
!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.
1. Stop the vehicle and turn the ignition
switch to the“LOCK”/“OFF”position and
turn off all the other electrical components.
2. To open the fuel filler lid, pull the lid
release lever up. The lever is on the floor
at the left of the driver’s seat.
WARNING
Before opening the fuel filler cap,
first touch the vehicle body or a
metal portion of the fuel pump or
similar object to discharge any
static electricity that may be present
on your body. If your body is carry-
ing an electrostatic charge, there is
a possibility that an electric spark
could ignite the fuel, which could
burn you. To avoid acquiring a new
static electric charge, do not get
back into the vehicle while refueling
is in progress.
1) Open
2) Close
3. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it
slowly counterclockwise.
WARNING
.Gasoline vapor is highly flam-
mable. Before refueling, always
turn the ignition switch to the
“LOCK”/“OFF”position first and
then close all vehicle doors and
windows. Make sure that there
are no lighted cigarettes, open
flames or electrical sparks in the
adjacent area. Only handle fuel
outdoors. Quickly wipe up any
spilled fuel.
.When opening the cap, grasp itfirmly and turn it slowly to the
left. Do not remove the cap
quickly. Fuel may be under pres-
sure and spray out of the fuel
filler neck, especially in hot
weather. If you hear a hissing
sound while you are removing
the cap, wait for the sound to
stop and then slowly open the
cap to prevent fuel from spraying
out and creating a fire hazard.
4. Set the fuel filler cap on the cap holder
inside the fuel filler lid.
WARNING
.When refueling, insert the fuel
nozzle securely into the fuel filler
pipe. If the nozzle is lifted or not
Starting and operating/Fuel
–CONTINUED–7-5

Starting and operating/Fuel
fully inserted, its automatic stop-
ping mechanism may not func-
tion, causing fuel to overflow the
tank and creating a fire hazard.
.Stop refueling when the auto-
matic stop mechanism on the
fuel nozzle activates. If you con-
tinue to add fuel, temperature
changes or other conditions
may cause fuel to overflow from
the tank and create a fire hazard.
5. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler
pump automatically stops. Do not add any
more fuel.
6. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwise
until you hear a clicking noise. Be certain
not to catch the tether under the cap while
tightening.
CAUTION
Make sure that the cap is tightened
until it clicks to prevent fuel spillage
in the event of an accident.
7. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
CAUTION
If you spill any fuel on the painted
surface, rinse it off immediately.Otherwise, the painted surface
could be damaged.
NOTE
.You will see the“”sign in the fuel
gauge. This indicates that the fuel filler
door (lid) is located on the right side of
the vehicle.
.If the fuel filler cap is not tightened
until it clicks or if the tether is caught
under the cap, the CHECK ENGINE
warning light/malfunction indicator
light may illuminate. Refer to“CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction in-
dicator light”F3-16.
CAUTION
.Never add any cleaning agents to
the fuel tank. The addition of a
cleaning agent may cause da-
mage to the fuel system.
.After refueling, turn the cap to the
right until it clicks to ensure that
it is fully tightened. If the cap is
not securely tightened, fuel may
leak out while the vehicle is being
driven or fuel spillage could
occur in the event of an accident,
creating a fire hazard..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.
.Always use a genuine SUBARU
fuel filler cap. If you use the
wrong cap, it may not fit or have
proper venting and your fuel tank
and emission control system
may be damaged. It could also
lead to fuel spillage and a fire.
.Immediately put fuel in the tank
whenever the low fuel warning
light illuminates. Engine misfires
as a result of an empty tank
could cause damage to the en-
gine. Continuing to operate your
vehicle at an extremely low fuel
level may result in a reduction of
engine performance.
7-6

