This might be old news to some, but please take a look at the link below if you have purchased a Blue Engine Oil Filter from a Subaru Retailer. The problem originates from oversea's, so it is worth checking just in-case stocks have found their way into the UK from across the pond.

http://fram.com/sites/default/f/uplo...stribution.pdf

David

 

Good info that,thanks for passing it on.

 

is this an official Subaru UK recall?

 

Not sure, It starts from the US & Canada I believe. But as so many people buy stuff in from the US because of better prices there may be any number of them over here.

It'll either be Subaru or Fram, who made them.

Once we got wind of some doubt over blue filters we stopped and went for the slightly more expensive black one.

David

 

i always thought the blue ones were a bit small but had it fitted anyway. might drop the oil sooner than i planned and change it out, thanks for passing on the info m8.

 

Everyone else has had doubts over the blue ones for some time

 

Changed my oil and filter at Easter, used a blue subaru filter! After a couple of weeks oil started leaking around filter, it was hand tight and felt like it was metal to metal.
Changed oil and filter again coz I'd heard dodgy things about these blue filters, used a black filter this time. All good now
Had a look at subaru blue filter and it seems it was metal to metal, rubber seal looks to thin! Won't be using a blue one again, they are cheap rubbish.

 

I knew they looked cheaply made, i bought one for mine last year and never fitted it, black filter all the time for me.

 

Just checked the code on one I bought recently & it's a failure I'm afraid. Thanks for the heads up as I will bin it.

 

I've had 3 leak now, I personally wont use them. I get Mahle filters from Opie when I order my oil. good enough for 3000 mile oil changes

 

I used a blue one on my last oil change a couple of months ago I haven't looked but sods law it will be the one affected.
Now don't slate me for this, but what are the chances of me changing the filter with out losing all my nice new expensive oil that's only done several hundred miles?

 

Drain the oil out into a clean container, then put it back in after changing filter!

 

You wont lose all your oil, only whats in the filter and a bit above, the stuff in the sump wont go anywhere , fill new filter with oil as usual and re check oil level

 

cheers for that, I suppose if I had looked I would've realised that.

 

Never had one leak but they are all genuine supplied Subaru ones

Tony

 

I have a Subaru blue filter still in the wrapper. my date code is s20271 so doesn't appear to be one of the effected batch. Thing is i have read so many negative things about these blue filters i am now inclined to cut my losses and bin it.

 

Defo junk it.

How can you compare a definite £6 loss (or whatever they cost) to a potential £££s worth of damage!

No way is it worth the risk for its paltry cost.

 

I totally agree. What i may do is try and pull it apart so i can see what's inside. That way at least i will get some fun out of my £6 loss

 

Totally.

 

I've always used Blueprint ones and never had an issue

 

I normally use K&N but got this blue filter as part of an oil filter deal.

 

Brave man !

 

I have a Bosch variant in the garage, how brave should i be to use that one?

 

After 7-years of use I'd call it common sense - if it ain't broke why try and fix it

 

Import car parts have stock of the black ones. I have bought a few

 

I don't think that there is anything adrift with proper brand name filters. So l'd expect that you'd be ok.

We insist upon genuine Subaru black filters being used whilst we are covering a rebuilt APi engine for warranty. It inflicts a level of quality and obligation on the owner to make sure our engine is protected the way we want it. After that you can do as you wish, but we do offer guidelines about what we might accept [ after warranty expiry ] as a substitute.

David

 

Just order a black one as I fitted a blue one last week! Not going to take the risk as it was from ebay! Thanks

 

And you also insisted on the genuine blue ones until you woke up and smelled the coffee!
I also use blueprint and as many others have never had a problem.(Including Enginetuner)

 

If I recall, the blue ones were alright until they changed manufacturer or ' redesigned it ' At that point we 'all' saw a problem coming and changed tack. It is called ' continuous development '

Much the same as the quality of Walbro 255's has gone down in the last 18 months or so and we now use the Deatsch pumps from the USA.

So l guess we woke up and smelled the coffee then too

David

 

We stock the blues ones, we have checked and ours do not match the effected batches as listed by Fram.

So far we have had no reports of the filters failing or leaking.

Cheers

Guy.