
2
Chapter 4: Climate control 
This chapter informs you how to operate 
the climate control. 
Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate 
your audio system. 
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate 
interior equipment. 
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and 
operate your SUBARU. 
Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your 
SUBARU in various conditions and ex-
plains some safety tips on driving. 
Chapter 9: In case of emergency 
This chapter informs you what to do if you 
have a problem while driving, such as a
flat tire or engine overheating. 
Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your 
SUBARU looking good. 
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need 
to take your SUBARU to the dealer for
scheduled maintenance and informs you
how to keep your SUBARU running
properly.Chapter 12: Specifications 
This chapter informs you about the dimen- 
sions and capacities of your SUBARU. 
Chapter 13: Consumer information and 
Reporting safety defects 
This chapter informs you about Tire 
information, Uniform tire quality grading
standards and Reporting safety defects. 
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that
’sin
this manual. You can use it to quickly find 
something you want to read.
& Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual. 
These safety warnings alert you to poten- 
tial hazards that could result in injury to
you or others. 
Please read these safety warnings as well 
as all other portions of this manual care-
fully in order to gain a better understand-
ing of how to use your SUBARU vehicle
safely.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in 
which serious injury or death could 
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in 
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE 
A NOTE gives information or sugges- 
tions how to make better use of yourvehicle. & Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it 
in this manual. This symbol means “Do
not ”, “Do not do this ”,or “Do not let this
happen ”, depending upon the context.  

8-4Driving tips
Periodic inspections 
To keep your vehicle in the best condition 
at all times, always have the recom-
mended maintenance services listed in
the maintenance schedule in the “War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”per-
formed at the specified time or mileageintervals. Driving in foreign countries 
When planning to use your vehicle in 
another country: .
Confirm the availability of the correct
fuel. Refer to “Fuel requirements ”F 7-2.
. Comply with all regulations and re-
quirements of each country. Driving tips for AWD models
WARNING
. 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.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive model could easily
lead to a serious accident.
All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine  

the underbody. If the vehicle is used with 
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. .Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not 
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator 
pedal slightly and move the select lever 
back and forth between “D ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For 
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by 
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. . Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.. Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are 
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. . Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such as rough roads or off roads will necessitate 
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Winter driving
&
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such 
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables. 
Check the battery and cables. Cold 
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winterstarts. 
Use an engine oil of proper grade and 
viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer
oil will cause harder starting. 
Keep the door locks from freezing by 
squirting them with deicer or glycerin. Driving tips
8-7
– CONTINUED –  

8-20Driving tips
watercraft. &When you do not tow a trailer
. Remove the ball mount from the hitch
receiver tube and insert the receiver cover 
onto the hitch receiver tube. . Place the dust cap over the four-pin
connector of the hitch wire harness to 
protect against possible damage. . Occasionally lubricate terminals of the
four-pin connector using the terminal grease. Trailer towing 
Your vehicle is designed and intended to 
be used primarily as a passenger-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer puts additional
loads on your vehicle
’s engine, drivetrain,
brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy. 
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety 
and satisfaction depend upon proper use
of correct equipment and cautious opera-
tion of your vehicle. Seek the advice of
your SUBARU dealer to assist you in
purchasing a hitch and other necessary
towing equipment appropriate for your
vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow the
instructions on correct installation and use
provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers. 
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for 
injuries or vehicle damage that result from
trailer towing equipment, or from any
errors or omissions in the instructions
accompanying such equipment or for your
failure to follow the proper instructions.
& Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to
vehicle damage or malfunction caused
by trailer towing. If you use your vehicle to
tow a trailer, more frequent maintenance
will be required due to the additional load. (Refer to
“Maintenance schedule under
severe driving conditions ”in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet ”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer
be towed with a new vehicle or a vehicle
with any new powertrain component (en-
gine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) of driving.
& Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load 
limits explained in the following.
Exceeding the maximum load limits
could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.
CAUTION
. Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its 
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
. Before towing a trailer, check the
trailer total weight, GVW, GAWs
and tongue load. Make sure the
load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are accepta- 

