2019 Crosstrek Limited with 40,000 miles, Original Owner.
For about the last six months my Crosstrek has been faltering intermittently on startup. It will crank fin, act like its starting, die then finish starting. On two occasions it went into a start/stop cycle until I hit the start button again. All the warning lights came on including RAB OFF in a big orange box in the information screen between the gauges. I waited 30 secs and hit the start button again and it started fine except there was an Ozone/burning plastic smell that lasted a couple minutes. After that it ran fine.
It idles fine, gets great gas mileage and on cold days, starts right up. It seems to struggle or repeat the issue only on warm startups like when I drive it for a few minutes, stop in a store, etc and come back out to re-start it.
I replaced the battery last year with a AGM battery after a cell died in my OEM battery. Both my FOB batteries are new and the issue happens with either of them. I checked my VIN against all the recalls and it does not list the Ignition coil PCV, ECM recall for my VIN.
I took it to my local Subaru dealer last week and they ran a diagnostic on it and told me there were "No codes" and the battery checked out fine. The tech said he tried to reproduce the problem and on his last attempt, it faltered briefly, and he diagnosed it as a "Bad Starter". The service writer told me that my warranty expired at the end of October so it will cost me $719.00 for a new starter plus the labor to install it. I argued (nicely) that the warranty had just expired less than two months ago and a starter is not known to be a common failure point on a relatively low mileage car. The tech who was still standing there agreed and he told me that he has seen starter issues on "more than an average number" of late model Crosstreks and the service writer stopped him in his tracks. He told me to contact SOA and take it up with them, which I did, but haven't heard back.
I've googled a bit and read through some forums and Reddit and saw some posts that it could also be the evaporative cannister check valve. I called the dealer back and was told "No, its the starter", which makes me wonder... if it was the evap cannister, it would be covered by the longer emissions warranty.
Ideas, sugestions?
Thanks.
David
For about the last six months my Crosstrek has been faltering intermittently on startup. It will crank fin, act like its starting, die then finish starting. On two occasions it went into a start/stop cycle until I hit the start button again. All the warning lights came on including RAB OFF in a big orange box in the information screen between the gauges. I waited 30 secs and hit the start button again and it started fine except there was an Ozone/burning plastic smell that lasted a couple minutes. After that it ran fine.
It idles fine, gets great gas mileage and on cold days, starts right up. It seems to struggle or repeat the issue only on warm startups like when I drive it for a few minutes, stop in a store, etc and come back out to re-start it.
I replaced the battery last year with a AGM battery after a cell died in my OEM battery. Both my FOB batteries are new and the issue happens with either of them. I checked my VIN against all the recalls and it does not list the Ignition coil PCV, ECM recall for my VIN.
I took it to my local Subaru dealer last week and they ran a diagnostic on it and told me there were "No codes" and the battery checked out fine. The tech said he tried to reproduce the problem and on his last attempt, it faltered briefly, and he diagnosed it as a "Bad Starter". The service writer told me that my warranty expired at the end of October so it will cost me $719.00 for a new starter plus the labor to install it. I argued (nicely) that the warranty had just expired less than two months ago and a starter is not known to be a common failure point on a relatively low mileage car. The tech who was still standing there agreed and he told me that he has seen starter issues on "more than an average number" of late model Crosstreks and the service writer stopped him in his tracks. He told me to contact SOA and take it up with them, which I did, but haven't heard back.
I've googled a bit and read through some forums and Reddit and saw some posts that it could also be the evaporative cannister check valve. I called the dealer back and was told "No, its the starter", which makes me wonder... if it was the evap cannister, it would be covered by the longer emissions warranty.
Ideas, sugestions?
Thanks.
David
