. I've used it for towing my tear drop trailer and have mostly used it on trips. I have not seen any evidence of oil consumption, however, I've only put 3,500 miles on the car. I've been checking the oil at each fill up and am running synthetic oil. So, maybe I'm just lucky with the 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 with the CVT transmission? Any thoughts?

You may have a vehicle with the older boxer engine. Problem is evident in 2011-2015 from what I can tell

Does anyone know if the cars are burning oil versus leaking/oozing oil? I would assume that if the car was burning oil, it would not pass the emissions tests and that would be enough for a new car owner to argue the Subaru defense that the consumption rate is within the normal range. Just for my own knowledge, what is a normal consumption rate for oil? I've never had a car that needed topping up until the later years when the gaskets started leaking.

Cars do not leak, they just burn oil. Was wondering if Barney's 2015 model is a manual or automatic transmission?

Automatic transmission

Burning oil continiously will destroy your catalytic converter over time! The cost of that and installing is not covered anywhere! It will come out of your pocket. Leaking oil onto the floor could point to a headgasket failure. That has been a regular dfect of that engine design....

It's almost inconceivable to believe that changing from the old EJ engine that was a SOHC to a DOHC only produced an increase of three to five horsepower in years 2013 to 2015, yet it caused all of these apparent problems? Of course the old EJ engine had head gasket problems in the past, but, it's ironic that in the last couple of years before its retirement they finally got it right only to jump into this oil burning issue. My advice is to document and chart your oil consumption so you can make your case for getting the engine fixed under warranty.

2015 Subaru Outback Manual, burning oil. Jumping through the stupid Subaru hoops. Oil consumption tests, short block, piston rings, blah blah, fix the damn problem. Keep documenting. This is my 3rd and final Subaru, I will not buy another one.

Hmm, let me get this straight, your 2015 Subaru Outback is burning how much oil in how many miles? I imagine it's under warranty? I would be in the service manager's office and on the phone with Subaru of America in Indiana. Try calling them. I had some routine questions that had nothing to do with this and they answered all my questions.

Here's something interesting about I found on the Internet... SOHC's rev higher and have more torque (on average) than DOHC's... and have fewer moving parts that result in less maintenance, less oil weardown, and fewer troubles on down the line. But it's good for smaller engines because they can pack in more fuel-efficiency boosting valves. Remember, Subaru changed their engine design to DOHC's in 2013, could this answer this question of increased oil use? Any validity to this statement? Both dual and single OHC Subaru's have 16 valves per cylinder, so, the principle difference between the two is the single vs. double camshafts.

Here's a little more detail on this subject of DHOC vs. SOHC engines, As I stated before, the DHOC engine design in the FB series just complicated the former EJ series engine. See web link below for explanation, both engines have 16 valves, but, the engineering is different. http://paultan.org/2005/06/22/sohc-vs-dohc-valvetrains/

Here's the most salient point of this article by Paul Tan, link is in prior post, "DOHC refers to Double Overhead Camshaft. This arrangement uses two camshafts in each cylinder head. Two cams per cylinder head means that a DOHC V engine has 4 camshafts because it has 2 banks of cylinder heads. This allows the manufacturer to easily implement a 4 valve per cylinder setup. Most of the time it also allows the engine to rev higher. It also allows better placement of the valves in an optimized setup that gives you maximum performance. But the disadvantage of such a setup is more weight, more cost and more complexity. It takes more stuff to drive two camshafts. The main reason to use DOHC is to drive more valves per cylinder. If a SOHC setup can allow 4 valves per cylinder, having a DOHC engine will not bring that much benefits over SOHC and the additional weight becomes a burden instead."

Do not buy any Subaru's until the oil consumption problems and/or class action lawsuits are settled.

Dave, I wonder if this is just an anomaly with a percentage of cars sold as Subaru is on the rise and more cars are produced now than in past years. If this problem were this pervasive, it would affect every person and I'm sure that there would be a louder outcry everywhere. I'm not going to dismiss the importance of this issue, rather, encourage more people to come forward to force a resolution if this is necessary. I'm really glad that I have a 2010 model and have not seen any evidence of oil burning with the old EJ engine design, but, I'm going to keep a watchful eye on my car. I was initially concerned about the head gaskets issue, but, after I called Subaru corporate I discovered that my model year was the first year they used the multi layered head gaskets on the engine, so, I'm hoping that this will be a successful run to at least 125,000 miles or more? You probably saw my earlier post about the increase from 170 horsepower to 173 and then 175....too bad they made a number of engine modifications to just gain this modest increase. I am very pleased with the CVT transmission, it really does a great job getting the most out of the 2.5 engine and deliver very respectable fuel economy for a vehicle of this size. Even if I might have considered the Six for greater acceleration, I still would have chosen the CVT over the conventional 5 speed on that model year. The CVT just gets better mileage and always keeps the engine in the optimum range for power. It's interesting that Subaru only offers the CVT transmission now, which tells me that it has proven itself to be a success. I think the next 12 months will tell how well Subaru handles all of this controversy and be reflected in sales.

Just found this on a website, see below What is Subaru’s response? Subaru has not responded publicly to the oil consumption lawsuit, and in response to the report, Subaru Director of Corporate Communications Michael McHale, declined to comment on the lawsuit. But he did say in the Courier-Post report, "However, I would say that the vast majority of our vehicles consume oil at typical levels." What should Subaru owners do? If you own a 2011-14 Forester, 2013 Legacy and 2013 Outback, with 2.5- liter engines, and 2012-13 Impreza and 2013 Crosstrek with 2-liter engines and you are having this oil consumption issue, take you vehicle in to your Subaru dealer and ask for an "oil consumption test." But keep in mind, it’s been reported that Subaru dealers are telling owners that the oil consumption issue is “normal” and that normal usage is 1 quart every 1200 miles. - See more at: http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2nd-new-oil- consumption-lawsuit-suddenly-filed-against- subaru#sthash.JzXetYKM.dpuf

Found these two posts on an independent Subaru post about the oil burning problems, these were written by others, and partially explains the issue with the new FB vs the older EJ series engine, technical, but interesting, You just verified everything I just posted. But perhaps you overlooked the current oil consumption complaint. It has nothing to do with the HG's. That oil is being lost through piston rings that do not seat correctly, which SOA attributes to the hardening agents used on the FB engines. Many of these engines experience this problem from day 1. Intentional dealer overfill is documented on this forum, something you should already know. These engines have not exhibited oil loss through the HG's. That's the older EJ design. The lawsuit is about consumption on the FB, which not long ago SOA announced that the loss of 1qt of oil in 1200 miles is "normal", which you should also know. Revisions to the valvetrain include the use of roller rocker arms instead of lifters to actuate valves. These components and their layout contribute to reducing the width of the cylinder heads and overall engine width. The fuel injectors were moved to the cylinder heads. In the EJ engine, they were mounted in the intake manifolds. The relocation enhances the flow of atomized fuel, helping to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust gas emissions."

I've had my 2014 Forester for 13 months and 34,000 miles...3 times so far between oil changes I have had to add a quart of oil because the oil light coming on...the first time was at about 4000 miles, then 3000 miles, now 1500. The Subaru keeps giving the party line, it's normal...I'm beginning to think they work for Obamacare and they keeps saying don't worry, be happy, everything is fine, have a free cup of kool-aid...I mean coffee. My 2005 Outback that I traded in had 165,000 miles on it and I never had this problem. The major problem is going to be when my warrenty runs out in 2000 miles...

Phil, 34,000, that's a lot of miles in 13 months! Are those mostly highway miles? Was your 2005 a Four or Six and was it mostly trouble free with respect to oil, transmission, head gaskets and engine? I'm sure you had to replace the timing belt if you had the Four, which is normal. If your experience was favorable, it would be a good predictor for my 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5.

Take a look at this web site, you need to take action before 50,000 miles. http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/subaru-tsb-for-excessive-oil- consumption-1600566355 It is on a case by case basis, but, starting earlier is better. Documentation and persistence is key. From what I've read, we're talking about a small percentage of affected cars so it's not all Subaru's. Yeah, things happen and if there's a problem with your particular car, get them to fix it! Subaru has enjoyed a sterling reputation as a fine car company, remind them to do the right thing. Word of mouth advertising is always the best and I'm sure they don't want to lose that.

Class Action Law suit. Contact the attorney listed there and join the suit. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/07/18/subaru-oil-burner-lawsuit/12859865/

There are 2 class action lawsuits now. Subaru says that 1 quart per 1000 is normal which is total nonsense. Do not buy anything from them.

I have applied to the one I listed the link for. Where is the other and should I look into joining that one as well? I have never joined a class action before. This is my first and last Subaru! Bob

As someone who had a Subaru Outback Wagon for 14 years that has NEVER used oil over that period, I find your comment rather curious. One quart, 1/4 gallon very 1000 miles is just unacceptable. Your F150 at 1 Qt every 5000 miles would not show up on a vehicle that has an oil change every 3000 miles. To have to "top" up your oil twice before coming in for your regular oil change is ridiculous.

Here is Bob's answer, http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2nd-new-oil-consumption-lawsuit-suddenly-filed-against-subaru 1 quart per 1000 is crazy for ANY vehicle and unacceptable. Hence the lawsuits and other problems with Subaru's.

New oil change intervals are more than 3000 miles.on my F150 and my 2014 Focus, t he interval is 7500 miles for oil changes. Subaru, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, GM and Dodge recommend 7500 miles on an oil change due to the use of synthetic ot synthetic blend oils.

Thanks Dave! I think it's time to trade in this POS. It is really a shame. I love every other detail of the Forrester. This oil consumption problem is just too significant for me to tolerate. The potential for larger problems down the road is too great. It is time to dump it before it goes down in flames. I don't know what that will do to my chances of regaining lost value from a class action suit, but I learned a long time ago that the only people that benefit from legal action are the attorneys. Time to ditch the bitch! Bob

I agree, I don't think it''s worth the grief. You won't get what expect out of a class action suit anyway. CAS's are punishment and bad press only. Unless someone dies then it's a whole nother thing.

The problem is the 0w20 oil. That is WAY TOO LIGHT!!!

Thats really good news. I'm glad Subaru fixed it. However there are lots of really bad problems not being fixed.

We have had a very sad time with Subaru lately. My wife bought a 1998 Forester, new. She loved it. It had the head gasket problem - that was fixed - and other than that it was a wonderful, reliable vehicle. NO oil burning issues. In 2011 she traded it in (at 171,000 miles) for a Forester 2.5i premium w/ manual transmission. At about 8500 miles, the engine started getting noisy and was diagnosed as having the "sewing machine" noise problem, which required the replacement of one of the head and valve train assemblies. Doing so required removal of the engine. There are several technical service bulletins (TSB's) regarding this issue. We were told it was a temporary quality control issue, but the bulletin has ben continued for '12, '13, and '14 models! So, a four year quality control issue? The new head and valve train assembly fixed the noise but then we spent months battling Subaru over the fact that the car had acquired a horrible idle (post the noise fix). The service manager kept blaming the gas we were using. After using their recommended fuel for about 6 weeks, with no idle improvement, they finally gave in and got serious about fixing the idle problem. They had to pull the engine out (again) and informed us that the valves were not adjusted properly. After a week in the shop we got the car back with no noise and an OK idle, but now it LEAKED oil badly. My wife had had it - she wrote a fiery letter directly to the CEO of Subaru. Long story short, we got a huge discount on a '13 with more equipment than the '11 with 0% for 60 months. We were rid of the "11. Happy ending you say? No. The '13 was fine for a while but lately (with 19,000 miles on it) it is doing the oil burning thing. About a quart per 1000 miles. We are really ticked about the whole situation. Subaru, of course wants us to do the oil consumption tests, which means a round trip of about 40 miles to the nearest Subaru dealer. I do not think Subaru has the problem fixed yet since people are posting about having troubles with their '15's. As for 0-20 oil being too thin, I have a 2010 Honda CRV that runs 0-20. It uses about 1/2 quart per 5000 miles, which is the oil change interval. As for the lawsuit, lawyers will get millions, and the Subaru owner - stuck with a problematic vehicle with a damaged resale - maybe gets a check for $1500, if that? We don't know what to do. We sure don't want to go through another engine-out-of-the-vehicle fiasco like we had with the '11. Some people who have had the short block changed are STILL having oil burning issues. Subaru is not on top of this!

Well, my 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited with the Four calls for 5-30 oil, runs great and have not experienced any oil burning. Smooth and powerful enough with the CVT transmission, I've been getting 22 mpg towing my teardrop and fully loaded on the highway and 29 mpg normal highway driving. I'm using synthetic oil, even though it's not required, better protection against breakdown. I noticed that the introduction of the newer engines and thinner cylinder walls calls for 0-20 viscosity? So, all of these apparent problems are with the 2011-2015 models, how unfortunate. Plus, there seems to be more people having problems with the engines coupled to the manual transmissions. Wonder if this is linked to the nature of how people shift through the gears with the engine rpm's going up and down. The CVT transmission keeps the engine at a more even keel on normal acceleration and only increases sharply when you have to step out briskly. By the way, the CVT transmission seems to always keep it in the most optimal range for power and acceleration. Yes, it's a little different getting used to, but, I like it.

I have a 2011 Subaru Forester and have recently been told that it will require a new engine at 75,000 miles to the tune of $5,500. I was then asked if we had done regular oil maintenance. I said yes, and that we have had to add between 3 and 5 quarts of oil between changes, the service center (at Subaru) acted surprised. After seeing all that is out there about oil consumption issues and such, I cannot imagine purchasing another Subaru.

