So I have voiced my complaint of excessive noise on here before.My wife just got back from 200 mile road trip and she said she could no longer take the wind noise. We have had this back to the dealer 3X's and they tell us it is normal and that they all sound like this one. 8000 miles and like new hopefully we will get a decent trade. we bought it the very end of December 2015. I was happy my wife came to this decision on her own because it is her primary car.
I have a 2017 limited with absolutely no wind noise, the 2014 limited I had before did have wind noise that sounded like the windows were partially open at times. 2017 is much much better car in my opinion.
Call Subaru of America customer service and talk to them about the problem. Ask them to open a trouble ticket for you. Ask for a referral to another dealer's service department and/or an evaluation by the SOA regional service rep.
Excessive wind noise is not normal. Neither our 2015 Legacy nor our 2016 Outback have objectionable wind noise levels, and both came that way from the factory. Yours can be relatively quiet, too. Note that there are occasional unusual circumstances (e.g. a 30+ mph gusting crosswind) where wind noise will be more noticeable than usual, but under normal conditions our two Subarus are as quiet as any vehicle my wife or I have ever owned.
Have you test drove the 2017 touring models? Whenever I have heard louder than normal wind noise, it appears to be due to a slight cross-wind coming off the roof rack on my 2016 Limited. The normal noise level isn't terrible and not any louder than any previous SUV that I've driven, but I guess everyone has their own level of tolerances.
I, too, removed my roof rack due to wind noise - 2017 OB Limited. I'll use only when I need it - thought I'd leave it on but, no. I'd also test drive a 2017 model and see if you notice the same wind noise or did something change in models reducing the wind noise in the 2017 model.
I drive a 2014 jeep wrangler on 35's and lifted so I have a pretty good tolerance for wind noise. I own a 2014 CRV and a 2002 outback with over 200,000 miles and both quieter and the CRV is the base lx model. We traded a 2014 Honda accord on this and have regretted it. After the issues having the dealership tell us it is normal there is no way I would buy another. It does not appear to be coming from the roof rack it appears to be coming from the passenger side wheel well and from the passenger side mirror. The squeal from the wheel sounds like a bad bearing and the mirror is a flutter. Both explained to the dealership and I mentioned the SB on the mirror flutter and he said ours was not affected. They said the wheel squeal which is not a brake rotor type squeal (I am mechanically savy) is normal. The third time the tech rode as a passenger and agreed it sounded funny but not anything they could do anything about.
I have a 2016 with very little wind noise and most of the time, I even have my crossbars engaged. Still very little noise. Compare it with another on the lot. if it is the same, then it's normal. If not, then you have a beef.
Didn't you test drive the car before you signed the papers?
yes but it was the end of December and we never went out on the highway due to the conditions. Plus the roads were snow covered and all rutted up with ice and snow so did not have the issue on the test drive.
That would be easy to prove/disprove with a comparison test drive in another '16 OB off the dealer's lot. Our '16 is acceptably quiet under ordinary driving conditions, even at highway speeds.
They said the wheel squeal which is not a brake rotor type squeal (I am mechanically savy) is normal.
It seems to me that the common denominator with all your (understandable) dissatisfaction is the ineptitude of your dealer's service department.
In your situation I'd do like @ammcinnis suggests and open a customer service ticket with SOA, but it seems like you've decided to ditch the Suby and move on.
If you have the energy I'd suggest, as some others have, that you call SOA and let them work through each point with you and your dealer, (or maybe a different) dealer. Good luck!
Must be hit or miss because my '15 doesn't have anything I would call out of the ordinary. Nothing that would bother me or make me notice.
If you're thinking of trading it in for another Outback, definitely take it for a nice long test drive with windows up, windows down, windows half way and any other way you can think of.
Being in Missoula he has only one dealer, Four Seasons. These guys get pretty good reviews IIRC. I'm tempted to recommend Parker over here in Coeur d'Alene, 170 miles west, but I think the OP is past that. Hate to see this end on a low note, but it sounds like the decision has been made.
Yes there is one dealer and Four Season was bought by Kendell and now they are just Missoula Subaru. The biggest issue is driving 2.5-3 hours one way the next closest dealer and wait all day. If I knew parker would get me in and out and be able to fix it Id be all over it but really I should not have to I bought it locally because I figured I would get warranty work easier. For the poster who mentioned validation I don't need validation. I have bought over 25 new rigs so if one does not do it for me I move on. I am mostly just venting some frustration. One thing is I have received only one satisfaction survey and that was after the first failed visit I gave a poor rating on service and never got a follow up or another survey. Tells me SOA really does not care. I might give Subaru of Missoula one more shot.
