Completely spot on. I bought my '99 Forester in 2011 with 101K, and became educated on the head gasket issue shortly thereafter. I kept up on the oil consumption, starvation issues, and coolant changes with Subaru's OEM coolant additive, and managed to milk the original head gaskets until 242k in 2018 when the cooling system started to have weird issues. I changed the head gaskets myself, had a local machine shop clean and resurface the heads, and replaced the oil separator plate and rear main seal. I paid around $900 for everything, including the machining and the Felpro aftermarket gaskets and ASIN timing kit with new water pump from RockAuto. Subaru wanted $2500, without the machining or timing kit. I'm up to 255k and heading for 300k.
@@yarpos Other than normal wear and tear, I did not have any problems with my '99 Forester until the head gaskets failed at 242k. It has always gotten me to my destination.
That's why maintenance is always crucial. Many engines will easily make it over 200k if well maintained. I'm going on 208k on my 04 G35X. It's a great car and it's extremely reliable too. Unfortunately a lot of ppl do not maintain their vehicles. Which is why you always have to inspect an used car with an eagle eye. I'd estimate that about 90% of cars owners aren't on top of keeping good maintenance records. So you have to take their word for it. But if you're fairly mechanically inclined and know what you're looking for. Than you pretty much will have a good idea on how well the car was maintained. Most JDM cars are built to last though. Some of the best cars I've ever had were Nissan's.
I was a Subaru mechanic for a few years. Post 2004 ej25's were still very prone to headgasket leakage (external mostly). We also observed an interesting pattern of many lower kilometer engines blowing them more often than higher kilometer ones. Can also confirm that h6's were very reliable in comparison. However, they are no more reliable than most other motors and still hold many issues present in boxers: excessive carbon build up, oil burning etc.
good info . Wife has a 2010 forester with head gasket issue. Adult driven 1 owner. Dealer maintained. First reported to us at 61k miles ... or 1k miles out of warranty. We complained politely and they told us to contact Subaru of America. They offered to pay for most of the cost , which was well over $2000, closer to $3000 . It still cost us $600, but that much better than $2600. Great car, fast forward to 160k + miles, head gasket leaking coolant externally again. Not sure what to do . Cant afford new , dont want to throw money at high mileage either
@@batbam2594 that's what I have heard as well. Makes sense they would replace with same type gasket even though high fail rate. Otherwise, a very very good vehicle for us.
That is a tough call! Especially if you don't have the means to do it yourself. If you were a rust belt person some of these youtubers like Pine Hollow Diagnostics, Scanner Danner, or South Main Auto repair are honest shops. If you could get an honest shop or you could test the compression of your head to see if the internals were good (piston rings, valves, cams), then a head gasket job could be in order. Compression test wouldn't cost much and isn't hard to do for a do it yourselfer. Why not get a couple of opinions. Please think about it. I get it throwing good money after bad. A good private shop usually charges a third less than the dealer. So in case you think you may want to go that route here is a good video on the head gaskets: ruclips.net/video/2RrbXWcQC8M/видео.html. Fel pro makes some great aftermarket gaskets. Full disclosure I am a Fel pro fan. I have used them in my Honda Civic and my Buick lesabre. Not sure if the Mahle gaskets are done as well as the fel pro (they are usually competitive). If your transmission isn't acting up doing an engine job may make sense. With some of the new complicated innovations to cars that are not necessarily improvements sometimes newer isn't more reliable. Then again you already knew that. Before you do any car surgery have you thought of using Bars Leak to stop the coolant leak? Some formulas need you to empty the coolant and use water but I think bars leak lets you put it in the coolant. If it is a minor leak it can do wonders. I just put some in 30 year old truck radiator and it stopped up a fair leak. If the coolant is even a couple of years old I would change it before I would add the bars leak. Just thought I would throw some ideas at you so you can save some change.
@@dogsplantscarsneatstuff176 Very much appreciated the thoughtful reply! What you have mentioned makes sense . We do know a capable mechanic who has been great through the higher mileage. Your suggestions will make for a good conversation with the mechanic. We are in a pinch financially, I am looking at recovery time from a surgery, and the wife's full time employer has laid her off due to corona. Funny thing is when she bought this Subaru they told her the head gaskets had been redesigned for these model years and it wouldn't be an issue. 🙄
@@grumpy1311 I hope you have a complete recovery from your surgery. I hope you are not in too much pain. I hate to hear when people fall on hard times like your wife being laid off. Good luck and I hope you can fix your car inexpensively.
Mine made it 245k miles until I put tap water because I was broke and damaged the head gasket, still ran and drove, in my opinion a tank, it just depends how you treat them, as with any car.
Yeah they are nearly as bad as the Toyota fan boys. Mostly non car people and more worried about the brand name. I guess there are some tuner types on the Subaru side there too. Had a customer fire up a non turbo impreza with the fart can muffler the other day, my god what a horrible noise.
Great video! Is it possible for you to talk about the CVT transmissions across different makes and models? It seems like all the manufacturers are shifting towards using CVT in their cars.
Not a mechanic so can’t get technical, but I had a CVT in my 2015 WRX. It had all sorts of issues and finally blew at 32k miles. The ordeal taught me a lot about CVT’s but two major takeaways... one, they don’t like a lot of power or weight so the cheaper the car the better and two, Toyota’s generally have fewer CVT issues given their time and experience with them. Overall though, it’s extremely rare to see one get to 150,000 miles and they have a solid failure rate around 100,000 miles.
@@nuvisionprintingI assume you’re talking about the engine oil, not the transmission fluid. CVT’s use “lifetime” rated fluid but I guess changing it regularly would probably help, it’s just more expensive and labor intensive. Your engine and transmission oil/fluid are different. Also, I think a Honda Fit is a perfect car to use a CVT as it’s both lightweight and low power. A CVT has more issues with heavier cars or cars with more horsepower. A stock WRX like mine had 265 stock, your Fit has 110 stock.
@@mattmacc87 thanks for the info. I drove the CVT before I bought mine and didn't like the feel of it. I went with the 6 speed manual. Based on my knowledge of the manuals on non-STI Rexes, they aren't much better from a reliability standpoint. The term always used on Subie forums when talking about the manual trannies in the non-STI WRX is " They are like glass."
@@terbennett Oh yeah that STI transmission is bulletproof up to 750hp stock which is really impressive. When I sold my CVT WRX I moved up to an STI and it's like a completely different car despite having almost the same shape and interior.
Avoid Subaru's and life is easier. I live in SW Ontario, and I can confirm that Subaru's are very prone to rust, the older ones are fully biodegradable.
if you go north in the mountain areas, all you see is Subaru because of the 4 wheel drive. They should really get away from using boxer engines and develop traditional inline motors like most companies do.
I have a 2008 legacy. Dutifully stayed on top of maintenance, oil changes, coolant, etc, entire life of the car. The composite gaskets failed at 190k. Assuming you have taken good care of your EJ25 up to this point, the engine is completely salvageable. If a reputable, experienced mechanic replaces the gaskets with MLS gaskets (and machines the heads of course), they will never leak again (assuming you keep up with periodical maintenance). I'm now at 260K with the MLS gaskets and I haven't lost a drop of coolant (through the heads anyway). Subaru has always been a love-it-or-hate-it kind of vehicle, but honestly if you aren't the type of person to take an interest in what happens under your car's hood, then Subaru isn't for you.