Yes, unfortunately, the "new and improved"????? FB Engine for the Forrester was introduced for the first year in 2011. And, it was not lucky for you, see this web site below. Subaru should really stand up and fix. http://www.caranddriver.com/news/subaru-fb-series-engine-subaru-flat- four-engines

A lot of noise was made about the introduction of the FB engine featuring a timing chain vs. a timing belt. Turns out, that I'd rather deal with the timing belt issue than have a car that burns excessive oil. So, I'm glad in retrospect that I purchased the 2010. When I went looking for a CPO car, I actually considered a 2013 model year, and I'm glad I skipped it. Sorry to hear about all you guys out there dealing with this issue. The only thing I would strongly recommend is get that oil test done and hold your local dealerships feet to the fire. Remember, the squeaky wheel get the grease. They can only say no, but, you might as well try.

Markw, I think you will do just fine with your 2010 Outback. My sister has a 2010 Outback with the same equipment as yours. They love it. No problems; they live on a 55 acre farm and even use it to pull a small trailer around the property to get hay to the horses, etc. Subaru introduced two "new and improved" engines for the 2011 model year, the "FB25", to go into the Forester and Outback, and the "FB20" to go into the Impreza and Crosstrek. The Forester got the FB25 in 2011 and the Outback got the FB25 in 2013. There was all sorts of hype and fanfare - better mileage, lighter weight, less maintenance "greener", blah,blah. Major changes were dropping the timing belt for a timing chain, more sophisticated valve train, movement of the oil filter from the bottom of the engine to the top, moving-parts weight reduction, AND going to 0-20 synthetic only oil from 5-30 whatever oil. Our 2013 Forester is using about a quart of $8 per quart oil about every 1000 miles, as I stated in a previous post. Buried deep down in the owners manual it states that the engine may use as much as 1 quart per 1200 miles, so by that definition, our Forester's engine is not OK, but almost OK (really??). We have actually thought about trading in the 2013 for a 2010 or older Forester or for a 2012 or older Outback just for the older motor design. I, as a consumer, have a lot of trouble with the idea that I'm supposed to be cool with the idea of basically paying for most of an oil change between oil changes. OMG, I had a 1966 Plymouth Fury in high school that had 77,000 miles on it and marginal valve guide seals. I got 2500 miles to a quart of oil on that! Hold on to your 2010 Outback, Markw!

WillEF , thank you very much for your post, very appreciated! Good luck finding a late model 2010 with the old EJ engine design. Sometimes, "new" and "improved" has early start up problems, hopefully, this will get worked out, The old EJ design had a very long run and apparently they were able to make many improvements to that engine over a decade.

WillEF wrote earlier that they were putting in an $8(eight dollar) quart of oil every 1,000 miles. Well, in case you have not realized this, that's $800 (eight hundred dollars) in the first 100,000 miles. So, if you thought you were saving money by not having to change your timing belt, your paying it another way and have the responsibility for watching your oil levels more closely than you might with an older EJ engine. I thought this was supposed to be lighter on maintenance? By the way, even though the timing chain is supposed to last the life of the engine, my question is whose "lifetime" are we talking about? With so many old Subaru cars in the "Subaru High Mileage Club" having over 300,000 miles, I'd rather have the belt change around 100,000 miles. At least I'll know that it's in good shape. If you have never had a timing chain failure, they can happen and any car over 150,000 miles is probably at risk. By the way, it's either 100,000 miles or seven years. Don't wait until the last minute or try to wring the last few days from a brittle timing belt, you'll regret it if it breaks. It's always best to keep one step ahead of these issues and keep your car on the road with full power. You'll get better performance and enjoy your car more in the long run.

UPDATE: Went to the dealer on Friday 2/20/15. They scheduled that day to start the oil use test. I waited until they were done with the oil change and then asked at the service desk what the "limit of acceptability is". They told me with a straight face that the car was fine if it came back in 1200 miles with less than 10.8 oz. of oil missing. With a standard oil change interval of 7500 miles I didn't need to do any pencil math to figure out I was not going to like the outcome of this test under any circumstances. I took the car to my local Nissan dealer and purchased a brand new loaded Rogue. I love this thing! Subaru has screwed themselves out much more than my future business. I am on several forums on the internet and one of them is multinational. I will be warning ALL of my friends about the dangers of doing business with Subaru. They would have had some significant costs to recall all the cars that were not performing but that would have been the right thing to do. All automotive manufacturers test designs thoroughly to prevent things like this. Any changes in the production methods, acceptance tolerances or materials must be accompanied by another thorough test. Someone at the factory was either fooled by a source into thinking things didn't change when they did or they just decided to accept a change without testing. The only other possibility is that they just thought sucking down two quarts between oil changes was acceptable from the start and I don't think anyone reading this thinks they would be so foolish. In any case. Subaru is no longer my problem. I would advise you all to dump your Subaru's as soon as possible. The word is not fully out yet and when it is the values will plummet. For the record I got $23,000 for my 2014 Forester 25i Touring in trade for the fully loaded Rogue and $5500. I am happy now and my wife says she likes the Rogue MUCH better in every way. The full 360 camera is amazing!!!!!! Best of luck my friends! Loyalty is a two way street. Dump them and warn your friends. Bob

Nissan's are known for requiring more maintenance than other Asian cars. Did you consider a Toyota or Honda? I previously had a 1995 Honda Accord and kept that for 19 years.

Perhaps, but it uses 10W-30 oil and rides like it is floating on clouds. It is a great deal quieter inside as well. When you add to this the Bose audio that comes in it. WOW!!! When we purchased the Forester in April of 2013 the Honda was a close second. I thought I would just be going out to get one when this mess with Subaru came to a head. Upon actually driving both the CR-V and the Rogue it was no contest. The Rogue blows the Honda out of the water. I read a lot too. The Honda had similar oil consumption problems back in 2010. I don't know if they got it fixed completely or not but they are still using the 0W20 oil. I will mention again that the Nissan Rogue uses 10W30 and the EPA average/highway is 28/33. I will have to be convinced of the mileage just like I was a hard sell on the Forester. The Forester initially did 34 on the highway. I was delighted. Until it burn enough oil to mess up the oxygen sensors (maybe the catalytic converter too) and the best I could get when traded 24,400 miles later was about 30 on the highway. The negatives on the Rogue are yet to be seen. Way too new to know much about that. I will save all that for the Rogue forum. I am officially free of the Subaru and delighted with the change. I wish you all the best with the challenges before you. If you choose to fight, I hope you play dirty with Subaru because they did with you. I consider my actions a tactical retreat and in the nick of time. I will not have to go down with my Subaru. Bob

Bob, good luck, I mean that, it's always better to be lucky than good! As far as my situation, I don't have any current Subaru Outback issues since my car is the 2010 Outback 2.5 Limited with the CVT and EJ series engine. My car uses 5-30 weight oil and I have not seen any evidence of oil burning problems. I've been following this forum to keep informed and have not heard from anyone on this issue with the 2010 model year. Only thing I've heard are good things. So, whenever you purchase a product or service, you're rolling the dice and hopefully you'll make the right choice. I'm not familiar with the Rogue, but, we've had experience with Altimas and whIle they are good cars, they did not perform like my 1995 Honda Accord. And, it's true over time that these things change. For a while, Honda Accord transmissions were horrible. Sometimes you win or lose.

Bob, one more thing, this just in from Consumers Reports, Nissan, 59, 25%---the first number is what percentage of cars they tested in the Nissan line and the second number is the percentage of cars in the line they recommend. For your information, Subaru was 73, 80%. I hope your Rogue was one of the 25 percent that they rated well. By the way, as a matter of reference, not one Chrysler car got recommended, period.

@Markw1952 Did the Consumers Reports mention anything about topping up oil on those recommended Subarus up to twice a month? This particular issue is not something that necessarily gets flagged except on the long term maintenance ratings which are often incomplete for new models or model years. I have no problem with the analysis of data. The problem is when Subaru hides data (they did from me) or if they are in denial about a problem. Bob can probably do the analysis himself too and having a major problem with the fundamental part of the car (the engine) may have overridden the more minor issues in Consumers Reports. For me, it's not that there's a problem, it's that Subaru is in denial, and therefore not willing to deal with it. This has substantial impact on the value of the vehicle whether you love Subaru or not. It may take years to bite you, and it may never bite you but smart money exits early.

Hi Pablo of the North, I don't think Subaru is in denial of the oil usage, but I do think they are trying to walk around the problem with a multitude of desperate plans. It mentions in the owners manual for our 2013 Forester that a quart per 1200 miles could be considered "normal". And then there's all sorts of posts out there on various forums from people who had oil changed at a dealership and then shortly after checked the level to find the dealership had filled the engine 1/2 to 1 quart ABOVE the full mark. And what about the fact that this oil usage, apparently a pretty widespread problem, is dealt with only under a TSB - hear no evil, see no evil. So, Subaru, what about long term issues with this, such as destroyed catalytic convertors, O2 sensors that go haywire and mess with the mixture control, fouled plugs, etc.?? In a way, Subaru is dealing with it, but they sure aren't going out of their way to bring it up. P8C mentioned a number of posts back that Subaru was so "surprised" about their car using many quarts of oil between changes. Fake surprise in my view. I wonder if he's going to shell out the $5500?

Hi WillEF, In Canada, there are no class actions against Subaru Canada, and I would argue that they are in denial. I could show you the letters from Subaru Canada and they are denials of a problem, of any problem. This is normal because we say it is. It is no different than if engines started failing and they told you to read some buried document which said it is normal for engines to fail after 10,000 miles. It is a cowardly response. If the salesman was describing the car, and he said "if your oil light comes on every two weeks, don't worry, just pull over and top up your oil, this is normal. Always keep a litre or two in your car" then perhaps I would not have reason to complain but of course I would not have purchased the car. This is not a small feature that the sales guys can choose to keep quiet like if the cup holders were inconvenient. This is a major problem with the engine of the car.

Pablo - so, have you sold car? You wrote It is no different than if engines started failing and they told you to read some buried document which said it is normal for engines to fail after 10,000 mIles. REALLY? I doubt that this is true. And , just how many documented cases of excessive oil burning cars are out there? You really don't know, do you? As far as I'm concerned, it's probably a minority, otherwise this story would be on 60 Minutes! You make it sound like this is a ubiquitous problem and I don't believe that. Subaru has a long history of building quality cars and they started as an aircraft company. Those of you with compliants even in Canada can go talk with their dealership about a remedy, even without a lawsuit. After all, they want repeat clients. I hardly think that some bad examples will lower the value of all Subaru cars on the road. There's legions of people out there who are well served by their cars. Try and establish a rapport with your dealer rather than antagonize them. You can catch a lot more bees with honey than you can with vinegar. The "boxer engine " utilized by Subaru is unusual and only found elsewhere in Porsche, they'll work out the bugs in this new FB engine iteration eventually. Besides, your car if it's a 2015 is under warranty, isn't it? It's always desirable to check your oil at every fill up, remember when that was standard procedure at the gas station? Only takes less than three minutes to do that.

You don't seriously believe that anyone on this planet wood knowingly buy a new car if the salesman told them it might take a quart of oil every 2000 miles do you? You don't seriously believe it is ethical to bury this high oil consumption fact in the owners manual when 99.99 percent of car buyers never open it until they get the car home. Subaru is in denial. Please don't join them in it. Or worse yet, suggest anyone else join in the denial. If you have one of these oil guzzlers you know what you need to do to cut your losses. It is maddening that you have to even consider such a thing. It may also be financially impossible for you and that enrages me to think off their deceit. Bob

I perused the 2010 Subaru Outback owners manual and compared that to the 2015 Subaru Outback version which states this message, ◆ Engine oil consumption Some engine oil will be consumed while driving. Under the following conditions, oil consumption can be increased and thus require refilling between maintenance intervals: ● When the engine is new and within the break-in period ● When the engine oil is of lower quality ● When the incorrect oil viscosity is used ● When engine braking is employed ● When the engine is operated at high engine speeds ● When the engine is operated under heavy loads ● When towing a trailer ● When the engine idles for long periods of time ● When the vehicle is operated in stop and go and/or heavy traffic situations ● When the vehicle is used under severe thermal conditions ● When the vehicle accelerates and decelerates frequently Under these or similar conditions, you should check your oil at least every 2nd fuel fill-up and change your engine oil more frequently. If your oil consumption rate is greater than 1 quart every 1,200 miles or 1 liter every 2,000 kilometers, contact your SUBARU dealer who may perform a test under controlled conditions. NOTE , they are not saying this is "normal", they're saying you should have your car checked out if this is happening. COMPARE AND CONTRAST this to the what it says in the 2010 Subaru Outback Owners Manual, ● When the engine low oil level warning light illuminates, have your vehicle inspected by your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. ● The engine oil consumption rate is not stabilized, and therefore cannot be determined until the vehicle has traveled at least several thousand miles (kilometers). Even after break-in, when the vehicle is used under severe driving conditions such as those mentioned in the Warranty and Maintenance Booklet, engine oil is consumed or deteriorated more quickly than under normal driving conditions. If you drive your vehicle under these severe conditions, you should check the oil level at least at every second fuel fill-up time, and change the oil more frequently. Please refer to the Warranty and Maintenance Booklet for more details. ● If the oil consumption rate seems abnormally high after the break-in period, for example more than 1 quart per 1,200 miles or 1 liter per 2,000 kilometers, we recommend that you contact your SUBARU dealer. Plus, as I've said before there are some instances with a TSB where they have been replacing pistons and rings in affected engines. If you purchased a "new" car, and it's under warranty, by all means, go back the dealer and make them repair your car. Finally, I don't know how everyone treats their cars, but, we're pretty easy on our vehicles. I cannot imagine someone purchasing an Outback or Forester and driving it hard like a WRX STI. And, apparently it matters greatly how your car was driven during the break-in period. If you did not follow the instructions in the owner's manual, then, you've created the problem yourself. Of course, I imagine that not everyone takes the time to read the owner's manual all that carefully.

