Hi folks!

I come in peace... promise.

I've been an avid member of Honda-Tech for nearly 13 years, and I enjoy performance cars, having owned a new 02 WRX, 05 STi, 00 2.5RS, various crazy Honda cars, and etc. Please forgive me for the STi transgressions... I loved those cars dearly, but since Toyota purchased stakes in Subaru, and the 08 Impreza debacle, I've chosen to view that company I loved as now dead. They "don't make 'em like they used to".

Anyway, I've been searching the forums here, and I'm trying to find what amounts to a buyer's guide for the Ralliart. I'm looking into purchasing a used 2010+ model as a Daily Driver, since the only competition (barring a Suby, which I do not want) in this segment (AWD + Turbo) is an Audi A3 or Volvo.

I'm looking specifically at a Ralliart Sportback, and before I bother to wander over to the dealer to have a peek at it, could someone tell me, with a straight face, that a 2010 Ralliart with an SST is a reliable car? I have read the $12k horror stories about the transmission failing, the rattles, etc. I've run a VIN check on the particular car I'm looking at, and it appears that it 1) is no longer under warranty (61k miles), and 2) Has had the valve body replaced under warranty by Mitsu approximately 20k miles ago. No current issues.

Can someone give me a rundown of things to look for in this car? Flaws that are common? Areas of concern in the tranny? I'd normally compare a few examples of the same car, but there just aren't many around to do that. So, before I get my hopes up on this (I'm already leaning towards running away due to the previous stories on here and that valve body replacement), can someone give me a reason to get it?

Thank you!

 

With the sst it's all about maintenance and abuse, does the dealer have any record of fluid changes or are they going to do one before it sells. Does this car have any mods or can always post pics so members can help you out and see if anything looks changed. AWC pumps are the other big issues that break on these cars but the warranty has been extended to 10 years.

I bought a used RA and have had no issues with it but it was stock and showed no signs of abuse

 

Thanks, cizic!

I'm pretty familiar with basic upgrades that are common among these cars (BOV, boost pills, exhaust, etc), and this car doesn't show any tool marks in those areas. I'm very concerned because they can produce no records showing that the 30k mile tranny flush was done, nor any oil changes via the Mitsu dealer. It drives smoothly, and seems to not hesitate or jerk. I may force them into doing the service before I buy.

Question for anyone who may know: Is there a diagnostic to see if the tranny is going bad? Any subtle signs in the shift points or is it just a "one day it was fine, the next day it was dead" thing? Also, since most online forums tend to be echo chambers, does anyone have a real-world estimate for % of cars that fail? I see a lot of reports on here, but that is simply bias as people will search out forums with the issue.

 

FWIW my 2010 RASB just completed 100K miles - no problems. A spurious tranny code popped up twice in 20K miles, reset, and not seen again since...

I agree, check for tranny servicing ($$ :O at the dealership) or have them throw it in to sweeten the deal... If they balk at including changing the filter - offer to pay them for the part and have them do it.

A changed valve body would not keep me from buying this car.

 

I think many of the transwers horror stories we hear about are from poor maintenance or beating the car up...according to the service intervals you should change the sst fluid every 60k...but guys on here do 30k just to keep on it. The sst is definitely not as solid as a regular manual gearbox or even full autos of late but to say it's unreliable I think is a bit unfair...it can have issues for sure but if it's a DD and shifts smooth now get the service done and buy it!

 

If the timing chain hasn't been replaced, I'd stay away (or make sure it gets changed). There is a known issue with timing chains stretching and blown engines on 09-10 Ralliarts.

 

Hadn't heard of that one!

I had an '02 RSX Type S that threw a chain tensioner and ate the entire motor... Honda had since upgraded that part after the very early 02s. Wouldn't want to walk down that particular memory lane. I'll check it out.

If anyone else can think of anything, let me know. I'm firmy perched on the fence with this one.

Oh! Final question; I know some well-known vendors on here will refurb the tranny via shipment, so if the transmission were to fail, is that a realistic option? I know the service is in the $2500 range, but it's still better than $12k+

Thanks!

 

You have a chain stretch sensor, so before it fails - you can change it and save secondary (valve) damage).

Most chains stretched early on and were replaced under warranty.

Many people have not had a stretched chain... me included.

 

Wow! That's a handy sensor to have.


Ok, so I'm looking at Jack's transmission service in CO. Their site lists a rebuild for 1999 or an upgrade to withstand up to 400HP for 2500. I'm honestly very seriously considering purchasing the car (for a very reasonable price) and immediately shipping the tranny off to Jack's for that service. This car will not be modified and will likely be driven by my wife with kids/dogs in it fairly often. The peace of mind is worth it to me ... if it delivers as promised.

Would that 400hp service create a transmission that I would no longer have to worry about? Is it essentially bullet-proofing?

Thank you, folks! I think I'm gonna buy if that is the case.

 

Will the trans be more bullet proof? Yep. Is it worth it if your gonna strictly DD some light mods maybe? Not in my opinion. As stated before it's all about preventive maintenance. People that had catastrophic failure usually happened very early (09s I believe) where they tanked within 10k i bwlieve there havnt bern any failures like tgat since 2010+. You gotta remember most of the dudes blowing units up in newer cars were driving hard and running 300+hp...which isn't a big deal if you tech your gear but skip a sst oil change and your toeing into scary stuff. Remember also there are maybe 500 RA owners on here if I had to wager a geuss. Most of us are part of a group your not fixing to get into (autox hp mods driving young and stupid) whereas the rest of the ra ownership dont have problems.
This sentiment was echoed by my local dealerships head tech. He said most of the issues with RA trans are too much power and too little maintenance. And tunes that don't work on the tcu as well.

 

Don't worry about upgrading the sst if it's going to be a stock daily if it seems to be in good shape, fix it if it fails and save yourself the money for now

 

This^^^

 

x2. You are highly likely to avoid $3K if you just drive and properly maintain it.

Think total cost/benefit analysis with risk as a factor.

IMHO this preventative maintenance of building the tranny for a DD does not buy its way on board.

 

Make sure you get a record of an sst fluid change, i bought mine with 87k and it started making the grinding sound on starts. Dealer said it was tranny problem and would replace it with no problem if i had a fluid change record.. My luck i couldn't get one so now everyone stares when i start my car and not in a good way.

 

The valve body on the transmission incorporates the TCU and was one of the primary factors for early failures. These were not always serviceable, which is why Mistu replaced so many early SST transmission complete assemblies. Seeing as you would have a new unit on the car, there would be little concern for future failure.

Also, during that service, the fluid needs to be drained from the SST so it is VERY likely that the fluid was refreshed at 40k-ish miles, which is another bit of stress relief when considering this purchase. I would try to get ahold of the warranty claim record from the servicing dealership and verify that new fluid (and hopefully a filter) were used during the service. If anything, when you buy it, plan on another fluid/filter change and you'll be fine anyway.

Not this...

but this. The failures of the timing chain were few and early. The number one reason for timing chain failure is abuse, including lack of maintenance. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these cars being driven hard, daily, without issue. Change your oil and filter regularly and you'll likely avoid that headache altogether.

This is very much the general consensus. Unless you plan on building the hell out of the car, leave the transmission alone for the most part. If you feel so inclined, add a fan or upsize the external cooler for ~$200 and you'll be doing your car AND your wallet a favor. Save the rebuild for IF anything actually goes bad. And my personal recommendation, if you do decide to rebuild/modify the transmission at some point, is to go with Kozmic. I have seen and experienced their work, in person, on multiple occasions and it is truly high quality.