We recommend all Subaru’s living in the Central Oregon area change their engine oil every 3500 miles. This includes both conventional and synthetic users. While the interval for oil changes on newer Subaru’s using synthetic oil can be up to 6000 miles, we know that all vehicles living here meet the severe conditions requirement (very high and low temperatures) laid out by the Subaru owner’s manual.

Subaru says meeting even one of the following conditions is enough to be considered severe, and therefore owners should follow the severe conditions parameters for maintenance (this is what we follow at SubieTech). Vehicles that meet the severe requirements have their oil changed every 3500 miles, rather than every 5000, to maintain the integrity of the engine and other vital components.

The conditions Subaru lists as severe include:

• Extreme hot weather (common in Central Oregon)
• Extreme cold weather (common in Central Oregon)
• Dry & dusty conditions (common in Central Oregon)
• Heavy loads
• Towing
• Rough or muddy roads (common in Central Oregon)
• Frequent stop and go traffic
• Frequent trips of less than 10 miles (common in Bend, Oregon and Central Oregon)
• Frequent mountain driving (common in Central Oregon)
• 3 or more cold starts per day

In addition to the severe condition issue, Subarus are known for oil consumption. This is so common that Subaru recommends you are checking and topping off oil at every fuel refill. If this is not happening and the vehicle does burn even an “acceptable” amount of oil, by the time it is due for a 7500 mile oil change, damage may already have been done to engine internals or components due to your vehicle running low on oil.

All vehicles serviced at SubieTech receive a complimentary multi point inspection, which includes a visual check of the chassis, steering components, exhaust components, belts and hoses, air filters, suspension components, cooling system, brake system, fuel system, engine, transmission, and differentials. We also visually check the fluids including oil, coolant, wiper fluid, brake fluid, power steering, transmission fluid(when possible), and differential fluids (when possible).

The oil in your car gets dirtier and dirtier each time you use your engine. It also burns the oil, which some owners will refer to as “eating” oil. Most Subarus from about 2005+ utilize Subarus active valve control system (AVCS) for engine management. This means that the computer relies on oil pressure readings to control the timing and motor components in real time. When your Subaru is running on low oil or dirty oil, the oil pressure drops, and there is an increased chance of damage to the engine and its components. The longer you go between oil changes, the more damage is done.

Just like engine oil, gear oil used in transmissions and differentials breaks down over time. As the fluid breaks down, it loses its ability to both lubricate and transfer heat. The gears will grind against each other without proper lubrication, damaging the components.

Many owners skip or delay differential fluid maintenance because of the cost. However, if you consider that a differential fluid service costs around $100 (total $200ish with front and rear differential), but the cost of a NEW rear differential is around $900 plus labor ($750), it makes it seem much more reasonable to just do your maintenance at regular recommended intervals! Additionally, the front differential can’t be replaced without opening your transmission – an extremely costly service. If your transmission is automatic, you’re looking at several thousand dollars in parts and labor to remove and replace it.

Subaru’s regular maintenance schedule recommends checking trans & diff fluid every 30,000 miles.

Subaru’s severe maintenance schedule recommends replacing trans & diff fluid every 30,000 miles (this is what we recommend in Central Oregon, as we go through extreme temperature fluctuations and our air is very dry and dusty).

Brake fluid is hydraulic fluid that in the simplest terms, helps you use less force to stop the car. Power steering fluid does the same, by helping you use less force to steer. If you’ve ever driven an old classic car, you know that without power steering, it takes a lot of strength to turn the wheel because it’s using only human power alone! So while it’s possible to drive a car without power steering, it’s not the safest thing for quick reaction time or highway driving. Same for brakes – it can be a very serious safety issue.

Like other lubricants, power steering fluid and brake fluid loses its effectiveness overtime. The fluid will also absorb moisture, so delaying fluid exchanges means more moisture in the fluid, which leads to diminished braking or steering and increased chance of corrosion in hydraulic system. Sometimes, once damage is caused, you’ll also start to hear a whine from your power steering pump.

Subaru’s regular maintenance schedule recommends replacing brake and steering fluid every 30,000 miles.
Subaru’s severe maintenance schedule recommends replacing brake and steering fluid every 15,000 miles.

This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on a variety of factors such as how you drive the car, the model you’re driving (turbo motors are always more expensive to maintain than naturally aspirated (non-turbo) motors), the mileage of your car, the mileage you drive each year, the age of your car, and the state of your car now. That being said, if you put away at least $100/month or about $1,200.00 a year towards car maintenance, you’d be feeling the pinch much less when you need to do brakes, fluid changes, suspension replacements, etc., over the life of the car. This is only our opinion based on our experience and other shops will have their own opinions.

Typically, car batteries last 3-4 years depending on brand, use, and conditions. If your battery is older than that, we recommend doing a battery test every so often, especially in winter, to ensure it is still ok to use. A battery test will provide valuable information on the battery’s current ability to hold a charge (should be 60% or higher), internal resistance, and available cold cranking amps. It is also important to note that severe cold conditions can reduce the life of a battery.

Keep alert for signs that your battery is coming to the end of its useful life: extended cranking before starting, dimming of lights and electronics when cranking to start, corrosion or build up on battery terminals, or a bulging battery.

Subaru’s require brake replacements anywhere between 25,000-75,000 miles. This is largely dependent upon driving type and style. If you’re a hard braker or have a lot of sudden stops, you may wear your brakes down quickly or warp your rotors. If this happens, you’ll notice a shaking or wobbling when you brake.

We check brakes anytime a vehicle is in for standard service, and would recommend having the brakes checked every 10-12,000 miles.

Your pads will start to make a screeching noise when they are dangerously low. At this point there is barely anything between the calipers and the rotors. If the pads wear out completely, your calipers will be bare metal squeezing on your brake rotors. This will break the calipers or make them unusable, and you will need to replace your calipers, in addition to your brake pads and rotors. This can cost upwards of $500 (parts and labor) for each caliper.