
comes malfunctioning. 
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system 
provides its ABS control through the
electrical circuit of the ABS system.
Accordingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system be-
comes unable to provide ABS control. As
a result, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system also becomes inoperative, caus-
ing the warning light to illuminate. Though
both the Vehicle Dynamics Control and
ABS systems are inoperative in this case,
the ordinary functions of the brake system
are still available. You will be safe while
driving with this condition, but have your
vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as 
soon as possible. NOTE 
If the warning light behavior is as 
shown in the following, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system may be con-
sidered normal. .The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off 
immediately, remaining off.. The warning light illuminates after
engine startup and turns off while the
vehicle is subsequently being driven. .
The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off. ! Traction Control system OFF indi- 
cator light
. It illuminates when the Traction Control
system OFF switch is pressed. . It also illuminates when the Traction
Control system is deactivated.
NOTE . The light may remain illuminated for
a while after the engine has been 
started, especially in cold weather. This
does not indicate the existence of a
problem. The light should turn off as
soon as the engine has warmed up.. The indicator light illuminates when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
Malfunction indicator lamp illuminates. 
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is 
probably malfunctioning under the follow-
ing condition. Have your vehicle checked
at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. . The light does not turn off even after
the lapse of several minutes (the engine 
has warmed up) after the engine hasstarted. &
Security indicator light
The indicators are located in the center 
portion of the dashboard. 
This indicator light shows the status of the 
alarm system. It also indicates operation
of the immobilizer system. ! Alarm system
It blinks to show the driver the operational 
status of the alarm system. For detailed
information, refer to “Alarm system ”F 2-
16. ! Immobilizer system
This light blinks approximately 60 seconds 
after the ignition switch is turned from“ ON ”position to the “Acc ”or “LOCK ”
position or immediately after the key is
pulled out. Refer to “Immobilizer ”F 2-3.
Instruments and controls
3-19
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Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-5
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-7
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-7
Stopping the engine ............................................ 7-8
Remote engine start system (dealer option) ..... 7-8
Starting your vehicle ........................................... 7-9
Remote start safety features ................................ 7-9
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start .................................................................. 7-9
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown .......................................................... 7-9
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-10
Service mode ..................................................... 7-10
Remote engine start transmitter programming and programmable feature option ..................... 7-10
System maintenance .......................................... 7-11
Automatic transmission ..................................... 7-12
Select lever ........................................................ 7-13
Shift lock function .............................................. 7-14
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-16
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17
SPORT mode ..................................................... 7-18 Power steering
................................................... 7-18
Braking ............................................................... 7-19
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-19
Brake system .................................................... 7-19
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-20
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-20
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-21
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-21
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-22
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions ..... ..... 7-22
Vehicle Dynamics Control system .................... 7-23
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor..... ..... 7-25
Traction Control system OFF switch ................... 7-27
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ........ 7-28
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-29
Parking brake .................................................... 7-29
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-30
Cruise control .................................................... 7-30
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-31
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-31
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-32
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-32
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-33
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 7-33
Starting and operating
7 

7-20Starting and operating
suddenly, the brake pedal might wig- 
gle. This is a normal operation phe-
nomenon, and it is not a malfunction. 
Brake assist is a driver assistance system. 
It assists the brake power when the driver
cannot depress the brake pedal strongly
and the brake power is insufficient. 
Brake assist generates the brake power 
according to the speed at which the driver
depresses the brake pedal. &Disc brake pad wear warning indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica- 
tors on the disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn. 
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard 
from the disc brakes while braking, im- mediately have your vehicle inspected by
the nearest SUBARU dealer.
ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys- tem)
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS
equipped vehicle could easily lead
to a serious accident.
CAUTION
. The ABS system does not always
decrease stopping distance. You 
should always maintain a safe
following distance from othervehicles.
. When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy roads, or
over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be long-
er for a vehicle with the ABS
system than one without. When
driving under these conditions,
therefore, reduce your speed and
leave ample distance from othervehicles.
. When you feel the ABS system
operating, you should maintain  

constant brake pedal pressure. 
Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the
operation of the ABS system.
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of
wheels which may occur during sudden
braking or braking on slippery road sur-
faces. This helps prevent the loss of
steering control and directional stability
caused by wheel lock-up. 
When the ABS system is operating, you 
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
when the ABS operates. 
The ABS system will not operate when the 
vehicle speed is below approximately 6
mph (10 km/h). & ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake 
pedal and hear the operating sound of
ABS from the engine compartment just
after the vehicle is started. This is caused
by an automatic functional test of the ABS
system being carried out and does not
indicate any abnormal condition. &
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light illuminates when 
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position and turns off after approximately 2seconds. 
This is an indication that the ABS system 
is working properly.
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as 
follows, the ABS system may not
be working properly. 
When the warning light illuminates, 
the ABS function shuts down; how-
ever, the conventional brake system
continues to operate normally. . The warning light does not illu-
minate when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”position.
. The warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is 
turned to the “ON ”position, but
it does not turn off even when the
vehicle speed exceeds approxi-
mately 8 mph (12 km/h).
. The warning light illuminates dur-
ing driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system
repaired at the first available oppor-
tunity by your SUBARU dealer.
NOTE 
If the warning light behavior is as 
described in the following, the ABS
system may be considered normal. . The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off 
immediately, remaining off. . The warning light remains illumi-
nated after the engine has been started,
but it turns off when the vehicle speed
reaches approximately 8 mph (12km/h).. The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off. 
When driving with an insufficient battery 
voltage such as when the engine is jump Starting and operating
7-21
– CONTINUED –  

