CarComplaints.com Notes: Is burning a quart of oil every 1,000 miles normal? Depends on who you ask. While Subaru says it's within "normal specifications," owners wonder why they need to top off their oil reservoir 4 times between every 5,000 mile oil change.
8.1
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,000
Average Mileage:
33,400 miles
Total Complaints:
32 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
not sure (16 reports)
replace engine (7 reports)
major engine work (4 reports)
told burning 1 quart in 5000 miles was acceptable (4 reports)
the new short block has, appears for now, has fixed the exce (1 reports)
This car burns oil like crazy - and you sure can smell it! I have to manually add oil every 1000 miles or so. The oil light comes on and scares the hell out of me on every road trip. The oil light consitantly comes on after 2ish hours of driving.
Forester 2.5i Premium Sport Utility 4D 4-cyl, Pzev, 2.5L
Manual transmission
88,000 miles
I am not really adding anything new here, other than that I have to put a quart of oil into my Forester every tank of gas.
The leaking of oil is so bad, that I am getting intermittent "Check engine" messages for my emissions system. Long story short, when I top off the oil to the correct amount, the engine burns so much oil, the forward catalytic convertor throws error codes and replacing the catalytic convertor ($2800) does nothing to address the underlying problem of this car burning a ridiculous amount of oil.
There is no oil on my driveway, etc, and the mechanics that steam-cleaned my engine couldn't find any leak. But with 100% predictability, when I top off my oil levels to the correct amount, on the next trip, the "check engine" emissions system warning light comes on. It goes away after driving around for about two weeks, when the engine has burned off about half of a quart of oil. A few weeks later, my "check engine oil" idiot light comes on, and I have to top off the oil again. The next trip, the "Check engine" light comes on.
Getting the catalytic convertor replaced seems like a waste of money since it's not addressing the underlying, root cause, which is that this engine burns a ridiculous amount of oil.
My best solution is to go to Cosco and buy 0W20 oil in bulk, and keep 6 quarts of oil in my trunk, which lasts about 6 tanks of gas at this point. (For reference, I had to put 3 quarts of oil in my car on an 800 mile round trip to Santa Fe.)
I'm extremely frustrated that Subaru has produced a design this bad, and though this is my first Subaru, it is probably my last.
Update from Aug 10, 2022: I contacted Subaru of America consumer advocates about it and they recommended getting an oil usage test at the dealership. The dealership recommended a $6600 repair for a new engine after they saw how much oil it was using.
Subaru of American then indicated to me that they had extended the warranty for this problem up to June of 2021: If I had only contacted them about it before then, they would have fixed it. But of course, they didn't know that I owned the car and the Subaru dealership that sold it to me never indicated the warranty had been extended to last summer.
Subaru of America's best goodwill gesture was a $1000 credit toward the purchase of a new Subaru, which I am not interested in. I told them this is probably my first, only, and last Subaru.
I am not interested in replacing the engine, since it would be a case of putting the same flawed engine design back into the car.
Car would consume oil only when driving in interstate. Would loose a quart about every 700 miles. Oil would become black.
There was a class action lawsuit settled in 2016 involving the 2.5L engines. Affected 2011-2014 vehicles. The settlement required Subaru to extend the warranty to 100,000 miles.
If you are having periodic oil consumption and are under 100K miles, the dealer will do an oil consumption test where they put new oil in to the top of the dip stick safe line and have you drive 1200 miles and check it. Many pass if you just drive in town. We had to drive on the interstate to get it to fail.
Dealer covered everything including free oil consumption test and associated oil changes. When it failed, they put in a new short block engine and gave us a courtesy car to drive while they fixed ours.
This year and Vin has a reported oil consumption issue, which causes a noise in the engine. However, my local dealership is denying there is a problem. They ran their test for oil consumption - the car magically scored just a few numbers under what would have deemed it a need for a repair covered by their warranty. As it is, it's an engine noise they say will cost $5000 of my dollars (not covered) to fix. Shady all around!
- Josie S.,
Oakland, CA, US
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I kept wondering why I was having to drive around with quarts of oil in my car, so I stopped and asked one day. I found out there was a recall. The dealership had to replace the motor.
Please do not buy a 2014 Subaru Forester. My car was subject to the recall due to the oil consumption problem, but after having the "test' to see if my car was, in fact, one of the affected, I was told "no." As the years went by, I had to have the oil checked before any extended car trip. Even with that, the oil lamp was lighting up when I was on the AC Expressway or the NJ Turnpike near New York or I95 down south. I could never be certain that I wouldn't be stranded due to the oil problem. I even had the test done twice. It was the piston which eroded all the more as the years went by. I was in touch with Subaru at all levels of the organization. I was also a loyal Subaru customer- this being my 3rd or 4th Subaru. Well, sadly for Subaru, instead of my continued praises, it is getting my warning. The 2014 Forester is a disaster where oil is concerned. If you don't want to have to put oil in every 1500 - 2000 miles, I urge you to steer clear of this car.