Great video! I have been looking at WRX/WRX STI's as I owned a 1986 XT Turbo and back then I had gasket failure. You went well in depth about these engines as many biased views that own these cars go against what you say but the facts are facts. There has to be sacrifice when you design an engine outside the normal parameters of other manufactures. Subaru doesn't care about these problems because their cars are sellers and people will still buy them. In my opinion I would only lease one and return it after its term. Every car needs to be maintained but these engines you basically drive them while biting your nails worrying if anything goes wrong $$$. Never buy a WRX with over 100,000km even if the seller tells you all maintenance was done. He wants to sell his car he will do anything to sell. I have seen two friends of mine get screwed with their purchases on STI's over 100,000km. These engines need to be completely overhauled and perhaps even get away from the boxer style on the wrx/wrx sti's. Subaru wont do this because R&D will cost tons of money so they just upgrade a few common problem areas. If you are a mechanic or know how to repair these engines then R&W said the best thing. Get one with gasket failure and fix it urself along with the other fixes since the engine will be out. You then will have a reliable car and longer fingernails. LOL
@casiotechI Porsche makes unreliable cars. Boxer engines should be discontinued in my opinion and should stick with a in line 4 instead. Honda Civic type R much better car and more reliable and no I don't own a Honda civic.
I drive a 2003 Toyota Corolla. Odometer maxed out 2 years ago. Never had engine pulled. Last year I replaced the valve cover gasket and this year, the PCV valve.
Subaru had this problem with head gaskets all the way back into the 70’s with the 1400 & 1600. I worked in a Subaru dealership then and we always wiped off any coating on the head gasket and used 3M weatherstrip adhesive on the lower part of the gasket. Also you needed to change the antifreeze often.
No wonder Subaru has such a good safety record, the cars are always in the shop and not on the road. My 1961, 1970 and 1972 V.W. Beetles all had boxer engines with none of these problems. Air cooled, no coolant to leak into the oil and they just ran and ran with just a little maintenance here and there. Great in the snow too.
My 2004 forester had the head gasket problem at 92,000 miles. Got the car for free, from my dad. After doing research about just how common this problem is, can't believe there was never a recall on it.
Headgaskets are still failing on EJ25s more than other 4 cylinders even on later models. I've seen EJs failing on 2016 models. Glad you mentioned the surface area comparison in regards to the headgasket failure issue. I've been saying that for a long time. My 2018 WRX has the FA20F and that has been okay so far, but I have noticed a little loss in oil, which I was told is due to direct injection. I haven't heard of headgasket failures on these yet, but only time will tell. It cracks me up how forgiving Subaru owners are about their cars. If a Toyota or any other brand had an issue like that, it would be considered garbage.
Well, when you’re someone like me that had a a 03 Wrx for 8 years and a 06 Sti for 2 as a daily driver without any headgasket problems whatsoever...it kinda pisses you off all this bad rap just because of really just 1 generation of n/a engines that had a problem because of the material they used, a problem long resolved that still follows Subaru today. Videos like this perpetuate this notion that all Subaru headgasket fail and its just wrong
@@joecam7109 I get it, but the turbos have a stronger headgasket so tend to go a bit longer than non-turbos. I can't explain that one, but they do. Also, how many miles did you put on them in that amount of time? Most of the WRXs I've worked on have had tranny issues; STIs? Ringland or headgaskets. Headgaskets leaking tend to start around 90-100K on EJs; I've seen them as early as 70k-75k mile range on non-turbos. Of course, most of those were aggressively driven. They aren't bad if you educate yourself on what makes this engine different and how to prolong the life. They take a bit more attention than a conventional I4. Their quirks are what can get you in trouble. Your 03 was not an EJ25; It was an EJ20 that was built to be a turbo from the start. EJ20s are known to have the issue, but not as often as EJ25s. The EJ25 was sort of an afterthought. They built up an engine designed to be a non-turbo, and didn't do the best job at it. North America was the first to get an EJ25 turbo; the rest of the world were still using EJ20s in the STI. I own a 2018 WRX right now and while I haven't had any issues, I still have less than 25K on mine, so that is expected. It doesn't have an EJ25; It has the FA20F engine. It's been in the WRX since 2015, and those seem to be pretty reliable in stock form. the STI still uses the EJ25. Not much more powerful than the '04-'07 model, which used the same engine, but the new one weighs more. By the way, the 06-07 STIs are the best looking IMO.. :-)
Terrence Bennett yeah, the 02-05 wrx have the ej20 engine which is basically the same block as the ej25, just a bigger bore, the difference is really in the heads etc. The 02 tranny had a narrow 2nd and 3rd gear making them not ideal for abuse but that’s why most wrx owners get the Sti 6 speed which is bulletproof. I use them as my daily driver so it’s a 40 minute drive from my home to work 5 times a week, so as you can imagine that’s a lot of miles. This issue was just a bad decision on Subaru’s part on the materials used for the headgasket on that N/A sohc engine, maybe looking to save on costs or something. The turbo engines because of their multilayered gaskets material have never suffered from this. I only know 1 guy that blew one locally and it took a perforated radiator hose to do it.
You skipped the BIGGEST issue with 2006+ EJ25s: Valve guide drop. (maybe that's in your "other video"?). But even with all these issues, once an MLS gasket has been installed (and heads machined properly), it's pretty much fixed for life.
@@brianhilligoss Which part? I see valve guide drop in Subie engines all the way back to 2004. MLS gaskets fix head-gasket failures in all those models too. The engines after 2012 are the FB serires anyway, not EJ series.
Can you use 251 heads? I'm guessing you can. That would be the easiest thing to do. If the valve guide is moving you can remedy the problem by nurling it.....all of them.
I remember looking at buying one at a car lot that was a little on the rusted side. The salesman wanted $10k and wouldn't come down a penny claiming they were a million mile drivetrain. I couldn't quit laughing at him
Idk what y’all mean but I had many Subarus and all of them where pretty reliable. My 03 outback has 256k. Still doesn’t consume oil. Had to heads at 160k but I replaced them with updated ones and never had hg issues again. Honestly just keep up with oil changes and coolant flushes and you’ll be fine. Most of the hater comments are people who never owned a Subaru. They are great cars. The most reliable ones where the 2.2.
I didn’t have the time to check on all comments, but so far I did not see somebody noticed that Subaru cooling system is NOT self bleeding like Volvo, VW, some Ford pickups and other smart cooling system. Is is the old double valves rad cap, that never refill your radiator. Once I replaced a head gasket on a Subaru and to be on the safe side I replaced the rad cap with an upgraded style found at Canadian Tire in Canada. This cap has a lever that one can lift and bleed the coolant in the expansion tank. I was amazed that almost every week when I pulled the lever I heard first air bubbles then later fluid. When you try to cool down an engine that is on the limits of cooling, air bubbled coolant does not help.
Maintenance is key to any boxer engine no matter if it's Porsche, VW or Subaru. Oil changes, coolant changes and always good fuel they last a long time.
