Frequently Asked Questions

We offer a wide variety of pre-owned (used) cars and trucks, Subaru Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, as well as all new Subaru models. New Subaru models are available in two categories: those with internal combustion engines (ICE) and those with EV/Hybrid powertrains. Included in the ICE category are the Subaru Ascent, our 3-row SUV available in 7 or 8-passenger configurations, the Subaru Forester and Forester Wilderness SUV, the Subaru Outback and Outback Wilderness SUV, the Subaru Crosstrek and Crosstrek Wilderness crossover SUV, the Subaru Impreza 5-door hatchback, the Subaru WRX turbo-charged sports sedan, and the Subaru BRZ 2-door rear-wheel drive sports car. In the EV/Hybrid category are the Subaru Forester Hybrid SUV, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid crossover SUV, the Subaru Solterra compact electric SUV, the Subaru Uncharted compact electric SUV and the Subaru Trailseeker midsize electric SUV. Stay tuned for more exciting Subaru models to come!

Subaru has proudly offered standard All-Wheel Drive in most of its vehicles for the last three decades. Though these systems differ by manufacturer, Subaru Symmetric AWD is an “always on” four wheel drive system. In other words, it monitors wheel spin continuously, and transfers power to the wheels that need it most, usually with no driver input needed. In 4X4 vehicles, the driver selects which drive mode they want, typically either 2WD, Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel Low, and the car drives equal power to the drive wheels selected, with some variation. In a front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive vehicle, such as the Subaru BRZ, power only flows to the front or rear wheels, with no driver input, other than perhaps the ability to turn traction control on or off.

The answer to this very much depends on your own purchase and driving habits. For customers who generally find themselves trading in their vehicles every few years, leasing is a great option to do so and avoid carrying negative equity into each new vehicle. An exception to this is those customers who drive in excess of 20,000 miles per year, in which case leasing may not be the best option. For customers who tend to keep their vehicles for many years, purchasing may make more sense, although should you decide to lease your vehicle, you still have the option of buying out your lease at the end of your lease term. Ask your Subaru sales consultant or finance and insurance manager for all of your options at the time of sale.

This is a highly subjective question, and there are many arguments for either. The primary advantage of buying a new vehicle is that, because you are the original owner, you have the benefit of the full factory warranties and other new owner benefits. Also, as the original owner, there is no question of how the car was driven or used before you owned it. Third, there are usually preferred finance and lease options available on new vehicle purchases. The primary advantage in buying a used or certified pre-owned vehicle is price. Conventional wisdom is that you are letting the first owner take the first depreciation hit, potentially allowing you to save thousands of dollars. This is somewhat mitigated by having little or no remaining factory warranties available, although factory certified pre-owned vehicles at franchise dealerships like Ken Fowler Subaru do include warranty extensions.

Certified pre-owned vehicles come in two categories: “dealer” certified used vehicles and manufacturer certified pre-owned vehicles. “Dealer” certified used vehicles can mean very different things, but usually involve some extra transparency on the reconditioning of the vehicle, and some additional guarantees or mechanical warranties. Manufacturer certified vehicles, such as Subaru Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, have more strict guidelines laid out by the manufacturer, and include set warranty extensions and upgrade options. Subaru Certified Pre-Owned vehicles undergo a 152-point safety inspection, with any item repaired or replaced if it does not meet Subaru standards. It also includes an upgrade to the factory powertrain warranty to 7-years instead of 5-years, and 100,000-miles instead of 60,000 (from original sale date/mileage). Additional coverages are available from Subaru Added Security at reduced rates, see dealer for details.

While there are several lesser-known warranties, such as for state and federal emissions components, rust perforation, seatbelts, brakes, etc., when warranties are commonly discussed it is typically in reference to either the basic new car warranty, often referred to as the “bumper-to-bumper” warranty, and the powertrain warranty. The basic new car warranty covers defects in parts and workmanship for most electronic and mechanical components of the vehicle. It is an exclusionary warranty, meaning that it covers all components apart from the list of excluded items. For Subaru, this warranty is valid for 3-years or 36,000-miles from the original date of purchase, whichever comes first. The powertrain warranty is an inclusionary warranty, meaning that it covers only the items included in the list of covered items, which are typically the internally lubricated mechanical parts of the engine and driveline. For most Subaru vehicles, this warranty is valid for 5-years or 60,000-miles from the original date of purchase, whichever comes first. EV and Hybrid models offer extended coverages for the battery and hybrid components, see dealer for details.

In general, a used vehicle will come with only the balance of any remaining manufacturer warranties. An exception to this would be the additional warranties included with manufacturer certified used vehicles, such as Subaru Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Additionally, a manufacturer may offer extra coverages that are only applicable to the original owner who purchased the vehicle new. When purchasing a used vehicle, ask your dealer what warranties may be remaining on that specific vehicle.

A vehicle service contract, commonly referred to as an extended warranty, is a type of insurance that allows you to pay some money now in order to be shielded from potential mechanical or electronic repair costs in the future. The early ownership period and mileage covered by the manufacturer warranties also corresponds to the period that mechanical and electronic components are least likely to fail. If you are planning to own the vehicle longer and/or drive it beyond the covered mileage, purchasing a vehicle service contract is a sensible idea.