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-6
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-7
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-7
Changing the oil and oil filter .............................. 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity .................... 11-9
Synthetic oil ....................................................... 11-9
Cooling system ................................................ 11-10
Hose and connections ...................................... 11-10
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-10
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-13
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-13
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-14
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-14
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-14
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-15
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-15
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-16
Front differential gear oil ................................. 11-16
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-16
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-17
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-17
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-17Power steering fluid
........................................ 11-17
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-17
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-18
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-18
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-18
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-19
Brake booster .................................................. 11-19
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-20
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-20
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-20
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-20
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-21
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-21
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-22
Types of tires ................................................... 11-22
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) .......... 11-22
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-23
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-24
Wheel balance ................................................. 11-26
Wear indicators ............................................... 11-26
Tire rotation direction mark .............................. 11-26
Tire rotation ..................................................... 11-27
Tire replacement .............................................. 11-27
Wheel replacement .......................................... 11-28
Aluminum wheels ............................................ 11-28
Windshield washer fluid .................................. 11-29
Replacement of wiper blades ......................... 11-30
Windshield wiper blade assembly ..................... 11-31
Windshield wiper blade rubber . ........................ 11-31
Rear window wiper blade assembly .................. 11-32
Maintenance and service
11 

Maintenance schedule 
The scheduled maintenance items re- 
quired to be serviced at regular intervals
are shown in the“Warranty and Main-
tenance Booklet ”.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate “Warranty and Main-
tenance Booklet ”. Maintenance precautions 
When maintenance and service are re- 
quired, it is recommended that all work be
done by an authorized SUBARU dealer. 
If you perform maintenance and service 
by yourself, you should familiarize yourself
with the information provided in this
section on general maintenance and
service for your SUBARU. 
Incorrect or incomplete service could 
cause improper or unsafe vehicle opera-
tion. Any problems caused by improper
maintenance and service performed by
you are not eligible for warranty coverage.
WARNING
. Testing of an All-Wheel Drive
model must NEVER be per- 
formed on a single two-wheel
dynamometer or similar appara-
tus. Attempting to do so will
result in transmission damage
and in uncontrolled vehicle
movement and may cause an
accident or injuries to persons
nearby.
. Always select a safe area when
performing maintenance on yourvehicle. .
Always be very careful to avoid
injury when working on the vehi-
cle. Remember that some of the
materials in the vehicle may be
hazardous if improperly used or
handled, for example, batteryacid.
. Your vehicle should only be ser-
viced by persons fully competent
to do so. Serious personal injury
may result to persons not experi-
enced in servicing vehicles.
. Always use the proper tools and
make certain that they are wellmaintained.
. Never get under the vehicle sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use
a safety stands to support thevehicle.
. Never keep the engine running in
a poorly ventilated area, such as
a garage or other closed areas.
. Do not smoke or allow open
flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire.
. Because the fuel system is under
pressure, replacement of the fuel
filter should be performed only
by your SUBARU dealer.
. Wear adequate eye protection to Maintenance and service
11-3
– CONTINUED – 

11-8Maintenance and service
.Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the 
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
engine oil gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level. 
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not 
add any additional oil above the full level
when the engine is cold. & Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the “War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in
the maintenance schedule when driving
on dusty roads, when short trips are
frequently made, or when driving in
extremely cold weather.
NOTE 
Changing the engine oil and oil filter 
should be performed by a properly-
trained expert. It is recommended that
you have this service performed by
your SUBARU dealer. 1. Warm up the engine by letting the
engine idle for approximately 10 minutes
to ease draining the engine oil. 
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and 
stop the engine. 
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
4. Drain out the engine oil by removing 
the drain plug while the engine is still
warm. The used oil should be drained into
an appropriate container and disposed of
properly.
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself with 
hot engine oil.
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain
plug with a clean cloth and tighten it securely with a new sealing washer after
the oil has completely drained out.
6. Open the access cover by removing 
the five clips and turning the access cover
counterclockwise. The oil filter will beexposed.    

3. After refilling the reserve tank and the 
radiator, reinstall the caps and check that
the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap
are in the proper position.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to spill engine
coolant when adding it. If coolant 
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If engine coolant gets on
the exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe
it off. .
Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
! Changing the coolant
Always add genuine SUBARU cooling
system conditioner whenever the coolant
is replaced. 
Change the engine coolant and add 
genuine SUBARU cooling system condi-
tioner using the following procedures
according to the maintenance schedule
in the “Warranty and Maintenance Book-
let ”.
1. Remove the under cover.
2. Place a proper container under the 
drain plug and loosen the drain plug. 3. Loosen the radiator cap to drain the
coolant from the radiator. Then drain the
coolant from the reserve tank. Tighten the
drain plug securely.
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia- 
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has cooled down
completely. Since the coolant is
under pressure, you may suffer
serious burns from a spray of boil-
ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
4. Install the under cover.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to spill engine
coolant when adding it. If coolant 
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If engine coolant gets on
the exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe
it off.
. Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface. Maintenance and service
11-11
– CONTINUED –