@Markw1922 The example about if an engine failing was to demonstrate that just because Subaru says it is normal does not make it true. You obviously missed that argument. If we asked 100 intelligent humans whether they thought it was "normal" to expect to have to top up a modern car with half a litre of oil every two weeks (light goes on when half litre down, 1200 miles per month driving) how many do you think would say that yes, it is normal? How many would say they'd buy that new car? I expect 100 would say it is not normal, and nobody, except perhaps you, would buy that car. No, I don't know how many documented cases there are. This is because I have no access to the documented cases. This is something Subaru DOES have access to but they are not sharing it. This sort of groundswell does not start on it's own, it starts for a reason especially among customers with stronger than normal loyalty to Subaru. The other consequence of Subaru not addressing the issue is that the side effects and consequences of a problem which MAY exist are not researched and I don't have guidance to take preventative measures. These may come much later in the car's life after my warranty has expired. I know my oil light came on twice in the first couple of thousand miles. Not one person I talked to at work, not friends, not relatives said don't worry, it's normal. They all said "What??". Talk to my dealership? You don't think I did that already? Dealer did not even respond to my request for information. Then the alternate dealer I went to for first service, when I asked about the excessive oil consumption issue - "Hey Bill, does the 2014 have the oil issue...?. We can do an oil consumption test but anything less than 1 litre per 2000km is normal sir....contact subaru Canada if any concerns...." I don't mind Subaru "working out the bugs" on the new engine designs but do it on your own dime, not mine. Also, do it before you plunk the engine in a new car. And if you think this is normal, then you don't need to fix that bug, all is good, right? Just make it clear to the public that they should expect 1920's style checking of and topping up of oil. Just get your gas station attendant to do it each time he fills up your car and washes your windshield. I could see the Subaru commercial in my head. However, don't publish the commercial of my wife on the side of an icy highway at night, topping up her oil, flashlight in hand, kids crying in car seats. That might impact sales, despite being a "normal" experience for the new Environmental and Reliability conscious Subaru owner. But then again I don't have a Subaru tattoo on my butt so I'm not thinking clearly.

OK Pablo, for clarification, I just called Subaru of America to get to the bottom of this issue and here's what I found out. What the owner's manual should have stated more specifically is "it's acceptable to use one third of a quart of oil every 1,200 miles or it's normal to use one quart every 3,600 miles. Any extra oil consumption above one quart every 3,600 miles means that you can ask for an oil consumption test. I'll admit that the owners manual language is a bit misleading which is why I called them on the phone. Exactly how many miles are on your car? And what model do you have?

Well then even Subaru Canada is confused by the manual. Here is their direct response to me: "It is important to note that Subaru Canada's tolerance for oil consumption (as outlined in section 11, on page 9 of your Owner's Manual) is 1 liter of oil per 2,000 km driven. Regretfully, if your vehicle is within this tolerance and there are no other mechanical concerns present then there may not be a correction available to you at this time." They told me the oil light goes on when one half litre down which means every 1000 km (about 600 miles). This would happen twice per month (2000 km per month, 24,000 per year) for average mileage which is about what I do. Suggesting that you may expect the oil light to come on every two weeks or so is preposterous. Sure, I can top it up every weekend, or every fill up but I don't want to do this. I shouldn't have to do this. This is a major feature of a car that a salesman should be telling me about before they take my money. I've never had a car that requires top ups between maintenance dates unless there is a leak. I think most buyers that would have the oil light come and have to top up a half litre of oil 10 times in their first maintenance window might possibly agree with me that there's a problem. Mine is not that bad (yet), but the audacity of Subaru to deny this is abnormal or that I should be concerned??? Why would I even need an oil change because I've cycled a full oil fill in the maintenance period, like a constant flush of oil.

Pablo, go ahead and call them at 800-782-2783 and verify what I just told you, I spoke to Lisa in customer care. What year and model Subaru do you have? I have never seen the oil light come on except when starting the car when all warning lights illuminate, this is normal on starting the engine. My car is a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 and I have 70,000 miles on my car. Since I've been aware of this oil burning issue, I check often, and have taken the car on two long trips, no oil burning whatsoever. Even though it's not required, I am using synthetic oil in my car and it calls for 5-30, which is different from newer models.

Hey guys, On one occasion, I was down 1.25 quarts on our 2013 Forester and NEVER GOT AN OIL LIGHT. An additional note. If this is a problem with hardness coating on the oil wiper rings on the pistons (as Subaru claims), then they should know exactly what vehicles were affected (effected? - never could get that right) by VIN and engine serial number. If they can't track that sort of engineering and sourcing mishap, then I think Subaru needs to spend a whole lot more time taking care of design and a whole lot less time telling me how much dogs like to ride in their vehicles. This "just wait and see" if the customer happens to notice is a sucky business practice.

WillEF, call Subaru of America and tell them your story. Plus this link http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1092813_some-2011- 2014-subarus-to-get-new-piston-rings. You have to be the squeaky wheel in this case. They sell a lot of vehicles and if you and some other people think that this is affecting every car, well, I think you're mistaken, sorry. I agree with you, they should know the affected cars, but, then again, that's a lot of cars to track down, so, you have to be the "canary in the coal mine" on this issue. Good luck.

Pablo, WillEF, see Betty's post above in Colorado in which Auto Nation replaced the engine in their 2013 Subaru Forester. They pursued a remedy and were successful, I'm sure you can do the same. This is direct evidence to me that Subaru is being responsible, unless you think they lied about their experience. Does it take a concerted effort, of course, everything does. Keep records of what you do and good luck.

@WillEF I think we added just over 1 litre immediately after the first oil light warning but when I told the subaru dealer at the shop he told me that it must have only been half a litre because the light is designed to come on when it's down half a litre. This is an Impreza. I think there is quite a bit of variation. And @Mark, nobody is saying every Subaru has this problem but there appears to be some very specific changes they made that they acknowlege as a cause for increased oil consumtpion. Every car is different as is every driver and condition so there is variation in the amount cars consume. If this problem becomes common knowledge it will affect (verb form) the value of all Subarus because a buyer will never know the consumption until they have purchased. I tend to buy cars and drive them for 12+ years but others may wish to sell earlier and this affects their value.

@Mark I agree that there are some signs of responsible handling of this by Subaru, but I'd prefer to go for a walk, and many other things for that matter, rather than chase around Subaru, write letters, log statistics about my car. I want a reliable car that just works. This was part of the justification for buying a Subaru in the first place. But so far, as you can see from the snippet of the letter back from Subaru, that they don't plan on helping me. Mine is not a serious problem yet (only two top ups in first maintenance window). I am more disappointed with Subaru's hiding behind their lawyers than I am with the technical glitch. But if they continue this response, I'll do extraordinary things to attach "this" to their brand. "This" is a car with poor reliability which spews up to 10 litres of oil into the environment per year and says that's okay. 60 minutes, here I come.

Pablo, I normally keep my cars for 15 to 20 years, or 150,000 miles to get the most service value from the car, resale value is only important if you intend to sell the car. So, I'm glad to see above that you're now saying that this is not a problem on every Subaru sold, of course that's not true. I'm sorry you're experiences are a problem, but, if you're under 50,000 miles like the 2013 Forrester above, I think you and WillEF have a better than even chance of getting Subaru to help you. As far as resale values are concerned, Subaru cars have excellent resale value, just check out Kelley Blue Book. The new 2015 Legacy is rated very highly. Subaru has a vested interest in keeping their reputation, you know it and so do they. Forget dealing with an unreasonable dealership, go directly through Subaru of America, or find another dealer, if possible. Sure, there are going to be problem car samples, appeal to them to make you happy, positive word of mouth advertising is the best advertising in the world. If your Imprezza is on the list for the piston rings recall, call their attention to it. If that's too much for you, sell the car.

Mark It's great that you took your happy pills and are content with the fairness of the world and Subaru. Here is what I expect from Subaru: 1. Acknowledge the problem (don't deny the problem) then qualify and quantify it. "The following engines were build using a different process, the engine bore changed, piston rings changed to try to improve mileage and here are some symptoms you may see and if you do we need to confirm... or whatever the problem is". This information is out there, but just not official. 2. Stop with the campaign "you should expect to top up your oil every two weeks". It is an insult to any owner except those taking Subaru happy pills. "Golleee, when I was a boy in the 1920s my dad checked the oil every day and had to wind up his car." 3. Directly contact customers that have cars with engines that were build using the flawed process, explain technical details or possible symptoms and long term consequences in a written letter, 4. Offer remediation for serious problems after a clear process for determination of the seriousness of the problem 5. Extend warranty coverage on engine and other parts that are undoubtedly going to have a shortened life (catalytic converter for example). I never said all Subarus have an oil consumption issue, but if and when the cause of the probem is identified, IT WILL AFFECT THE VALUE OF ALL CARS BUILT WITH FLAWED PROCESS, because anyone buying a used Subaru from those models and years might assume that the owner is lying about the problem like Subaru has done for the last 4 years. Most sellers won't say "I'm selling it because the engine is a ticking time bomb and I am sick of pouring oil into it". They might say "it's great, reliable, green" just like my lying car dealer did. So your argument is seriously flawed. If I keep the car for 300k kilometers, it will need an engine replacement and if I choose to sell it, it will be at a diminished value. You're right though, if Subaru can contain the truth about this, then our cars may maintain a high resale value. Subaru has wrongly assumed that the best way to maintain their reputation is to deny this problem and hope it goes away. And as I pointed out before, I already contacted my dealer and Subaru Canada. They have NO INTENTION of helping or even ackknowledging that a problem exists with some cars, or how to determine if mine is one of them. They were thoughtful enough and aware enough to put in an oil sensor that flashes earlier, at a half litre down instead of a full litre down. Hmmm, I wonder if they knew something about this? So if you want to keep cheerleading for Subaru, that's fine with me, I'll turn on the ignore filter. I'd be happy to see any technical data from Subaru that has substance if you and your good buddies at Subaru can spare it. Even a denial that says "we did not change the piston bore, and we are not currently trying to fix a problem with poor tolerances....anything other than "that's normal"

Pablo, part of the reason I'm happy is that I don't have the new "FB" series engine, I have the tried and true EJ series engine, phase 2 with the corrected head gasket problem. It's better to be lucky than good in this case. Sorry. I agree with you and have agreed all along that Subaru should stand behind their products and fix this for the samples of cars with the oil burning issue. That's why I raised the issue of the service bulletin and posted this earlier on this forum. Go ahead and get the oil consumption test. You cannot just simply complain and do nothing about it. As I said before, and you acknowledge, this is not happening on all cars. Now. you seem like your very dissatisfied with your car and Subaru in general. Go ahead and sell your car. Didn't you say "smart money exit's early"? Yes, I've seen the posts on the Interest about the class action lawsuit, there are many stories on the Internet about all kinds of things and sometimes they sensationalize stories out of control. When I see this in a major newspaper, I'll consider it more seriously. Or, maybe you can get it on 60 Minutes.

You should also be pleased that there is a warning light for low oil. Not all cars feature that; I didn't have that on my 1995 Honda Accord.

Mark, you are all over the map on this. Good for you, you have a car that does not have a manufacturing defect. Me, I'm not sure yet. I'm taking actions to find that out. I do know that it's a pain in the ass to have a constant concern about the oil in the engine. Subaru is stonewalling me and everyone else trying to get to the bottom of this. Not happy about that. Not sure why your in this conversation about those of us affected. I would guess you're somehow employed by Subaru or have ingested some special coolaid. I really don't care what you think. I'm on a forum, gathing information that I can't get from Subaru because they are corporate cowards. I may choose to take a $5000 loss by selling before the first year is out to avoid a $10000 loss later on. Either way, I will use whatever tools I have to correct the perception of the Subaru brand that Subaru and guys like you are putting forth, that somehow they're a manufacturer concerned about reliability, the environment and their customers. If I wanted to make 80 year olds aware of this, I might take your advice and try to get a story on 60 minutes on old fashioned TV, broadcaste on what, Sunday night to old age homes across this nation...actually your nation because nobody here in Canada watches that sensationalistic crap. I prefer to converse using forums and/or social networks to facts. Occasionally people like you respond and try to obfuscate the issue with emotional statements of blind loyalty. I'm not even sure why I'm responding to you. This is my last response so go ahead one last time pledging your love for Subaru and crowing about your "lucky" genius because you got the 2.5 CVT blah blah blah.

Why am I in this conversation? I heard that there was an oil consumption problem and wanted to be informed about all aspects so I could find out if my model would be affected. Just because I'm not doesn't mean I don't care about the issue in general. After all, I have a Subaru and don't want to see Subaru's reputation go down the drain. I think they should help people out who can demonstrate a problem with their particular cars. Not everyone will have this problem. Good luck.

Plus, I've got a friend with a 2011 Forester.

I have a 2014 crosstrek. So far no problems but I am worried. If it starts burning oil I'll try it Subaru's way for exactly 3 times, then it's off to the lawyer. Subaru's has not been known for playing games in past but they sure are now. Most of the big 3 are having problems and there is of course the air bag module that is bad on a whole bunch of cars. There are lots of lawsuits over that one and they promised to fix it but not so much yet.

