Review: Subaru BR.I Liberty Exiga (2009-12)

Overview

Released in November 2009, the Subaru BR Liberty Exiga was an all-wheel drive wagon. Manufactured in Ota, Japan, the BR.I Liberty Exiga was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT, or Subaru’s ‘Lineartronic’).

EJ253 engine

The Liberty Exiga’s EJ253 engine had an open-deck aluminium alloy block with cast iron liners, an aluminium alloy cylinder head, a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank (belt-driven), four valves per cylinder, Tumble Generator Valves (TGV) and a compression ratio of 10.0:1.

For the Liberty Exiga, the EJ253 engine included Subaru’s ‘Intelligent Active Valve Lift System’ (i-AVLS’) which could vary the lift of one intake valve per cylinder between low and high lift profiles. At lower engine speeds, the low lift profile increased the speed of the intake air and swirl within the combustion chamber. At higher engine speeds, the high lift profile reduced intake resistance for greater power.

Dimensions

Compared to the BR Liberty wagon on which it was based, the Liberty Exiga was 45 mm shorter (at 4740 mm), 5 mm narrower (1775 mm), a 125 mm higher roofline (1660 mm) and the same length wheelbase (2750 mm); wider-opening rear doors were also fitted for easier entry and exit. Inside, the BR.I Liberty Exiga had six seats, though the BR.II Liberty Exiga – released in July 2012 – was fitted with seven seats as standard.

Suspension

The Subaru Liberty Exiga had MacPherson strut front suspension and double wishbone rear suspension.

AWD system

The Liberty Exiga was fitted with Subaru’s ‘Active Torque Split’ AWD system which consisted of an electronically-controlled, hydraulic multi-plate transfer clutch (instead of the centre differential). In normal conditions, the system provided a 60:40 front:rear torque split but sensors – measuring wheel slippage, throttle position and braking – could anticipate a loss of front-wheel traction and transfer torque to the rear axle.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Subaru Liberty Exiga included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front side airbags, full length curtain airbags (i.e. for all three rows of seats), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, hill descent and ascent control, active front seat head restraints and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

ANCAP crash testing

In ANCAP crash testing, the Liberty Exiga received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 33.31 out of 37. In the frontal offset impact test, protection from serious leg injury was marginal. In the side impact and pole tests, however, the Exiga received maximum points.

Features

Standard features for the Subaru Liberty Exiga included 16-inch alloy wheels, a six speaker sound system with six-stack CD player, dual zone climate control air conditioning, cruise control, front fog lights, automatic headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles, second row DVD player with nine-inch display and wireless headphones, remote central locking, power mirrors and windows, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable driver’s seat, privacy glass, two 12 volt power outlets, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

Inside, the Liberty Exiga featured 60/40 split and flat folding second row seats could also slide and recline; the third row of seats had a 50/50 split and flat folding configuration.

The Liberty Exiga Premium was only fitted with a single CD/DVD player, but added 17-inch alloy wheels, satellite navigation with seven-inch touch screen, park assist display, leather seats, eight-way power adjustable front seats, a reversing camera and Bluetooth connectivity with voice commands.

January 2012: Liberty Exiga update

In January 2012, standard features were extended to include an auxiliary USB sound system input, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming (with voice command), reversing camera, automatic headlights and Bluetooth steering wheel controls.

Related links

• Subaru News: Subaru Liberty Exiga adds spec (January 2012)

Review: Subaru BR.II Liberty Exiga (2012-14)

Overview

Released in July 2012, the BR Series II (BR.II) Liberty Exiga was fitted with seven seats (previously six), a new grille and door mirrors; the Premium editions were also fitted with new 17-inch alloy wheel designs.

Safety equipment and features

Compared to their BR.I predecessors, standard safety equipment and features for the BR.II Liberty Exiga were largely unchanged.

Related links

• Subaru News: Liberty Exiga Adds Seats, Not Price (July 2012)
• Specifications: Subaru BR.II Liberty Exiga (November 2013)
• Wikipedia.org: Subaru BR Liberty Exiga

Recalls: Subaru BR Liberty Exiga

Overview

Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.

Recalls: Subaru BR Liberty Exiga

2010 model year Subaru Liberty Exiga: transmission oil leak

In May 2010, a recall was issued for 2010 model year Subaru Liberty models fitted with the continuously variable transmission (CVT) and in the chassis range 002086 to 006056. For these vehicles, the transmission may experience an oil leak from a faulty oil cooler hose.

