I had the dealership take a look at my 2003 forester X, and they found many problems.
I am the original owner, and the vehicle is closing in on 80K miles.
First off, I have a flat tire on the front passenger side. It's on the side, and can;t be plugged. They recommend replacing all tires, due to AWD balance and differential issues. Can I get away with only replacing both front?
It not, i will downgrade from Geolanders to something cheaper. As of now, I have 4 geolanders on it, but one is the spare. All tires match in type, but the spare has less wear. Am I ruining my tranny by driving on it this way?
Secondly, I have coolant leaking into the #3 cylinder, and they want to replace the dreaded head gaskets. I don't have the cash for that at this time, but oddly enough, after the diagnostic the check engine light is now off and the engine temp has been fine. I read on the Edmonds forum that when a company requires a coolant and conditioner that only they provide, they have to give it to customers for free (magnussen-Moss Warranty Act?)
If that is true, do you think they added their brand of blue coolant and conditioner upon returning the car to me? Could I be lucky enough to have the conditioner plug that gap? I am super paranoid about mechanics, and since they didn't mention the coolant/conditioner as an option to plug leaks, instead recommending $1600 + in work, I am even less trusting in this dealership.
Finally, the recommend replacing the front brake pads and rotors. I had this same vehicle in another shop in December, and had them check out the brakes, and no problems were reported to me. How can this be? Am I riding around with only rear brakes? If so, could they in clear consience allow the vehicle to leave in that condition?
Thanks for the help. i've been lurking here for a while, and finally have something to post.
PS: The fog lights are both out, and since I don't use them I don't really care, but the dealership acted as if it could be something more than a bulb replacement, which would require more hours billed to fix. Am I right to be suspicious?
I am the original owner, and the vehicle is closing in on 80K miles.
First off, I have a flat tire on the front passenger side. It's on the side, and can;t be plugged. They recommend replacing all tires, due to AWD balance and differential issues. Can I get away with only replacing both front?
It not, i will downgrade from Geolanders to something cheaper. As of now, I have 4 geolanders on it, but one is the spare. All tires match in type, but the spare has less wear. Am I ruining my tranny by driving on it this way?
Secondly, I have coolant leaking into the #3 cylinder, and they want to replace the dreaded head gaskets. I don't have the cash for that at this time, but oddly enough, after the diagnostic the check engine light is now off and the engine temp has been fine. I read on the Edmonds forum that when a company requires a coolant and conditioner that only they provide, they have to give it to customers for free (magnussen-Moss Warranty Act?)
If that is true, do you think they added their brand of blue coolant and conditioner upon returning the car to me? Could I be lucky enough to have the conditioner plug that gap? I am super paranoid about mechanics, and since they didn't mention the coolant/conditioner as an option to plug leaks, instead recommending $1600 + in work, I am even less trusting in this dealership.
Finally, the recommend replacing the front brake pads and rotors. I had this same vehicle in another shop in December, and had them check out the brakes, and no problems were reported to me. How can this be? Am I riding around with only rear brakes? If so, could they in clear consience allow the vehicle to leave in that condition?
Thanks for the help. i've been lurking here for a while, and finally have something to post.
PS: The fog lights are both out, and since I don't use them I don't really care, but the dealership acted as if it could be something more than a bulb replacement, which would require more hours billed to fix. Am I right to be suspicious?