After watching this video, I will never buy any Subaru vehicle, ever, whether if it is used or brand-new. Instead, I would buy a 2006 Buick Rainier AWD mid-size SUV with the 5.3 L LS-based V8 engine and the regular four-speed automatic transmission, because they are a lot smoother and they are fairly quick than these older or newer Subaru's. Another option for me for better fuel economy will be the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD mid-size SUV with the 3.5 L V6 engine and the six-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode. Thank you very much.
I suspect part of the problem is that many people don't realise that an "all alloy" engine is relatively loosely clamped together when cold - the expansion/contraction of the alloy head/block with respect to the steel head bolts/studs means that until the engine is properly warmed up giving it full right beetle-crusher is a bad idea. The Subs we get here in the UK were put together in Japan and you see loads of high mileage examples still with good residuals so no real reputation for HGF or rust.
My dad has junked 3 subarus with ej25 engines, one with an ej22, one 2.5 was a salvage title we got one owner and hydroplaned on the highway in, ran and drove great no issues 126k another was a legacy wagon with 199k, whoever did the timing belt before trading it in did not pull the idle pulley pin causing the belt to snap on the way back from South Carolina, and another was an 05 legacy outback, white smoke, loss of coolant, used car dealer replaced the transmission with the wrong transmission to fix those issues. Awd system was junk after that
Just do not buy any Subaru vehicle for now. You can plan to buy a 2016 Toyota Sienna SE eight-passenger minivan for your next vehicle. They are extremely reliable with the 3.5 L V6 engine and the six-speed automatic transmission with sport or manual-shift mode. These Toyota's last for a long time.
@@md2k8 I've always liked Toyota, when it comes to classics I prefer dodge as my grandfather and great grandfather were in the dodge brothers and up til my grandpa passed Christmas morning 2014, we had tons of old family members cars still in the family at the farm that has been since sold while up to 100 cars got auctioned in 2015, 3 of them were as old as 1912, 1914 and 1915, today I have a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu with 218,000 miles, I am the second and soon to be third owner as it was put in my father's name when i got it with 185k, it's never left me anywhere.
@@md2k8 my LT 2 is, yeah thankfully no timing chain issues as of yet, the transmission is what's got me worried rn as I approach a quarter million miles, it does funky things when cruise is on. My partners familys 2011 traverse does the same thing it has about 170k, not sure if it's a software glitch or what, as for the malibu itll be an endless money pit for me til it trusts to nothing as it's all I have left of grandpa's farm, my mom and my 22 year old brother.
A few years back, I bought a rust-free 99 Outback that had failed head gaskets for cheap and did the work myself. Did it the right way - had the heads checked and redone, used MLS gaskets, replaced the separator plate with a steel one and replaced the rear main seal. It was perhaps one of the easiest things I have ever done on a car. They are so simple to work on. Had 237K on it when I sold it and ran like a top. It saddened me to sell it, but it went to a family that really needed a reliable car. They got it and to this day, that car is still riding around with the same gaskets I did. It has over 320K on it now and still runs like a top!
I wonder what caused quality to drop at Suburu? I ran an EA81 for over 400 hours in an experimental aircraft, mostly at full throttle. It's a solid performer, with absolutely no issues.
Make some videos about the vanagon waterboxer and how to maintain it properly so that It will be reliable for 500 k miles ( for example : do regular coolant changes , replace oil with zinc rich oil , use MANN filters only etc
Rotela t6 is one or any diesel rated oil that is gas compatible or add some zddp which is zinc but beware too much zinc will ruin your cats. So if your Subaru is a oil burner solve that problem first. N52 BMW is the best engine made if maintained
I used to be a big scotty fan, but all of his new videos are just him saying the same stuff, Over and over again. Not to mention the horrible click-bait he does.
Diagnosedan is a great channel as well. These 2 pages are the best mechanical ones on youtube. Scotty is horrid. I'm surprised he even passes as a mechanic.
@@mfree80286 Oh yeah, I remember when he did that. Tons of people were giving him shit in the comments lol. Eh, I still don't think a couple mistakes negate an entire 50 years of experience.
I had a few subarus. They’re reliable if you take care of them. No oil and they will die immediately. You can’t beat the awd system; my favorite in snow.
I don't understand why people are complaining about these hg failures around 200k+. I just did my honda civic with 225k hg. It's normal. Only difference is the chance of failure is x2 with the ej.
so your next video should be about using barsleak carbon fiber head gasket repair and bluedevil head gasket repair. the subaru dealers have been using it for years. porsche owners use it also but keep it hush hush. ford used it in factory radiator fill off the assembly line in the early 1990's for f150 trucks. many subaru owners create their own problem head gaskets by beating on there car. but as a mechanic you and most dont like these repairs and fixs, but if your mechanic loves cars and customers hill suggest or help out with these suggestions. well done video. good day.
I replaced head gaskets in one without removing the engine. The worst part is trying to unbolt the valve covers. As you loosen the bolts they dead head into the wheel well. No, it wasn't a proper rebuild, just replacing the head gasket to slow down the leaking. The rest of the car was rusting out and wasn't worth the effort. Rarely do you see roof rust on cars except Subaru.
I'm only going to say one thing, I'm a 10 year mechanic. And I have seen 300thousand miles Subaru's running very smooth, so I'm very confident on buying a 190thousand miles Subaru. Sorry to discredit you're opinion my friend. Yes Subaru's are known for bad head gaskets but they are worth to fix.
I had an Outback that I really liked but I had to scrap it. The engine started making a knocking sort of noise. A Subaru mechanic told me the pistons were slapping due to unequal wear and that the engine could seize up at any time. Couldn't risk that so had to let it go.
You don’t have to remove the engine to do a head gasket job. It does make it a little bit easier, but I’ve always done it with them in the engine bay. Save’s me some time, especially after trying to mate it with the trans 😂. Snap-On has a shorter 12 point socket made for the head bolt removal on Subaru’s.
I have started doing complete overhaul minus main bearings. Using cast iron rings and turbo engine head gaskets seems to fix everything. His oil consumption explanation is way off.
@@type2523 yeah yeah, i get it, you're a diehard VW fan. just look at the facts- how many WBX have you seen swapped in other cars? close to none, because it's not worth the trouble. how many subies swapped into VW's? probably hundreds if not thousands.
The Wasserboxer engines used in 83.5-91 Vanagons had coolant leak problems but the air-cooled Type IV engines used in '80-'83.5, though underpowered, were pretty stout engines
your channel is better than Scotty's. More meat and less fat. Would you please tell me your opinion on the gm 3.6L LY7? is it within striking distance of the series 3 3.8?
Have a blown 99 outback 2.5 dohc... that sohc is so simple to repair compared to the dohc..thats why mines still broke. 400,000 miles on original head gasket !!!
I've had mine since new - 18 years ago. No rust and looks like it's about two years old. Your father might want to wash and wax his cars a couple of times a year.
I hope my S209 doesn’t have the issues mentioned in the video. Good video though. I guess I should expect some expensive car repair bills in the future.
Get it. You won’t be disappointed. I put 160,000 miles on my 2005 Baja and never had one problem. No oil leaks or coolant leaks either. This man is talking about Subaru engines from 2011and older. The outback went thru a major redesign for 2012 and I’ve read multiple reports independent of Subaru claiming that the head gasket problem including oil and coolant leaks were corrected. Just get regular oil and filter changes and routine preventive maintenance including coolant replacement.