Correction, I've got a friend with a 2012 Subaru Forester, we saw them today. He has 40,000 miles on his car and it doesn't burn any oil.

i have a 2015 subaru i bought in august and before the odometer hit 2000 miles, my oil light came on. then again at 3800. then again at 5000, now again at 6700. i started a "case" with subaru of america but they just basically blow alot hot air around under the guise of "normal" oil consumption for these advanced engines. bologna.

That response is consistent with the one I got. Mark suggests to just ask for an oil consumption test, but can't seem to grasp that Subaru is maintaining that your consumption level is normal, since it is below the preposterous number they are quoting. You might want to try convincing the dealer, who stands to gain from a hefty warranty repair bill. If you get them on your side, they might go to bat for you with Subaru corporate. It seems that you have done so, but keep good records, and make sure you give Subaru a copy of those records promptly when you get the warnings, and keep track of exactly how much oil you put in, or if you take it to the dealer, have them document exactly how much they put in. Also, keep very accurate mileage records. You will find that the dealership numbers are way overstated in the first place but the important thing to show the reduction over time which is likely with an engine defect. The sorts of things they might say to clutter the facts: 1. it depends on driving and conditions (no way to quantify) 2. light came on prematurely, only needed a bit of oil 3. you may have underfilled after the warning - was the engine warm, level. If you need to sue in small claims court (easier than class action) the records will help. You can't sue until you can prove damages so that's going to come later on when the engine starts to falter. Or....as Mark suggests, you should call Subaru and thank them for providing such an advanced car that has an oil warning light. Is it or is it not working great? Why in 1926 when my father first rode is horse into New York, he had to stop every 20 minutes to get the horse a drink, and I won't even mention the clean-up...

Lisa, how much oil did you have to add when the light came on each time. Subaru of America corporate says if your car is using more than one third of a quart every 1,200 miles than you can contact them for the oil consumption test. Follow up with them at 800-782-2783, I talked with a Lisa in Customer Care. If the local dealership is giving you no attention , escalate the issue to corporate. Hey, your under 12,000 miles, I would escalate the issue. I'm sure you carefully followed the break in period for your car, correct? From what I've read, some cars do use a little more oil while the engine seats, but , you should ask them what that mileage milestone is. Some cars are definitely defective and should be fixed under warranty. You will note in the thread above that a couple got a new engine in their Forester. It's true that my friend was lucky enough to get a 2012 Forester with no problems, so, it's not every car. In Betty ' s case above her 2013 Forester was using one quart every 1,500 miles. I'm going to state this one more time for Pablo, Subaru of America Corporate said that it's considered normal for these cars to use one quart of oil every 3,600 miles, not 1,200. These are "boxer engines " and flat Fours. They're a different designed engine and if you didn't want this feature you should have never purchased the car. Yes, I still think that the warning light is a very good and helpful feature. How long does it take to check your oil every other fill up? Less than 5 minutes.

Let them know you are aware of several reports to Subaru on oil issues, and strongly suggest they do an oil consumption test, letting you know specifically each time how much oil they had to add. Follow this and other blogs for more ammunition each time.. It would not hurt that you speak with (loudly) with the sales person on the sales floor while others are purchasing.. About your discovery on thier new safe cars that so many of us are having oil issues with..

And spread the word through social media. Get it to as many people as you can. Tweet it, post it, talk to friends and coworkers. I would like to warn as many potential customers as possible. My biggest weapon is the letters that came back from Subaru which state that up to 1 litre per 2000km (about a quart per 1200 miles) is normal. I pasted the exact text from the Subaru Canada agent up in an earlier post with quotes around it so even a simpleton with no math background could understand it. Apparently what's normal in US is different despite what Mark posted earlier right out of the users manual "● If the oil consumption rate seems abnormally high after the break-in period, for example more than 1 quart per 1,200 miles or 1 liter per 2,000 kilometers, we recommend that you contact your SUBARU dealer." He has since disputed his own quote so he is definitely correct about one or the other quotes he made. This one I pasted from his note agrees exactly with what I pasted from my letter from Subaru Canada. Nonetheless, the more people you convince NOT to buy a Subaru, the more likely it is they'll do something about it. At least you can save your friends.

Pablo, just to be clear, what I stated, the one third quart in 1,200 miles or more than one full quart or more every 3,600 mile was a direct quote from Lisa at Subaru of America, Corporate. I invite you to call her to verify. Yes, I know there's confusion as to what is in the owners manual. That's why I called them.

A few points I'd like to make. At least one person in these comments thinks I work for Subaru, I don't. I also don't have an oil burning problem that I'm aware of with my 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited. But, I'm interested in this issue because I own a Subaru. Subaru is a smaller scaled automaker than most other car companies, and usually sell all the vehicles they build, they have 7 different models compared to Toyota's 16 models so they can perfect what they do best with the cars they make. That doesn't mean that there won't be any problems. Since they started in the US, Subaru has been building and growing their operations and have enjoyed a steady climb in sales. They're expected to sell 500,000 cars this year in the USA alone. If every one of these cars had an oil burning issue, this would be on the national news, it would be everywhere. Of course there's an issue with some cars, but, you should also know that "boxer engines" are known to consume more oil because they are flat engines and sit low in the engine compartment and the oil pools in the engine. Flat engines have a lower center of gravity and better lateral acceleration around turns, plus Subaru has established one of the highest safety records in the industry. Their forward collision system Eyesight earned them honors with the IIHS. Now, most Subaru owners did a fair amount of research before purchasing a Subaru car and had specific reasons for doing so. If you did, you should have known some of these issues about Subaru posted on the Internet. OK, maybe they consume more oil, maybe you've just purchased the car and you're disappointed, make your case to get case heard and get your car fixed. I think that it's possible that the posts on this forum are a distinct minority of cases, sure, it's unfortunate. However, take solace in this fact, 95 percent of all Subaru cars are still on the road after 10 years or more. And, Subaru cars, particularly "boxer engines " are known for their long term durability, some have gone over 300,000 miles and even some to 500,000 miles. Don't believe me, just Google search the Subaru high mileage club. So, in closing, you can either wallow in despair about your oil burning issue or go through the steps to file a claim. Hey, Betty above got a new engine in her 2013 Forester. It can be done. If you are really that dissatisfied, sell your car and get a conventional inline engine. Good luck with your efforts. Subaru has a satisfaction level of 73 percent in most publications from 80 percent of their line of cars, there must be a reason for this. Ask yourself just how many Chrysler cars have been around for 20 years? The answer is none, by contrast, the Legacy has been around more than 20 years and was selected as one of the top mid sized cars this month for 2015. And, the Subaru Outback has been one of the top cars for more than 20 years. All cars have some problems, if you have owned a lot of cars, you should have figured that out by now. My best advice is choose the car that meets your needs in the price point you can afford. I think that you'll have to look very hard to find a better overall value for what you're going to find with a Subaru.

My apologies, Mark. Who would have ever made the mistake of thinking you worked for Subaru? I carry around a Subaru commercial in my pocket too. Glad you cleared things up for all the misguided owners here who thought there was an issue.

From everything I've read on this subject, it seems like the higher proportion of cars affected by this problem that are mostly manual transmission cars. Maybe it's just the anecdotal stories I've read, but, I do find this interesting.

Problem with my automatic forrester

Everything so far is anecdotal at this point because Subaru holds all the information and is sitting on it. This has been an issue since 2011 so you'd think a responsible company would collect the data, release the data, and release their research on the causes (piston rings, manual, CVT, cold climates, thin oil...whatever) so we wouldn't have to guess and start a grass roots movement to get the data. All I can say is I'm sure they've collected and analyzed the data so there must be a very good reason why they have not released it. And I agree with kmkm that suggesting it's normal? Anyone who suggests it's normal instantly has zero credibility. Until I see it on Subaru's commercials, that checking and topping up the oil each fillup is part of the Subaru experience, then it's not normal.

I sold my 2014 forester. When word gets around they won't be worth much. I would suggest you dump your subaru While they still have some resale value. No Subaru cars in my future, ever! They have displayed the extent of their concern for their customers and i have expressed mine. I tell everyone i speak to to stay away from subaru and why. I am on numerous forums. Work will get around quickly.

In talking with the person who sold me my 2010 Outback, I learned that most of the oil burning issues are with the Forrester and those with manual transmissions. It seems as though the Outbacks are built in Indiana while the Forrester is built in Japan. Now, normally I might think that a car built in Japan might be more desirable, but, remember these days cars are primarily built by robots and the factory is staffed by people, so, maybe the working conditions in the United States is better than Japan? In any case, it appears that while there's a problem, it's not all cars and less Subaru Outback models especially with automatic transmissions. Subaru's are specifically designed for AWD and use in inclement weather, that's why you see so many in the Northeast and Northwestern area of the United States. Obviously, not everyone will be happy with their car, but if the features and utility works for you, this is a great choice irrespective of some problem cars. If you find that your car is burning more than one quart of oil in 3,600 miles ask for an oil consumption test. Subaru of America told me that was their standard. People on this forum have gotten their engine rebuilt following the test and result, see the post by Betty above. Best luck with all of this. I seriously doubt that this issue with a sampling of some cars will bring down the value and service of all Subaru cars. There are legions of folks out there like myself who are delighted with their Subaru. Finally, it's just too easy to flame people and companies on the Internet. Very sad.

Congrats to Bob for following through and dumping the defective Subaru to get something more reliable and environmentally friendly. Net loss is probably only a couple of thousand dollars. I think what would be ideal is a central wesite where Subaru owners can share information like this about the defects that the got with their new cars. If it can be the first thing you hit when you google "Subaru Problems", then it can save a lot of others the grief that Subaru stuck us with. I did a fair bit of review searching, and didn't stumble onto the sites discussing the oil issue until, well, until my oil light went off after a only a couple of months. Then I google "subaru oil" and low and behold, a littany of reports of class action lawsuits, lawsuits and complaints. Spread the word.

Pablo, haven't you sold your Subaru yet? Didn't you say "smart money exits early "? Or maybe you're in the process of selling your car? Good luck with a replacement for a car that's as capable in the snow. I understand Subaru AWD cars are superior when it comes to traction and stability. There's a lot more to cars than some oil consumption, didn't you say that your oil consumption was not severe as others.

Mark1922, I am trying to sell my car. The problem I have is an ethical one. When the potential buyer asks me "Is there anything wrong with the car? Why are you selling it?", I feel obliged to tell the truth, unlike my Subaru dealer. I've tried to focus on the positive, but that question always comes up, actually it is the first question asked. My car appears to be less severe than one of the posters here. I've only had to add two litres per first maintenance interval. As I've explained to you numerous times, I don't meet the threshold that Subaru Canada specifically quoted to me, of burning 1 litre per 2000km. At that rate I would have had to put 5 litres in per maintenance interval. So Mark1922, would you tell the truth to buyers??? "I'm selling the car because it burns oil at a very fast rate, I constantly have to top up the oil, I've seen a lot of information out there that suggests there were flaws in the engine manufacturing process, I'm concerned that there might be damage being done to my engine and catalytic converter and Subaru won't acknowledge it even though the car is only 5 months old,... but it is capable in the snow...". If I lie or hide that truth, I'm screwing over some family that I trick into buying it, and I'm as morally reprehensible as Subaru Corp. I know what you would say Mark1922, but I'm not willing to lie about that very important fact about my car. So I'm trying to sell, but facing a big loss. I will "help" as many other people know that if they buy a Subaru, they are rolling the dice. Maybe they'll get a good one, or maybe they won't. If they get a defective one though, don't think Subaru will make good.

All cars use some oil, and those with samples outside the range should contact Subaru of America and demand the oil consumption test. Subaru makes highly safe and highly technological cars. The following link discusses the difference between engine design. http://rehermorrison.com/tech-talk-53-big-bore-or-long-stroke-which-is- better/ Below is a detailed discussion of how this changed from the EJ to FB engines. Found this online, "It's hip to be undersquare with 's new FB horizontally opposed 4-cam 4-cylinder, replacing the EJ that dates back to 1989. Where the EJ was oversquare (i.e., bore larger than stroke), the FB's smaller-diameter cylinders (84 mm versus 92) allow for more compact combustion chambers, a boon for better combustion and lower emissions. The trick was to increase the stroke of the crankshaft (now 90 mm versus 75), yet not increase the width of the longitudinally mounted engine—lest it cease to fit into existing Subaru vehicles. The solution was swapping the camshafts' belt drive for chain drive (and consequently, bulkier pulleys for smaller sprockets). The valve angle was reduced too, from 41 degrees to 27— further shrinking the size of the combustion chamber. For lower friction, cam lobes now ride on roller tappets and cylinder-bore roundness was improved, allowing for lower-tension piston rings. The intake system has been totally reworked to include a plastic plenum/runners assembly and four butterfly valves (in addition to the single throttle body) to enhance cylinder filling or promote tumble when needed. The upshot? About the same power as before in both 2.0- and 2.5-liter iterations, but slightly more midrange torque, sweeter air out the tailpipe and, on average, about 10 percent better fuel economy."

Pablo, you're making a lot of assumptions here and your insinuation is offensive. If they ask you directly about your oil consumption, tell them the truth, which is, that your car is within the standard deviation. There are many reasons to sell a car; it doesn't meet your needs and/or you want a less expensive or better mileage vehicle. I still think that if your car is not burning excessive oil, you should keep it There is a "breaking in" period for cars and if your car is that new, it may stabilize or dissipate over time leveling off. How many miles are on your 5 month old car?

Please see this thread, it is from Subaru owners about oil burning issue. http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/showthread.php?t=165697 See graph as well on this thread.

