
7-4Starting and operating/Fuel
system performance may deteriorate and 
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator light may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty. !Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent 
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank. 
Many gasolines are now blended with 
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU. 
Do not use any gasoline that contains 
more than 10% ethanol, including from any pump labeled E15, E30, E50 or E85
(which are only some examples of fuel
containing more than 10% ethanol). 
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are 
now producing reformulated gasolines, 
which are designed to reduce vehicle 
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline. 
If you are not sure what the fuel contains, 
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter-
gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-sions. 
As additional guidance, only use fuels 
suited for your vehicle as explained in the 
following description. .
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified 
in this manual. . Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline. 
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by
sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT
under these conditions. .
If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer. . Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of 
improper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior 
surfaces of the vehicle. Because
fuel may damage the paint, be sure
to wipe off any spilled fuel quickly. 
Paint damage caused by spilled fuel 
is not covered under the SUBARU
Limited Warranty.
& Fuel filler lid and cap
! Refueling
Only one person should be involved in
refueling. Do not allow others to approach
the area of the vehicle near the fuel filler
pipe while refueling is in progress. 
Be sure to observe any other precautions 
that are posted at the service station. 

10-2Appearance care/Exterior care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. 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 thebrakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or a mal-
function of power steering.
. Do not use any organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. However, if
a detergent with organic solvents
is used to wash the cover sur-
face, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise,
the cover surface may be da-maged.
. For 5-door models, since your
vehicle is equipped with a rear wiper, automatic car-wash
brushes could become tangled
around it, damaging the wiper
arm and other components. Ask
the automatic car-wash operator
not to let the brushes touch the
wiper arm or to fix the wiper arm
on the rear window glass with
adhesive tape before operating
the machine.
NOTE 
When having your vehicle washed in 
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type. 
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the 
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime. 
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty 
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight. 
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree 
sap, and bird droppings should be washed 
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for 
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension. 
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in- 
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents. 
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody 
components may accelerate their corro-sion. 
After driving off-road or on muddy or 
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody. Carefully flush the suspen-
sion and axle parts, as they are particu-
larly prone to mud and sand buildup. Do
not use a sharp-edged tool to remove
caked mud. 

Cleaning the interior 
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate 
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches. (Do not use
organic solvents.) &Seat fabric
Remove loose dirt, dust or debris with a 
vacuum cleaner. If the dirt is caked on the
fabric or hard to remove with a vacuum
cleaner, use a soft brush then vacuum it. 
Wipe the fabric surface with a tightly 
wrung cloth and dry the seat fabric
thoroughly. If the fabric is still dirty, wipe
using a solution of mild soap and luke-
warm water then dry thoroughly. 
If the stain does not come out, try a 
commercially-available fabric cleaner. Use
the cleaner on a hidden place and make
sure it does not affect the fabric adversely.
Use the cleaner according to its instruc- tions. NOTE 
When cleaning the seat, do not use 
benzine, paint thinner, or any similarmaterials. &
Leather seat materials
The leather used by SUBARU is a high
quality natural product which will retain its
distinctive appearance and feel for many
years with proper care. 
Allowing dust or road dirt to build up on the 
surface can cause the material to become
brittle and to wear prematurely. Regular
cleaning with a soft, moist, natural fiber
cloth should be performed monthly, taking
care not to soak the leather or allow water 
to penetrate the stitched seams. 
A mild detergent suitable for cleaning 
woolen fabrics may be used to remove
difficult dirt spots, rubbing with a soft, dry
cloth afterwards to restore the luster. If
your SUBARU is to be parked for a long
time in bright sunlight, it is recommended
that the seats and head restraints be
covered, or the windows shaded, to
prevent fading or shrinkage. 
Minor surface blemishes or bald patches 
may be treated with a commercial leather
spray lacquer. You will discover that each
leather seat section will develop soft folds
or wrinkles, which is characteristic of
genuine leather. &
Synthetic leather upholstery
The synthetic leather material used on the
SUBARU may be cleaned using mild soap
or detergent and water, after first vacuum-
ing or brushing away loose dirt. Allow the
soap to soak in for a few minutes and wipe
off with a clean, damp cloth. Commercial
foam-type cleaners suitable for synthetic
leather materials may be used when
necessary. NOTE 
Strong cleaning agents such as sol- 
vents, paint thinners, window cleaner
or gasoline must never be used on
leather or synthetic interior materials. & Climate control panel, audio 
panel, instrument panel, 
console panel, and switches
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate 
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches.
CAUTION
. Do not use organic solvents such
as paint thinners or fuel, or 
strong cleaning agents that con-
tain those solvents.
Appearance care/Cleaning the interior10-5
– CONTINUED – 

