Subaru sued over excessive oil consumption: Is your car on the list?

I have a 2014 Legacy. At just a few hundred miles shy of the 30K mile oil change interval the oil light came on for the first time. The oil was changed and less than 1000 miles after the light came on again and a quart was added. Right now the car has 35,300 miles and the level appears to have dropped very close to the lower end of normal, but no light yet. This is a lease vehicle which I was considering purchasing in 1 year, but with all the talk about oil consumption was wondering if that would be a good idea.

I wanted to add to this post for "documentation" purposes, I too have a 2013 XV Crosstrek, oil light came on the first oil change, I asked the dealer about it....and got the canned answer everyone else is getting. Now I am at 20k due for another oil change, oil light came on....added a quart of 0w20 just to get me to the dealership, what's to "love" about a Subaru? Sure it might be rated the "safest car"....do they mean because it won't move after your engine seizes up? Can't really get into an accident....now can you? :-) Just frustrating, I've had American, and other Jap manufacturers with NO oil consumption issues.....what a racket. Its my first Subaru....might be my last, regardless in todays technology age, especially with manufacturing these issues should NOT be happening.

My 2011 Forester now consumes an enormous amount of oil, 4-5 liters /2500 miles. I had to fill the whole thing up. Dipstick was dry, motor rattling. Dealer said this was "normal" to have to fill up the oil. I suspect there is a game of denial here....,
Law suit is a good start. Will bring in a copy of this document....demand action.
Will this be covered under the warenty?

Therr appears pushback. From subaru.

Thirty years ago this sort of oil consumption - a quart every thousand or two thousand miles - was normal for most cars. Oil was checked and topped up as required, and we thought nothing of it. But in the last decade or two oil control has got so good that our cars use little or no oil between services. Lucky us!

P B

I bought my very first new car, a 2014 manual Outback, in April and began having these same oil consumption issues with just 1200 miles on the car. My dealership did one oil consumption test and all seemed fine. Until it wasn't. The more mileage on the car, the more oil it seemed to use. The good news: my dealership replaced the engine block rather than just the rings. The bad news: I've put 3000 miles on the new engine and it's consuming oil, too. When the low oil consumption light came on again, I was 1.5 quarts low.

Now I'm waiting to hear back from the dealership. If it weren't for this issue, I'd be crazy in love with this car, but this problem is really a deal breaker. Wish I'd known about it before I decided to buy. So sad that Subaru never figured out how to fix this problem.

A friend of mine had the problema with its Forester 2013 after the first service.....he claimed and forced for a new unit. Subaru Peru gave him an XV meanwhile the import unit is coming. Now I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM with my Forester 2013 (also here in Peru). My car is 8000 miles and a red light advised of oil lack....i had to fill with 2 liters!!!...yesterday the car service told me that "it is normal"....today i have a meeting with them. Will tell that i know that they are giving a new unit to my friend and will suit them if they do not accept to give me a new unit.

I too have an outback 2013 and have high oil consumption problems since the vehicle was new.. I finally had the dealer perform a compression check and the readings were low (115-120 psi).. The readings should have been 175-205 psi.. The dealer does not believe their readings and suspect that they should redo the check on another gauge; to confirm that their equipment is faulty..I do not live close to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and am going to have it redone at a nearer Subaru dealer this week..It is my belief :"the customer is always right".. In my dealings with Subaru: "the customer is trying to cheat the system." .. I do not enjoy or look forward to arguing with or trying to prove to a dealer that I have a problem with their product.. My advise would be to avoid conflicts by not buying a product where there is no warranty service.. Subaru warranty service is criminal and they seem to think that people will give up and go away without a fight..Sad but true......

what % of the new subarus are having this problem?

my 2013 outback also burns oil and the dealer said it was with in the 1200 mi. was noemal

What lawyer in Albuquerque will help me with this class action law suit against Subaru regarding excessive oil consumption?

I love the 2015 Outback but wouldn't buy one because of this issue. Particularly I am troubled by the way Subaru handle the situation. It is hard to understand it has taken this long for Subaru to develop a solution.

I am going to a Honda dealer this week.

Reading all comments on this site makes me feeling so worried about my Subaru. I just bought two brand new Subaru cars, 2014 Forrester and 2015 Impreza. So far, my 2014 Forrester has 7500 miles. I have no oil burning problem so far. My 2015 Impreza just has 400 miles. It hasn't broken in yet. I pray that I won't have problems as others have posted. I will go insane if they do since I have traded in my two reliable Hondas for these vehicles ....

