Blown Head Gasket
Cracked Engine Block.
I have owned several Subaru's, but this was the first 2.5 liter engine. We drive long distances in the snow and the Subaru is the best car for winter handling.
At about 95,000 miles, the head gasket went while I was driving home. The car overheated and the third cylinder was damaged.
After numerous attempts to repair the problem at a total cost of over $3,500, I traded the car in for an older, smaller engine model.
Later I have learned that Subaru has experienced this problem with many of their 1996 - 2000 Outbacks with the 2.5 liter engine.
I will never buy another Outback until I am convinced that this problem has been corrected. It cost me thousands of dollars and not even one apology from Subaru.
It's not Outbacks. All Subaru's that year (96-98) have bad engines. (2.5) The 2.2 impreza should be much more reliable. And for the record I own a 98 Legacy Outback which has been in the shop for over a month waiting for a head job. That's because silicone (from a quickie repair) got in my oil and plugged up an oil line to my cam which wore down the cam seats.I'm considering legal action against the transmission place that did the quick repair on a minor oil leak. The subaru engines are entirely aluminum alloy and general maintenance is replacing the seals, gaskets, and such. but I don't think head gaskets should be a 60000 mile service. Any manufacturer who thinks people will buy a car that cost them 3000 dollars every six years is CRAZY!Ill turn off the rant button now.
My 1999 Subaru Forester has been at the dealer since Nov 1, 2004. I was told it had a bad valve and damaged engine head had to be replaced. They would pay for parts and I would pay for labor. Then engine had been replaced (cracked block & bad piston) under the warranty at 45,000mi now at 66,000mi the engine goes again. Now the dealer tells me that after they put it all back together they had a problem with the timing belt and bent the valves (!!!). So, now I'm waiting for additional days. The engine is obviously defective from the start. Subaru knows they have a defective product and yet they have not taken full responsibility for a poorly designed engine. It's a disgrace!
I own a 2002 Subaru Outback. At 72000 miles, we noticed a smell from the vents and found through a mechanic that the coolant was leaking from the head gasket. The cost to fix was $1700. Within a week, I have problems with the Automatic transmission. When stopped at a traffic light, the transmission disengages from the engine automatically. Then when you press the accelerator, the car does not move even as the rpm goes up. Then all of a sudden the car lurches forward as the transmission engages. Not looking forward to another costly repair. WILL NOT recommend a Subaru at all. This was my first and the last Subaru that I will ever own.
Why should subaru give you an apology at 92,000 miles? Seems like the car took care of you for a long time and just when you shirked off the maintainance duties the car went off the deep end and you complained. Sigh..."rolleyes"
We've had our '97 O/B since new. It now has over 250,000 Kms on it. With the exception of the 100,000 km services, I do all my own service. We have not had any problems at all. So far so good. We like our Outback... A lot.
I am the owner of an Import car repair shop in North Eastern California. We work on a lot of Subarus. The problem on the 2.5 liter outback engine (ej25) seems to be limited to the D.O.H.C. 2.5 primarily. The issue is is one of design problem. This engine has what is known in the industry as an "open deck".It hasn't worked well for Honda or Toyota either. There is a way to modify the engine to a "closed deck" it's pricey though about $700.00 or $800.00. However the engine must be completly disassembled to do this and the cylinders rebored after this. At my shop for a complete engine overhaul, and adding this procedure would cost about $6500.00. So as you can imagine, not too many people opt for this. If you experiance the head gasket failure and DO NOT continue to drive the car, our opinion is that resurfacing the heads and replacing the head gaskets usually takes care of it... for a while, untill you over heat the car again. Most of our customers seem very happy with the repair, and continue to enjoy driving their Suby aftertwards. It is very important to note that Subaru has an updated Head Gasket that is an improvement over what has been installed at the factory. This is a MUST when doing this job!!! There is also a very odd torque procedure for putting these heads back on the engine. I would be glad to share my information and input with anyone who is in need of this repair, regardless of who you have fix it. I can be contacted@ Sierra German Auto (760) 873-8923 or E Mail me at sgabishop@verizon.net Tim.
We own a 2002 Subaru Outback
After 50,000 km in had to be brought in under warranty for a head gasket "fix". Shortly after being out of warranty - the car had no power - it needed a brand new head gasket - I was pissed. Now I find out that our coolant leak @140,000 km is actually due to cracked head - I WILL NEVER BUY A SUBARU AGAIN!
We have owned two Subaru's a 99 Legacy and 2002 Outback.
The 99 Legacy Wagon has major electrical problems - fortunately while still under warranty. The car was written off before any mechanical problems showed up.
A problem with both of our Subarus - that Subaru denies exists - is that after about 6 months the door gasket came off on the driver side. Another problem with both is that after about 1 year the air noise on the driver side - due to the unframed window is excessive to point of undriveability at highway speeds.
I will never buy a Subaru again - the thing that pisses me off the most is when a car manufacturer does not take responsibility for their screw ups - I won't buy another GM product for the same reason - but I am sold on Toyota - had a corolla and a Camry - wonderfully reliable cars even after 200,000km.
I bought a 98 Subaru Forester last year. When I bought it it ran rough, but I got it about 2g below market value. The previous owner denied that there was anything wrong with it, but I expected to do engine work on it sooner or later.
I drove it from 133 to 173Km before a head gasket went and overheated the engine. I suspect (now) that this was not the first time.
Knowing that the engine was likely baked I ordered a short block replacement from the states (I live in Canada) along with a set of rebuild gaskets. If you're at all handy this is a good way to go. I replaced the engine and had the heads resurfaced for about 3000$ CAD. Runs like a new car now.
I was shocked to see some of the comments above about timing problems... the alignment procedure is a little tricky (the belt that I removed was not on right) but there should be no doubt about whether its on right or wrong.. its marked! They should have also rotated the engine by hand to be sure the valves didn't interfere.
