Subaru to Replace Piston Rings on Several Models

2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek (Credit: © Suburu)

With all of the recent news about GM’s recall mess (that’s putting it lightly) many have missed the news of  recalls issued by other car manufacturers. Subaru recently announced that it will be replacing the piston rings on select 2011 through 2014 models after a defect was uncovered. According to the Japanese automaker, the piston rings on XV Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza and Legacy models from those production years have a problem with consuming oil excessively.

As the oil control piston rings wear out prematurely, oil consumption goes up and stays consistently at that elevated level. While checking the oil on any vehicle regularly is recommended, Subaru is stepping up and fixing the problem. Anyone with an effected model can have new piston rings installed, free of charge thanks to the warranty. The new rings have a different surface treatment performed.

The bad news is if you own one of the listed models you will have to pay for the fix. It involves partially disassembling the engine, so it likely won’t be cheap. Still, running the engine low on oil also can create massive and extremely expensive problems, so owners with vehicles out of the warranty period will need to carefully consider their options. If you have any questions, contact the service department at your local Subaru dealer.

This isn’t the first time Subaru has faced a flaw in an engine design. The brand is notorious for blown gaskets, a problem that some claim vexes every model. Even with these problems, it still seems like a safer bet to purchase a Subie than a GM product these days.