Any problems with your Baja????

General talk about the Subaru Baja.

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Snorkeled
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Post by Snorkeled »

No major problems so far. . . My glove box light went out a few weeks ago. I bought my Baja at 19,000 and I am not at 73,000.
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cyphergirl
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by cyphergirl »

I just crossed 100k and my HVAC fan switch is acting wonky (the fan doesn't turn off) and it's starting to seep some oil around one of the plugs, but all is well other than that.

(And the soft cover is still a POS but it's hanging in there -- no tears, not much stretching, not too much fading.)
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Emsanon »

The clear coat on my side mirrors is almost gone. :(
Nothing much other than that...yet. :wink:
bulwnkl
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by bulwnkl »

1) Hood's paint is cracked, for lack of a better term. Has thousands of tiny spider-web cracks all over it. You don't really notice it unless you're looking, but it looks like the old-time enamel paints used to get. Nothing's coming off, though.

2) Driver's seat vinyl is cracked on the left-side thigh bolster. It appeared to have been repaired when we got it last year. Now the repair has failed and the crack is getting bigger despite the fact that I'm careful getting in and out to try to not make it worse.

3) Driver's side rear seat-back release knob broke. No clear way to disassemble myself so I just use the passenger-side knob. Definitely not going to go see the dealer about a new rear seat-back!

4) Something's odd with the HVAC. During the winter, the passenger-side footwell is much colder than the driver's side. Even with the heater on, it's cold. No obvious, huge holes in the firewall, but something's amok.

5) A/C isn't very cold. Had it charged up, but still not a real arctic blast like I'm used to from my American cars. I think this is more of a Subaru trait than a problem based on other Subies I've had. Still, number 4 makes me think maybe this issue is related?

**EDIT: Sorry, I didn't put any info about the truck in:
2005 Baja, turbo A/T, ~88,000 miles
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jsingh0072007
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by jsingh0072007 »

This isn't a really a problem I guess but I have been getting bad gas millage lately. i know its winter but I have only been getting around 18.3 mpg and I do 90% highway I commute 40 miles on way to work. And its not a turbo model. I usually get around 24 or 25 mpg. IT had a vacuum leak but It got fixed I though that was the problem but it wasn't. No lights are on on the dash. Is this normal maybe because it has 143K?? I asked my mom who owned the car since practically new and she said she got around 21mpg in winter. HELP :-)
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cyphergirl
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by cyphergirl »

Which model year, and which engine?

My '03 Sport has the 4-cyl engine and 139,000 miles. It currently gets between 27.5 and 28.5mpg with mostly highway driving. Every now and then my mileage will drop and that ususally indicates that the air filter needs to be changed or the IACV needs to be tweeked. We should probably replace the IACV, but having it "cleaned" twice ($50 each time) has kept it limping along so we'll keep going until the car doesn't start, I guess.

(BTW, mine is a manual tranny.)
Emsanon
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Emsanon »

I forgot that I have a problem with idling. My Baja is fine when I'm in drive and moving but if I idle for around 8 minutes then all my electrical system components will shut off, then my engine starts to run rough, and then...my battery dies!! WOOOO! It's been like that for a while but I don't tend to idle so I always forget. I have to get that checked out. I have also noticed that I'm getting quite a bit of battery corrosion but it's not at the terminals, it's in the center of the battery. [smilie=confuzzled.gif]
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Snorkeled
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Snorkeled »

Emsanon wrote:I forgot that I have a problem with idling. My Baja is fine when I'm in drive and moving but if I idle for around 8 minutes then all my electrical system components will shut off, then my engine starts to run rough, and then...my battery dies!! WOOOO! It's been like that for a while but I don't tend to idle so I always forget. I have to get that checked out. I have also noticed that I'm getting quite a bit of battery corrosion but it's not at the terminals, it's in the center of the battery. [smilie=confuzzled.gif]

I would try a new Battery at first and if that doesn't work then get it checked out.. My baja was running rough a long time ago and the battery had the same problem with corrosion in the center. . .
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jsingh0072007
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by jsingh0072007 »

cyphergirl wrote:Which model year, and which engine?

My '03 Sport has the 4-cyl engine and 139,000 miles. It currently gets between 27.5 and 28.5mpg with mostly highway driving. Every now and then my mileage will drop and that ususally indicates that the air filter needs to be changed or the IACV needs to be tweeked. We should probably replace the IACV, but having it "cleaned" twice ($50 each time) has kept it limping along so we'll keep going until the car doesn't start, I guess.

(BTW, mine is a manual tranny.)
Mine is a 03 Sport non turbo automatic. I checked the air filter and its still good its not dirty.
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Emsanon »

I would try a new Battery at first and if that doesn't work then get it checked out.. My baja was running rough a long time ago and the battery had the same problem with corrosion in the center. . .
That was it! Well, that and the alternator. I got them both replaced and now it's running great! I went ahead and upgraded my battery to the Optima since I keep hearing good stuff about those batteries.