2010-14 model year Subaru Liberty Exiga: Takata airbag recall

In April 2017, a recall was issued for 2010 to 2014 model year Subaru Liberty Exiga vehicles, though this recall was extended on 12 November 2017 and 18 April 2018. In these vehicles, the front passenger’s airbag contained propellant wafers which may absorb moisture over time. The airbag may therefore expand more aggressively than intended and cause the airbag inflator housing to rupture, dispersing metallic fragments throughout the cabin. These fragments had the potential to cause serious injury to vehicle occupants. For the VINs of the recalled Subaru Liberty Exiga vehicles, please see PRA 2017/16012.

Subaru YA Liberty Exiga: defective replacement ignition switch

In June 2019, recall campaign SRT 272 was issued for Subaru YA Liberty Exiga vehicles because a replacement ignition switch may have had imperfections in its ball springs. Over time, these imperfections could cause the ignition switch to fail and the key may inadvertently move from the ‘ON’ position to the ‘ACC’ position while the vehicle was moving. If this occurred, the engine would stop running (causing the vehicle to unexpectedly slow down and stop) and the power supply to the SRS airbag would be cut (so that the airbag would not deploy in the event of a collision). As such, the vehicle would pose a hazard to occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2019/17514.

Search online for recalls by VIN

To see if a Subaru vehicle has been recalled, you can conduct a search on the Subaru Australia website using its VIN.

Problems and faults: Subaru BR Liberty Exiga

Overview

This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.

To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.

CVT torque converter

In January 2014, technical service bulletin (# 16-90-13) was issued for BM/BR Liberty and BR Outback vehicles with 2.5-litre petrol engines and continuously variable transmissions. In these vehicles, the driver may experience low engine RPM when coming to rest (similar to a vehicle with a manual transmission stalling as it comes to rest due to the clutch pedal not being depressed). This occurred because thrust washer wear inside the torque converter could cause restriction of the oil passage used to bleed off lock-up clutch application pressure. In turn, this could cause either a delay (momentary low engine rpm) or no lock-up pressure release. As a result of this problem, Subaru changed the design of the torque converter whereby the solid bushing-type thrust washer was replaced by a needle bearing type.

EJ25 head gasket failure

In rare cases, the 2.5-litre EJ253 F4 engines may experience head gasket failure due to external oil leaks or warped cylinder heads.

• Symptoms: early signs of head gasket failure include an oily residue in the coolant overflow bottle, or an exhaust/fuel/sulfur smell in the coolant overflow bottle. Beyond this, the coolant temperature gauge may intermittently show higher-than-normal readings, followed by intermittent overheating (particularly during long highway drives). In the case of external leaks, these can be spotted by a visual inspection of the bottom side of the engine with the splash pan removed.
• Prevention: to minimise the risk of head gasket failure, 1) oil and coolant should be changed regularly and in accordance with how the car is used. As such, the scheduled time/kilometre intervals may be inadequate in some cases; and, 2) any corrosion around battery cables should be removed. Corroded battery cables increased ground circuit resistance, thereby increasing the voltage in the cooling system and causing electrolysis; the coolant could also damage the metal head gasket and seals.

‘Lineartronic’ CVT slow to engage drive/reverse

Subaru’s ‘Lineartronic’ continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) are slower to shift to/from reverse or drive than conventional automatic transmissions – this occurs because significant pressure must be generated before the sheaves (i.e. the sides of the pulley that contact the metal belt) can clamp the belt such that it will not slip. According to Subaru service manuals, the normal delay or lag when switching into reverse or drive from park is 1.5 seconds or less.

Some Subaru owners, however, have reported delays of around three (3) or four (4) seconds when switching between reverse and drive. While re-flashing the transmission control module (TCM) and replacing the CVT fluid have reduced the delay to within Subaru’s normal range, the delay has subsequently increased over time.

Released in November 2009, the Subaru BR Liberty Exiga was an all-wheel drive wagon. Manufactured in Ota, Japan, the BR.I Liberty Exiga was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT, or Subaru’s ‘Lineartronic’)… Read full Subaru BR Liberty Exiga review

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Images: Subaru BR.II Liberty Exiga (2012-14)

Released in July 2012, the Subaru BR Series II (BR.II) Liberty Exiga was fitted with seven seats (previously six), a new grille and door mirrors; the Premium editions were also fitted with new 17-inch alloy wheel designs.

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