
48
1-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors and trunk lid
WARNING
■Caution while driving
●Keep the trunk lid closed while driving.
If the trunk lid is left open, it may hit nearby objects while driving or lug-
gage in the trunk may be unexpectedly thrown out, causing an accident.
In addition, exhaust gases may enter the vehicle, causing death or a seri-
ous health hazard. Make sure to close the trunk lid before driving.
●Before driving the vehicle, make sure that the trunk lid is fully closed. If the
trunk lid is not fully closed, it may open unexpectedly while driving, caus-
ing an accident.
●Never let anyone sit in the trunk. In the event of sudden braking or a colli-
sion, they are susceptible to death or serious injury.
■When children are in the vehicle
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not allow children to enter the trunk.
If a child is accidentally locked in the trunk, they could overheat or suffo-
cate.
●Do not allow a child to open or close the trunk lid.
Doing so may cause the trunk lid to operate unexpectedly, or cause the
child’s hands, head, or neck to be caught by the closing trunk lid.

152
2-1. Driving procedures
Parking brake liningDrive the vehicle at a speed of approximately 22 mph (35 km/h).
With the parking brake release button pushed in, pull the parking
brake lever SLOWLY and GENTLY (pulling with a force of approxi-
mately 33.7 lbf [150 N, 15.3 kgf]).
Drive the vehicle for approximately 220 yards (200 meters) in this
condition.
Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking brake to cool down. Repeat this
procedure.
Check the parking brake lever travel. If the parking brake lever
travel is out of the specified range, adjust it by turning the adjusting
nut located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake lever travel: →P. 421
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of
brake system needs bedding-down of t he brake shoes periodically or when-
ever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your
SUBARU dealer perform the bedding down. ( →P. 151)
■After the engine starts
In order to secure a rich exhaust sound when starting the vehicle and envi-
ronmental performance, air intake and exhaust sounds become loud and
vibrations may increase for a little while after the engine starts. This is not a
malfunction.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( →P. 415)
■REV indicator
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5
When the set engine speed is reached
the REV indicator comes on and a buzzer
sounds to inform the driver. ( →P. 199)
(When the engine speed enters the red
zone, the REV indicator flashes regard-
less of settings.)

156
2-1. Driving procedures
WARNING
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have your SUBARU dealer check and replace the brake pads as soon as
possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded. ( →P. 151)
■Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings
A safe location and situation should be selected for break-in driving.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N (vehicles with an automatic
transmission only) or neutral (vehicles with a manual transmission), the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space
and check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
●On vehicles with an automatic transmission, in order to prevent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal
while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.

158
2-1. Driving procedures
WARNING
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless
and odorless. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health
hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the engine. In a closed
area, such as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.
This may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●The exhaust system should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or
crack caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise,
be sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your SUBARU
dealer. Failure to do so may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicle,
resulting in death or a serious health hazard.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the select
lever or shift lever, or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an
accident or fire due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is
parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the
vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.

276
4-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
●Do not wash the engine compartment and area adjacent to it. If water
enters the engine air intake or electrical parts it will cause engine trouble or
a malfunction of the power steering.
●When washing the vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a result, the brake
stopping distance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a
safe speed while lightly depressing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
■Precautions regarding the exhaust pipes
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipes and rear bumper diffusers to
become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipes and diffusers
until they have cooled sufficiently, as touching hot exhaust pipes and rear
bumper diffusers can cause burns.
CAUTION
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:

287
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
General maintenance
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
Battery Check the connections.
(→ P. 304)
Brake fluid At the correct level? ( →P. 302)
Engine coolant At the correct level? ( →P. 300)
Engine oil At the correct level? ( →P. 297)
Exhaust system No fumes or strange sounds?
Radiator/condenser/hoses Not blocked with foreign matter? (
→P. 302)
Washer fluid At the correct level? ( →P. 308)
Listed below are the general maintenance items that should be per-
formed at the intervals specified in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”. It is recommended that any problem you notice should be
brought to the attention of your SUBARU dealer or qualified service
shop for advice.

293
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working in the engine compartment
●Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from the moving fan and engine
drive belt.
●Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper or rags, in the
engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or the bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Vehicles without a keyless access with push button start system: Be sure the
engine switch is off. With the engine switch in the “ON” position, the electric
cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or
the coolant temperature is high. ( →P. 302)
Vehicles with a keyless access with push button start system: Be sure the
push-button ignition switch is off. With the push-button ignition switch in
“ON” mode, the electric cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air
conditioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high. ( →P. 302)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc. from
getting in the eyes.
CAUTION
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive engine wear
due to dirt in the air. Also a backfire could cause a fire in the engine compart-ment.

353
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
■When replacing light bulbs
SUBARU recommends that you use genuine SUBARU products designed
for this vehicle.
Because certain bulbs are connected to circuits designed to prevent over-
load, non-genuine parts or parts not designed for this vehicle may be unus-able.
■Removing and installing the luggage trim cover and trunk lid panel
cover clip
WARNING
■Replacing light bulbs
●Turn off the lights. Do not attempt to replace the bulb immediately after
turning off the lights.
The bulbs become very hot and may cause burns.
●Do not touch the glass portion of the light bulb with bare hands. When it is
unavoidable to hold the glass portion, use and hold with a clean dry cloth
to avoid getting moisture and oils on the bulb.
Also, if the bulb is scratched or dropped, it may blow out or crack.
●Fully install light bulbs and any parts used to secure them. Failure to do so
may result in heat damage, fire, or water entering the headlight unit. This
may damage the headlights or cause condensation to build up on the lens.
■When changing the back-up lights
Stop the engine and wait until the exhaust pipe has cooled sufficiently. The
lights are located near the exhaust pipe and touching a hot exhaust pipe can
cause burns.
Removing
Installing