Something is not right here.
A differential assembly from Subaru is a complete part. If it was new, it would have come from the manufacturer and not previously installed in any vehicle. It would have been tested by the manufacturer prior to shipment. It only fits in the car one way. It apparently had gear oil in it, so it wasn't run dry. The only way it could get hot is if the car was driven with a higher load than its rated for over long periods, but many of us have gone beyond the weight limit without issues, so that may leave driving with a brake on causing overload on the differential clutch which would cause a lot of heat.
It also doesn't seem that you took it to the same dealership that installed the differential, just looking at the way you typed it. If I had work done on my car, and the part that was repaired failed in a short amount of time, I would be right back to the shop that did the repair instead of running around looking for answers from another facility.
Why didn't your trusted mechanic/owner install the differential the first time?
A differential assembly from Subaru is a complete part. If it was new, it would have come from the manufacturer and not previously installed in any vehicle. It would have been tested by the manufacturer prior to shipment. It only fits in the car one way. It apparently had gear oil in it, so it wasn't run dry. The only way it could get hot is if the car was driven with a higher load than its rated for over long periods, but many of us have gone beyond the weight limit without issues, so that may leave driving with a brake on causing overload on the differential clutch which would cause a lot of heat.
It also doesn't seem that you took it to the same dealership that installed the differential, just looking at the way you typed it. If I had work done on my car, and the part that was repaired failed in a short amount of time, I would be right back to the shop that did the repair instead of running around looking for answers from another facility.
Why didn't your trusted mechanic/owner install the differential the first time?