@@jeremysomeone So by all of them you mean 2011 and older. The problem was addressed and fixed with the major redesign of the outback in 2012 according to various reports independent of Subaru. It is not an issue anymore and hasn’t been since 2012.
I have a 2005 Outback with 296,000 miles (manual transmission.) The head gaskets leak oil but I’m very good on adding oil. I won’t get rid of it until it’s dies since other than the oil leak it’s very reliable.
Consider overhaul with new pistons and CAST IRON rings. The chrome molley rings currently in the engine cause oil usage. There's a bit of misinformation in this video. Use turbo engine head gaskets and your car should last forever.
You forgot to mention the 2.2 doesn't suffer from any of these problems except maybe the oil separator plate. You can swap in the 2.2 rather than fixing the 2.5 in your car. The 2.2 is an amazingly reliable engine. Subaru should have just stuck to the 2.2 and the h6 and got rid of the 2.5.
I had an EJ22, less horsepower but solid. Sold with with 189,000 miles on the clock. Used about a quart of oil every 3000 miles, mostly the pesky rear main seal leakage. I wish Subaru would have fixed this. Didn't buy another anyhow since all the automatic transmissions are CVT. Hard pass on CVT for me.
Ok, please allow me to help correct you on oil consumption. The boxer design has absolutely nothing to do with oil consumption. If that were the case the EJ22 would suffer the same way. The issue with the EJ25 oil consumption originates from the piston rings. The chrome molley rings they used do not seat. This creates blow by that throws carbon to the oil rings. When they get stuck you have consumption. Then the engine gets ran out of oil and spins a rod bearing. If you have a 2.5 remove it, replace the pistons, install cast iron hastings rings, replace the head gaskets, fill the radiator using ZEREX, rebuild the front end, and you'll be good.
Thank you for all the information. I have been around all different type of engines and I know manufacturer love to accused mechanics of lacking silks but thier engines are the problems. Especially, head gasket and aluminum engines. VW, Subaru, Fiat, and Renault
I have a 3.6 outback so I’m good, my last Subaru a 15 impreza saved my life after a grand Cherokee sideswiped me at 70mph when I was waiting to turn and I walked away so I’m subaru for life.
Well this is an interesting video. I know very little about Subaru. I know now I will never own one now. I had a great laugh when the presenter compared the Subaru engine to a Land Rover which frankly is the worst vehicle made. I hope Subaru helps to make Ratchets and Wrenches rich they seem to have found a niche. Good luck I enjoyed your video.
i got my 93 loyale for free and it has 297k head gasket leaked threw some stop leak in it and im still driving it. but they were made like tanks in the 90s
I do see your theory on the engine blocks being made out of aluminum being the main cause, however the gm atlas 4.2 straight six engines have both heat treated aluminum heads and engine blocks and have quite a reputation for running past 200,000 miles. I think that the big cause would be how they heat treated the blocks.
Around 8:10 on the video you mention placing oil levels toward the high end. My oil level dipstick readings are different. I figured as long as the oil reading Is at the full mark I'm ok. (The other side of the dipstick shows a 1/4 inch past the full mark) Is that because of the horizontal design of the boxer engine? We have a 2008 Impreza wrx 2.5 EJ257 turbo. Thank you.
I had a 2007 outback and it ended up blowing 2 engines from oil starvation. Shit factory Piston rings were what mechanic said was their reason for blow up. (Engine just died on the hy way) twice.
Fans wore out on 2000 Outback @194k, head gaskets failed. Spent less than $600 to replace them with Fel-pro laminates and replaced the timing and accessory belts, coolant pump, upper and lower hoses, both fans and valve cover gaskets. Milled valve heads by adhering sandpaper sheets to a table saw. Extremely important to change the coolant regularly and keep the battery terminals clean...weird, I know. Sold it @250k and no problems
I had a 97 Outback. It needed the head gasket replaced at 125,000 miles. Put another 125,000 miles on it with no other problems. Only thing that took it off the road was being rear-ended on the freeway. Best car I ever owned.
The problem I have with Subaru owners is even if they bought a Subaru once, most of them would still buy another one. It’s like going back to a cheating spouse. It’s never a good thing.
I don’t have one anymore but let me tell they are awesome, it’s like having a pet, i want to buy and old one and build it, because the biggest issue as with any car is previous maintenance. Specially when you buy from someone that change their oil once’s a year.
A strong candidate for worst engine.... 3.6 V-6. A relative of mine had that engine in a GMC vehicle. Had to replace the timing chain 3 times at 2k a pop.. Finally sold it for 2500 just to get rid of it.
I just watched till the end. It's only like $150 to replace the head gaskets and like 5 hours of work? I literally did this surgery today. Although mine is a DOHC Dual AVCS. I feel like I must have really messed this up if it's truly thousands of dollars to fix.
The Subaru head gaskets are more like a benifit, when your buying one you can simple point at the engine bay, say the magic code "head gaskets are leaking" for a 20-50% discount, fix it yourself for ~300-500 using the bullet proof genuine EJ25 *TURBO* head gaskets and you have yourself a reliable practical car, have been doing this for years.
Which i did buy one with this issue.97 legacy gt with leaking head gaskets into the coolant.I spent about 3k on it and almost have a brand new car.I work at a machine shop so they did the heads for me even though i could only get a one thousands feeler gauge in.
Had a 17 forrester, oil consumption was so bad they changed the small block and it still was burning oil about a liter per 4000 kms swapped out to a 4runner and never looked back
You should review the BMW inline 6 engine and the variations in the E series BMW’s because you had an extremely reliable engine in the N52 then you had the N54 which is almost the opposite so this would definitely make for an interesting video.
2010 Legacy EJ253 here with 152k miles, original head gaskets still going strong :) buying tools little by little so I can pull the engine myself when the inevitable occurs haha
I've always bought Hondas and Toyotas. Head gasket failure has never been a concern. First Accord had 235k at trade-in with only an A/C leak. Acura Integra had 190k only needed radiator replaced. Corolla only need an A/C compressor by 185k miles. I'm currently driving another Accord that has less than 20k.
I have a 2010 impreza with a 253 at 100k miles. Head gasket started going out but thanks to scotty kilmer (everyone says hes dumb). Its been a year since and its still holding up because he said to try bar's leaks. That shit works.
Makes sense Subies introduced diesel engines so late (seeing as they struggled with petrol ones). Was considering an outback with diesel (there ain't many diesel wagons with decent AWD), then read about broken crankshafts and variable geometry turbos.
As someone who has a 2008 version of this engine, hes definitelynot wrong lol.. fortunately I've replaced the gaskets with MLS and its been amazing. The stock ones are garbage
I'm a mechanic and I agree 100%. But I also think that subaru is a good vehicle. The aftermarket parts support all this. Is like Ford and their 6.0 diesel engines... once you bullet proof them that truck will last you for ever. Its a matter of how much your willing to spend
Completely spot on. I bought my '99 Forester in 2011 with 101K, and became educated on the head gasket issue shortly thereafter. I kept up on the oil consumption, starvation issues, and coolant changes with Subaru's OEM coolant additive, and managed to milk the original head gaskets until 242k in 2018 when the cooling system started to have weird issues. I changed the head gaskets myself, had a local machine shop clean and resurface the heads, and replaced the oil separator plate and rear main seal. I paid around $900 for everything, including the machining and the Felpro aftermarket gaskets and ASIN timing kit with new water pump from RockAuto. Subaru wanted $2500, without the machining or timing kit. I'm up to 255k and heading for 300k.