In case I had not posted this, see http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/ allwheeldriveauto1? url=http%3A%2F%2Fallwheeldriveaut o.com%2Fsubaru-repair-seattle- 2013-subaru-legacy-outback-oil-use- explained%2F&dm_redirected=true# 2873

@Mark1922. what?, did I insinuate you would mislead that family by saying "tell them the truth, which is, that your car is within the standard deviation". How wrong of me to suggest you'd respond like that. Wait, that is your quote. The real truth why I'm selling the car is as I said. I'm selling the car because it burns oil at a very fast rate, I constantly have to top up the oil, I've seen a lot of information out there that suggests there were flaws in the engine manufacturing process, I'm concerned that there might be damage being done to my engine and catalytic converter and Subaru won't acknowledge it even though the car is only 5 months old. Mark1922 please answer this question. If I respond to that question with the truth above, why I'm selling what would otherwise be a nearly new perfectly functioning car, do you think I will get fair price? I get what you are saying, try to hide my truth and dump my problem on an unsuspecting family. That is EXACTLY what you are suggesting, but that is AS unethical as what Subaru did to me. I AM NOT LIKE YOU. I am not a walking Subaru commercial. I'm not sure what happened in your life that you became one, but I don't really care. Lie, cheat, mislead whomever you want, I am not your mother. Don't suggest I lie to dump this problem on others, or twist this defect into "it has a great oil warning light system". People will laugh in your face when you say stuff like that.

Pablo, two weeks ago you wrote "Mine is not that bad (yet), but the audacity of Subaru to deny this is abnormal or that I should be concerned??? Why would I even need an oil change because I've cycled a full oil fill in the maintenance period, like a constant flush of oil". And , you have said in other messages that you weren't sure if your Impreza had a problem, now in the last two weeks, the car is a "fast burner "! Sounds like your car has deteriorated very quickly and that's unfortunate. OK, my apologies and go ahead and tell them that, I'm not suggesting that you lie and neither would I if that were the case. I guess you're going to take a loss on this car. Better let it go and good luck to you. Sell it for what you can and maybe they can deal with Subaru. Any car that's this new can probably get the warranty transferred. Get a Honda or Toyota.

Mark 1952... are you kidding? I don't know you or where you work. I can't see your motives via this forum. However I can count your posts and their length and make a rather conservative judgement that you are either the greatest fan of Subaru the world has ever known or you are placed here by Subaru to communicate the Subaru excuses. You would have to admit that your comments would make really good damage control for Subaru, would you not? The facts remain, and they are ominous for Subaru owners. These cars are, regardless of Subaru's "standard deviation", consuming more oil than most any 1970's automobile and much, much more then any car newer than 1980 with, at least, twice the miles. Buyers should have been warned that they would need to top off oil at this rate before putting down their hard earned money. They were not! Bottom line.... you couldn't trust Subaru to do the right thing then and you can't trust them to do the right thing now. Keep your Subaru at your peril. Mine is gone. I lost $5000 but some of that would have been wear and tear so I guess I didn't get hurt too bad. However, once the word gets out (AND IT WILL) you many not do so well. I would not hesitate. I respect your honesty Pablo. There are times when you need to watch out for your own family's interests first and I think this is one of them. The saying "buyer beware" comes to mind. We were fooled by a car company. If we do what we can to inform others of this company's poor performance we will have done what we can to inform future buyers. To my fellow victims I say take care of yourself and your families. To mark 1952 I say, give it a rest. There are no solutions here. Subaru has made that pretty clear. You can get an engine swap and still have oil consumption problems. There really is not choice here for the Subaru owner. Live with bad oil consumption that might get much worse soon or dump the car. It is not a difficult decision. Procrastination will cost you dearly. I am done with mine but I do wish I had the time to picket Subaru to warn others. The dealers are in a real jam here. They have hundreds of thousands invested in a car company with a bad product. They can't afford to go out of business and the damage they do selling these things will certainly come back to haunt them when it comes to repeat sales. I will never buy a car from Tom Wood and he owns VW, Nissan, Lexus... dealerships. This will be my last post here. I hope those in pain will get out soon.

About three weeks after buying my new 2015 manual trans forrester, my wife calls me to tell me oil light came on. I take it to Subaru and they change the oil and give me a date to return to see if it's using oil. They change the oil and three weeks later wife calls with same oil light problem. Dangerously low oil levels on my TV screen. I drive it Tia station and attended says I need to buy oil and put it in myself. What a price of crap. Thanks Subaru!!

@zatguy. I'm not sure your complaint?....the oil burns quickly, as expected by Subaru, (reference page 1132 in some manual)......and the oil light comes on reliably by your own admission...what did you expect from a 2015?...a hover car that runs cleanly on dilithium crystals?

thank you Bob for the last summary. This will be my last post because the objective of the forum is lost when I waste my time addressing Mark1922. To Mark: My oil consumption rate IS a problem. My quote that you misquoted the context: "I think most buyers that would have the oil light come and have to top up a half litre of oil 10 times in their first maintenance window might possibly agree with me that there's a problem. Mine is not that bad (yet)," Mine is not as bad as 1 litre per 2000km yet. It is NOT THAT BAD YET meaning less than 1 litre per 2000km. If you have a quote from earlier on suggesting I'm satisfied with the current burn level then please re-read it. I can't figure out if you're stupid and have poor comprehension, or whether you're just baiting people. If baiting, good job, cause you got me. I thought you were being serious at first until the oil light comment. Bob, I am not really suggesting any person is unethical for dumping their car on someone else, that's kinda the game in life and business but I cannot let Subaru off the hook. I agree the dealers are in a tight spot, and they need to be the ones putting pressure on corporate do properly release the data and deal with it. And if Subaru says buyer beware, I will say the consequence will be word getting out and damage to the brand. I will make sure of that. That is it for me on this site. If I hear anything concrete from Subaru, either acknowledging the problem, describing what it is and on what model to expect it, or any remedies, I'll be sure to post. Or anyone with a problem can just get their engine replaced like mythical Betty.

Thanks for the info Pablo . In my manual, the oil consumption issue is addressed in section 11-10. I hope it's true. How long is the break in period? I haven't had a car that goes through two quarts of oil a month in ages. Can't imagine it will magically stop after a break in period .

Hi Zatguy, sorry, in my attempt to be funny and poke fun at Subaru cheerleader Mark, (I was being sarcastic) and I may have mislead you, so THIS is my final post. Your Subaru problems are very serious based on the amount of oil it seems to be burning. A normal car should not need top ups of oil in its maintenance window despite what the manual says. You should go to your dealer, have it serviced, make sure the details of the oil consumption are written into the service record, ask for an oil consumption test. Keep track of the mileage and amount of oil you put in yourself. Also follow the Subaru guide for measuring oil (car temperature, level surface etc) because Subaru will likely try to misdirect the problem by blaming you. There are class action lawsuits but I'm not sure your model officially falls within the lawsuit. So yes, if you constantly have to top up your oil and constantly worry about the damage that may occur from it then your Subaru is a piece of shit because nobody buys a car expecting it to be such a headache. Sell it, compare sell price to market, and file a small claim against Subaru. That will be more effective than the class action, you can represent yourself, and Subaru will incur much more cost in sending a high priced lawyer to your town. Maybe if everyone does this, we can sue them in to bankruptcy.

Pablo thanks again for the info. To be fair and not so emotional, I should be more precise in how I'm describing my brand new 2015 forrester manual trans (one step above base model with moon roof and ass warmer) situation. My wife always drives the car so I haven't been in touch as much as I should. I was in shock the first time she told me oil warnings were occurring because right away I figured engine leak . That happened around 2500 miles. Dip stick registered nothing. Took it in to service dept. They set up free oil use eval. I asked them why was it missing oil ? They said perhaps it wasn't put in at the port. Weeks passed and I missed the mileage window of opportunity to go back and get re evaluated on the oil use because I figured it was just a quirk. But the oil light and warning happened again around 5000 miles. So my bad there for not paying closer attention. I figured no way could this be happening with a new car. This was my first Subaru. Then i saw this thread here about oil consumption problems and figured uh oh. Next day I took it in and this time understandably I had to pay for the oil use eval because I put in oil because the dip stick didn't show anything and I didn't want a burned out engine. This time I'll watch the mileage window to go back like a hawk. This time the service guys also were more forthcoming . They said the thin synthetic oil is also a problem for other car companies (like Mercedes) the oil gets better image but dissipates they said maybe it's rings, and these cars use more oil blah blah. I didn't push too much because I'm not in a hurry to have my new car (which I love) torn apart with experimental fixes so I'll wait and see but from what I've seen these oil consumption problems have been here for years and Subaru still hasn't fixed the problem. I blame myself for listening to my wife when we were shopping around for cars. She kept saying over and over "I want an outback I want an outback" . I liked the way the Forrester drove and we compromised " I looked at all the usual consumer glowing reports about Subarus and didn't delve near enough into information for a major purchase like this. I could have found the info about oil consumption problems in foresters in five minutes when I bought this one back in Dec. but nooooo...really though what other choices did I have? I had to have an all wheel drive with a manual trans. Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are all CVTs automatic . Not an option for me. I've resigned myself to checking the oil and topping for the life of the car. Not the end of the world I guess . At least the service guys told me the low oil sensors are set to go off at half a quart low . (They also felt perhaps that benchmark is too cautious ) haha it's not too cautious for me. So I have time to put the oil in. I asked them where is the oil going.? He said out. I said through the catalytic converter? He said no. Of course not one person at the dealership warned me when I bought it but that's understandable ...bad for business right ? At least when i do drive this car with the moon roof and ass warmer ( a step above base model ) I love the shit out of it !! So maybe this lemon will turn into lemonade. Big investment to be so casual about though but my piece of mind is more important so I'm going to go through the steps but in the end, I'll stand for my decision and its on me. If this car gives me another ten years , I'll be good. If not, I'll be good. Thanks again for all the help and info Pablo and be careful. These corporate people can probably buy and sell us both.

To Mark 1952: Thank you for all the information . Everything comes in pairs and it's important to know both sides of an issue before making an informed decision.

I bought a 2015 Subaru Forester in Nov 2014. Now about 3000 miles and low oil level light came on while driving on a trip!!! Checked the oil on a level surface- dipstick -no oil except on the sides of the dipstick. Checked the oil level next morning with cold engine - dipstick bone dry!! Took pictures of the odometer and oil level light. Took it to the Subaru dealer. An oil consumption test is in progress!! I wish I had known about this before I bought this vehicle. I have had Toyotas, Acuras and Lexus over past several decades -never had to add a drop of oil between routine maintenance schedules.

I have read every post on this issue, and I am confused. Is the oil burning problem with EVERY size engine Subaru makes, or mostly in 4 cyl. models? I am looking to buy a 2015 3.5r Outback, and will not if this is an issue with this model. Any one who has a 2015 3.5, I would appreciate any feedback on this.

Our 2015 Forester is 2.5i Limited/FFI , 4 cylinder.

Omitted to mention that my 2015 Forester is automatic!

2015 Forrester manual trans one step above base. Things might be looking up. Checked oil on dip stick a week ago after getting back from the dealer' 5000 initial oil use eval (I botched follow up for the first one at 2500 mi) and drove the car 1000 mi this week and oil level on dip stick remained the same. Maybe the break in period theory is for real. Regardless, I've never had a car I enjoy driving this much. After going through a tough northeast winter, we felt one with the road in all driving conditions. I hope it passes when the follow eval is due.

I purchased a 2015 Forester on July 1st....After 6 months and 4000 miles the car had barely used any oil.

hello Gang I have a 2014 Impreza, manual transmission and 32000 kms on it. Today my oil light came on, 1000km before it is due for an oil change. This happened in the first 10 km as well, but not between the next oil change. Also, I am wondering if anybody has had trouble with the shifter not budging when the clutch is in? That happened this winter and I had to call a tow truck. As they pushed the car something unlocked and the shifter would move again. Not too pleased with the Impreza. I also live in Canada.

I have a 2014 Forester and have oil consumption problems. I am currently working with Subaru and staying hopeful that they will do the right thing. I am not giving up on them quite yet.

I posted this elsewhere but went into North Bay Subaru in Ontario. They say a Litre of oil every 9000 km is fine and that my oil light is going off prematurely. manual transmission, 2014 Impreza base model, hatchback. Never had a vehicle that I had to worry about the oil before. they also said that it won't damage The engine. I guess we will see what happens now they've updated it....

I have a 2013 Crosstrek with the 2.0i engine and CVT transmission has 20,000 miles. Used 2 quarts in the last 6000 miles. Want to trade it but not sure if the problem has been fixed on the 2015 models.

I have the same issue. On last trip 2013 forester automatic used 15 ounces in 900 miles. All interstate. Our dealership in Gainesville fl is very supportive and we know once we start and complete the consumption test we will receive a new short block. So we came oh so close to trading in for a new 2015 forester but ultimately we decided we could not take a chance of literally being burned twice. I called suburu corporate and the tsb does not apply to the 2015's. So it's either a new Honda or Toyota suv or ultimately a short block. But my wife really loves the suburu. But when we had to add the 15 ounces of oil at a gas station (waited 15 mins foe engine to cool) in Virginia and nearly froze having to use a measuring cup etc for accurate documentation much of the fun of owning our suburu evaporated just like the oil.

Subaru is not the only car that has Oil consumption issues. See this article about Honda vehicles http://www.hondaproblems.com/trends/excessive-oil-consumption/

My 2015 Forester Ltd , automatic , is under an oil consumption test starting at 3200 miles. The dealer filled it up by about 1/3 quart above the upper hole. Now at 3800 miles ( half way through the test) the dipstick estimates about 2/3 quart consumption. Sure, the vehicle runs great, but my 'eyesight' is on the oil consumption!