Starting and operating/Starting and stopping engine (models with push–button start system)
CAUTION
.When the operation indicator on
the push-button ignition switch is
flashing in orange, there may be
a malfunction with the vehicle.
Contact a SUBARU dealer imme-
diately.
.If the indicator on the push-
button ignition switch is flashing
in green after the engine has
started, it means that the steering
is still locked. Depress the brake
pedal while moving the steering
wheel to the right and left, and
press the push-button ignition
switch.
.Do not continue pressing the
push-button ignition switch for
more than 10 seconds. Doing so
could cause a malfunction. If the
engine does not start, stop
pressing the push-button ignition
switch. Instead, press the push-
button ignition switch without
depressing the brake pedal to
switch the power status to
“OFF”. Wait 10 seconds, and
then press the push-button igni-
tion switch to start the engine.
NOTE
.When the push-button ignition
switch is pressed while depressing
thebrakepedal,theenginestarter
operates for a maximum of 10 seconds
and after starting the engine, the starter
stops automatically.
.When the push-button ignition
switch is pressed while depressing
the brake pedal, the engine can be
started regardless of the status of the
push-button ignition switch.
.If the security indicator light illumi-
nates when you attempt to start the
engine but the engine does not start,
press the push-button ignition switch
to switch the power to“OFF”and then
try to start the engine again.
.If the engine does not start, press
the push-button ignition switch without
depressing the brake pedal to switch
the power to“OFF”. Then, while de-
pressing the brake pedal more force-
fully, press the push-button ignition
switch.
.The engine start procedures may
not function depending on the radio
wave conditions around the vehicle. In
such a case, refer to“Starting engine”
F9-18.
.If the vehicle battery is discharged,
the steering cannot be unlocked.Charge the battery.
1) Operation indicator
2) Push-button ignition switch
When the push-button ignition switch is
pressed while depressing the brake pedal,
the engine will start. The starting proce-
dure for the engine is as follows.
1. Carry the access key, and sit in the
driver’s seat.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Shift the select lever into the“P”
position. The engine can also start when
the select lever is in the“N”position,
however, for safety reasons, start in the
“P”position.
4. Depress the brake pedal until the
operation indicator on the push-button
ignition switch turns green. When starting
7-12

Starting and operating/Remote engine start system (dealer option)
operating range of the system and the
start request is received, the following
phenomena will occur.
.The fob flashes and beeps once.
.The horn sounds once.
.The side marker lights, tail lights, and
parking lights flash once.
If the fob is not within range (the user is
too far away from the vehicle), the fob will
indicate two long flashes without beeping.
The system will check certain safety
preconditions before starting, and if all
conditions are met, the engine will start
within 5 seconds. After the engine starts,
the following phenomena will occur.
.The fob flashes and beeps twice.
.The horn sounds once.
.The side marker lights, tail lights, and
parking lights flash once.
While the engine is idling via the remote
engine start system, the following phe-
nomena will occur.
.The side marker lights, tail lights, and
parking lights remain illuminated.
.The fob button flashes once every 3
seconds.
.The power windows are disabled.
If the engine turns over but does not start
(or starts and stalls) the remote enginestart system will power off and then
attempt to start the engine 3 additional
times. The system will not attempt to
restart the engine if it determines a vehicle
malfunction is preventing starting. If the
engine does not start after 3 additional
attempts, the remote engine start request
will be aborted.
!Stopping the engine
Press and hold the fob button for at least 2
seconds to stop the engine. The fob will
flash and beep three times, indicating the
engine has stopped. If the stop request is
not received (for example, if the user is too
far away from the vehicle), the fob will
continue to flash once every 3 seconds.
The system will automatically stop the
engine after 15 minutes.
!Remote start safety features
For safety and security reasons, the
remote engine start system will prevent
starting (or stop the engine if running) and
sound the horn twice if any of the following
conditions is detected. In addition, the fob
will flash and beep 3 times.
.The brake pedal is depressed
.A key is in the ignition switch
.The engine hood is open
.The remote start system“Service
mode”is engaged
.The engine idle speed exceeds 3,500RPM
.The security alarm is triggered
.The select lever is not in the“P”
position (CVT models)
If the system detects any door (including
the rear gate) open during operation, it will
prevent starting or stop the engine, and
sound the horn and flash side marker
lights, tail lights, and parking lights 6
times.
In addition to the items above, if the
vehicle’s engine management system
determines there is a safety risk due to a
vehicle-related problem, the vehicle will
power down and the horn will sound 3
times.
NOTE
.If the alarm system is armed at the
time of remote engine starter activation
(the security indicator light on the
combination meter is flashing), the
alarm system will remain armed
throughout the remote start run cycle.
.If the alarm system is disarmed at
the time of remote engine starter
activation (the security indicator light
on the combination meter is not flash-
ing), the alarm system will remain
disarmed throughout the remote start
run cycle.
7-16

Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
transmission fluid to overheat.
.Never move the vehicle rearward
by inertia with the select lever set
in a forward driving position or
move the vehicle forward by
inertia with the select lever set
in the“R”position. Doing so may
result in an unexpected accident
or malfunction.
.When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever in
the“P”position. Do not park for
a long time with the select lever
in any other position as doing so
could result in a dead battery.
&Continuously variable trans-
mission features
The continuously variable transmission is
electronically controlled and provides an
infinite number of forward speeds and 1
reverse speed. It also has a manual mode.
NOTE
.When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the transmission will
upshift or downshift at higher engine
speeds than when the coolant tempera-
ture is sufficiently high in order to
shorten the warm-up time and improvedriveability. The gearshift timing will
automatically shift to the normal timing
after the engine has warmed up.
.Immediately after transmission fluid
is replaced, you may feel that the
transmission operation is somewhat
unusual. This results from invalidation
of data which the on-board computer
has collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.
.When driving a CVT model under
continuous heavy load conditions such
as when towing a camper or climbing a
long, steep hill, the engine speed or the
vehicle speed may automatically be
reduced. This is not a malfunction. This
phenomenon results from the engine
control function maintaining the cool-
ing performance of the vehicle. The
engine and vehicle speed will return to
a normal speed when the engine is able
to maintain the optimum cooling per-
formance after the heavy load de-
creases. Driving under a heavy load
must be performed with extreme care.
Do not try to pass a vehicle in front
when driving on an uphill slope while
towing..The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that
provides superior transmission effi-
ciency for maximum fuel economy. At
times, depending on varying driving
conditions, a chain operating sound
may be heard that is characteristic of
this type of system.
&Select lever
!Select lever positions
1) Select lever button
7-24

