2002 Subaru Legacy 250S 2.5L Flat 4
Summary:
Not as reliable as I hoped
Faults:
The head gasket blew at 98,000km, & the oxygen sensor has recently failed.
General Comments:
This is my third Subaru Legacy so far, but possibly could be my last.
The previous 2 were turbo's & were generally pretty reliable - not to mention a lot of fun.
This one however has been a bit of a disappointment so far, in particular blowing a head gasket at less than 100,000km and costing me a pretty penny to repair. Being a non-turbo tried & true 2.5L flat 4, I find this very disappointing, this car has not been driven hard at all.
I've since learned from my local mechanic that this isn't uncommon & they are doing a roaring trade replacing head gaskets on these engine (2.5L flat 4). Wish I had spoken to him before I had purchased... Also it's now not idling properly & I've been told the oxygen sensor will probably need replacing. Hopefully no more problems after this...
Apart from this though, I still like the car. It is very comfortable, far more refined that the last 2 Legacys and isn't as greedy on petrol. And of course it handles great.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 16th October, 2009
23rd Dec 2009, 01:05
Yes, true oxygen sensors do fail. This car has 2 of them in the exhaust pipe, one being much more expensive than the other for some reason - $600.00 as opposed to $200-300.
15th Feb 2015, 07:34
Just checking in to say I've still got the car & it's been actually very good since the original repairs 6 odd years ago.
Now done 155,000km and still running very well. So actually pretty happy with it now. Long may it last!
13th Dec 2009, 15:24
Oxygen sensors do not last forever. They need occasional replacement, like spark plugs. So, at 98,000, an oxygen sensor is probably nearing the end of its life expectancy.
Often they do last longer, but IMO there is no problem here.