Thanks for all the posts. I have a 2013 Impreza and am running my own consumption test before having the dealer do one before the warranty runs out. One thing we all can do is contact Consumer Reports Auto Division; it may be the most influential car purchasing magazine across the country. Subaru may listen to them as well. Good luck to all. Ricardo2030

We bought a 2015 manual Subaru Forester last June, based on Subaru's good reputation. The oil light came on at about 3500 miles and we have to add a quart every 3-4000 miles (recommended oil change is 6000 miles) We travel fulltime and have taken it in to at least 1/2 dozen Subaru dealerships to be checked and have the oil changed. We documented and emailed with Subaru and they just keep telling us it is not a problem unless it uses oil every 1000 miles. Really?!?! Like many of you, we did not expect our NEW car to use oil. I'm very disappointed in Subaru and we will NEVER buy another one.

I bought (and still own) a 2012 Forester (manual). The oil consumption issues started at around 30K miles. To the dealer a couple of times for the "oil consumption test", to no avail. To say the dealership explains away/avoids the issue is an understatement. I will NEVER buy or recommend Subaru to anyone. When my friend text me this am that she was on her way to look at a new Outback, I directed her to the Honda dealer and also to the myriad of info/forums/questions like these…So sad, because I really thought they were an ethical company!!!

4/17/2015 I just bought Subaru Forester 2015. I will see!

I just bought a 2015 Forester and was horrified when I stumbled across these links about the oil and consequent lawsuit. This is my 4th Subi and NEVER seen this issue. My question/solution: funny isn't it that this really only started since they began using synthetic oil in 2010. I was ALWAYS told that a new engine should NEVER have synthetic oil in it, until it is properly broken in and the the rings are seated. My own personal belief is that this is the problem, not "defective rings on the piston". My car has 200 miles on it and I will be draining the stock oil tonight and replacing it with Castrol or Valvoline conventional for the first 3000 miles. I will report back in the future. We drive about 20k a year so I will know in short order of this does the trick. Anyone else tried this fix yet? I'm not sure why Subi still insists on putting synthetic in from the factory when this may be a quick fix. If this doesn't work - hello new CRV. That will suck because we LOVE this car! So much glass, I feel like I'm in a convertible.

Just bought a 2015 Forester with a manual. It's a used one with 10K miles and I didn't know about this issue. I really hope the car wasn't traded it because they have this issue. We will see what happens.

Bought my 2015 Legacy, automatic transmission in October, have 19000 miles and oil light came on yesterday. Added about 1/2 a quart Took to dealer today and they said....Oh that's normal. I'm not happy, this is why I bought a new car!

Check with your dealer and service department to see if you can use 5-30 synthetic oil? I found a post online for someone who tried this and their car stopped burning oil soon after they switched. Good luck.

Well, you're putting a lot of miles on your car pretty fast, here's some info for you. http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2nd-new-oil- consumption-lawsuit-suddenly-filed-against-subaru, Subaru has been performing oil consumption tests on request. If your car burns more than one quart every 3,600 miles, it's a problem. Call Subaru of America and talk with them. Good luck.

A note to all: try using a heavier weight oil (5-30 to start). Subaru recommends using 0-20 oil to promote good gas mileage. This oil is very, very thin and can squeeze past the rings in the engine. Heavier oil - less squeezes past. As the government keeps raising the bar on MPG requirements, the car manufactures have to get creative and figure out how to reduce friction in the engine and car to meet the new demands. Subaru tried to make the oil ring on the piston with less tension to reduce the friction in the engine. This decrease in tension allows the now much thinner oil (0-20) to squeeze past. You can't do anything about the oil ring (unless you rebuild the engine) but you can change oil. Try it. It may help.

Yes, this last post validates what I posted earlier about some other person's experience. Again, I would call Subaru of America and ask them about it. You've got nothing to lose and you might as well start a dialog with them. There's a certain percentage of cars affected by this oil problem, maybe around 10 percent or less I've read. It doesn't matter if it's affecting your car, you've got to deal with it and document every step of the way. They have been replacing engines for some people. Stay with it and good luck.

Don't change the type of oil unless you want to VOID your warrantee. Though you may be correct in your oil consumption reduction you will put yourself in harms way for any future repairs under your warrantee. I was once told that my oil consumption would get better as the motor broke in. It got worse. I also noticed a decrease in fuel mileage. Who knows what this oil is doing to the oxygen sensors just distal to the exhaust manifold. I have already bailed out and sold my 2014 Forrester (automatic) with a little under 25,000 miles on it. What good will it do you to put in another engine that will also burn oil. Get out now before the world finds out what Subaru has done and the value of your car goes to dirt. It sux but only the lawyers will win in a class action suit that won't be completed until your car is 7 years old and draining you of your cash. It's cheaper to dump it now and move on. I had my 2014 for 2 years. I bought it when they first came out. I loved everything about the car but this oil problem. It is just to significant a problem to let go. I suggest you document and call till you are crazy if you intend to keep the car. However, I would ask you to consider the total cost to yourself in frustration, oil, anger... I calculated that I lost about $5000 in value when I traded the Forrester in on a new 2015 Nissan Rogue. Not bad. Wait until the whole world knows about the oil consumption problem and it will be difficult to get that good a trade in value. Just my $0.02 Bob

When the manufacturer tells you that 10.8 ounces of consumption in 1200 miles is considered "OK" there are no "GOOD" engines. This is not a 10% of the cars problem it is a 100% engineering screw up problem. Had Subaru made a 7 quart system with a 3 quart top off device to keep the oil in specification between oil changes people would have paid the extra $ for the 10 Quarts of oil and not complained much knowing they get good gas mileage. However they didn't and we get a LOW OIL light that alarms us and makes us stop our journey to search for a rare synthetic blend of oil. What engineer thought that would fly? What marketing VP though that was not going to become an issue. When is the last time you saw a car use less oil when it got over the 50,000 mile mark. NEVER! If it is unacceptable now it will be unbearable later when your warrantee is toast.

Wow Bob, sounds like you're a pretty disgruntled client of Subaru. It's unfortunate that you had to take a $5,000 loss. OK, I just spoke to Tara at Subaru of America. They're aware of the oil consumption problem on certain engines. Again, all cars are not affected. What she said was " anyone with an affected car and under 5 years or 60,000 miles as part of the power train warranty should take their car back to the dealer for the oil consumption test. If that car is using more than one third a quart of oil in 1,200 mile or one full quart every 3,600 miles, they will work with you to fix your car. You have to follow the rules and get the tests done for them to confirm that. Is it worth some time and effort on your part, YES IT IS! You cannot just sit there and shoot from the sidelines and trash Subaru just because you think their cars are problem cars. You said you liked everything else about the car and unfortunately, some cars had problems. By the way, all cars can have problems, they're machines you know. I hope you have a better experience with the Nissan Rogue; I imagine you have the CVT transmission? I have read reports that the CVT in the Nissan is not as responsive as the Subaru, but, don't know if that's true? Our family had a Nissan once and it was more of a problem car than either of our Hondas or Toyota's. Good luck.

One more thing, Customer Service at Subaru of America does not recommend using any other weight oil than what is stated in your owner's manual. It might cause a problem. What you need to do is bring the car in for the oil consumption test.

What kind of problem? You mean like burning a quart of oil every 1500 miles. Now THAT would be problem! Oh wait, um.... Don't be a sheep. Think on your own.

Your decision. I called them about another issue and asked them to comment on this oil burning issue. You realize that they modified the old EJ Series engine with the newly designed FB series. Those engines are not the same and have different tolerances and valve placement. Short answer is this, if you burn more than one quart every 3,600 NOT 1,500 as you stated, bring it back to the dealer for the oil consumption test. You're not going to solve this by just complaining, talk with them. Here's the information on the FB engine http://www.caranddriver.com/news/subaru-fb-series-engine-subaru-flat- four-engines

Thanks for the link but it's broken. I'd like to read it if you have a copy or know if another link. I understand the new engines are different in ways. I guess my frustration lies in the fact we just plunked down $30g's for a car I had hoped would serve us well with minimal BS. I laughed at the salesman as he tried to sell us the extended warranty for 100k miles. I believe my exact words were, "if you want me to buy the extended warranty then you better sell me a shitty car". That's how much faith I had in my new purchase. I've owned 4 Subarus. One had 260k plus miles on the original engine and tranny. Used a little oil, but I think most was leaking past the valve cover gasket. We have 2 little girls, a small house which we are constantly renovating and bills which never seem to end. (I know, we're like 99% of America, or at least Subaru owners). We bought this car based on the excllent safety rating and my past experiences with my 4 other Subarus. We want to spend time with our girls, not driving the NEW car back and forth for oil consumption tests. I hate walking out of my house in the morning past our new $30000 investment and feeling a rock in my stomach instead of a smile on my face. I want to love this car, and I do, but it's like being married to a manic- depressive or something. Im not sure how long this happy phase is going to continue for. Maybe things will always be good, or maybe we'll be nursing a sick car not knowing how long the valves will last until they burn up or the cat's fail from all the excess oil burning off on them. I guess I'm just really frustrated.

OK, I found this, http://www.caranddriver.com/news/subaru-fb-series-engine-subaru-flat-four-engines; here's the salient info for you. New Heads on the (New) Block-Despite all the similarity to its predecessor’s specifications, the FB is all-new, including the block and the heads. The biggest fundamental difference between old and new is that the FB’s camshafts are chain driven, with all variations of the engine now carrying twin cams in each head. Going to chain-driven cams allows the valves to be placed at a narrower angle to each other. This let the engine designers shrink the bore, from 99.5 mm to 94. The smaller-diameter cylinder and increased stroke (now 90 mm, up 11) lets the FB suck air in more quickly, and the elongated cylinder also results in less unburned fuel during cold starts. Both intake and exhaust cams are equipped with variable valve timing. Even though the stroke is slightly longer, the FB’s exterior dimensions are basically unchanged from the EJ’s. Subaru achieved this by employing asymmetrical connecting rods like those it used to increase the stroke of the flat-six in the Tribeca without drastically changing the engine. The lamb-chop-shaped rods also ease assembly of the bottom end. Subaru says 80 percent of the engine’s cooling capacity is routed to the head, and it even added a cooling circuit to the exhaust-gas recirculation channel. By doing this, it was able to reduce NOx emissions. The intake manifold is plastic, like the outgoing EJ’s (save the cast-aluminum unit on the STI), but this new manifold incorporates four tumble-generation valves, one just upstream of each port. They look like half of a throttle valve and, through electronic control, manipulate the intake flow to maximize efficiency. I read your message about declining the extended warranty. OK, how many miles are on your car, because, the oil consumption test and fix for this is good for 5 years or 60,000 miles from Subaru. Are you telling me that you have more than 60,000 miles? What year is your car? I'm really sorry that you're going through all of this with topping off the oil, just like other people. but, you have to understand that this is a machine and mistakes happen. Even though the robots build most of the parts on cars today, the machines are still managed by people and people make errors. OK, as far as the extended warranty goes, I figure when I buy a car new or my recent CPO car, I ALWAYS GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES. WHY? It's cheap insurance and I would rather shift the risk to someone else, that's what insurance is shifting the risk. Risk is around us everywhere in life and if it makes me sleep better at night knowing that it's one less thing to worry about, sure, I'll shell out the extra bucks for that. When you've spent $30,000 on a car, what's a few extra dollars. As for your immediate problem, I have two pieces of advice for you. Do everything you can to DOCUMENT YOUR OIL USAGE TO THE DEALER, provided your not over 60,000 miles and stick to the program. I DON'T WORK FOR SUBARU, BUT, I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THEY HAVE A LONG STORIED REPUTATION TO UPHOLD, THEIR PARENT COMPANY, FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES IN JAPAN STARTED 100 YEARS AGO AND IF YOU GIVE THEM A CHANCE AND WORK WITH THEM, THEY WILL HELP YOU. But, if you muddy the waters by putting in the wrong oil and don't follow their instructions, they will probably tell you that they can't help you. Good luck and keep a journal and take names of the people you interact with at the local dealer. Then, write a letter or call Subaru of America and get a case going. At least one or maybe two people on this forum got their engines either rebuilt or replaced, at least that what they said. Go back further in this thread and see that Betty did that and was happy. And, one final thing, you can attract a lot more bees with honey than you can with vinegar.

Update, Betty's response might have been in a different thread, but, same issue.