That's the way you do it.
wow, really? you buy a 12 year old car and it can have problems? and DIY is cheaper than a dealership? who would have thought?
@@yarpos Other than normal wear and tear, I did not have any problems with my '99 Forester until the head gaskets failed at 242k. It has always gotten me to my destination.
@@christopherjensen4132 AND Back! 99 OTBK @290K & going strong
That's why maintenance is always crucial. Many engines will easily make it over 200k if well maintained. I'm going on 208k on my 04 G35X. It's a great car and it's extremely reliable too. Unfortunately a lot of ppl do not maintain their vehicles. Which is why you always have to inspect an used car with an eagle eye. I'd estimate that about 90% of cars owners aren't on top of keeping good maintenance records. So you have to take their word for it. But if you're fairly mechanically inclined and know what you're looking for. Than you pretty much will have a good idea on how well the car was maintained. Most JDM cars are built to last though. Some of the best cars I've ever had were Nissan's.
Subi mechanics got so much experience at removing ej engines they can pull em out in under 30mins.
I can replace clutch in 2.5 hrs and resurface flywheel and I hate subarus
@@cooperparts money money money
I was a Subaru mechanic for a while - this is true haha
ive pulled out 2 and it only takes 30-60minutes on a turbo model na would be easily under 30m,
its the easiest engine to remove
I was a Subaru mechanic for a few years. Post 2004 ej25's were still very prone to headgasket leakage (external mostly). We also observed an interesting pattern of many lower kilometer engines blowing them more often than higher kilometer ones.
Can also confirm that h6's were very reliable in comparison. However, they are no more reliable than most other motors and still hold many issues present in boxers: excessive carbon build up, oil burning etc.
good info .
Wife has a 2010 forester with head gasket issue. Adult driven 1 owner. Dealer maintained.
First reported to us at 61k miles ... or 1k miles out of warranty.
We complained politely and they told us to contact Subaru of America. They offered to pay for most of the cost , which was well over $2000, closer to $3000 .
It still cost us $600, but that much better than $2600.
Great car, fast forward to 160k + miles, head gasket leaking coolant externally again.
Not sure what to do . Cant afford new , dont want to throw money at high mileage either
@@batbam2594 that's what I have heard as well.
Makes sense they would replace with same type gasket even though high fail rate.
Otherwise, a very very good vehicle for us.
That is a tough call! Especially if you don't have the means to do it yourself. If you were a rust belt person some of these youtubers like Pine Hollow Diagnostics, Scanner Danner, or South Main Auto repair are honest shops. If you could get an honest shop or you could test the compression of your head to see if the internals were good (piston rings, valves, cams), then a head gasket job could be in order. Compression test wouldn't cost much and isn't hard to do for a do it yourselfer. Why not get a couple of opinions. Please think about it. I get it throwing good money after bad. A good private shop usually charges a third less than the dealer. So in case you think you may want to go that route here is a good video on the head gaskets: ruclips.net/video/2RrbXWcQC8M/видео.html. Fel pro makes some great aftermarket gaskets. Full disclosure I am a Fel pro fan. I have used them in my Honda Civic and my Buick lesabre. Not sure if the Mahle gaskets are done as well as the fel pro (they are usually competitive). If your transmission isn't acting up doing an engine job may make sense. With some of the new complicated innovations to cars that are not necessarily improvements sometimes newer isn't more reliable. Then again you already knew that. Before you do any car surgery have you thought of using Bars Leak to stop the coolant leak? Some formulas need you to empty the coolant and use water but I think bars leak lets you put it in the coolant. If it is a minor leak it can do wonders. I just put some in 30 year old truck radiator and it stopped up a fair leak. If the coolant is even a couple of years old I would change it before I would add the bars leak. Just thought I would throw some ideas at you so you can save some change.
@@dogsplantscarsneatstuff176
Very much appreciated the thoughtful reply!
What you have mentioned makes sense .
We do know a capable mechanic who has been great through the higher mileage.
Your suggestions will make for a good conversation with the mechanic.
We are in a pinch financially, I am looking at recovery time from a surgery, and the wife's full time employer has laid her off due to corona.
Funny thing is when she bought this Subaru they told her the head gaskets had been redesigned for these model years and it wouldn't be an issue. 🙄
@@grumpy1311 I hope you have a complete recovery from your surgery. I hope you are not in too much pain. I hate to hear when people fall on hard times like your wife being laid off. Good luck and I hope you can fix your car inexpensively.
I had a 98 outback, only kept it for 9000 miles, looks like I avoided major problems by selling it. Great video.
Mine made it 245k miles until I put tap water because I was broke and damaged the head gasket, still ran and drove, in my opinion a tank, it just depends how you treat them, as with any car.
This is the best presented and most sensible treatment of Subaru I've seen on RUclips.
The most controversial vehicle are Subaru's. People act like you're talking shit about their wife or children.
So true
They're not as bad as Tesla stans. They think you just murdered their best friend when ever you talk about their overall poor quality.
People who usually drive them other than tuners are usually tree huggers. They are weird
Yeah they are nearly as bad as the Toyota fan boys. Mostly non car people and more worried about the brand name. I guess there are some tuner types on the Subaru side there too. Had a customer fire up a non turbo impreza with the fart can muffler the other day, my god what a horrible noise.
Rofl
Great video! Is it possible for you to talk about the CVT transmissions across different makes and models? It seems like all the manufacturers are shifting towards using CVT in their cars.
Not a mechanic so can’t get technical, but I had a CVT in my 2015 WRX. It had all sorts of issues and finally blew at 32k miles. The ordeal taught me a lot about CVT’s but two major takeaways... one, they don’t like a lot of power or weight so the cheaper the car the better and two, Toyota’s generally have fewer CVT issues given their time and experience with them. Overall though, it’s extremely rare to see one get to 150,000 miles and they have a solid failure rate around 100,000 miles.
@@mattmacc87 I've had a cvt in a Honda fit 2007, in 2020 it's still running. Just change the oil really regularly.
@@nuvisionprintingI assume you’re talking about the engine oil, not the transmission fluid. CVT’s use “lifetime” rated fluid but I guess changing it regularly would probably help, it’s just more expensive and labor intensive. Your engine and transmission oil/fluid are different.
Also, I think a Honda Fit is a perfect car to use a CVT as it’s both lightweight and low power. A CVT has more issues with heavier cars or cars with more horsepower. A stock WRX like mine had 265 stock, your Fit has 110 stock.
@@mattmacc87 thanks for the info. I drove the CVT before I bought mine and didn't like the feel of it. I went with the 6 speed manual. Based on my knowledge of the manuals on non-STI Rexes, they aren't much better from a reliability standpoint. The term always used on Subie forums when talking about the manual trannies in the non-STI WRX is " They are like glass."
