I keep reading on different places in this website that the subaru tranny is weak and won't handle much over 300 horses. Is this true? I thought mitsubishi was the only one with a crappy tranny. What would it take to make it handle more power and still be reliable? Is swapping a 6 speed in place the only way to truely make it handle higher horsepower and still be reliable?

 

How modified is your car and how do you drive your car? I mean of your driving a high horsepower car then it would be a little more understandable. I am just trying to gauge whether or not I should get a WRX. I've already rebuilt one tranny in my life I really don't want to do it again. How hard was it to put in the 6 speed and how much?

 

One thing to take into account is that you're only going to hear the vocal minority of people that've had problems with their transmissions on boards like this. There are tens of thousands of US-spec WRX owners that have no problems whatsoever (except maybe clutch shudder on cold mornings, but that was fixed for the 03).

 

I kinda figured that I would only get mostly negative replies but I just wanted to see how bad it could get. Like I said I really don't want to rebuild another tranny. Just in case what are my options as far as beefin up the tranny. Mild to wild let me hear suggestions.

 

dude should I not be getting a Scooby. I mean this sounds rather bad. Tranny's really suck to rebuild, does the 6 speed bolt right in? Should I go elsewhere for my next car?

 

Thanks alot, how much would that whole set up run me? And is it easy to install? I have done tranny swaps before but only on American muscle cars.

 

is this only a problem with WRX's? i've heard the term "glass tranny" as to describe the transmissions in Subaru's. i have a 2000 2.5RS. are they just bad trannies in general? or is it primarily an issue with the WRX?

 

I own a 2002 WRX Wagon.
I do not race.
I am still on the original tires at 27,000 miles and the original tires are ****ty (tread rating is only 160).

Here's my story on the tranny:


I drove the car for about 22,500 miles.
4th gear starts grinding.
Subaru puts in "special gear oil" and tells me to drive 1,000 more miles.
At 23,500 miles, the 4th gear is still grinding.
Subaru Replaces 3rd and 4th gear sets, synchros, some other stuff, and I get my car back 2 weeks later (not happy but covered under warranty). Tells me that coporate only authorizes one tranny repair on WRXs under warranty.
Shortly after I get it back, first gear decides to no longer like being shifted into when stopped and grinds at even 10 mph going into it.
I wait on taking it in again, I like warranty issues to be really noticeable.
2000 miles later (about 25,500 total) 4th gear starts grinding again.
Subaru gets authorization to fix (why when it's under warranty, not happy again). Takes a month to fix. They replaced a shifter fork and a race needle bearing, both of which were not in the original rebuild. They tell me that it will not be fixed again under warranty after this.
I have not had further problems. It's actually easier to shift into first now than when I bought the car. I am not happy though, and I'm writing a letter to SOA because I should still be under warranty. I do not abuse my car. It's a rally car, and they advertise it like it can be abused without problems. BS.

 

I have a good friend that works for a dealership, and he told me that since the wrx came to the U.S. his shop has replaced 7 trannys. All of which belonged to young kids whose mommy or daddy bought the car for them. All were first time AWD owners. None knew how to drive with AWD. A few of them had considerable power mods with 300+ hp. One had the dyno to prove 423hp. Every one of them said that they dropped the clutch just like they used to with their front wheel drive car so they knew that wasn't the problem. Since when does anyone drop the clutch on an AWD car at 5000+ rpm. All 7 claimed that or higher for their rpm dump.