
11-32 Maintenance and service
Abnormally low tire pressure (tread
worn at shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel con-
sumption is also higher.Abnormally high tire pressure (tread
worn in center)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magni-
fies the effects of road-surface bumps and
dips, possibly resulting in vehicle damage.
If the tire placard shows tire pressures for
the vehicle when fully loaded and for the
vehicle when towing a trailer, adjust the
tire pressures to the values that match
current loading conditions.
Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when
your vehicle was new, but the wheels will
become unbalanced as the tires become
worn during use. Wheel imbalance caus-
es the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at
certain vehicle speeds and detracts from
the vehicle s straight-line stability. It can
also cause steering and suspension sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not cor-
rectly balanced, have them checked and
adjusted by your SUBARU dealer. Also
have them adjusted after tire repairs and
after tire rotation.
NOTE
Loss of correct wheel alignment* caus-
es the tires to wear on one side and re-
duces the vehicle s running stability.
B00051B00052
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of vehi-
cle control could lead to an acci-
dent.

Maintenance and service 11-33
CONTINUED
Contact your SUBARU dealer if you no-
tice abnormal tire wear.
*: The suspension system is designed to hold
each wheel at a certain alignment (relative to
the other wheels and to the road) for optimum
straight-line stability and cornering perfor-
mance.
Wear indicators
1) New tread
2) Worn tread
3) Tread wear indicator
Each tire incorporates a tread wear indica-
tor, which becomes visible when the depth
of the tread grooves decreases to 0.063 in
(1.6 mm). A tire must be replaced when
the tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
NOTE
For safety, inspect tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their tread
wear indicators become visible.
Tire rotation
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To
maximize the life of each tire and ensure
that the tires wear uniformly, it is best to
rotate the tires every 7,500 miles (12,500
km). Rotating the tires involves switching
the front and rear tires on the right-hand
side of the vehicle and similarly switching
the front and rear tires on the left-hand
side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn
tire at the time of rotation. After tire rota-
tion, adjust the tire pressures and make
sure the wheel nuts are correctly tight-
ened.
After driving approximately 600 miles
(1,000 km), check the wheel nuts again
and retighten any nut that has become
loose.
Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and in-
tegral parts of your vehicle s design; they
cannot be changed arbitrarily. The tires fit-
ted as standard equipment are optimally
matched to the characteristics of the vehi-
cle and were selected to give the best pos-
sible combination of running performance,
ride comfort, and service life. It is essential
for every tire to have a size and construc-
tion matching those shown on the tire
1 2 3
B00327
When a tires tread wear indicator
becomes visible, the tire is worn be-
yond the acceptable limit and must
be replaced immediately. With a tire
in this condition, driving at high
speeds in wet weather can cause
the vehicle to hydroplane. The re-
sulting loss of vehicle control can
lead to an accident.
B00054

12-4 Specifications
Capacities
AT: Automatic transmission
MT: Manual transmission
Tires
Fuel tank15.9 US gal (60 liters, 13.2 Imp gal)
Engine oil4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
Transmission oil (MT)5-speed3.7 US qt (3.5 liters, 3.1 Imp qt)
6-speed4.3 US qt (4.1 liters, 3.6 Imp qt)
AT differential gear oil1.3 US qt (1.2 liters, 1.1 Imp qt)
Rear differential gear oilWRX-STI1.1 US qt (1.0 liters, 0.9 Imp qt)
Others0.8 US qt (0.8 liters, 0.7 Imp qt)
Transmission oil (AT)10.0 US qt (9.5 liters, 8.4 Imp qt)
Power steering fluid0.7 US qt (0.7 liter, 0.6 Imp qt)
Engine coolantNon-turbo engineMT7.4 US qt (7.0 liters, 6.2 Imp qt)
AT7.3 US qt (6.9 liters, 6.1 Imp qt)
Turbo engineMT8.1 US qt (7.7 liters, 6.8 Imp qt)
Item2.5i, OUTBACK SPORTWRXWRX-STI
Tire sizeP205/55R16 89V215/45R17 91W225/45R17 90W
Wheel size16 6 1
/2 JJ17
7 JJ17 8 JJ
PressureFront33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm 2
)33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm 2
)36 psi (250 kPa, 2.5 kgf/cm 2
)
Rear30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm 2
)32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm 2
)30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm 2
)
Temporary spare tireSizeT135/70 D16T135/70 D17
Pressure60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm 2
)

12-10 Specifications
Vehicle identification
1 2
3
4
5
6
7 9
8
C00108
1) Vehicle identification number
2) Vacuum hose connections label/
Emission control label
3) Tire inflation pressure label
4) Certification plate
5) Bar cord label (U.S. only)
6) Vehicle identification number plate
7) Model number plate
8) Radio noise label (Canada only)
9) Fuel label

