Posting on behalf of a friend — asking for help:
Vehicle condition:
Bought a 2021 Crosstrek, now at 108K miles. Because of her line of work she drives long distances often — about 20k miles a year, mostly highway/cruise miles. All maintenance has been done at the dealer, every 6 months / 6k miles.
The most recent visit was in August for one of those dealer-recommended maintenance packages; all the inspections at the time said the car was in great shape.
A week ago the check engine light came on, so she went to the dealer. They pulled error codes P0016 and P0011. She also noticed the car suddenly shakes really badly — like driving a tractor.
Dealer quoted her $5.5K, saying the timing system is stuck, off by 19–20 degrees, and the timing chain and guides need to be replaced. Purely a mechanical issue — sensors and computer are fine. She got a second opinion from an independent shop with basically the same diagnosis, quoted $5.8K. [Because Subaru engines have to be pulled for this repair, labor could be 20–30 hours.]
Her questions now: the car is out of warranty, but this is a purely mechanical/design issue (a timing system really shouldn't fail even if the car is driven into the ground), and she has a full set of dealer maintenance records. Would Subaru approve a goodwill warranty claim? Or could she take the Subaru dealer to small claims court?
One more thing: now when she starts the car, almost all the dash warnings light up. Clearing the codes with an OBD II reader — within 2 minutes they're all back. And the trade-in offer from the dealer is pretty low..
Lemon laws and goodwill policies vary quite a bit from state to state. In GA, goodwill usually requires that all maintenance be done at an authorized dealer for you to have a shot, so her having complete records works in her favor. But 108K is well beyond the coverage of most extended warranties, so don't rush to accept any offer from any one dealer yet. Make copies of the dealer's repair orders and maintenance records and keep them on file—you'll need them later whether you apply for goodwill or go another route.