Getting your Subaru serviced is a routine part of car ownership, and for new Subaru owners, those initial dealership visits often come with complimentary services. Like many, I recently took my car in for what I thought would be a simple oil change, leveraging the free maintenance plan that came with the vehicle purchase. However, my primary goal was actually to address something a bit more technical: a software update for my Subaru’s infotainment system.
While my car, a Crosstrek Wilderness (CTW), was still quite new with only 1600 miles, I was aware of a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) outlining software improvements. Wanting to proactively ensure my system was running optimally, I inquired about getting the New Subaru Software Update during my service appointment. I even brought in the first page of the TSB to provide context and make the process smoother.
Initially, the Service Advisor informed me that the complimentary maintenance plan for the oil change was mileage or time-based, specifically 6000 miles or 6 months. Since I was below the mileage threshold and just wanted to get ahead of schedule, she indicated that the oil change might not be covered under the free plan at this point. While this was a minor surprise, I was more focused on the software update and confirmed I was okay to proceed regardless of the oil change coverage.
My key question then became whether they had the latest software files to perform the update. Dealership service departments aren’t always immediately equipped with the newest software versions, and I wanted to avoid a wasted trip. Skepticism crept in, as it often does with dealership service experiences. I pressed the Service Advisor to double-check if the new Subaru software update files were available, explaining that if not, I’d prefer to reschedule and combine both the oil change and software update in a single, efficient visit later on.
After a short discussion with the Service Manager, the Advisor returned with disappointing news: they did not yet have the updated software files. This confirmed my suspicion and highlighted a potential point of friction for Subaru owners seeking the new Subaru software update. We proceeded to reschedule the appointment for two weeks out, with the assurance that the files would be available by then. Naturally, I plan to call ahead the day before to confirm this and avoid another potentially wasted trip.
Adding another layer of complexity to the interaction, the Service Advisor mentioned that they typically wouldn’t perform a software update “just for the sake of updating.” According to her, there generally needs to be a reported issue with the infotainment system for them to initiate the update process. This struck me as somewhat counterintuitive, especially given the purpose of TSBs, which are often issued to address known bugs and optimize performance, even if those issues aren’t overtly apparent to every driver.
I pointed out that the TSB itself lists numerous bug fixes, implying that there were indeed aspects of the software not working perfectly. However, this argument didn’t immediately sway her. To align with their policy, I mentioned that I had experienced occasional latency and a minor glitch with the system. This seemed to satisfy her requirement for a pre-existing issue and placated her concerns about performing an unnecessary update. This exchange left me pondering whether this is standard practice across Subaru dealerships – requiring a perceived problem before applying a new Subaru software update, even when a TSB is available.
The entire experience was a bit unusual, raising questions about dealership procedures regarding software updates. Hopefully, the rescheduled appointment in two weeks will proceed smoothly, and my Subaru will receive the new Subaru software update as expected. Fingers crossed that they will indeed have the necessary files this time.