I view this more as a buyer problem than a dealer problem. Dealer can't fix something that has no fix. Just look at the number of folks here that are still complaining after the dealer has attempted to quiet the cabin.
It's the nature of the design. Easily picked up on during a test drive.
I have a June '15 build and yes the cabin is not as well insulated from exterior noise as my previous vehicle but certainly not so intrusive that it bothers me. I guess some have much higher expectations than I. Solution is pretty simple, buy a different vehicle.
I do believe Subaru is working to better insulate cabins. My wife's '17 Forester is more shielded from exterior noise than my '15 OB.
Some here would go crazy spending any drive time in my Camaro or Corvette....all you hear is the sweet thumping sound of a big old V8 exhaust...always brings a smile to my face no matter how old I get... :grin2:
I view this more as a buyer problem than a dealer problem. Dealer can't fix something that has no fix. Just look at the number of folks here that are still complaining after the dealer has attempted to quiet the cabin.
It's the nature of the design. Easily picked up on during a test drive.
I have a June '15 build and yes the cabin is not as well insulated from exterior noise as my previous vehicle but certainly not so intrusive that it bothers me. I guess some have much higher expectations than I. Solution is pretty simple, buy a different vehicle.
I do believe Subaru is working to better insulate cabins. My wife's '17 Forester is more shielded from exterior noise than my '15 OB.
Some here would go crazy spending any drive time in my Camaro or Corvette....all you hear is the sweet thumping sound of a big old V8 exhaust...always brings a smile to my face no matter how old I get... :grin2:
my dd is a 14 jeep wrangler and there is no way a jeep wrangler should be quieter at 70mph than a 16 ob. My 02 ob with over 200,000 is quieter so trust me it is the car and the dealer. My expectation are that it would be better than it is. Especially the wheel bearing squeal. Not sure why people only want to read about the positive things. I go to forums to learn about both pos and neg on a vehicle.
I am sure each OB has a slightly different noise level. I came from a 12 Buick LaCrosse which is a very quiet car and my 17 OB while not as quiet as the Buick is still acceptable. But with the higher sitting cabin, the more upright windshield, the roof rack, and the fact that I know the Buick has way more heft to the door skins and it has more noise insulation than the OB, I know I was giving up something in the quietness department. If you are not happy, then you should sell it and move on as this will eat on you every time you drive the car. And buying as many cars as you have in the past, you don't sound like you planned an keeping it for 15 years or anything so cut your losses and get what makes you happy.
The dealer issue doesn't help. The cause could be any number of things. Brand confidence is something that means more than the actual product today. Those who have had a brand and had good reponse from the Auto maker < dont confuse that with dealers and poor service.
Anyone moving to a new brand understandably has concern and doubts.
I have said this for some time now purchasing a vehicle is more about the Automaker and how they support their customers. Subaru is tiny, but since their early late 80s early 90s bad electrics disaster their are lots and lots of owners who were helped and has flawed parts fixed by Subaru. Subaru sales and ratings became what they are today in large part due to Subaru doing the right thing for its customers.
I have Never owned a GM product because of the terrible leadership. Today a woman leads it! A very smart one. The products gm has today are really impressive. I may buy one soon. ;-)
I think you, as a long time Subie owner, have demonstrated brand loyalty that deserves a little more than a passing acknowedgment by SOA and in this day and age of social media, a bad experience that's justfied spreads like wildfire and SOA should work to keep you happy.
It also strikes me that you value the brand and your study of the OB, features and so on, lead you to purchase the car knowing it would meet your needs. I think it's fair to say that you find value with the car and would be quite happy with it once these issues are resolved.
Perhaps something like this would help:
1. Can you post an audio or video of what you're experiencing? That helps a lot to understand what you hear and are trying to resolve.
2. Try the dealer again, if you're inclined, with the vid and ask if you can take a test drive in a different OB for a compare and contrast.
3. As an alternative, a different dealer might lend to a better resolution although you really shouldn't have to chase down a dealer to fix a warrantied car.
4. Lastly, contact SOA and let them work with you.
In the last couple of days during highway driving in my OB Touring I have noticed wind noise but it was due to a good crosswind but on less windy days I don't seem to hear much if any wind noise. Time will tell, but I love my Subie.
We have a 2016 Limited. It's a lot quieter than the Sienna we had before it. At 75mph, there is some wind noise, but it's nothing unexpected. I think a video or audio recording of the noise is wise. I also think driving another 2016 or 17 is another good idea. But, as sensitive as I am to rattles and road noise, I completely understand your position. I wish you luck