7-22Starting and operating
started, the ABS warning light may illumi- 
nate. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will turn off. Electronic Brake Force Dis- 
tribution (EBD) system 
The EBD system maximizes the effective- 
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle
’s
loading condition and speed. 
The EBD system is an integral part of the 
ABS system and uses some of the ABSsystem ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD system malfunction, the
EBD system also stops working. 
When the EBD system is operating, you 
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. &
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system, 
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously. 
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if 
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving. 
Even if the EBD system malfunctions, the 
conventional braking system will still func-
tion. However, the rear wheels will be 
more prone to locking when the brakes 
are applied harder than usual and thevehicle ’s motion may therefore become
somewhat harder to control. 
If the brake system warning light and ABS  

7-26Starting and operating
! Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
The warning light illuminates when the 
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position and turns off several seconds
after engine startup. This lighting pattern
indicates that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating normally. 
The following situations could indicate a 
malfunction of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system; if any should occur, we
recommend that you have an authorized
SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of
the system at the first available opportu-
nity. . The warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition key is turned to the ON position. . The warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is being driven.. When a malfunction has occurred in
the Vehicle Dynamics Control electrical 
system, only the warning light will illumi- 
nate. In such an event, the ABS will still be 
operating normally. . The warning light will also illuminate
when a problem occurs with the ABS or 
Vehicle Dynamics Control electronic con-
trol systems. 
Because the Vehicle Dynamics Control 
system controls each brake through the
ABS, whenever the ABS stops operating due to a malfunction in that electrical
system, the Vehicle Dynamics Control will
also become unable to control all four
brakes. Thus Vehicle Dynamics Control
system operation halts and the warning
light illuminates. Although both the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and the ABS
will be inoperable in this situation, it will
still be possible to stop the vehicle using
normal braking. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and the ABS do not
adversely affect operation of the vehicle
in any way when they are inoperable;
however should such a situation occur,
drive with care and have an authorized
SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of 
those systems at the first available oppor- 
tunity. NOTE 
When the warning light illuminates and 
turns off in the following way, it in-
dicates that the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is operating normally. .
Although illuminating after the en-
gine has been started, the warning light 
quickly turns off and remains off.. The warning light illuminates when
the vehicle is being driven; it then turns
off and remains off. !
Traction Control system OFF indica-
tor light
This light illuminates to indicate that the
Traction Control system is in non-opera-
tion mode. This does not constitute failure
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control system. NOTE . The indicator light may remain illu-
minated for a while after the engine has 
been started, especially in cold weath-
er. This occurs because the engine has
not yet warmed up and is completely
normal. The light will turn off when the
engine has reached a suitable operat-
ing temperature.. When an engine problem occurs
and the malfunction indicator lamp
illuminates, the indicator light will alsoilluminate. 
The following two situations could indicate 
malfunction of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system; if either should occur,
have an authorized SUBARU dealer carry
out an inspection of that system at the first
available opportunity. . The indicator light does not illuminate
when the ignition key is turned to the ON position. . The indicator light fails to turn off after
the engine is started, even when several 
minutes have passed to allow the engine 

to heat up sufficiently. &Traction Control system OFF switch
Pressingtheswitchtodeactivatethe 
Traction Control system can facilitate the
following operations. .a standing start on a steeply sloping
road with a snowy, gravel-covered, or 
otherwise slippery surface . extrication of the vehicle when its
wheels are stuck in mud or deep snow 
When the switch is pressed during engine 
operation, the Traction Control system
OFF indicator light “
”on the combination
meter illuminates. The Traction Control 
system will be deactivated and the vehicle
will behave like a model not equipped with the Traction Control system. When the
switch is pressed again to reactivate the
Traction Control system OFF indicatorlight
“
”turns off.
With the Traction Control system deacti- 
vated, traction enhancement offered by
Traction Control system is unavailable.
Therefore you should not deactivate the
Traction Control system except under
above-mentioned situations. NOTE . When the switch has been pressed
to deactivate the Traction Control sys- 
tem, the Traction Control system auto-
matically reactivates itself the next time
the ignition key is turned to the “LOCK ”
position and the engine is restarted.. If the switch is held down for 10
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Traction Control system
is activated, and the system ignores
any further pressing of the switch. To
make the switch usable again, turn the
ignition key to the “LOCK ”position and
restart the engine.. When the switch is pressed to
deactivate the Traction Control system,
the vehicle ’s running performance is
comparable with that of a vehicle that
does not have a Traction Control
system. Do not deactivate the Traction Control system except when absolutely
necessary.
Starting and operating
7-27  

power to all four wheels. AWD models 
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt or sand. By
shifting power between the front and rear
wheels, SUBARU AWD can also provide
added traction during acceleration, and
added engine braking force during decel-eration. 
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle 
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the
following tips in mind. .An AWD model is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery 
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles. . When replacing a tire, make sure you
use only the same size, circumference, 
construction, brand, and load range as the
original tires listed on the tire placard.
Using other sizes, circumferences or
construction may result in severe mechan-
ical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect ride, handling,
braking, speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion, and clearance between the body
and tires. It also may be dangerous and
lead to loss of vehicle control. .
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the 
original temporary spare tire stored in the
vehicle. Using other sizes may result in
severe mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle. . Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom- 
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’s side.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to “Towing ”
F 9-14. On-road and off-road driving
WARNING
. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more 
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seatbelt. You the driver and
all your passengers should fas-
ten the seatbelts before starting
to drive in order to minimize the
chance of serious injury or death.
. Do not make sharp turns and
quick maneuvers unless abso-
lutely unavoidable. Such actions
are dangerous as you may lose
control, possibly resulting in a
rollover which could cause death
or serious injury.
. Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi- tions.
. Whenever strong crosswinds are
present, slow down sufficiently 
to maintain control of your vehi-
cle. Remember that your vehicle,
with its higher profile and center Driving tips
8-5
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