The declining quality of Subarus
My main concern rather than quality is the drive towards mainstream. It seems they have hired That douche who designed the bmw's Bangle or whatever. Instead of making an ordinary car have some extra special features and fun a true enthusiast enjoys..............................they are making the cars boring and for the non car loving people, ugly looks, lack of powertrain combinations/stick etc.., same bs automatics, no new power no new brake options making it to lower level models.....
Our new business plan is code named....................
"Undesirable"
5 years ago loving subaru like no other, now= NO plans of buying another subaru until they dull out a non ordinary one. Not happy with their changes.
Our new business plan is code named....................
"Undesirable"
5 years ago loving subaru like no other, now= NO plans of buying another subaru until they dull out a non ordinary one. Not happy with their changes.
Last edited by slow04wrx; Feb 2, 2011 at 02:20 PM.
iClub Silver Vendor
iTrader: (25)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,494
From: Participating in some Anarchy!
Car Info: 2005 LGT wagon
Yep - but since you are obviously an expert on avctp/avdtp over l2cap I guess I should stop talking.. It is my experience that the sound, very similiar to what the OP recorded can come from an iPhone having issues - while the iphone still appears paired on the stereo - the iPhone is no longer sending useful data.. For troubleshooting - I'd suggest turning the bluetooth radio OFF on the iphone and see if it makes a difference - then leave it that way for some period and see if it recurs..

VIP Member
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 6,781
From: 500mi North of Montana. Enjoying free health care.
Car Info: Bugeyed Autowagon
So true, that's why my next car shall be a replacement for my Bug-Eye or a 90's STi coupe (in Canada we can grey import up to 1996 model year)
Last edited by newyorkreload; Feb 2, 2011 at 02:26 PM.
Nobody likes the tuna here
iTrader: (51)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,779
From: Somewhere San Mateo County, Inside A 911 Ambulance
Car Info: 03 SRP WRX Street Class Prepped, 17 Chevy Duramax
The thing I hated the most was why did Subaru change from the 2 pot 4 pot from the 06 07 back to the previous years when they came out with 08 plus? Doesn't make any sense to me. "Lets make a better more horsepower engine,but lets take away the stopping power?"
As for your Stereo problem I agree with you and it does sound more like a ground problem. Id try another dealer to see if they would go in and take a look at it.
As for your Stereo problem I agree with you and it does sound more like a ground problem. Id try another dealer to see if they would go in and take a look at it.
On the other hand bluetooth is a PITA with anything I have an aftermarket kenwood media player and **** a few times a week it done f's itself and has connectivity issues. Derek see if you can get a hold of another phone and try it with that bluetooth, if it causes the same reaction maybe the bluetooth module has interference, is it every time? I don't remember. It could be as simple as a wire overlapping.
The short-throw well that's just a job of a ****ty tech that didn't know what the hell they were doing and they can go screw themselves and spot working on cars cause they obvious don't give a damn when it comes to other people's cars.
What do you mean by kickboard? The one under the drivers side?
Well good luck Derek, I'll keep an eye out on this thread. Anyways mods wise how's the car?
i-Club Sympathizer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,165
From: Mazda NAO
Car Info: 1969 BMW R75/5 & Work Whip
Oh, if you think the Brembo formulation on the STi's is good then I've got a bridge available fairly cheap.
EDIT: I should clarify... the calipers are slightly different, but they are both loaded with the same pads.
A bug eye can never be replaced, only backed up by another car
Yep - but since you are obviously an expert on avctp/avdtp over l2cap I guess I should stop talking.. It is my experience that the sound, very similiar to what the OP recorded can come from an iPhone having issues - while the iphone still appears paired on the stereo - the iPhone is no longer sending useful data.. For troubleshooting - I'd suggest turning the bluetooth radio OFF on the iphone and see if it makes a difference - then leave it that way for some period and see if it recurs..
Unless there's some sort of static field at play here, but that would also play into the OP's argument that the quality of the Subaru is not quite there.
Last edited by Amandyke; Feb 2, 2011 at 03:37 PM.
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,581
From: on the way to lake tahoe to shread! turbo beast
Car Info: 2016 WRX, 2014 lifter forester XT, 2005 JDM207 WGN
I think that the 2011 legacy and wrx/sti are a lot better when it comes to quality then the older ones. Have you been in a new LGT? looks like a BMW m5!
LOL when I had my '08 STi, I used to complain that the seats didn't have better side bolsters like in the Evo X's, or that it didn't give me 30+mpg (had a '07 Civic Si prior)......
manhands, I sure hope for your sanity's sake you got clear bra for your WRX's front-end. Can't imagine how you'll be when you see those rock chips.....a newly washed DGM WRX shows those very nicely.....
manhands, I sure hope for your sanity's sake you got clear bra for your WRX's front-end. Can't imagine how you'll be when you see those rock chips.....a newly washed DGM WRX shows those very nicely.....
Last edited by zergling; Feb 2, 2011 at 04:20 PM.
Registered User
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 342
From: SF East Bay, CA
Car Info: 2003 WRX Wagon
Even if the bluetooth connection is in a zombie state, any malformed packets that get decoded into garbled audio will still have to go through the amplifier before they reach the speakers. If the radio is off, it is not possible that malformed data could a) be received b) be decoded c) come blaring out of the speakers at such a volume as the OP is stating. Clearly there is something occurring in the system which is allow the amplifier to send a signal to the speakers, but with the radio off there is simply no way a rogue l2cap connection is going to be possible.
