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Old 02-20-2024, 09:49 PM   #1
21ej
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Default New 2024 Outback XT smoking under hard acceleration

I have a 2024 Outback 2.4 turbo currently sitting at 3500 miles and it has done this since we drove it off the lot. The car will produce a large cloud of white smoke (briefly) under a hard full throttle acceleration.

Here's a common scenario when it happens;
I can be cruising at whatever speed, I floor the car, the car "downshifts" and right as the gear hits at high rpm it will puff a large smoke cloud. I can replicate this more than once on a drive as well. I haven't tried to make it smoke more than twice per drive as I'm not sure what's going on, just wanted to make sure it's consistent. I am wondering if I should be concerned or if this is a normal thing. The amount of smoke is embarrassing when someone's behind you. I'm sure anyone that sees it would definitely question if something is wrong.

To describe the smoke; it's white and seems to evaporate somewhat quickly. I had a friend behind me when this has happened and he said the smoke had sort of a dry burnt smell.


I really try to avoid the dealer as much as I can, so before I take it back I'd like to know if this is a common thing among other consumers. I'm sure the dealer will tell me "it's normal" regardless if it actually was normal or not lol

TIA
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Last edited by 21ej; 02-20-2024 at 10:38 PM.
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Old 02-21-2024, 08:57 AM   #2
Charlie-III
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Does this only happen early in a drive, or even an hour later in the trip? If only early in a trip, then it's likely just condensation boiling off which is normal.

In general:
White smoke that clears quickly, water vapor. Could be condensation or coolant.
Blue smoke that lingers, burning oil.
Black smoke that lingers, rich mixture.

Keep an eye on fluid levels.
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Old 02-21-2024, 09:54 AM   #3
uglywrx
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I would check for a blown head gasket. I would get a tester even if the smoke doesn't smell sweet. Although it is a longshot, it is possible that you just got a lemon with a bad head gasket.
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Old 02-21-2024, 10:43 AM   #4
21ej
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Thanks for the information. I always let the car warm up before driving it and I have been able to replicate the smoke even after 30 minutes to 1hr of driving.

I watch the levels like a hawk and nothing has gone down or appears to be contaminated. Oil looks great, coolant looks great and no typical signs of head gasket failure. Maybe it's only leaking under the initial boost spike? Totally speculating.

I know when you slip the clutch on a manual the car can produce a little smoke, not sure if this is a possibility on the CVT but I almost wonder if it could be slipping for a split second under that initial hard load when the car revs and dumps the power. Although the smell wasn't a distinct clutch smell and the smoke didn't linger. Again a total guess but who knows at this point.

Edit: Good thought on the combustion test- I may give that a shot just to see.

Last edited by 21ej; 02-21-2024 at 11:13 AM.
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Old 02-21-2024, 01:14 PM   #5
Mulder
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It's new, take it back to the dealer and let them look at it. You shouldn't have to be doing any diagnosis or fixing on a brand new vehicle. If they claim it's "normal" have them show you another one off the lot that does the same thing.
Slipping a manual clutch will not normally produce smoke unless you are a horrible MT driver, in which case you should be driving auto only.
A good working CVT will not slip or smoke, if it does it's broken and time to see a loan officer unless it's under warranty.
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Old 02-21-2024, 02:58 PM   #6
Dave D.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mulder View Post
It's new, take it back to the dealer and let them look at it. You shouldn't have to be doing any diagnosis or fixing on a brand new vehicle. If they claim it's "normal" have them show you another one off the lot that does the same thing.
I also have a 2024 Outback XT (Limited, for reference). Just passed 1500 miles, it has never smoked like this. The test drive car didn't do this either. Right now it should be the dealer's job, absolutely.
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Old 02-21-2024, 06:20 PM   #7
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There is nothing normal about what you are describing. You should take the vehicle to the dealer as soon as possible. If they tell you it is normal, that is not true. If they say they cannot replicate it. Ask them to have a tech ride with you. You can replicate it for them. Sometimes, especially if hard acceleration is involved. They may not accelerate hard enough to recreate the problem.

If the dealership will not fix the problem you have options. I recently had to use the National Center for Dispute Settlement for a warranty issue with my Toyota dealership...In my experience it was cleared up in just about 24hrs and the dealership honored the warranty claim. Since you have a Subaru, they participate in the BBB AUTO LINE program. If you have a problem I would start there first.

In my case contacting Toyota directly was worthless. Everyone I spoke to had no clue what they were talking about. Only the extended warranty department, which Toyota reps kept referring me to, knew what they were talking about. My car was under the original manufacturers warranty though. The extended warranty department agreed that based on the warranty paperwork supplied with my vehicle the issue should have been covered.