Many customers believe that buying a vehicle service contract, or extended warranty, means paying for overlapping coverage of the existing warranties. In fact, the terms offered near the end of the original manufacturer warranty will be almost identical to those offered at the time of purchase in terms of end-dates and mileage caps. If the original warranties have expired, the options after the sale are even fewer in both time and mileage, and in some cases there may be no options at all. Two significant advantages of purchasing extra warranty coverage at the time of vehicle purchase are that you are paying today's prices, avoiding potential inflation in costs down the road, and that the warranty may be included in your vehicle financing, so you do not need to come up with the full amount out of pocket later. Because costs and individual circumstances can vary widely, we recommend consulting with our finance and insurance manager of all options available to you when you purchase your vehicle.

This varies depending on whether you are paying cash in full or financing, but in general, the minimum documents you need to bring are your current driver’s license and insurance ID card. Depending on your credit history, or lack thereof, the bank may request recent paystubs, W2 (or tax returns if you are self employed), or proof of residency (utility bill, lease agreement, etc.).

There is no minimum credit score requirement in order to purchase or lease a vehicle. If you are a first time buyer with no credit history, there are options available, though there may be minimum time on the job or down payment stipulations from the lender. New vehicle manufacturers, like Subaru, often offer special first time buyer programs for recent or soon-to-be college graduates. Ask your sales consultant or finance team member to review all options with you.

In many cases you can buy a car with little or no money down. Often it comes down to what fits your budget, and what monthly payments you are trying to stay within. It also depends on whether you are financing or leasing, as leasing often requires less money up front. Other factors are your credit background, and whether you are trading in a vehicle with positive or negative equity.

In short, yes. In most cases we can find financing options for a customer regardless of their credit history. Sometimes, depending on how serious past or current delinquencies are, this will require extra documentation as far as income, or additional down payment from the customer. Though not required, it is often a good option to have a friend or family member with better credit history go on the loan as a co-applicant. This usually helps a customer with challenged credit get a more preferable interest rate.

In short, yes. If you have begun bankruptcy proceedings you will have to wait until it is complete, in most cases. If you are currently delinquent on an existing car loan, this will make it more difficult though not impossible to obtain a new loan for you. The more time that has passed since a delinquency, repossession or bankruptcy, the more easily and favorable the loan options will be. However, we are always glad to give our best effort to every customer regardless of their circumstances.

In short, if you still have a payoff on your vehicle when you trade it in, it will be a simple matter of adding or subtracting from the amount you are paying or borrowing on the new vehicle. When we appraise your vehicle, we will give it what is called an ACV, or Actual Cash Value. This is the amount we would give you in cash if we were purchasing it from you. From that we would subtract your remaining loan balance. If the ACV is greater than your loan balance, the remainder would be applied to your new purchase. You also have the option of retaining some or all of this difference as cash to you if you don’t want it all applied to the new purchase. On the other hand, if the amount you owe is greater than the ACV, then the remainder would be added to the loan or purchase price of the vehicle you are buying. Though not always required, you may need to offset this with cash down if the difference is too great to be carried over on the new purchase. Most lenders will allow us to refinance a portion of your remaining loan, depending on your credit history, etc.

This depends very much on whether any conversation took place or information was collected before your visit to the dealership. If not, it will likely take between 1 to 2 hours on average. This will vary based on how many vehicles you look at and drive during your visit, whether any extra time is required to obtain financing for you, and how thoroughly you choose to review documents during the purchase. Another factor is the time you would like the salesperson to spend going over the vehicle with you before you leave. While we would like to provide you with the best service possible, we understand that customers do not like to spend more time than necessary at the dealership. We always strive to find a balance between the two.

When you purchase a new or used vehicle, the sales tax associated with your physical garaging address in California will be used to determine the sales tax on the purchase price. When you lease a vehicle, this tax rate is applied only to your monthly payment, not the full purchase price. Should you choose to buy out your vehicle at lease-end, you will pay sales tax for the remaining balance. Additional fees are tightly regulated by the state of California. Besides state registration fees, as of the date of this publication in June 2026, you may be charged an additional $85.00 dealer documentation fee, $37.00 electronic titling fee, $1.75 per tire CA tire recycling fee, $50.00 smog service fee, and $8.25 state smog certificate fee. Other fees may be applicable for a lease, and will be clearly spelled out on the lease agreement. You are welcome and entitled to carefully review all documents and ask any questions before signing.

In general, any vehicle sale in California is subject to state sales tax. There are certain exemptions available if you are a non-resident member of the military, or if you reside out-of-state and do not take possession of the vehicle within the state of California, and do not operate the vehicle in California regularly within a year after purchasing it. Details on these exemptions and all sales tax related questions can be found at cdtfa.ca.gov.

In general, any vehicle sale in California is subject to sales tax. There are exemptions for tribal organizations, as well as members of Native American tribes in California whose members reside on tribal lands, when the car will be principally garaged on tribal lands, and where sale and delivery of the vehicle occurs on tribal lands. Details on these exemptions and all sales tax related questions can be found at cdtfa.ca.gov.