Unless there's some sort of static field at play here, but that would also play into the OP's argument that the quality of the Subaru is not quite there.
Unless there's some sort of static field at play here, but that would also play into the OP's argument that the quality of the Subaru is not quite there.
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 784
From: San Jose, CA
Car Info: 2011 STi Sedan Plasma Blue
My 2011 sti is worse then my 2009 sti, I got Bluetooth problem, my trim around the deck lost some paint, the kick panel came undone on me as well, my clutch master cylender was bad on the 1st month of the car. I did not have a single issue with the 2009.
I've been posting about this and talking to people in the community but I'm really distressed by what seems to be Subaru cutting corners, since I purchased my 2011 from Stevens creek it's been a nonstop bonanza of problems.
Everything from the dealer misrepresenting maintenance packages to me, to improperly installing my short shifter, my headlights fogging up ON THE INSIDE and I was generally given the run around over and over to the point of my utter frustration. Since then I've had the kickboard pop out while driving in the rain, the speaker in by the stereo doesn't seem to be working properly for bluetooth connection. Subaru's solution "Oh it's a problem with Iphones interfacing with the car and trying to send it video because the iphone is designed to send video and our car isn't designed to recieve it." Subaru.
Now I read the car and driver article pointing out the V6 mustang spanks the everliving hell out on the track due to the **** brake pads subaru uses on the cars stock. I've noticed the fade myself while driving, why in the world would they use inferior products right from the factory? I know I'm going to replace them with quality pads and tires to rectify the issue eventually but it really seems shady to do something like that.
Now after all that I come to the current issue that is driving me absolutely bat**** insane, it's unsafe and extremely annoying.
Here I recorded a sample of the noise using my iphone during my driving experience for your pleasure: http://krogoth.org/sound.m4a
This is a sound that I believe is caused by a grounding of some part of the electrical system, it presents itself while the stereo is on or off and plays at max volume, there is nuance and a lot of noises missing from the recording that you could hear in person admittedly.
This is obviously pretty scary when it happens, definitely unsafe so I took it into the dealer and they refused to deal with it. They said if I cannot recreate the noise in the presence of a Tech then they will not attempt to discover the source of the noise.
I called SoA, they backed up the dealer, basically said I'm **** out of luck, can bother taking it to a local shop if I want, paying them lots of money that I don't have and if I'm lucky I may get reimbursed from subaru but I might not.
It turns out talking to other owners though that I have found two other 2011 WRX owners who have experienced similar yet not at severe instances of the same thing happening. I'm hoping this post will bring forth people to be aware of the issue and allow people who may be having the same thing happen to them express their dissatisfaction since Subaru in general is not as concerned with issues in their cars as they are profits. The whole thing has really put a bad taste in my mouth.
Sure part of it was a little theraputic rant
. I'm curious if there's more people with this same sort of issues and we just don't know it yet. Hopefully we're the minority and not the beginning of a disturbing trend.
Edit: TL;DR is: If you don't like Subaru's current practice of price point engineering and sacrificing the quality of their products you should tell them so!
Everything from the dealer misrepresenting maintenance packages to me, to improperly installing my short shifter, my headlights fogging up ON THE INSIDE and I was generally given the run around over and over to the point of my utter frustration. Since then I've had the kickboard pop out while driving in the rain, the speaker in by the stereo doesn't seem to be working properly for bluetooth connection. Subaru's solution "Oh it's a problem with Iphones interfacing with the car and trying to send it video because the iphone is designed to send video and our car isn't designed to recieve it." Subaru.
Now I read the car and driver article pointing out the V6 mustang spanks the everliving hell out on the track due to the **** brake pads subaru uses on the cars stock. I've noticed the fade myself while driving, why in the world would they use inferior products right from the factory? I know I'm going to replace them with quality pads and tires to rectify the issue eventually but it really seems shady to do something like that.
Now after all that I come to the current issue that is driving me absolutely bat**** insane, it's unsafe and extremely annoying.
Here I recorded a sample of the noise using my iphone during my driving experience for your pleasure: http://krogoth.org/sound.m4a
This is a sound that I believe is caused by a grounding of some part of the electrical system, it presents itself while the stereo is on or off and plays at max volume, there is nuance and a lot of noises missing from the recording that you could hear in person admittedly.
This is obviously pretty scary when it happens, definitely unsafe so I took it into the dealer and they refused to deal with it. They said if I cannot recreate the noise in the presence of a Tech then they will not attempt to discover the source of the noise.
I called SoA, they backed up the dealer, basically said I'm **** out of luck, can bother taking it to a local shop if I want, paying them lots of money that I don't have and if I'm lucky I may get reimbursed from subaru but I might not.
It turns out talking to other owners though that I have found two other 2011 WRX owners who have experienced similar yet not at severe instances of the same thing happening. I'm hoping this post will bring forth people to be aware of the issue and allow people who may be having the same thing happen to them express their dissatisfaction since Subaru in general is not as concerned with issues in their cars as they are profits. The whole thing has really put a bad taste in my mouth.
Sure part of it was a little theraputic rant
. I'm curious if there's more people with this same sort of issues and we just don't know it yet. Hopefully we're the minority and not the beginning of a disturbing trend.Edit: TL;DR is: If you don't like Subaru's current practice of price point engineering and sacrificing the quality of their products you should tell them so!
Take it to Stevens Creek Subaru, they'll hook it up