Buying a newer used car should have no problems, but not with this one. I have noticed that when I change my oil it's a lot less than I pour into the engine. I did a little research and stumbled across this problem, I wasn't the only one with the engine consuming oil. I would have thought Subaru would have fixed these problems but according to them that is "normal". Subaru is doing nothing to fix the problem, I'm stuck with it for now but next time I will have to consider buying a Toyota.
Brought my car into Maita Subaru last week for just an OIL CHANGE & was told to bring it back in 1200 miles cause my car is running about a quart low of oil & if it is still doing it in 1200 miles than I need to have my motor replaced & was informed Subaru would pay for this. Is it true that Subaru is going to pay for my motor to be replaced if it needs it? Yet when they did the oil change the reminder sticker that they put on my windshield does not reflect to bring it in in 1,200 miles it says to bring it in in the usual mileage amount.
WHY IS THIS EXPENSIVE AND SUPPOSEDLY GREAT CAR HAVING SO MANY DAMN ISSUES??!! SUBARU OF AMERICA IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES!
Purchased new Forester and I put a lot of highway miles on it from day one. I can't remember when the car didn't consume oil. But, getting about 28mpg hwy and seeing no puddles on the ground, I continued adding oil until it got to where I was adding 1 qt. every 1,000 to 1,200 miles. That's when I read about the recall and took it in to get an oil consumption test just before the 100k warranty expired. Miraculously, the car burned no oil according to this test! By then, I had stopped the highway driving, which they told me contributed to the problem.
Two months later, the car develops a horrible shake/noise that sounds like you're driving over a washboard when it hits 70 mph. Eventually, I have to drive no more than 45 to avoid the shaking/noise. First stop was to get the tires balanced, which did not fix the problem. So, I took it to my mechanic, who sent me to a transmission guy. Transmission guy said he couldn't work on CVT, so I had to take it to Subaru. Subaru dealer said I needed a new short block, new A/C compressor, and that the front arm bearings were bad. All this at a cost of over $7,000! BTW, this is a three year old car.
From there, I took it to another Subaru dealer to get a second opinion. This one said engine and transmission were fine, but it looked like front driver side wheel may be warped, which they couldn't fix. So, I took it to a wheel guy, who said wheel was fine. After six opinions, I took it back to my trusted mechanic and told him what the first Subaru dealer said. He looked at it again and replaced the front arm bearings ($424). Shaking/rattle noise went away. Yippeee! Not so fast, though. While it had been making that washboard noise, it had also developed a low humming sound, which I didn't focus on given the severity of the washboard problem. I assumed it was related. But, it's still there. When the car hits 42 mpg or so, the hum becomes very pronounced and gets progressively worse until the road noise overcomes the hum noise at around 70.
At this point, I am afraid to take the car on the highway and will be taking it back to my mechanic ASAP.
Check oil light started coming on a month after getting the oil changed at dealer. All service has been done at the dealer. First thought the dealer was not filling Oil level enough, I live about 20 miles from the dealer so I topped off the oil myself. This happened two more times. I then had my wife bring into the dealer. They Topped off for free but said that it pretty normal. We noticed this has happened to many other Forester owners and Now feel like we may have a more serious issue.
I bought my 2014 Subaru as a dealer loaner car and a CPO since 2014. It drove well for the first year but started giving me Check Engine Light since last year. The light came on typically around 400-600 miles prior to oil change. I told the dealership about it and all they said is bring it in so they can do consumption test. They done it twice and only to come back to tell me that it is normal. I have never own a car that need top off between the oil change and this is ridiculous. This morning as i was driving, the light came off and this time is is about 1,800 miles away from the next oil change! I am going to bring it to their attention but I am pinning a big hope cause they are likely going to tell me is "normal".
I have lost faith in the quality of Subaru cars especially the Forester. I want to like it but this is giving me more headache that I want to. Wonder anyone out there have any suggestions regarding this Engine Light issue.