My 2009 Forester has this problem. The dealer gave me several run-arounds, desperately trying to avoid culpability. They know that engine replacement is the proper solution. Good to know that I'm not the only one having this issue.

I have a 2012 Impreza with 40K miles on it. Checked the oil (full) before starting a recent trip - 500 miles later, the oil warning light was on and I was down a quart. It uses a quart or two between changes under my normal driving conditions, a combination of highway and local. At high speed for a long period, it will use a quart in 500 miles. It has happened more than once. Am currently having the dealer monitor oil consumption. I believe they're trying to blame my having a non-dealer change my oil. The oil used was within spec, just didn't cost me $135 for the change, like at the dealer!

Oil consumption test was done and I received a new short block as the rings were bad in our forester 2012. I notice the gas mileage is now better by 3mpg so now I'm thinking Subaru cost me X-amount more of gas per year with the faulty rings.

Out here in Europe, Subaru recommends, and the official Subaru oil, is, in fact 5-30w synth.
I burnt around a litre (quart) before the first oil change at 6000miles, and the car is used 90% on the motorway (around 85mph constant 3500rpm) - but that would be with the factory filled 0-20w. Since then, on 5-30w Subaru Europe Official oil - absolutely zero oil burn. That's my MY2014 Forester. Simple fact is the 0-20W is too thin, and getting past the rings. And all for what? A minor improvement in gas-mileage?

Our 2011 Forester XT Touring edition is consuming engine oil. We bought this vehicle new and do all our own oil & filter changes using synthetic 5W30 & Fram Extra Guard filters. Recently upon cold engine start up we heard a knocking noise. We shut down the engine let the oil settle in the sump and came back 1/2 hr later to check the oil. Nothing to be found on the dipstick.....2,5 liters added to read midway on the dipstick. Next checked oil filler cap which had white foam inside of it. Checked radiator fluid and cap for any residue of oil as we thought possible head gasket failure or slow bypass leakage. Of to the dealer the next day for check up. Was told everything is ok( after we topped up oil) and Subaru use more oil than other vehicles and not to worry. 2.5 liters since last oil change and not worry? This vehicle only has 31476 miles on the engine. Called Subaru of America and they would not admit to any defects nor is there a recall regarding this issue. They told us to do an oil consumption test.... at our expensive of course and they would follow up with the dealer on the consumption report. $279 later for an oil & filter change as well as the PCV valve which we were told could also be an issue( BS I say) just another way to suck the dollars out of your pocket. Now wait and see as we put the miles on and return to the dealer every 1200-1500 miles to have it checked and recorded. Contacted Lemonlaw in the USA as we are Canadian but purchased the vehicle in Bellingham USA was told about the amount of Forester owners having this issue and still no recall from Subaru. Was told by Lemonlaw lawyer that major class action lawsuit is in place and many owners have been paid out or have had their engines replaced. Extremely frustrated as we did at least a year of research prior to buying this vehicle and almost all automobile websites, magazines and TV car shows rate this vehicle very high. Never seen all the blogs of actual owners expressing their similar concerns as we would have never bought this vehicle knowing the defective engine design & oil consumption. Subaru should be ashamed contributing to the earths pollution with all this oil consumption.....Never mind being an owner having to pay for endless amounts of synthetic oil and constant checking.....god forbit if you forgot to check often enough between oil changes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Own a 2013 Forrester, burning oil. Going through the consumtion issue where the Dealer changes the oil & filter, bring the car back after 1,200 miles or if the light comes on. Have added 3 quarts of oil between 30,000 and 32,500 miles. I used Mobile One Synthetic Oil with my last oil change and the dealer said that is not a good oil to use in Subaru;s, sounds strange. Would like to join the class action law suite . Can you send me the info to join the law suite.

2014 Forester has just turned one year old for me and my wife. Yes, this vehicle drinks oil like I drive iced tea.
I'm 61 years old and have owned more cars than I can remember. What I do recall is NEVER having to add oil to my vehicles, unless it was back when I had an old 56 Chevy. Come on Subaru, are you kidding. Why are you screwing over your consumer base. Big companies fail. The government won't be there to bail you out.