Oh yeah! I'm also getting the lower driver side gray panel painted tomorrow! Woooo! I had a scuff/scratch down the side of my Baja. Not sure what happened but at least it will get fixed. They tried to buff it out and it looked great for about 3 weeks but then it came back again sooo it's going to have go through the full paint job. I can't wait until it's fixed!
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by jseabolt »

mbaksic wrote:Ok, I think that it is time to see how well the Baja is holding up, now that they have been out for a few years. ;DHas anyone out there had a problem, weird or normal that they would like to report?? ::)I have NEVER had mine back to the dealership yet. I bought it with 17,000 miles on it in April 2004. The My Subaru, on Subaru's website, showed nothing at all except a recall being done to it. ;D I now am over 36,000 miles, and hoping for a good ownership experience with it. This is the first "Import" car I have owned. I like that term, since it is made in Indiana. ::)Before that, drove alot of Chevies and Dodges. Everyone put their 2 cents worth in please.   Mike
2003, 58,000 miles so far.

The bed extender once shrank just from sitting in my basement for about a month. I took the car in for it's checkup and asked them to look at it and they said they had to loosen the brackets on the bed and I supposed pulled on it to get it back in. After that I haven't had any problems getting it back in after sitting out for long periods of time.

About three years ago the check engine light kicked on then went off. That turned out to be a corroded #2 plug wire.

Oil consumption seems to be random. This car has used oil since the day I bought it. Unlike with my wife's Z car that smokes when started and requires a quart every 2000 miles, my Subaru requires about half a quart every 3000 miles. I'm not worried about that. Oil is cheap but I would think a brand new car shouldn't use any oil. Now the owner's manual for my dad's 76 Chevy 454 big block says to expect to add a quart every 1000 miles and sure enough it does but this is a 2003 model.

Some mechanic told me to gut the PCV valves and pack it with steel wool and glue it back together. That the oil consumption was from the PVC valves. Anyone ever heard of this?
http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd148/turbofiat/

2003 Subaru Baja
1968 Ford Fairlane 500
1980 Fiat 124 Spider (turbocharged)
1987 Yugo GV (1500 turbocharged)
1981 Trabant 601 S
1987 Citroen 2CV
1977 MGB
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cyphergirl
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by cyphergirl »

Mine is also taking about half a quart every 3000 miles. No smoking, burning or dripping -- it just seems to disappear.
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by jseabolt »

Emsanon wrote:
I would try a new Battery at first and if that doesn't work then get it checked out.. My baja was running rough a long time ago and the battery had the same problem with corrosion in the center. . .
That was it! Well, that and the alternator. I got them both replaced and now it's running great! I went ahead and upgraded my battery to the Optima since I keep hearing good stuff about those batteries.

Oh yeah! I'm also getting the lower driver side gray panel painted tomorrow! Woooo! I had a scuff/scratch down the side of my Baja. Not sure what happened but at least it will get fixed. They tried to buff it out and it looked great for about 3 weeks but then it came back again sooo it's going to have go through the full paint job. I can't wait until it's fixed!
One day I tried staring my Baja after it sat for two weeks in the basement and it was dead. The battery was five years old and figured it just died. I bought a new battery , recharged the original Subaru battery and stuck it on my 1980 Fiat 131 Brava I had been working on forever. The Fiat battery was shot so I used it as the core.

Well that Brava just get's started every now and then but that car sat for two months one time and fired right up. Maybe the battery terminals just needed a good cleaning. But that battery is not holding a charge as good as it used to.

I'm not sure what the actual life of a battery is to be honest. I usually just replace them when I start having issues.
http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd148/turbofiat/

2003 Subaru Baja
1968 Ford Fairlane 500
1980 Fiat 124 Spider (turbocharged)
1987 Yugo GV (1500 turbocharged)
1981 Trabant 601 S
1987 Citroen 2CV
1977 MGB
Sixtwo
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Sixtwo »

My 2005 Turbo goes in for its 60K maintenance this coming week...minor issues I want the service to address:

The plastic part (ring?) that holds the driver's side headlight bulb in place disinegrated in my hands when I changed the bulb a couple of months ago, now the bulb just flops around in the headlight.

The headlights themselves don't seem to have much "throw", check for proper angle.

Cabin air filter prob needs changing.

Smells like hot coolant after long drives...may be typical of the catalytic converter...

Other than the 5-speed getting a bit irritating at times, I luv my scoobytruck!
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Sixtwo »

OK...$900 later, the only major problem found was a thermostat with a leaky gasket, coolant dripping down onto the exhaust...that's why I smelled hot coolant after almost every drive yet no puddles on the floor...
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