In 2014 I purchased a Forester Limited very well equipped because my daughter has purchased an early 2014 Forester Premium very well equipped. After we got the car we realized that it was not very sound proof and that road and wind noise was more than we expected. In addition, we paid a hefty sum for the navigation system that we quit using because it sent us to strange places, sometimes on the other side of town. It also did not have major highways shown on the map. Too often it showed us driving through uncharted land. When my daughter stopped by and told me she had an engine oil light on, I checked her oil and it was down 1 quart. I told her she needed to check it out with the Subaru dealer. The next day I received the letter in the mail about the class action lawsuit on the poorly designed motor. I read the letter that claimed Subaru knew of the design defect in their motors and, essentially they would be punished if the judge accepted the settlement. That is essentially, they will extend the warranty on motor, etc. on effected cars to 100,000. Sounds fair, but unfortunately, the definition and determination was to be left up to the dealers to follow Subaru Guidelines if they wanted to be paid for work. In jest, I told my wife that they will be doing oil consumption tests and will be overfilling the oil. So, I asked my daughter to stop by after the dealer said she needed to do an oil consumption test - and they changed the oil. She stopped by - what do you think I found after 4-5 checks of oil level. The oil was overfilled by a little more than 1/2 quart. Obviously, when she returned to the dealership after 2000 miles (or was it 1500) she was told that its oil consumption was not a problem. My daughter unloaded on the dealership. Strange, but the bought the 100,000 mile warranty when they bought the car.
So, back to my story. With a Forester with 45K miles, my wife and I decided to sell our Subaru for a later model that might not have the engine problem. So, I asked many Subaru dealerships in the midwest for a trade-in value. This value ranged from 15,000 to 16,900 with median around 16000. I then checked with the 3 basic books on trade-in values for my vehicle (NADA, Kelly, and ?). The range of quotes from these sources was from a low of 18,000 to a high of 20,500. Private Sale and Retail Sale were higher. So in the negotiation process I pushed for information on the disparity and was told that Subaru has set guidelines for these cars and if a dealer goes over that value in a trade-in, then Subaru will not stand behind the vehicle. In essence, Subaru corp who charges substantially for a Subaru is now reducing the value of the subaru to cover their expenses for replacing the engines. Furthermore, the class action settlement could not be better for Subaru. I don't think it unreasonable to question if Subaru somehow worked with the attorneys who did the class action law suit to settle in a manner that gives the consumer nothing and protects Subaru from lawsuits. In this case class action includes most of the bad engine owners and once settled they have no other recourse to gain compensation for what can only be Subaru's deceptive and unethical practices. The highest trade-in values of any vehicle - perhaps in someone's fantasies.
The oil light came on, I immediately took it to the dealer. The dealer filled it up again and do the consumption test. I went back to the dealer after 1200 and the test was negative. About a year later the oil light came on again. Took it back to dealer and did the consumption test again. Went back to the dealer and the test was negative again. Five months later the oil light came on again. I called Subaru America but they won't do anything. They told me that I have to deal with the dealer. So I took it to the dealer and they replaced the oil level sensor.
So in the 3 years span and relatively low mileage, the oil light came on three times. I don't think it's gonna be a reliable car after 100K.
I will keep you all informed. I hope the new oil level sensor fixed the issue, I doubt it will. This is my first Subaru and probably the last if Subaru don't fix the problem.
This is my second Subaru. The first was an Impreza and I like the brand because I go into the mountains for hiking and skiing. I noticed the engine was running rough. I checked the dip stick and it was dry. I added 1 qt. of oil, ran the engine and checked the dipstick again. It was a still dry. I added a 2nd qt. of oil, ran the engine and checked the dipstick. There was oil at the bottom of the dipstick, below the oil markers. Not believing what was happening made sense I bought another qt. of oil and drove off.
I called the dealership, who had me bring in the car for a checkup. They couldn't find anything and topped off the oil. Four weeks and about 1,200 miles later I checked the oil and the oil was at the very bottom of the dipstick. I added a qt. of oil and called the dealership. The car went in for maintenance but the dealership couldn't find anything wrong with the oil consumption in 7 hours. The car is in an oil consumption test with the dealership. I bring it back in 1,200 miles.
This car is mainly for around town with some trips. I have a second car for all my short around town driving. The oil light came on and I checked the oil.....nearly 2 qts low!
History...I was a licensed degreed mechanic..I change the oil, and I do it at half the recommended distance MOST times. So the loss of oil had never been noticed. The engine in my 2010 Forester BLEW UP on the freeway. I used to sell Subaru's. This is Subaru number ten for me, I have never had an oil burner..never. I believe the engine in the '10 failed due to low oil level some time earlier in its life..it had plenty of oil when a connecting rod bearing failed.
Current issue...did a single 1200 oil consumption test...no oil use. Was not told to continue or come back. End of test at 2300 miles the oil is down 1.5 qts...so it used none in 1200 miles and 1.5 qts in the next 1100 miles. Call my service rep and Subaru. Get the standard bs line that " that much oil consumption is normal" Subaru has replaced the ring replacement fix with a short block replacement, you just have to hope your new short block has the new parts/specs and not the old stuff.
The 2010 was bought as a retirement long term car that didn't work out well. The 2014 was bought as a long term retirement car..it does not look good.
Anyone start a class action law suit yet ??
P.S. It is not the transmission type that is the issue..it is a engine design issue. The good news is I can get 27-29 mpg on the freeway..sometimes better.