11-26Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels
rough surface, they can suffer damage 
that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
This type of damage does not become
evident until time has passed. Try not
to drive over curbs, potholes or on
other rough surfaces. If doing so is
unavoidable, keep the vehicle’s speed
down to a walking pace or less, and
approach the curbs as squarely as
possible. Also, make sure the tires are
not pressed against the curb when you
park the vehicle.. If you feel unusual vibration while
driving or find it difficult to steer the
vehicle in a straight line, one of the
tires and/or wheels may be damaged. 
Drive slowly to the nearest authorized 
SUBARU dealer and have the vehicleinspected.
& Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressures
helps to maximize the tires ’service lives
and is essential for good running perfor- 
mance. Check and, if necessary, adjust 
the pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month (for example,
during a fuel stop) and before any long
journey.
Check the tire pressures when the tires 
are cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust
the tire pressures to the values shown on
the tire placard. The tire placard is located
on the door pillar on the driver ’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up
the tires and increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures are affected by the
outside temperature. It is best to check tire
pressure outdoors before driving thevehicle. 
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside 
it expands, causing the tire pressure to
increase. Be careful not to mistakenly
release air from a warm tire to reduce itspressure. NOTE .
The air pressure in a tire increases
by approximately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3 kgf/cm
2) when the tire becomes warm.
. The tires are considered cold when
the vehicle has been parked for at least
three hours or has been driven less
than one mile (1.6 km).
WARNING
Do not let air out of warm tires to 
adjust pressure. Doing so will result
in low tire pressure.
Incorrect tire pressures detract from con-
trollability and ride comfort, and they
cause the tires to wear abnormally.  

14-10Index
Pressures and wear .............................................. 11-26
Replacement ........................................................ 11-29
Rotation ............................................................... 11-29
Size and pressure .................................................. 12-9
Types .................................................................. 11-24
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). ...... 7-32, 9-8, 11-24
Warning light ......................................................... 3-16
Tires and wheels. ...................................................... 11-24
Tools .......................................................................... 9-3
Top tether anchorages ........................................ 1-29, 1-31
Towing ...................................................................... 9-12
All wheels on the ground ........................................ 9-15
Flat-bed truck ........................................................ 9-15
Hooks ................................................................... 9-13
Trailer Towing .................................................................. 8-13
Trip meter ................................................................... 3-7
Trunk lid ................................................................... 2-23
Release handle ..................................................... 2-24
Trunk light ................................................................ 11-47
Turn signal Indicator lights ....................................................... 3-24
Lever .................................................................... 3-31
U 
Under-floor storage compartment ................................. 6-14
USB storage device operations .................................... 5-26
V
Valet mode ................................................................ 2-17
Vanity mirror ................................................................ 6-4 Vehicle
Capacity weight ...................................................... 8-10
Identification ........................................................ 12-17
Symbols .................................................................... 3
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light .................................................. 3-21
OFF switch .................................................... 7-30, 7-31
Operation indicator light ................................... 3-20, 3-21
System .................................................................. 7-28
Warning light .......................................................... 3-20
Ventilator .................................................................... 4-2
W
Warning and indicator lights ......................................... 3-12
Warning light ABS...................................................................... 3-18
Brake system ......................................................... 3-19
Charge .................................................................. 3-16
CHECK ENGINE .................................................... 3-15
Door open ............................................................. 3-20
Driver ’s Control Center Differential ............................ 3-25
Hill start assist ....................................................... 3-20
Low fuel ................................................................ 3-20
Low tire pressure .................................................... 3-16
Oil pressure ........................................................... 3-16
Rear differential oil temperature ................................ 3-16
Seatbelt. ................................................................ 3-13
SRS airbag system ................................................. 3-14
Vehicle Dynamics Control ........................................ 3-20
Warranties ..................................................................... 1
Washing .................................................................... 10-2