Any problems with your Baja????

General talk about the Subaru Baja.

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DRPSNERTLE
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by DRPSNERTLE »

Not to be a smart a** but, the only problem with my NA has been that the tires seem to wear out every 40k and the oil needs to be changed about at 4k. Getting about 25 mpg in the hills of TN and all maintenance parts are genuine Subaru EXCEPT the new oil filters that seem cheapo. I am at the 100k mark and have been checking into the T-belt replacement cost and really want to keep this vehicle running as long as possible. I get comments all the time how to get one of these vehicles and sadly have to tell people that they are out of production. I have owned many different vehicles over the years and I believe that SUBARU RULES the pack!
Emsanon
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Emsanon »

I had new brake pads installed on the rear brakes and an oil change and when I got it back, the gas pumps no longer worked with my car...YAY! [smilie=bunny.gif]
beach baja
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by beach baja »

at almost 111,000 miles. clutch is starting to go and I've got to have my rear brake pads changed. Had the front changed a couple of years ago. Other than regular maintenance... nothing else (knock on wood) happening with mine!!!
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Otis Gudlyfe
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Otis Gudlyfe »

OK....'05 Baja Turbo, 4 speed auto, A.R.E. Bedcap. Love it. Now the bad.....gas mileage about 17 mpg (down from about 19 in 2009). In July the turbo blew while we were on vacation ($2000 plus a rental to get us home and back to Vermont to pick it up)...in Sept my right CV joint went (about $350) and the other day the engine started shutting down and lurching. Diagnostics show a low Cat Converter temp and a timing error....neither one is going to be cheap. I've always done the maintenance at 2/3 to 3/4 the recommended intervals and while I drive vigorously, I don't drive hard. I bought the SkooTruck, in large part because of previous good experience with Subarus (or is it Subarae?). Any thoughts?
We only have two options....having fun or freaking out!
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davecoon13
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by davecoon13 »

How many miles are on your Baja? I think the Federal Emissions Warranty (a fact often not advertised by Dealers) covers the CAT up to 80,000 miles. But there is a catch, because of the pending lawsuit settlement with SOA, if approved, SOA must extend all mileage based warranties by a small percentage because the lawsuit alleges that the Odometer over-reports mileage. Which means up to 84,000 miles or so, and you should be covered on the CAT.
Dave Coon
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SilverStone Metallic
2003 Baja Sport 4EAT
"Capped" with A.R.E. Topper
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Otis Gudlyfe
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Otis Gudlyfe »

Well, the problem got solved. I didn't mention that the original diagnostics were NOT performed at a Subaru dealer. When I got the Truck to the dealer, their diagnostics found that it was a defective cam position sensor. They replaced it and things are good. To make it even better, since the sensor had been replaced when my turbo went out in July, Subaru is reimbursing me for it. Sweet Subie!!!
We only have two options....having fun or freaking out!
njswampbuggy
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by njswampbuggy »

Not sure if this is a problem or not, but when I start the rig in the morning and start moving I get a urrrrrrr, urrrrrrr........urrrrr noise. The closest I can come to is ABS diagnostic noise, but it's diagnosing itself quite a number of times. Once or twice, ok, but this sometimes happens 4 or 5 times.
.....Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey....
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Otis Gudlyfe
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Otis Gudlyfe »

CV joint? :idea:
We only have two options....having fun or freaking out!
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tcat
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by tcat »

-05 sport, 65K miles. Only problems in 6 years have been brakes. Dealer replaced twice (warranty), and I put new pads on front once recently (since I'm no pro they squeak some). Only real "money" I've been out is dealer 60K maintenance.
redhotbaja
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by redhotbaja »

Mine has just shy of 100k and is, for the most part, still running strong. the engine is still in tip-top shape. the brakes, however, have been giving me some minor issues. to start, the back left brake will begin to just touch the rotor so the brake pad wears out fast. once it wore out all the way to the metal housing and i had to get the rotor replaced because it was so badly gashed. I've had it fixed 3 times now and they keep telling me i am getting mud stuck in the calipers but i try and clean the undercarriage thoroughly every time i take her out into the mud. my parking brake also gets loose very quickly and sometimes, even though the handle is down, the brake will still be about 50%applied until i drive and use the regular brakes. other than that it is still in excellent driving condition.
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by Larry K »

Had a problem with the tail light fuse blowing. Long story shortened, the problem was a wire in the tailgate had worn through the insilation. My Baja is a 2003 with over 100K miles on it.
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by offroadohio »

177k throwing a catalyst effiecency bank 1 code and an 02 sensor code.. gotta figure out which is cuasign which.
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davecoon13
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Time for another car?