I WAS WARNED-NOT TO BUY A CVT EQUIPPED CAR, BUT STILL GIVEN POSITIVE REMARKS BY OTHERS ABOUT SUBARUS IN GENERAL-WE HAD A 2003 FORESTER WHICH HAD A DYING TRANSMISSION BY 115K MI APPROX., BUT I GUESS THE PRICE POINTS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT CRV/RAV MADE US SHOOT INTO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER, AND WAIT ALMOST A MONTH FOR THE CAR, A LIMITED.
ABOUT A HALF YEAR INTO OWNERSHIP, MY WIFE NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT ON, AND HAD TO FIND A SERVICE STATION LATE IN THE EVENING-WHICH WASN'T GIVING OUT SYNTHETIC. WE ASSUMED SHE'D NOT CHECKED OIL LEVELS SINCE LAST CHANGE, WHICH WAS TRUE. EVEN SO, THE CAR CONTINUES TO MUNCH OUT OIL, E.G LAST CHANGE WAS ABOUT 8 WEEKS AGO, AND WE WERE DOWN BY 3+ CONTAINERS WORTH ON OUR VACATION TRIP (LIGHT CAME ON SUDDENLY AND WENT OUT, SO WE DIDN'T THINK IT HUGE).
FACT IS, WE JUST HAD LOCAL SUB. DEALER START THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST, AND HAVE TO GO BACK IN 1,200MI. MY FEAR IS THAT THIS CAR MIGHT MUNCH WAY MORE OIL LONG BEFORE THAT MILEAGE...GOTTA WATCH THAT DIPSTICK, WHICH I FIND ALMOST UNREADABLE (ONE SIDE CAN APPEAR FULL AND THE OTHER BELOW THE LOW=THE MANUAL EVEN STATES TO TAKE THE LOWER OF THE TWO AS FACT)!!!
WHERE IS THE DATA ON THIS CAR'S DEFECT RATE? WHY ISN'T THERE MORE NOISE THROUGH THE MEDIA? I HAVE TO SURF MORE, BUT I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO LOSE THE "OIL" IN MY STOMACH AND PUKE ABOUT THIS!!
At approximately 20,000 miles, the low oil warning light came on while driving. Got the car home and checked the oil and it barely registered on the dipstick. Added a quart and that brought the level back to the normal operating mark on dipstick. It had only been 4,000 miles since my previous oil change. I had changed the oil at 16K and used Valvoline Synthetic 00W-20 as specified and replaced the oil filter with a Bosch filter.
Called the dealer the next day and after I informed them of the complaints on this website and the TSBs about excessive oil consumption, they had me bring the car in for an oil change so they could start their oil consumption test. At first they were going to charge me for the oil change but after discussion they decided Subaru could foot the bill. I go back at approx. 1,300 miles for them to check the oil.
Update from Feb 15, 2015: I've read on the internet that the issue could be the 0W-20 specified synthetic oil being so thin it gets past the rings and the issue isn't exactly with the car but the specified oil. 5W-30 was specified in the older 2.5L Subs. Using it in the newer subs. voids the warranty. Has anyone tried using a higher weight oil like 5W-30?
Update from Feb 16, 2016: My Subaru dealer (Bortz) replaced the short block approximately 6 months ago. After 6,000 miles the dipstick is still on full. So far , so good.
I bought my manual transmission 2014 Forester in March of 2014. Subaru replaced the short block in September of 2014 for excessive oil consumption, about 1 quart in 2000 miles. With the new short block the car is worse. It now burns 1 quart in 1300 miles. Waiting to hear back from Subaru. I don’t think Subaru really has a fix for this. Is anyone out there actually going the recommended change interval without having to add oil?
I leased Subaru Forester 2014 in July 2013. The Engine Oil warning lamp is on when the car has 2,600 mileage. Drove to dealer, dealer refill engine oil, about another 2,000 miles, engine oil low again.
Dealer pretend to help perform engine oil consumption test, I trusted the dealer. The first oil consumption test conclude my car never burnt any engine oil.
Engine oil warning lamp on again after about 2,000 miles, dealer persuade to perform engine oil consumption test again, I check the engine oil second day after the dealer top up, it is actually almost 1 inch over maximum.
Drive back, dealer denied, told me that I should start engine for a while and then stop engine and check immediately. After 1,200 miles go back, I was told another story on how to check engine oil. I should stop engine and wait for 5 minutes to check, the engine does not burn oil again.
The dealer keep playing with me, no where that can help to perform engine oil consumption test.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This car burns oil like crazy - and you sure can smell it! I have to manually add oil every 1000 miles or so. The oil light comes on and scares the hell out of me on every road trip. The oil light consitantly comes on after 2ish hours of driving.
- Melissa M., Boulder, US