Folks - Maybe this has been mentioned before, but below is a link to a document explaining the oil ring issue. This whole issue concerns me because I just bought a new 2015 Outback, and somebody previously posted that they have a 2015 OB with oil consumption problems. The most important part of this document, IMO, is this statement: "The updated piston rings started being used in production as of May 8th 2013, so if you have a newer than that production date and are suffering from high oil consumption this TSB as currently written does not apply to your Subaru, it’s that simple". Is this guy correct in that statement? If not, can you point to documentation that states otherwise? I'm not doubting that some are experiencing excessive oil usage with vehicles manufactured after the above date, I just wonder if it's VERY VERY few people in that camp and it's a different issue than the piston ring issue. The article: http://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-repair-seattle-2013- subaru-legacy-outback-oil-use-explained/

Link didn't work that well, here's the full text of that message here. I have been debating on whether or not I wanted to post another article about oil use in a Subaru, but I feel it’s important for you to be informed about your Subaru and have a little ammunition when dealing with a Subaru dealer. First of all unless a car uses more than whats considered normal by both industry standards and the car maker there is nothing wrong in the car makers view. There are so many variables as to why an engine may use oil, all of these are actually clearly stated in Subaru’s TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) on page 2 in regards to oil consumption, and they mirror TSB’s that have been put out by other car companies at different times in history. Subaru TSB 02-143-13R Here is what we can factually talk about, some Subaru Outback and Legacy models, according to the TSB, 2013 models only, may suffer from piston oil control rings that did not seal during the break in period, the fix is to install a new set of piston rings with an updated ring surface. The problem is that in order to install new rings the entire engine must come out and come apart to do that procedure. The updated piston rings started being used in production as of May 8th 2013, so if you have a newer than that production date and are suffering from high oil consumption this TSB as currently written does not apply to your Subaru, it’s that simple. If you own an affected vehicle that falls under this TSB you do have a little work cut out for you, as Subaru makes the Franchised Dealers jump through a few hoops before they authorize this large of a repair under warranty, some of this is also outlined in the TSB. Some speculation. One very probable situation is the use of 0w20 synthetic oil from the onset goes against what most experienced engine builders suggest for break in oil. The reason car manufacturers have started using 0w20 is to help improve fuel economy. The thing to keep in mind is that the internal tolerances of the current FB engine is designed for use with 0w20 oil, switching to 5w30 may cause engine failure and you do so at your own risk. While its true that this can happen to cars regardless of the transmission, I have written before that the CVT transmission is not conducive to proper break-in without forcing you to drive different than just put it in gear and go. The Federal government didn’t instruct car companies to build cars that don’t use oil, they instead told them you must reach fuel economy standards of 36 by 2017 and 54.5 MPG by 2025. that’s the world we live in, we are here today talking about Subaru’s but don’t fool yourself into thinking Subaru is the only one taking lumps as there is a shift in how the car must function. Subaru makes a limited number of models, they simply do not have a Prius, Insight, Fit or Focus etc. that achieve high fuel economy to offset the models that get much worse fuel economy, as such Subaru is just abut the only manufacture that has to increase fuel economy across all models rather than introduce a low end car that achieves 50 mpg to off set the models using more fuel. The good news is that Subaru may very well become a market leader in fuel economy related technology as a result, or they may toss in the towel and make a 3 cylinder front wheel drive small car. Buying a new car is not a guarantee that you will never have issues with it, instead it means that if there is an issue that is covered under warranty, it will be taken care of by the car maker. Subaru with this TSB is in fact acknowledging the issue and taking care of the cars with problems, once there is proof of such. Subaru is a good car maker that will take care of this issue, but most warranty repairs are a hassle and this is a big hassle. Good article. You've really got to be on top of this to get these repairs done.

Thanks, Mark. A space snuck in between "2013-" and "subaru-legacy...". It seems that when I put a link in the response window, and the link wraps, then a space is automatically added. Copy the link, just be sure there are no spaces between dashes. It may show up as "%20". If so, delete that.

But the meat of the question, and I hope somebody knows definitively, is if my Outback is built after May 8, 2013, am I in the clear as far as the piston ring issue is concerned? Thanks.

Joe, if you want to know for sure, call Subaru of America at 800-782- 2783. Give them your VIN number and they will be able to tell you precisely when your car was built. I called them to inquire about my 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited on the issue of the multi layered head gaskets. They were introduced on the 2010 models and my car was built in September 2009. They confirmed that my car had the newer head gaskets, yes, they are that good and very nice people to talk to. They're concerned about the oil burning issue and seem willing to help you work with your local dealership. It cannot hurt to start a dialog with them. Best of luck.

Joe, I'm posting this again so you can read it, from online source. Here's a little more detail on this subject of DHOC vs. SOHC engines, As I stated before, the DHOC engine design in the FB series just complicated the former EJ series engine. See web link below for explanation, both engines have 16 valves, but, the engineering is different. http://paultan.org/2005/06/22/sohc-vs-dohc-valvetrains/

Someone posted this a short time ago and while I received it, it didn't show up on the forum, here it is ; A CarGurus user (rchsts) answered a question you are following: "Has anybody had problems with excessive oil consumption in the 2015 Subaru Forester?". They wrote: "An E-mail response today to a thread on Consumer Reports forum on this issue: CustDlrServices@subaru.com Apr 22 (4 days ago) to me Dear XXXX Thank you for contacting Subaru of America, Inc. We appreciate you taking time out of your day to contact us. We welcome your contact, as it relates to a future Subaru Forester purchase. The Forester is certainly a very popular model for our company. At this time, a Subaru engine may use up to 1 quart of oil per 1,200 miles. This is considered normal and the information is located in the Owners Manual. We have not changed the engine design for the Forester recently. We back every vehicle sold with a warranty. Should you experience any manufacturing defects within the warranty period, they will be addressed. We also have a very accessible Customer Retailer Services Department, where this email was received. You can always contact us if needed. Again, thank you for your contact. Sincerely, Lana Downs Subaru of America, Inc. Customer/Dealer Services Department 1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782- 2783) Service Request Number: 1-9382837010"

Unfortunately, there's lot of misinformation about how much oil is normal When I called the other day to inquire about another issue, they repeated to me as they explained before that they now have updated the information that is published in the owner's manual. The new information is this, if your car burns more than 1/3 a quart of oil in 1,200 miles, it is considered excessive. So, it would be one full quart every 3,600 miles. Call them at Subaru of America if you don't believe me, I spoke with Tara.

Joe, just to be clear, you have a 2013 Subaru Outback. How many miles are on your car and do you have the Four with the CVT transmission? --Mark

OK, here's Bettys post from a few months ago, she got a new engine, kudos to he for the efforts. "I have a 2013 Subaru Forester that had the oil consumption problem. Dealer at 40K miles did the oil consumption test I had to request it. Or I should say demand it. Then it showed that it was using over 1 Quart of oil in 1500 miles. So got a new engine block put in. Problem solved. No engine is being used anymore. Have 10K on new engine now. I was also told at the begining when I bought the car new that there was a breakin period and the oil usuage only got worse. So then Subaru did right by me. Replaced the engine. Apparently they had another manufacturer supply their piston rings and they are just a tid bit off and allow oil to be burned by the engine. (not good). But AutoNation Subaru in Colorado did a great job and got my new engine in, in 2 days and cars has ran with no oil burning since." You can do this to if you are diligent and follow the instructions that Subaru and your dealer tells you to do.

earthdog78@gmail.com

Zatguy, just saw your post, but it didn't load on Web Hello Markw1952, A CarGurus user (Zatguy) answered a question you are following: "Has anybody had problems with excessive oil consumption in the 2015 Subaru Forester?". They wrote: "I posted a few complaints about a 2015 Forrester one step above base, moon roof, seat warmers, manual trans I bought in Early Dec. 14, after shocking me during the initial break in period with oil lights, the oil consumption problem seems to have settled down. The car did well (service advised me it was exactly where it should be) on the oil consumption test . It hasn't been using oil from what I can see on the dipstick, and I've been checking it like a hawk, this past month. I love everything about this car, especially how it drives. Might replace side mirrors if possible. I can't get used to them , even though my wife primarily drives it. Her and my daughter love the moon roof. I'll post if there's a change." SO, WHY DON'T YOU LIKE THE WAY IT DRIVES??? GOOD TO HEAR THAT THE OIL BURNING HAS SUBSIDED.

Mark, I actually have a 2015 Outback and based on what the TSB below states, I should have a vehicle with the updated piston rings. From page 3 of TSB-02-143-13R: "COUNTERMEASURE IN PRODUCTION The updated piston rings were incorporated into production at SIA on May 8, 2013, starting with VIN D3321342 (Outback) and D3048058 (Legacy)." The "D" in the VIN is for "2013", "E" for "2014" and "F" for 2015. Mine begins with "F". My ONLY question is, is the TSB correct? If so, then people here with vehicle build dates after May 8, 2013 AND have oil consumption problems have something OTHER than the piston ring issue. Either that, or the new rings did NOT fix the problem, which would be another new (and embarrassing issue) for Subaru.

Joe, I see. So, how do you like the CVT? And, do you have the four or six cylinder?

Zatguy, my mistake, just re-read your post and see that you do like the way it drives. sorry. Do you have the CVT in your Forester?

earthdog78@gmail.com

Zatguy, did you consider the CVT transmission or even test drive it? What was your reasons for getting the manual? I've got a friend who has a 2009 Forester with the manual and its developed this bird noise in the clutch and is very annoying. Even replaced the clutch and the noise is still there. I think that it might be a throw out bearing? Your car is still pretty new, but, be aware of this potential issue.

earthdog78@gmail.com

Zatguy, saw your post earlier about you choosing the manual over automatic transmission and that you skipped the Outback model so you could get the manual in the Forester. Strange, but, that earlier post disappeared? Maybe you didn't know or just preferred the manual, but , the CVT transmission would have given you better fuel mileage. You also mentioned that you were concerned about the CVT transmission stalling on you, what did you mean by that? I cannot imagine that you by that you meant the engine cutting out? That does not happen. Anyway, enjoy your car. I love the way the CVT keeps the engine always in the right gear and power band range for acceleration.

Zatguy, just saw your reply about being intimidated by automatic transmissions? OK, I imagine that your afraid that they won't hold up over the manual gearbox? Actually, the automatic transmissions today are benter than manuals and save more fuel. The new Subaru Lineartronic CVT is one of the most advanced new transmissions on the market today and has been written up by various car magazines as the market leader. Plus, in case you were not aware, the CVT transmission has paddle shifters on the steering column and you can choose the manual mode and it is six speed as well. The paddle shifters are six pre determined stops on the transmission, but, in reality the gearbox is an infinite number of gears from start to top speed. The CVT transmission is actually a simpler and more advanced technological transmission from an engineering standpoint than conventional automatic transmissions and should last longer. This, plus the fact that the system is continually changing gears while you're driving in all situations makes this something of a marvel by modern standards. So, maybe next time? ? Good luck with your car.

I have a standard transmission and would take the standard over an automatic anyway. That is one of the reasons I ended up with a Subaru. I prefer the control I Have with the standard, especially in the winter months. I know the automatic is slightly better on gas but I have been driving a standard most of my life and wouldn't trade for an automatic. Plus...I think they are just way more fun to drive!

Wow, I'll bet you never even test driven a Subaru CVT? I'm sure if you had, you would discovered that they have paddle shifters on the steering column and you can either drive that way or in fully automatic mode which actually is very smooth. Plus, it's known fact that automatics not only shift faster, last longer and get better fuel economy. And, in case you didn't know this either, Subaru manual transmissions are not really that good, so, I hope that works out well for you. I've got a friend who regrets that she opted for the manual and has a bird noise every time they depress the clutch. Fun to drive??? I live in major metropolitan area with so much traffic, I considered yanking the old clutch out of my last manual car and decided I would never go back to a manual. One final thing, there will always be more people interested in buying a used automatic transmission over a manual on the secondary market so, automatic transmission cars have greater resale-value.

On the contrary, I did try an automatic with paddle shifters. I like to be the one actually shifting the gears, a paddle shifter is still an automatic...you aren't actually shifting the gears, you are waiting for a computer to do it. Maintenance costs have been almost non-existent for my manual transmissions, including brakes. I like being connected to my car.... My last car was a Corolla , standard transmission and I had the brakes done once or twice in 320 000 kms. I do not live in a city, but close to one. I drive in crazy winter conditions with unpredictable events like moose and deer...so I like my standard for many reasons. Control is the major one. I like not having to touch my brakes on an icy road... My preference. Doesn't have to be yours. I will drive standard transmission until a) they just don't make them anymore or b) I get too old to use a clutch. Driving a standard is a joy to me not a chore. Enough said.

OK, I see, you shift faster than the computer. Really don't know how that's possible, but, yes, to each his own. Years ago, I had manual shift cars and at one time I would have agreed with you 100 percent, but , today, I would definitely not. Good luck. I've heard some negative things about the clutch and manual gearbox.

Experiencing the same problem with my 2013 Forester. My car is typically down 1/2 quart per 1200 miles however past 30K miles it's now one full quart at 1200 miles. I'm extremely upset over this, especially that my light never comes on. I don't want to worry about this kind of thing which is why I bought a NEW CAR and a SUBIE to boot. I want out of my loan and I want my money back but of course, we the consumers are screwed. If Subie advertised this nonsense of acceptable oil consumption (and coolant consumption btw, check your coolant and manuals!) I would have never bought the car, and probably you guys wouldn't have either. In my opinion having the consumer come to find these problems only as they occur or once the car is purchased and manual is in hand is WRONG and DECEPTIVE business practice. In any case my dealer is working with me to rebuild the short block of the engine that houses the piston rings and apparently that should fix the problem but only time and miles (dangerously close to the end of my warranty too) will tell. I will more than likely though trade it in for a HONDA CRV and never deal with Subie again. And SUBARUSCREW, I emailed you, check your spam box.

Every auto maker has a guideline for oil consumption. When i worked at Ford it was 1 QT every 1500 miles, Dodge is 1QT every 1100 miles and I was recently informed by GM that 1 QT every 500 miles is acceptable. Subaru guideline is 1 QT every 1200 miles. If research oil consumption you will find that just about EVERY vehicle on the market uses some oil between oil changes. MY 2012 F150 with a V8 engines and 32000 miles uses 1 Qt every 5000 miles. I am more inclined to think it is due to using synthetic oils and lighter oil weights. Vehicles that use 10w30 oil seem to not use oil as rapidly as those that use 5w30 or 0w20

I have a 2013 Subaru Forester that had the oil consumption problem. Dealer at 40K miles did the oil consumption test I had to request it. Or I should say demand it. Then it showed that it was using over 1 Quart of oil in 1500 miles. So got a new engine block put in. Problem solved. No engine is being used anymore. Have 10K on new engine now. I was also told at the begining when I bought the car new that there was a breakin period and the oil usuage only got worse. So then Subaru did right by me. Replaced the engine. Apparently they had another manufacturer supply their piston rings and they are just a tid bit off and allow oil to be burned by the engine. (not good). But AutoNation Subaru in Colorado did a great job and got my new engine in, in 2 days and cars has ran with no oil burning since.