Post by davecoon13 »

I'm now to the point of seriously considering another car...

1. After a flat tire last week, I discovered that my spare is dry-rotted.

2. My driver's window is crooked on the track and doesn't close properly. If you roll it up all the way it makes a loud crunching sound and it doesn't seat good. Does anyone know how to fix this without dissembling the whole door to make the track go straight?

3. I think The Power Steering pump is in its end stages, it makes a loud Woooh sound and that sound is getting louder and more frequent

4. The car has a smell of burnt coolant--Which another thread said that was the precursor of head gasket failure--which alot of them seem to go at 70 some thousand on these Bajas according to the other thread.

5. The Air conditioner doesn't blow as cold as it used to. I recharged it and at least it is cool, but not as cool as when the car was new.

It seems like I should have expected to get more than 77,000 miles out of the first new car I have ever owned, especially since I spent over $22K on the darn thing.

I just don't know if it is worth continuing to throw good money after bad. In December, I spent $600 on new tires (to be expected I guess with an old car). In March I had them put new rotors (front and rear), new brakes (front and rear) and new brake fluids and that cost over $900.

Last month I spent $300 to have the Power Steering fluid evacuated and refilled and fuel system service.

I am just wondering if it is worth spending over another $800 for a new power steering pump and God knows how much to get the driver's window fixed, especially given the smell of burnt coolant or the idea that the head gasket could go soon.

Any thoughts? I have about 76,966 miles on the car or something like that.

I was considering as a replacement the Honda Element. It's the only AWD car I've seen with similar cargo space to the Baja and this is the last model year. The rear seats can even fold into the roof of the car, or lay flat.
Dave Coon
www.nflcrimes.com
SilverStone Metallic
2003 Baja Sport 4EAT
"Capped" with A.R.E. Topper
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davecoon13
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by davecoon13 »

Well, today, I traded in the Baja towards a 2011 Honda Element EX AWD. Few vehicles have the versatility of the Baja and I was sad to see it go. But the issues I outlined above were starting to make having the Baja un-fun. The Honda Dealer (which is adjacent to the Subaru Dealer that I bought the Baja from) will be refurbishing the Baja and selling it soon, so if anybody is in the market for a 2003 NA Sport, Automatic Transmission, with ARE Camper shell (silverstone metallic), one may soon be on sale at Sheehy Honda in Alexandria, VA (next to Don Beyer Subaru). I still have all the maintenance records since the vehicle was new if someone on this board decides to buy it. I guess if there is any saving grace in all this is that maybe the Baja can bring enjoyment to someone else and that she will be fixed up with all the issues repaired.

I got $6,000 which I was very happy with. In fact, when I first got the Baja in 2003, the Element is another vehicle I considered at that time. But now, they have ceased manufacture of the Elements. This is the last Model Year and they have already ceased production.
Dave Coon
www.nflcrimes.com
SilverStone Metallic
2003 Baja Sport 4EAT
"Capped" with A.R.E. Topper
snowymonkey
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Re: Any problems with your Baja????

Post by snowymonkey »

I just got my first Baja. It's a 2003 with 126,000 miles and is solid silver. The only problem I have is that sometimes at idle I have light smoke from under the hood. Upon further inspection it seems to be coming out at the "downspout" part of the air intake (sorry if that's not the right terminology, I'm normally an ACVW guy). It doesn't happen all the time and other than that it runs great. I just filled up and am going to calculate the fuel mileage with this tank. Any ideas on what could be causing the smoke? BTW the smoke is very light grey in color.

So I just got home and popped the hood and did some better looking around. When I crawl under and look I see oil from around the oil filter and some around the top of the oil pan. It is leaking oil on the exhaust causing the smoke. I'm going tomorrow to get an oil change anyway, so we'll see if that fixes it. I think I'm going to go full synthetic.
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