13
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
Tire information .................................................. 13-2
Tire labeling ..................................... ........................ 13-2
Recommended tire inflation pressure ............... ... 13-5
Glossary of tire terminology ...................... ............ 13-6
Tire care maintenance and safety practices ..... 13-7
Vehicle load limit how to determine ................... 13-8
Determining compatibility of tire and vehicle load capacities ................................... ................... 13-10
Adverse safety consequences of overloading on
handling and stopping and on tires ................ ... 13-11
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit .......... . 13-11
Uniform tire quality grading standards ............ 13-12
Treadwear ......................................... ....................... 13-12
Traction AA, A, B, C .............................. .................. 13-12
Temperature A, B, C ............................... ................ 13-12
Reporting safety defects (USA) .................... ..... 13-13

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects 13-3
CONTINUED
which specifies the maximum load a
tire can carry at the speed indicated
by its speed symbol, at maximum in-
flation pressure.
For example,
90 means 1,323 lbs
(600 kg), 89 means 1,278 lbs (580
kg).
(7) Speed Rating: An alphabetical
system describing a tire s capability to
travel at established and predeter-
mined speeds.
For example, V means 149 mph
(240 km/h)
Tire Identification Number (TIN)
Tire Identification Number (TIN) is
marked on the intended outboard
sidewall. The TIN is composed of four
groups. Here is a brief review of the
TIN with a breakdown of its individual
elements. (1) Manufacturer
s Identification
Mark
(2) Tire Size
(3) Tire Type Code
(4) Date of Manufacture
The first two figures identify the week,
starting with 01 to represent the first
full week of the calendar year; the
second two figures represent the
year. For example, 0101 means the
1st week of 2001.
Other markings
The following makings are also
placed on the sidewall.
Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
The maximum cold inflation pressure
to which this tire may be inflated. For
example, 300 kpa (44 PSI) MAX.
PRESS
Maximum load rating
The load rating at the maximum per-
missible weight load for this tire. For
example, MAX. LOAD 580 kg (1279
LBS) @ 300 kpa (44 PSI) MAX.
PRESS.
Load indices apply only to the
tire, not to the vehicle. Putting a
load rated tire on any vehicle
does not mean the vehicle can
be loaded up to the tire s rated
load.
Speed ratings apply only to
the tire, not to the vehicle. Put-
ting a speed rated tire on any
vehicle does not mean the ve-
hicle can be operated at the
tire s rated speed.
The speed rating is void if the
tires are worn out, damaged,
repaired, retreaded, or other-
wise altered from their original
condition. If tires are repaired,
retreaded, or otherwise al-
tered, they may not be suitable
for original equipment tire de-
signed loads and speeds.
DOT XX XX XXX XXXX
(1) (2) (3)(4)

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects 13-5
CONTINUED
Recommended tire inflation pressure
Recommended cold tire inflation pressure
Recommended cold tire inflation pressure for your vehicle s tires is as follows,
Item2.5i, OUTBACK
SPORTWRXWRX-STI
Tire sizeP205/55R16 89V215/45R17 91W225/45R17 90W
Wheel size16 61/2 JJ17 7 JJ17 8 JJ
PressureFront33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2)
33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2)
36 psi (250 kPa, 2.5 kgf/cm2)
Rear30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1
kgf/cm2)
32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2)
30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm2)
Temporary spare tireSizeT135/70 D16T135/70 D17
Pressure60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm2)

13-6 Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
Vehicle placard
The vehicle placard is affixed to the
driver s side B-pillar.
Example: The vehicle placard shows original
tire size, recommended cold tire infla-
tion pressure on each tire at maxi-
mum loaded vehicle weight, seating
capacity and loading information.
Adverse safety consequences
of under-inflation
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to flex severely and to rapidly
become hot. A sharp increase in tem-
perature could cause tread separa-
tion, and failure of the tire(s). Possi-
ble resulting loss of vehicle control
could lead to an accident.
Measuring and adjusting air
pressure to achieve proper infla-
tion
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month and be-
fore any long journey. Check the tire
pressures when the tires are cold.
Use a pressure gauge to adjust the
tire pressures to the specific values.
Driving even a short distance warms
up the tires and increases the tire
pressures. Also, the tire pressures are affected by the outside tempera-
ture. It is best to check tire pressure
outdoors before driving the vehicle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air in-
side it expands, causing the tire pres-
sure to increase. Be careful not to
mistakenly release air from a warm
tire to reduce its pressure.
Glossary of tire terminology
Cold tire pressure
The pressure in a tire that has been
driven less than 1 mile or has been
standing for three hours or more.
Maximum inflation pressure
The maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated.
Recommended inflation pres-
sure
The cold inflation pressure recom-
mended by a vehicle manufacturer.
Intended outboard sidewall
1)The sidewall that contains a
whitewall, bears white lettering or
bears manufacturer, brand, and/or
model name molding that is higher
or deeper than the same molding
on the other sidewall of the tire, or
2)The outward facing sidewall of an
B00164
D00126