Driving tips/Off road driving
Off road driving
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.
CAUTION
Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such
as rough roads or off roads will
necessitate more frequent replace-
ment of the following items than that
specified in the maintenance sche-
dule described in the“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet”.
.Engine oil
.Brake fluid
.Manual transmission oil (MTmodels)
.Continuously variable transmis-
sion fluid (CVT models)
.Front differential gear oil (CVT
models)
Remember that damage done to
your SUBARU while operating it
off-road and not using common
sense precautions such as those
listed here is not eligible for war-
ranty coverage.
Because of the AWD feature and higher
ground clearance, you can drive your
SUBARU on ordinary roads or off-road.
But please keep in mind that an AWD
SUBARU is a passenger car and is
neither a conventional off-road vehicle
nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take
your SUBARU off-road, certain common
sense precautions such as those in the
following list should be taken.
&Before driving
.Make certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.
.Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio.
.Secure all cargo carried inside thevehicle 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.
.Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.
&During driving
General precautions:
.Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain.
.Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like.
.Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep.
.Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.
.Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
8-6

Driving tips/Loading your vehicle
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 (both for MT and CVT
models).
If your vehicle is a CVT model, for
information about holding the transmission
in the 2nd position, refer to“Selection of
manual mode”F7-26.Loading your vehicle
WARNING
.Never allow passengers to ride
on a folded rear seatback or in
the cargo area. Doing so may
result in serious injury.
.Never stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as
possible.
WARNING
.When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can to prevent it from being
thrown around inside the vehicle
during sudden stops, sharp turns
or in an accident.
.Do not pile heavy loads on the
roof. These loads raise the vehi-
cle’s center of gravity and make it
more prone to tip over.
.Secure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
.Never exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss
of control and cause personal
injury. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
.Do not place anything on the
extended cargo area cover. Such
items could tumble forward in the
event of a sudden stop or a
collision. This could cause ser-
ious injury.
8-12

Driving tips/Loading your vehicle
assembly) plus the vehicle capacity
weight.
In addition, the total weight applied to
each axle (GAW) must never exceed the
GAWR. The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating luggage inside the
vehicle.
Even if the total weight of your luggage is
lower than the vehicle capacity weight,
either front or rear GAW may exceed the
GAWR, depending on the distribution of
the luggage.
When possible, the load should be evenly
distributed throughout the vehicle.
If you carry heavy loads in the vehicle, you
should confirm that GVW and front and
rear GAWs are within the GVWR and
GAWR by putting your vehicle on a
vehicle scale, found at a commercial
weighing station.
Do not use replacement tires with a lower
load range than the originals because they
may lower the GVWR and GAWR limita-
tions. Replacement tires with a higher load
range than the originals do not increase
the GVWR and GAWR limitations.&Roof rail
1) Roof rail
2) Crossbar
Cargo can be carried on the roof after
securing the crossbars to the roof rails and
installing an appropriate carrying attach-
ment. When installing crossbars and a
carrying attachment, follow the manufac-
turer’s instructions. The roof rail system is
designed to carry loads (cargo, crossbars
and carrying attachment) of no more than
150 lbs (68 kg). Be sure not to exceed
your vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR.
CAUTION
.When using a carrying attach-
ment, make sure that the total
carrying load of the cargo, cross-
bars and carrying attachment
does not exceed 150 lbs (68 kg).
Overloading may cause damage
to the vehicle.
.For cargo carrying purposes, the
roof rails must be used together
with the crossbars and any ap-
propriate carrying attachment
that may be needed. The roof
rails must never be used alone to
carry cargo. Otherwise, damage
to the roof or paint, or a danger-
ous road hazard due to loss of
cargo could result.
NOTE
Remember that the vehicle’s center of
gravity is altered with the weight of the
load on the roof, thus affecting driving
characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard
cornering and abrupt stops. Crosswind
effects will be increased.
8-14