Betty, you tell them. ...you're an inspiration for the people on this post who are eligible to get the oil consumption test done. There's rules for that and they can contact Subaru of America to find out. Unfortunately, a number of people on this post were not diligent enough to do the same things you did to justify getting a new engine. It takes a certain level of work and documentation on your part. Some people don't have the persistence to keep on top of this to get a new engine like you have. Even though I cited your earlier posts, some people doubted that this . I'm glad for you and that you stated this again. For some reason, this oil consumption problem seemed more prevalent on the Forester model with the manual transmission. I think that's because a lot of people driving the manual transmissions like to rev up the engine more. The automatic transmissions shift more smoothly and are usually not running at high rpm's especially the CVT transmission on the newer cars. Congrats to Auto Nation Subaru, I looked them up online and see that they have a 4.3 out of 5 rating, that's what I call excellent customer service. Good thing you're dealing with them. This is exactly the kind of business that obviously values customers and wants their repeat business. You cannot do better than word of mouth advertising.

I purchased a 2015 Subaru Forester, manual transmission, in May 2014. Since date of purchase, I have had to CONSISTENTLY add oil between oil changes far in excess of what anyone would consider normal. After having my low oil light come on after driving only 1000 miles after topping off oil (on a number of occasions), my local dealer agreed to an oil consumption test. I have had to endure a FULL YEAR of having to stop what I was doing to get myself to the dealer every time the oil light came on. It has been extremely inconvenient to spend hours of unplanned time in a dealership during the first year of new car ownership. I purchased a new car so that I could have reliable, relatively care-free and worry-free transportation but that has definitely not been my experience. I have made a lot of noise about this issue and have refused to allow them to tell me it was 'normal usage', and have finally been told that I will be able to have the short block replaced under warranty due to unusually high oil consumption. I have had to wait several weeks for my turn in the shop, as there were others in the queue before me to get their short blocks replaced. Obviously this is a major issue on these newer Subaru models. This is actually my third Subaru Forester, and with 100% certainty I can tell you it will be my LAST Subaru. This coming from a person who thought I would be loyal to the brand for life. NEVER AGAIN. My husband is a Honda man, and he has NEVER had to add a drop of oil between oil changes, and his Hondas are the most reliable cars we've ever owned. Other than routine maintenance, they have run without issue. I will hope for the best with the new short block, but I am not convinced it will resolve the problem as it still uses the same oil grade which I have been told - by the techs at the dealership no less - is contributing to this oil consumption problem. Biggest headache I have ever had with a vehicle. It has been absolutely ridiculous. If I wouldn't have lost so much money on a trade-in, the car would have been gone a long time ago. You have been warned.

I Dumped my Subaru off in a trade in at the local Nissan dealership. I didn't get hurt that bad on trade in. The short block swap is major work but simply switches the block with the same issues. Save yourself and dump the trash. No sense putting up with it. You will be happier in a new car that actually works. If you are going to have to pay for a new car get one you can be happy driving. Don't put it off or you will just loose more trade in value. This problem doesn't go away after break in. I tried it. Over time it will bet worse and it is already terrible. I love our new Rogue but just about any car out there beats the oil sucking Subaru. Find something you won't regret sending in a payment for every month.

We have the same issue with our 2015 Forester. Low oil level alerts every 2500 miles. We bought this vehicle based on the Consumer Reports review as the ' best small SUV of the year!' Our dealer did an oil consumption test and said the consumption was only 3 oz for 14 00 miles. But the dealership had overfilled the engine about 2 cm over the upper hole on the dipstick! So, don't trust your dealer either!

My dealer did the same thing on the very first oil change. When I took it back in they offered me $100 off the next service visit but at that point I had not yet seen the oil consumption problem. The only reason I found the car was over full was because the entire engine compartment had been sprayed with oil to the point we could smell it. That is when I noticed it was too full. I was really mad. Later finding out about the oil consumption tells me that you should trust NO Subaru dealer. The problem is the cars engine engineering. Get out while you can do it as cheaply as possible. That would be NOW! Tell all your friends and anyone you don't want to see hurt so they don't make the same mistake. Subaru can fix the problem. Swapping engines with the same engineering is not a solution. Piston rings.... maybe but I am not convinced. The fact that dealerships are overfilling and Subaru has not done a recall are all you really need to know about this problem. You are on you own. Save yourself and dump the Subaru.

Yes. Be VERY careful with your dealings with Subaru. Document everything. I am in northern Ontario. The first dealer didn't document my complaint with the first oil change at 10,000. My oil light came on at 5000km. I didn't check how much oil they put in, I am not used to dealing with such a horrible company. I didn't have trouble from 10,000 to 20,000km because I suspect they over-filled it but have no proof because I didn't check. I have gone to two dealers, they have both treated me like I am over reacting and irrational. I assure you I am not, cool calm and collected. The second dealer said my car wasn't using oil, it was just that 'the oil light came on prematurely'. RIGHT. Had the oil done at 32514km light came on after 4615km. I called Subaru again got horrible customer service and told that I had to take my car in immediately. Northern Ontario that is 2.5 hours away. I have since decided to conduct my own test before I go in. I added one Litre. It was halfway up the dipstick so when it goes again I will know how many litres I am using per KMs approximately. I also called Subaru Canada who couldn't find my VIN number on file. I was told to talk to the manager at the dealership, then the owner and then if that didn't work to call Subaru back. My next call however will be to a lawyer and then the media. I could sell and I may if I can't get a resolution but I won't go quietly that is for sure. Oh and the other day my car wouldn't lock, even when I used the door switch. I miss Toyota.

MY 2015 FORESTER IS A NIGHTMARE!!! This past weekend 6/13/15 I brought my car in for a routine oil change. My car had no issues prior and the odemeter has 11k so I've only preformed one other oil change at a Subaru dealership.Of course they up-sold me to the 12k tune up for $120—seems very steep for an oil change, cabin filter, and tire rotation. Long story short I left the dealership and 20 minutes later had catastrophic engine failure. I had traded in my 08 Legacy GT for the Forester which I had assumed would be a "safer" and more dependable vehicle. My car instantly dropped to below 10 miles an hour and sounded terrible. If this had happened on the highway I could have been in a serious accident. Neither my check engine light or check oil light never came on. One would think engine failure should engage the check engine light. I immediately checked the oil assuming it would be dry, however there was oil in my car and the filter seemed secure and there were no visible leaks. The dealership told me not to worry it was all a big coincidence and that randomly a bearing had come loose and shredded my engine. It was covered under warranty since the car is only 6.5 months old. This concerned me and I told them I wanted to get some advice before they did anything and I would call them back that afternoon. He informed me if I don't let them do the service he will charge me a lot fee and I'd immediately have to return my loaner or I'd be charged for that as well. My next conversation with the dealership was later that day. They told me they had to remove my engine because Subaru corprate needs to see it for warrenty validation. Frustrated beyond belief I called all the appropiate agencies and Subaru's corporate headquarters (2 calls 3 days no response). After that I called a accident inspection service that conducts many of the state of Maine's insurance investigations and damage assessments. They told me that this would absolutly depreciate the value of my car AT LEAST $2,500. Not to mention it will show up on service records, and who's going to buy a car that's basically been totaled before it's a year old. I'm still waiting for an answer from Subaru Corporate as I write this. I am promiosed a response by the end of the day. A word of advice, if you are buying a Forester because it will give you a sense of security knowing your family is in a safe dependable vehicle you may be disapointed by their newer vehicles.

Be aware that I was reading on a few Subaru owner forums that the dealer maintenance department has been instructed to overfill the oil by 1 quart to mask the oil consumption issue. Also the oil change interval has been dropped to 6k from 7.5k for 2015 models, which if it burns through 2 quarts the light may not come on between oil changes at the dealer. This I found out after I bought a 2015 cross trek and at 600 miles looked at the level in my garage after it sat overnight and the temp was about 50 degrees. The oil level was way over the top full level hole so I used an oil extractor(warmed the engine up) through the dipstick and took out 1.25 extra quart of oil to the top of the dipstick full hole. At nearly 2k on it the oil level has held, I'm hopeful but will keep and eye on it. when I go in for my 6k service I have it documented and will tell the service manager to record it and NOT to overfill the oil and we'll see how it goes. Like the cross trek but may have not bought one if I knew about this beforehand. Paul

I'm supposed to pick up my newly purchased 2015 Forester Limited later today. Like many of you I stumbled across this thread AFTER I read all of the safety accolades and other good reviews of the Forester. I tend to drive my vehicles for a long time(current vehicle is a 14 yr. old Isuzu Rodeo, another vehicle that HAD and oil consumption issue that was, more-or-less, "cured" by switching to high mileage synthetic oil). Now I'm torn and a little sick-to-my-stomach wondering what I might be getting into. DO I pick up the new car, the most expensive I've ever purchased, or lose my down payment and walk on by?

Aggie...I hope your new car doesn't have the same problems we are having. I personally think that Subaru doesn't deserve your business, from the horrible experience I have had. Truth is I love driving my car but I know the oil issues are going to cause problems down the road. I am trading mine in. I am also like you...did my research, keep my cars for a long time, feel completely bamboozled by the company. On the upside, you found out before you pick up your car so at least you will know about the sneakiness of what they do. If you have trouble check your oil levels after they work on your car and don't believe a word they say.

Agree! Agree. We have a 2015 LTD bought in Nov 2014 with oil consumption of about 2000 miles/ 1 QT. If you have not picked up the vehicle yet, please think again before you do. Once you drive it out of the lot, it is your problem!! It is a great vehicle with all the great safety featuresand great ride, but the oil consumption could haunt you for ever. Also, if you do decide to buy it, please check the oil level BEFORE you leave the dealer premises!! They might say it is parked uphill or downhill. Just DO NOT fall for their argument. If parked uphill, it should register a lower level, and vice versa. I have reported this to Consumer Reports to re-review this vehicle..

I haven't written to this forum for quite a while, but I have been following it. I completely agree with rchsts. Beware! There is something really fishy going on in that Subaru keeps getting accolades for its recent products despite what seems to be a multitude of angry customers. We had a 2011 (first year of the FB25 engine) Forester. At about 8000 miles, the car started to have what was called (by Subaru) the "sewing machine noise" in the engine. It was a circus to get fixed. The dealer never did get it right. My wife loves the Forester concept, and we decided to give them another chance. Subaru gave us a great deal on trading in the '11 and we got a '13 (Forester again). About 15,000 miles later, oil usage in the '13, during highway driving, went way up - a quart per 900 - 1100 miles. Attempts to get this fact across to customer service went nowhere. We were basically going to have to "invent" a bunch of highway-speed driving to satisfy their oil consumption tests to say that the vehicle was indeed defective. In other words, Subaru would look at the vehicle as being just fine as long as the miles we racked up were accumulated under about 50 miles per hour - that describes the majority of the car's use. Take a long trip out on the freeway however........... So, we bailed and bought something else. No more Subarus for us. Another fact that is interesting, is that the "guaranteed trade allowance" program that Subaru runs has drastically changed. The value that Subaru attaches to the "clean, low mileage" Subaru you are trading in has dropped a lot over the past two years in comparison to the NADA and Kelley values for the same vehicle. Covering their butt for anticipated repairs on the trade-in vehicle by any chance??

Just wanted to update the forum that I traded in my 2015 Forester six weeks ago for a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The Forester had 22,000 miles and went for $4,500 less than the original purchase price - and good riddance. I made every effort to be honest and straight forward with the Mazada dealer about all the oil consumption issues including the fact that the engine block was replaced at 15,000 miles. There were no subsequent problems after the 'repair' but I did not want to wait around for any to surface. The Mazda has been a joy and I can recommend to any looking for a Forester alternative. Best of luck to all of you and thanks for sharing your expierences and knowledge.

Ok everyone, I have finally racked up almost 6000 miles on my new Subi Forester. I DID swap out the factory oil for regular oil during to break in period for 1500 miles. I then put the factory oil back in. And so far the oil level has dropped about 2/3 down the dipstick in 4000 miles. The car now has 5500 miles and will be going in for its first oil change. While I'm not thrilled that it used any oil in a new engine, I guess it's acceptable by Subaru engine standards. Thanks for the tip on the Mazda. We LOVE this car and hate the thought of losing it. Time will tell and I will continue to post updates.

My 2014 Forester has same problem - oil consumption. it started with 17,000+ miles; now the meter shows 28,000 miles and it happened 4 times already. I have to put a quart engine oil in my trunk all the time...

I've been following this discussion board every since I bought my 2015 Forester. I was especially worried because I bought it used with 10K miles and it made me wonder why it was traded in. The deadler said that the owner wanted to trade up to a truck to tow heavier loads for work, but you never know. So far, after 4K miles, I have not seen any oil consumption. I also checked to make sure the oil wasn't overfilled when they dealer took the trade-in (my new car). I also read that the affected cars of this oil consumption problem are 5% of the cars. I hope that I won on the odds and I'm part of the 95% percent. If not, I hope if anything goes wrong, it goes wrong before the warranty is up. Are there any other people on here that have had no problems like me? Do you think I might see this problem as I get more mileage?