At least I knew what I was getting into when I bought my Subaru. I don't know if the replacement engine will suffer an early demise... I sure hope not!
Wcn.
In March 2006 I purchased a 2004 Subaru Outback with 27,000 miles.
After reviewing the Carfax and vehicle service records at the dealer, I was satisfied that the vehicle was a good one that had been well cared for.
Three weeks into owning it I noticed an unusual sound (like paper in a fan) coming from the front driver side -- it sounded as if it was in my air conditioning duct. I assumed it was probably just a leaf or debris caught in my air conditioning duct that would eventually work itself out. As time went on, I noticed the sound more and more and realized that I had better get the problem diagnosed and fixed.
To make a long story short, my car has been at 2 different dealers for a total of 4 times. The first 2 trips the dealer claimed that they could not duplicate the problem for long enough to diagnose it. On the third and fourth trips, the heatshield was checked and adjusted, replaced exhaust bracket and last but not least, one of the Catalytic Converters was replaced. All of this and the noise still continues.
The strange thing about the noise is that it is intermittent and only occurs between the speed of 70-75 mph upon acceleration. If I go above or below that range, or remove my foot from the accelerator within that range, the noise stops.
Although I truly believe that Subaru makes a good product and that all manufacturers are subject to an occasional Lemon, after reading all of the problems that people have experienced with their engines, I have made a decision to not own another. My reason for purchasing this one is because of the reliability of the one I previously owned some 18 years ago, coupled with the oustanding safety and mechanical reviews that Subaru is given in the media.
In any event, I have chosen to pursue my Lemon Law rights because I truly believe that if you cannot tell me what the problem is, then who knows if it could potentially pose a safety hazard. Should I prevail, a Toyota will be my next vehicle.
Up until tonight, I have not known about the problem with head gaskets blowing out on these cars. I own a 1998 Subaru Outback Limited, it is currently going on some 150,000 miles and is in need of a new clutch. This is the first repair I will be making on this car. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will not have anymore problems.
As far as I am concerned, this car has withstood a great amount of wear and tear, yet it keeps ticking. I have not had problems with the engine over heating, bad timing belts and the sorts. Maybe I am just a lucky one, but any repairs needed from here on out would be pretty standard on any car that has taken the abuse that this one has. Many weekends in the desert and riding rough, this little car even out performs in the snow.
I do have plans to own a new Subaru in the future.
I own a 2.5 liter, 1997 Legacy Outback automatic with about 115,000 miles. It's been a pretty good car, but I have had a few problems with the Duty Solenoid and Air Conditioning. Recently, it has decided to spring multiple oil leaks and the engine started to get noisier than before. It always had a little noise, but I thought it was nothing, probably a valve. Subaru didn't seem to think much of it because they never said anything about it. I took it to a garage to get the leaks fixed and to replace the timing belt. The mechanic (a friend of mine) told me he would fix the main oil leak, but fixing the other leaks and replacing the timing belt would be a waste of money because, according to him, the noise was deeper in the engine and it would need a major overhaul soon. He was afraid that I might throw a rod the next time I got out on the interstate. It sounds like a diesel when it's cold. I then called Subaru about that and they told me the timing belt could be the cause of the engine noise, something common to the Outbacks. Now, who should I believe?
My 1998 Subaru Outback has a 2.5 liter engine, with 102,000 miles. A couple of years ago I had replaced the 2 cam belts, the water pump, resealed the oil pump and spark plugs. This car has always had an oil leak from a flange on the engine, that required trans removal, the dealer said $1000 for that so I have been living with it.
I have been lucky commuting, but the car always breaks down at the worst times on family vacations. A couple months ago the alternator went out with the whole family out in the West Virginia wilderness. Grrr.
Recently on the way to the beach, I had the windsurfer on the top, 2 kids in the back and the engine started to overheat. When I pulled over there was oil coming out of the coolant overflow! Arghhh… (Blown head gasket). Vacation was over for the car (Large tow bill back home), but somehow we made it to our destination. I have had great luck with my old Subaru Loyal. I suspect that the smaller Subaru engines are more reliable. But I am done with this car.
Crzzy1.
The Subaru EJ25 (2.5L) tends to have problems with piston slap due to its large bore and long stroke, combined with a lack of piston skirts (due to fitting the package into a narrow block due to space constraints). The Phase I (DOHC) engines often slap loudly, but quiet down when warm. The Phase II (SOHC) engines tend to scuff worse and often continue to slap after warming up. The slap is limited to the two cylinders on the LH side of the engine. While it shouldn't be completely ignored, the slapping can be (and often is) lived with for many miles without causing serious engine damage. Updated pistons are available for the Phase II engines that include a Teflon coating to minimize scuffing. The cylinder walls are hard iron and are rarely damaged by scuffing.
We purchased a 1997 Outback brand new in March 1997. At about 95,000 miles (12/04) the head-gasket blew. It was towed to the local Subaru dealer. That repair was going to cost $2100.00. They also found a problem with the clutchpack (?) which needed to be repaired for an addtional $1500.00. I wrote a letter to the regional Subaru company and they agreed to pay $1000.00 towards the repairs; this was because the 7-yr/100,000 mile warranty had expired in 3/04. The dealer insisted this was not typical of Subaru's. Four months later, the plastic transmission plate/cover (?) cracked and had to be replaced for another $500.00.
We had this car serviced at every required interval to prevent these type of problems to no avail.
Since the head-gasket was repaired, the famous Subaru hesitation at idle has become more and more pronounced. We now have 123,000 miles on this bomb.
The next car will not be a Subaru. My wife loves the AWD, but we are dissatisfied with everything else about the car.
Too bad.