@@terbennett Oh yeah that STI transmission is bulletproof up to 750hp stock which is really impressive. When I sold my CVT WRX I moved up to an STI and it's like a completely different car despite having almost the same shape and interior.
Avoid Subaru's and life is easier. I live in SW Ontario, and I can confirm that Subaru's are very prone to rust, the older ones are fully biodegradable.
if you go north in the mountain areas, all you see is Subaru because of the 4 wheel drive. They should really get away from using boxer engines and develop traditional inline motors like most companies do.
That's any old car dude
@@pedrofernandez8729 Yes! Boxer motors are a joke. So many better options out there.
I dont think you understand that its surface rust most of the time which is perfectly safe to leave like that
@@davidcohen2762 Surface rust becomes rust holes with time, take whatever approach you want.
Deep observation right there. ... Impressive. Lots of Respect to you, bud . 👏👏👏👏👏
I have a 2008 legacy. Dutifully stayed on top of maintenance, oil changes, coolant, etc, entire life of the car. The composite gaskets failed at 190k. Assuming you have taken good care of your EJ25 up to this point, the engine is completely salvageable. If a reputable, experienced mechanic replaces the gaskets with MLS gaskets (and machines the heads of course), they will never leak again (assuming you keep up with periodical maintenance). I'm now at 260K with the MLS gaskets and I haven't lost a drop of coolant (through the heads anyway). Subaru has always been a love-it-or-hate-it kind of vehicle, but honestly if you aren't the type of person to take an interest in what happens under your car's hood, then Subaru isn't for you.
Great video! I have been looking at WRX/WRX STI's as I owned a 1986 XT Turbo and back then I had gasket failure. You went well in depth about these engines as many biased views that own these cars go against what you say but the facts are facts. There has to be sacrifice when you design an engine outside the normal parameters of other manufactures. Subaru doesn't care about these problems because their cars are sellers and people will still buy them. In my opinion I would only lease one and return it after its term. Every car needs to be maintained but these engines you basically drive them while biting your nails worrying if anything goes wrong $$$. Never buy a WRX with over 100,000km even if the seller tells you all maintenance was done. He wants to sell his car he will do anything to sell. I have seen two friends of mine get screwed with their purchases on STI's over 100,000km. These engines need to be completely overhauled and perhaps even get away from the boxer style on the wrx/wrx sti's. Subaru wont do this because R&D will cost tons of money so they just upgrade a few common problem areas. If you are a mechanic or know how to repair these engines then R&W said the best thing. Get one with gasket failure and fix it urself along with the other fixes since the engine will be out. You then will have a reliable car and longer fingernails. LOL
@casiotechI Porsche makes unreliable cars. Boxer engines should be discontinued in my opinion and should stick with a in line 4 instead. Honda Civic type R much better car and more reliable and no I don't own a Honda civic.
@casiotechI Toyotas and Hondas best cars laughing guy. Ask Scotty LOL.....What year is your Subie?
Hondas Type R much better than Subies WRX
You got your knickers in a twist mate....
A very comprehensive video of SUBARU Head-gasket problem. Thank you so much. It’s very informative.
I drive a 2003 Toyota Corolla. Odometer maxed out 2 years ago. Never had engine pulled.
Last year I replaced the valve cover gasket and this year, the PCV valve.
Subaru had this problem with head gaskets all the way back into the 70’s with the 1400 & 1600. I worked in a Subaru dealership then and we always wiped off any coating on the head gasket and used 3M weatherstrip adhesive on the lower part of the gasket. Also you needed to change the antifreeze often.
No wonder Subaru has such a good safety record, the cars are always in the shop and not on the road. My 1961, 1970 and 1972 V.W. Beetles all had boxer engines with none of these problems. Air cooled, no coolant to leak into the oil and they just ran and ran with just a little maintenance here and there. Great in the snow too.
My 2004 forester had the head gasket problem at 92,000 miles. Got the car for free, from my dad. After doing research about just how common this problem is, can't believe there was never a recall on it.
Headgaskets are still failing on EJ25s more than other 4 cylinders even on later models. I've seen EJs failing on 2016 models. Glad you mentioned the surface area comparison in regards to the headgasket failure issue. I've been saying that for a long time. My 2018 WRX has the FA20F and that has been okay so far, but I have noticed a little loss in oil, which I was told is due to direct injection. I haven't heard of headgasket failures on these yet, but only time will tell. It cracks me up how forgiving Subaru owners are about their cars. If a Toyota or any other brand had an issue like that, it would be considered garbage.
Well, when you’re someone like me that had a a 03 Wrx for 8 years and a 06 Sti for 2 as a daily driver without any headgasket problems whatsoever...it kinda pisses you off all this bad rap just because of really just 1 generation of n/a engines that had a problem because of the material they used, a problem long resolved that still follows Subaru today. Videos like this perpetuate this notion that all Subaru headgasket fail and its just wrong
@@joecam7109 I get it, but the turbos have a stronger headgasket so tend to go a bit longer than non-turbos. I can't explain that one, but they do. Also, how many miles did you put on them in that amount of time? Most of the WRXs I've worked on have had tranny issues; STIs? Ringland or headgaskets. Headgaskets leaking tend to start around 90-100K on EJs; I've seen them as early as 70k-75k mile range on non-turbos. Of course, most of those were aggressively driven. They aren't bad if you educate yourself on what makes this engine different and how to prolong the life. They take a bit more attention than a conventional I4. Their quirks are what can get you in trouble. Your 03 was not an EJ25; It was an EJ20 that was built to be a turbo from the start. EJ20s are known to have the issue, but not as often as EJ25s. The EJ25 was sort of an afterthought. They built up an engine designed to be a non-turbo, and didn't do the best job at it. North America was the first to get an EJ25 turbo; the rest of the world were still using EJ20s in the STI. I own a 2018 WRX right now and while I haven't had any issues, I still have less than 25K on mine, so that is expected. It doesn't have an EJ25; It has the FA20F engine. It's been in the WRX since 2015, and those seem to be pretty reliable in stock form. the STI still uses the EJ25. Not much more powerful than the '04-'07 model, which used the same engine, but the new one weighs more. By the way, the 06-07 STIs are the best looking IMO.. :-)
Terrence Bennett yeah, the 02-05 wrx have the ej20 engine which is basically the same block as the ej25, just a bigger bore, the difference is really in the heads etc. The 02 tranny had a narrow 2nd and 3rd gear making them not ideal for abuse but that’s why most wrx owners get the Sti 6 speed which is bulletproof. I use them as my daily driver so it’s a 40 minute drive from my home to work 5 times a week, so as you can imagine that’s a lot of miles. This issue was just a bad decision on Subaru’s part on the materials used for the headgasket on that N/A sohc engine, maybe looking to save on costs or something. The turbo engines because of their multilayered gaskets material have never suffered from this. I only know 1 guy that blew one locally and it took a perforated radiator hose to do it.
You skipped the BIGGEST issue with 2006+ EJ25s: Valve guide drop. (maybe that's in your "other video"?).
But even with all these issues, once an MLS gasket has been installed (and heads machined properly), it's pretty much fixed for life.
That’s 2012 and newer.
@@brianhilligoss Which part? I see valve guide drop in Subie engines all the way back to 2004. MLS gaskets fix head-gasket failures in all those models too.