If none of this works, you may have to get legal representation. Also if you go through the dispute resolution program you don't have to accept their resolution, especially if it involves you paying for anything. At that point you definitely need legal representation. I would not put this off.
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Old 02-22-2024, 03:41 PM   #8
Jack
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1) Bring to dealer
1a) 99%, they will solve the problem

1b) They don't solve the problem. Wait a week. Make a new appointment. Bring it back in. I would watch coolant level and check the look of the oil periodically.

2) If you approach bumper to bumper warranty time or miles limit, consider buying a Subaru extended warranty. This gives you coverage for the long term. Be sure to keep receipts for oil changes and coolant changes. No, you don't have to do these at a dealer.

Sounds most obviously like a head gasket. While not common on the F engines, it still can happen in an unusual situation.

Subaru dealers tend to be good about warranty work in my experience. Even garbage dealers tend to do fine with this stuff.
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Old 02-23-2024, 11:40 AM   #9
21ej
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I appreciate the input from all who contributed. Many of you made valid points. I will look into scheduling an appointment at the dealership as soon as possible. I live two hours from the dealership so let's hope they use my time appropriately
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Old 02-29-2024, 10:33 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 21ej View Post
I have a 2024 Outback 2.4 turbo currently sitting at 3500 miles and it has done this since we drove it off the lot. The car will produce a large cloud of white smoke (briefly) under a hard full throttle acceleration.

Here's a common scenario when it happens;
I can be cruising at whatever speed, I floor the car, the car "downshifts" and right as the gear hits at high rpm it will puff a large smoke cloud. I can replicate this more than once on a drive as well. I haven't tried to make it smoke more than twice per drive as I'm not sure what's going on, just wanted to make sure it's consistent. I am wondering if I should be concerned or if this is a normal thing. The amount of smoke is embarrassing when someone's behind you. I'm sure anyone that sees it would definitely question if something is wrong.

To describe the smoke; it's white and seems to evaporate somewhat quickly. I had a friend behind me when this has happened and he said the smoke had sort of a dry burnt smell.


I really try to avoid the dealer as much as I can, so before I take it back I'd like to know if this is a common thing among other consumers. I'm sure the dealer will tell me "it's normal" regardless if it actually was normal or not lol

TIA
Are you worried about dealers in general? Or your specific dealer? If it's the later, how far is the next one? Seems you need a new one. A car that new, the retailer should be the first thought.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 21ej View Post
I appreciate the input from all who contributed. Many of you made valid points. I will look into scheduling an appointment at the dealership as soon as possible. I live two hours from the dealership so let's hope they use my time appropriately

I'm sure you already considered; but, get a loaner. Run any errands you can in the area. We are a good distance from other retailers(2hrs closest) minus our sister store and we have folks that live far away. Common practice here when those people bring them in. Also consider your roadside assistance. In case you think driving it that far would do more damage. Hope it gets resolved easy and fast!
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Old 03-01-2024, 09:15 PM   #11
21ej
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustyWRC View Post
Are you worried about dealers in general? Or your specific dealer? If it's the later, how far is the next one? Seems you need a new one. A car that new, the retailer should be the first thought.


I'm sure you already considered; but, get a loaner. Run any errands you can in the area. We are a good distance from other retailers(2hrs closest) minus our sister store and we have folks that live far away. Common practice here when those people bring them in. Also consider your roadside assistance. In case you think driving it that far would do more damage. Hope it gets resolved easy and fast!

I haven't had the best experiences with dealers in general, but yes it's mostly just this particular dealer as they were a pain to deal with when purchasing the car. Regardless, I will start where I purchased the car from before trying a different dealer. I would think they would be more willing to resolve the issue if the car was purchased from them. The customer service was my biggest gripe when interacting with them..some of the worst i've experienced.
I have also had unpleasurable experiences in the past with poor workmanship when having remedies performed for recalls. Granted, that was a different dealership, but I am still hesitant. I've heard too many horror stories of service mishaps, employees joy riding cars, etc. for me to ever be comfortable with dealerships performing any maintenance that I'm capable of doing myself. Seems like it's a flip of a coin if you get a good tech working on your car, or maybe it's just me? I complete all my own servicing to avoid the chance of a careless dealer technician so I don't frequent dealers very often. I would much prefer to have a performance tuning shop work on my stuff, but unfortunately that's not possible with manufacturer warranty and recalls.

To answer the second part; Yes, we definitely plan to run some errands while its getting checked out and make a day out of it. However, I don't want to be forced to make a second trip at a later date visiting a new dealership if this dealer isn't helpful. I just want it to be a productive visit.
As far as the cars drivability, it runs seemingly flawless so i'm not worried about the long distance trip. Although, there's no telling if and/or when it could progress into a possibly bigger issue so i'd like to get it sorted asap.
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