Subaru XV 2012 Problems

By far the best thing to do with anything like animal urine, bird droppings, tree sap and industrial fallout on your car is to remove it with hot, soapy water as soon as you notice it.

Windscreen glass is not such a problem as it's more or less impervious to such stains, even though they can contain large amounts of acid (bird droppings are particularly acidic). But the car's paintwork, being potentially porous, is another matter altogether and plenty of paintjobs have been ruined by allowing these contaminants to sit on the car for longer periods. Leave them long enough and they'll eventually leach into the paint itself, leaving permanent stains.

You can use all sorts of detergents, but make sure they're designed for cars and painted surfaces. Don't be tempted to use household dishwashing liquid, as this has high levels of salt which can actually scratch the paint.

If the stain is already proving difficult to shift, you can try a cutting polish that might move it, but be careful that you don't remove too much paint, especially in the case of a metallic colour with its clear top-coat. A better bet might be to take the car to a specialist in what's called paint correction, who might be able to reverse the damage already done.

Once that's done, keep the paint protected with a good layer of automotive wax (which forms a physical barrier between the paint and whatever's trying to stain it) and try not to park under trees.

Boxer engines are known to use oil because of their design and the Subaru mechanic we spoke to said the consumption you are claiming isn't alarming. He isn't aware of a problem with oil consumption, but told us that it is important to have the car serviced as per Subaru's schedule and to use the recommended oil.

Glass is not something that is normally covered by the warranty, but the problem your wife has experienced is not normal. I would expect it's a design or quality issue, a product failure as you say, and should be fixed under the warranty. Go back to the dealer and have them take photos of it and send them to Subaru with the request to have it repaired under warranty.

No, you shouldn't live with it, take it back to the dealer and have them fix it. It could be that it needs the oil replacing.

Sorry that you haven't been contacted about your concern. I will pass your latest e-mail on to the people involved at Subaru.

Airbags are part of a larger safety system in your car, one that includes body structure and seat belts. The airbags are designed as a last resort to protect you in a serious crash, and won't deploy until the computer fitted to the car determines that they need to be deployed. Before that happens the body will have crumpled and the seat belts will have done their job. From what you describe, and the fact that you weren't injured says the safety systems of the XV worked as they were designed to work.