The engines after 2012 are the FB serires anyway, not EJ series.
@@stephenhunt6253 the valve guides dropping. I haven’t seen a single ej drop a valve guide yet.
@@brianhilligoss Wow, you're lucky! Seems like any 2004+ that I crack open has at least 1 dropped or dropping.
Can you use 251 heads? I'm guessing you can. That would be the easiest thing to do. If the valve guide is moving you can remedy the problem by nurling it.....all of them.
Thank you for your knowledge
I remember looking at buying one at a car lot that was a little on the rusted side. The salesman wanted $10k and wouldn't come down a penny claiming they were a million mile drivetrain. I couldn't quit laughing at him
Every time I hear the EJ25 is reliable I laugh. I have one of these engines sitting in my garage because it had a bad head gasket. Great video!
I had a 96 impreza with a 2.2l it ran so smooth, not like my 2.5 legacy from 03
I have a 2012 Legacy with a blown head gasket at 160k miles. Needed nothing but maintenance up to that point. They're reliable until they're not 😆
...same could be said about Land Rovers...the only difference is the mileage at which the reliable status changes.
@@K03sport
LAN Rovers have their own issues, particularly electrical failures.
that's some really in-depth information done there awesome video 👍
Idk what y’all mean but I had many Subarus and all of them where pretty reliable. My 03 outback has 256k. Still doesn’t consume oil. Had to heads at 160k but I replaced them with updated ones and never had hg issues again. Honestly just keep up with oil changes and coolant flushes and you’ll be fine. Most of the hater comments are people who never owned a Subaru. They are great cars. The most reliable ones where the 2.2.
fanboi
Very thorough video about the EJ25 problems.
That's why the only subaru we owed had the EZ30 6 cylinder, no problems
I didn’t have the time to check on all comments, but so far I did not see somebody noticed that Subaru cooling system is NOT self bleeding like Volvo, VW, some Ford pickups and other smart cooling system. Is is the old double valves rad cap, that never refill your radiator. Once I replaced a head gasket on a Subaru and to be on the safe side I replaced the rad cap with an upgraded style found at Canadian Tire in Canada. This cap has a lever that one can lift and bleed the coolant in the expansion tank. I was amazed that almost every week when I pulled the lever I heard first air bubbles then later fluid. When you try to cool down an engine that is on the limits of cooling, air bubbled coolant does not help.
Maintenance is key to any boxer engine no matter if it's Porsche, VW or Subaru. Oil changes, coolant changes and always good fuel they last a long time.
Yes,yes and Yes!
After watching this video, I will never buy any Subaru vehicle, ever, whether if it is used or brand-new. Instead, I would buy a 2006 Buick Rainier AWD mid-size SUV with the 5.3 L LS-based V8 engine and the regular four-speed automatic transmission, because they are a lot smoother and they are fairly quick than these older or newer Subaru's. Another option for me for better fuel economy will be the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD mid-size SUV with the 3.5 L V6 engine and the six-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode. Thank you very much.
I suspect part of the problem is that many people don't realise that an "all alloy" engine is relatively loosely clamped together when cold - the expansion/contraction of the alloy head/block with respect to the steel head bolts/studs means that until the engine is properly warmed up giving it full right beetle-crusher is a bad idea. The Subs we get here in the UK were put together in Japan and you see loads of high mileage examples still with good residuals so no real reputation for HGF or rust.
My dad has junked 3 subarus with ej25 engines, one with an ej22, one 2.5 was a salvage title we got one owner and hydroplaned on the highway in, ran and drove great no issues 126k another was a legacy wagon with 199k, whoever did the timing belt before trading it in did not pull the idle pulley pin causing the belt to snap on the way back from South Carolina, and another was an 05 legacy outback, white smoke, loss of coolant, used car dealer replaced the transmission with the wrong transmission to fix those issues. Awd system was junk after that
Just do not buy any Subaru vehicle for now. You can plan to buy a 2016 Toyota Sienna SE eight-passenger minivan for your next vehicle. They are extremely reliable with the 3.5 L V6 engine and the six-speed automatic transmission with sport or manual-shift mode. These Toyota's last for a long time.
@@md2k8 I've always liked Toyota, when it comes to classics I prefer dodge as my grandfather and great grandfather were in the dodge brothers and up til my grandpa passed Christmas morning 2014, we had tons of old family members cars still in the family at the farm that has been since sold while up to 100 cars got auctioned in 2015, 3 of them were as old as 1912, 1914 and 1915, today I have a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu with 218,000 miles, I am the second and soon to be third owner as it was put in my father's name when i got it with 185k, it's never left me anywhere.
@@ryanravencaller Is the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu the 2.4 L Ecotec four-cylinder?
@@md2k8 my LT 2 is, yeah thankfully no timing chain issues as of yet, the transmission is what's got me worried rn as I approach a quarter million miles, it does funky things when cruise is on. My partners familys 2011 traverse does the same thing it has about 170k, not sure if it's a software glitch or what, as for the malibu itll be an endless money pit for me til it trusts to nothing as it's all I have left of grandpa's farm, my mom and my 22 year old brother.
@@ryanravencaller That's good.
You are back man..jezz
That's great new!!
i wasn't supprised its the ej-25 , my friend had it hanging from his ceiling more than it was in his car . x)
A few years back, I bought a rust-free 99 Outback that had failed head gaskets for cheap and did the work myself. Did it the right way - had the heads checked and redone, used MLS gaskets, replaced the separator plate with a steel one and replaced the rear main seal. It was perhaps one of the easiest things I have ever done on a car. They are so simple to work on. Had 237K on it when I sold it and ran like a top. It saddened me to sell it, but it went to a family that really needed a reliable car. They got it and to this day, that car is still riding around with the same gaskets I did. It has over 320K on it now and still runs like a top!
I wonder what caused quality to drop at Suburu? I ran an EA81 for over 400 hours in an experimental aircraft, mostly at full throttle. It's a solid performer, with absolutely no issues.
Piston rings. Rebuild using cast iron.
Make some videos about the vanagon waterboxer and how to maintain it properly so that It will be reliable for 500 k miles ( for example : do regular coolant changes , replace oil with zinc rich oil , use MANN filters only etc
I never heard of zinc rich oils. Which oil brands are zinc rich? Thanks
Rotela t6 is one or any diesel rated oil that is gas compatible or add some zddp which is zinc but beware too much zinc will ruin your cats. So if your Subaru is a oil burner solve that problem first. N52 BMW is the best engine made if maintained
Great video, very useful information...
You are my absolute favorite mechanic to listen to, so much better than Scotty Kilmer who is now putting out crap video’s. Thanks man, you are great.
I used to be a big scotty fan, but all of his new videos are just him saying the same stuff, Over and over again. Not to mention the horrible click-bait he does.
Diagnosedan is a great channel as well. These 2 pages are the best mechanical ones on youtube. Scotty is horrid. I'm surprised he even passes as a mechanic.
@@nuvisionprinting just because he makes bad content doesn't mean he's a bad mechanic
@@chrishernandez2490 Doing dangerous things like single-flaring brake lines and using non-rated fittings makes him a bad mechanic.
