
aerosol tire sealant into the tires, as 
this may cause a malfunction of the
tire pressure sensors. 
If the light illuminates steadily after 
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system inspected.Jump starting
WARNING
. Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.
Do not let it come in contact with 
the eyes, skin, clothing or thevehicle. 
If battery fluid gets on you, 
thoroughly flush the exposed
area with water immediately. Get
medical help if the fluid has
entered your eyes. 
If battery fluid is accidentally 
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medicalhelp. 
Keep everyone including chil- 
dren away from the battery.
. The gas generated by a battery
explodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
. Never attempt jump starting if the
discharged battery is frozen. It
could cause the battery to burst
or explode.
. Whenever working on or around
a battery, always wear suitable eye protectors, and remove metal
objects such as rings, bands or
other metal jewelry.
. Be sure the jumper cables and
clamps on them do not have
loose or missing insulation. 
Do not jump start unless cables 
in suitable condition are avail-able.
. A running engine can be danger-
ous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away
from the cooling fan, belts and
any other moving engine parts.
Removing rings, watches and
ties is advisable.
. Jump starting is dangerous if it
done incorrectly. If you are un-
sure about the proper procedure
for jump starting, consult a com-
petent mechanic.
When your vehicle does not start due to a
run down (discharged) battery, the vehicle
may be jump started by connecting your
battery to another battery (called the
booster battery) with jumper cables.
In case of emergency/Jump starting9-9
– CONTINUED – 

9-12In case of emergency/Engine overheating
Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia- 
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the 
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone 
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from 
the engine compartment
NOTE 
For details about how to check the 
coolant level or how to add coolant,
refer to “Engine coolant ”F 11-12.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed. 2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment. Refer to
“Engine hood ”
F 11-5.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off
the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair. 
3. After the engine coolant temperature 
has dropped, turn off the engine. 
If temperature gauge stays in the over- 
heated zone, turn off the engine. Refer to“ Temperature gauge ”F 3-10.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reservetank. 
If the coolant level is below the “LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve 
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant. 
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot 
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it. Towing 
If towing is necessary, it is best done by 
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD models with the 
front wheels raised off the ground
while the rear wheels are on the
ground, or with the rear wheels
raised off the ground while the front
wheels are on the ground. This will
cause the vehicle to spin away due
to the operation or deterioration of
the center differential.  

&Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in 
an emergency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle
from mud, sand or snow).
CAUTION
. Use only the specified towing
hook and tie-down hook. Never 
use suspension parts or other
parts of the body for towing or 
tie-down purposes.
. To prevent deformation to the
front bumper and the towing 
hook, do not apply excessive
lateral load to the towing hook.
Front towing hook: 
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool 
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bag. Take the jack handle out of the
cargo area.
2. Cover the tip of a flat-head screwdriver 
with vinyl tape or cloth so that it will not
scratch the bumper. Insert the flat-head
screwdriver into the cutout of the cover
and pry open the cover.
3. Screw the towing hook into the threaded hole until its threads can no 
longer be seen.
4. Tighten the towing hook securely 
using the jack handle. 
After towing, remove the towing hook from 
the vehicle and stow it in the tool bucket. 
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
WARNING
. Do not use the towing hook
except when towing your vehicle.
. Be sure to remove the towing
hook after towing. Leaving the 
towing hook mounted on the 
vehicle could interfere with prop-
er operation of the SRS airbag
system in a frontal collision.
In case of emergency/Towing9-13
– CONTINUED –    

9-14In case of emergency/Towing
Rear towing hook: 
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool 
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bag. Take the jack handle out of the
trunk (4-door) or cargo area (5-door).
2. Pry off the cover on the rear bumper 
using a screwdriver, and you will find a
threaded hole for attaching the towinghook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the thread 
hole until its thread can no longer be seen.
4. Tighten the towing hook securely 
using the jack handle. 
After towing, remove the towing hook fromthe vehicle and stow it in the tool bucket. 
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
WARNING
Do not use the towing hook except 
when towing your vehicle.
Front tie-down hooks:
The front tie-down hooks are located 
between each of the front tires and the
front bumper.     

Rear tie-down hooks:
The rear tie-down hooks are located near 
each of the jack-up reinforcements.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down hooks only for 
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip off
the hooks, possibly causing a dan-
gerous situation. &
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your 
vehicle. Use the following procedures to
ensure safe transportation. 
1. Shifttheshiftleverintothe “1st ”
position.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier 
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under- 
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), be careful not to scrape
them when placing the vehicle on
the carrier and when removing the
vehicle from the carrier.
& Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Release the parking brake and put the 
transmission in the neutral position. 
2. The ignition switch should be in the “Acc ”position while the vehicle is being
towed. 
3. Take up slack in the towline slowly to 
prevent damage to the vehicle.
In case of emergency/Towing9-15
– CONTINUED –    

9-16In case of emergency/Rear gate–if the rear gate cannot be unlocked
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”position while the
vehicle is being towed because 
the steering wheel and the direc-
tion of the wheels will be locked.
. Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater
effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
CAUTION
. If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat- 
bed truck.
. Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the
engine running. Rear gate
–if the rear gate
cannot be unlocked 
In the event that you cannot open the rear 
gate by operating the rear gate opener
button, you can open it from inside the
cargo area.
1. Remove the access cover at the 
bottom-center of the rear gate trim. 
2. Locate the rear gate open lever behind 
the rear gate trim panel.
CAUTION
Never operate the rear gate open 
lever with fingers because doing so
may cause an injury. Always use a
flat-head screwdriver or a similartool.
3. Slide the lever to the right position 
using a flat-head screwdriver to open the
rear gate.   

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
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/Maintenance schedule11-3
– CONTINUED – 

11-4Maintenance and service/Maintenance precautions
guard against getting oil or fluids 
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
. Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seat-
belt pretensioner system, or at-
tempt to take its connectors
apart, as that may activate the
system or it can render it inop-
erative. NEVER use a circuit
tester for this wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt
pretensioner needs service, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU deal-
er. &
Before checking or servicing 
in the engine compartment
WARNING
. Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre- 
vent the vehicle from moving.
. Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after
the engine is stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position,
thecoolingfanmayoperate
suddenly even when the engine
is stopped.
. Before performing any servicing
on a vehicle equipped with a
remote engine start system (a 
dealer option) temporarily place 
that system in the service mode
to prevent it from unexpectedly
starting the engine. &
When checking or servicing 
in the engine compartment
CAUTION
Do not contact the belt cover while 
checking the components in the
engine compartment. Doing so may
cause your hand to slip off the belt
cover and result in an unexpected
injury.