Mutinyman melts again...

Last Friday when I picked up my car after having the clutch, the timing belt and the head gasket replaced on my Subaru Outback, something didn't feel quite right. As I tried to drive out of the parking lot, it was a lot easier to push the clutch down, but the friction point was almost at the bottom. I promptly stalled. I don't know much about cars, so I figured that it was something with new clutches that I had to get used to.

On the way to the REI down the road from the dealership, it was cold and drizzling, so my windows fogged up. No problem, just turn on the air conditioning to dehumidify the windows and get rid of the fog. It didn't work. I put it on full blast, and still no results. Then I noticed it wasn't even getting cold.

I also noticed that there was a ticking noise coming from the engine, and I could smell something else burning. It was close to closing at the dealership, so there wasn't much I could do and figured I'd call them in the morning, after the VO2 thing.

I drop off my car Saturday afternoon and explain everything I found. They send me off for my free loaner car after telling me they'll call me on Monday.

So I talk to mechanic rep today and now they're telling me two things:

1. my air conditioning compressor has locked up and needs to be replaced. Parts and labor will set me back $675. I sigh in disbelief.
2. my master and slave cylinders will have to be replaced. This is a separate thing from the clutch replacement, so it will be $400-$500. I almost fall flat.
   

I can't believe the grief all this recent car repair work has given me. I let them know that they'll be hearing from my insurance again. I call up GEICO, we discuss stuff, then we get that same mech representative on the phone, and they discuss stuff as I listen (and get hopelessly lost in their car mumbo jumbo talk).

The mech rep hangs up and the GEICO person tells me the bottom line. The worst case scenario is that I'll have to pay $500 out of pocket because they're two separate items/repairs. However, there is a chance I'll only have to pay for the AC because the other clutch thing might be covered under the clutch work they did on Friday. Either way, this is a major blow.

I'm fairly certain that the next car I buy will either be a Toyota or a Honda. I don't recall any of my relatives or friends that own them ever having so many problems. I like what the Outback gives me, except for the recurring repair costs. Cars truly suck.