@@mfree80286 Oh yeah, I remember when he did that. Tons of people were giving him shit in the comments lol. Eh, I still don't think a couple mistakes negate an entire 50 years of experience.
Don't forget the turbo and vct oil feed line that had a tendency to crack.
The CVT's that Subaru has on all the cars did it for me. Never looked to buy one after that. I Really wanted a legacy
Me too I was interested in Legacy from 2015 or newer. But that CVT got me nervous. Who knows what other issues they have as well
I had a few subarus. They’re reliable if you take care of them. No oil and they will die immediately. You can’t beat the awd system; my favorite in snow.
I don't understand why people are complaining about these hg failures around 200k+. I just did my honda civic with 225k hg. It's normal. Only difference is the chance of failure is x2 with the ej.
bingo ! and double the oil leaks ...
He's right, they do suck! Thank you for your honest advice!!
so your next video should be about using barsleak carbon fiber head gasket repair and bluedevil head gasket repair. the subaru dealers have been using it for years. porsche owners use it also but keep it hush hush. ford used it in factory radiator fill off the assembly line in the early 1990's for f150 trucks. many subaru owners create their own problem head gaskets by beating on there car. but as a mechanic you and most dont like these repairs and fixs, but if your mechanic loves cars and customers hill suggest or help out with these suggestions. well done video. good day.
I replaced head gaskets in one without removing the engine. The worst part is trying to unbolt the valve covers. As you loosen the bolts they dead head into the wheel well. No, it wasn't a proper rebuild, just replacing the head gasket to slow down the leaking. The rest of the car was rusting out and wasn't worth the effort. Rarely do you see roof rust on cars except Subaru.
These are some of the reasons why many enthusiasts will swap in a ej20 into their subie. In in the middle of doing this to my 04 forester.
Ej20 is much better?? From what year?? (Serious question)
Didn’t mention what I always found which was that if the oil ran low than they had a tendency to pullout valve guides.
I'm only going to say one thing, I'm a 10 year mechanic. And I have seen 300thousand miles Subaru's running very smooth, so I'm very confident on buying a 190thousand miles Subaru. Sorry to discredit you're opinion my friend. Yes Subaru's are known for bad head gaskets but they are worth to fix.
I had an Outback that I really liked but I had to scrap it. The engine started making a knocking sort of noise. A Subaru mechanic told me the pistons were slapping due to unequal wear and that the engine could seize up at any time. Couldn't risk that so had to let it go.
in eastern canada we call the subarus (subarouille) which means suba (rust) since they rust alot :S
You don’t have to remove the engine to do a head gasket job. It does make it a little bit easier, but I’ve always done it with them in the engine bay. Save’s me some time, especially after trying to mate it with the trans 😂. Snap-On has a shorter 12 point socket made for the head bolt removal on Subaru’s.
Do you have a link for this? That's a good news!! Their btw
I have started doing complete overhaul minus main bearings. Using cast iron rings and turbo engine head gaskets seems to fix everything. His oil consumption explanation is way off.
Outstanding info video. Congratulations.
The VW Vanagon motors are so bad they use these engines for swaps and love it.
lol
Thats bullshit
And then you end up with a broken piston ring and the Subaru seizes up ...
@@type2523 yeah yeah, i get it, you're a diehard VW fan. just look at the facts- how many WBX have you seen swapped in other cars? close to none, because it's not worth the trouble. how many subies swapped into VW's? probably hundreds if not thousands.
The Wasserboxer engines used in 83.5-91 Vanagons had coolant leak problems but the air-cooled Type IV engines used in '80-'83.5, though underpowered, were pretty stout engines
your channel is better than Scotty's. More meat and less fat. Would you please tell me your opinion on the gm 3.6L LY7? is it within striking distance of the series 3 3.8?
GM 3.6 LY7 and LLT are junk. The only first gen 3.6 I would buy is the LFX made after 2014.
Have a blown 99 outback 2.5 dohc... that sohc is so simple to repair compared to the dohc..thats why mines still broke. 400,000 miles on original head gasket !!!
Last i checked the sohc and dohc versions use the same block so that doesnt make sense
@@davidcohen2762 He's talking about the Heads and timing belt..
Dohc does add little complexity to these simple motors..
@@ormaragnarsson5203 really i own a sohc and have a friend with dohc. Ive seen both theyre almost identical.
My Father bought a Subaru and it rust out before the engine was broken in!
I've had mine since new - 18 years ago. No rust and looks like it's about two years old. Your father might want to wash and wax his cars a couple of times a year.
Just love the way you explain everthing.
Love the engine videos! Keep it up!!
I hope my S209 doesn’t have the issues mentioned in the video. Good video though. I guess I should expect some expensive car repair bills in the future.
This issue was present in a generation of naturally aspirated EJ25 engines...that’s it.
maintenance, and dont race it hot and put it away wet...
Just when i was planning on getting a Subaru too pops up in my notifications 😃😃😃
Get it. You won’t be disappointed. I put 160,000 miles on my 2005 Baja and never had one problem. No oil leaks or coolant leaks either. This man is talking about Subaru engines from 2011and older. The outback went thru a major redesign for 2012 and I’ve read multiple reports independent of Subaru claiming that the head gasket problem including oil and coolant leaks were corrected. Just get regular oil and filter changes and routine preventive maintenance including coolant replacement.
Ahhh. No Rick, it’s all of them. He mentions all the way up to 2012. Then there is the issues with CVT’s. Avoid.
@@jeremysomeone
Guess I’ve been lucky....
Four times in a row
@@jeremysomeone
So by all of them you mean 2011 and older. The problem was addressed and fixed with the major redesign of the outback in 2012 according to various reports independent of Subaru. It is not an issue anymore and hasn’t been since 2012.
I have a 2005 Outback with 296,000 miles (manual transmission.) The head gaskets leak oil but I’m very good on adding oil. I won’t get rid of it until it’s dies since other than the oil leak it’s very reliable.
Consider overhaul with new pistons and CAST IRON rings. The chrome molley rings currently in the engine cause oil usage. There's a bit of misinformation in this video. Use turbo engine head gaskets and your car should last forever.
You forgot to mention the 2.2 doesn't suffer from any of these problems except maybe the oil separator plate. You can swap in the 2.2 rather than fixing the 2.5 in your car. The 2.2 is an amazingly reliable engine. Subaru should have just stuck to the 2.2 and the h6 and got rid of the 2.5.
The 2.2 had a smaller intake and different computer.
Wow! Great info and great analysis
Not enough surface area for head bolts to provide sufficient clamping Force.
If that were the case the 2.2 would've suffered the same fate.
When your legacy gt has 229k and just now lost its first head gasket. Although it's my fault for turning the boost up.
Turbo charged engines had different head gaskets. That's the fix for the NA 2.5.
Very informative video as all of your videos are!
I had an EJ22, less horsepower but solid. Sold with with 189,000 miles on the clock. Used about a quart of oil every 3000 miles, mostly the pesky rear main seal leakage.
I wish Subaru would have fixed this. Didn't buy another anyhow since all the automatic transmissions are CVT. Hard pass on CVT for me.
Ok, please allow me to help correct you on oil consumption. The boxer design has absolutely nothing to do with oil consumption. If that were the case the EJ22 would suffer the same way. The issue with the EJ25 oil consumption originates from the piston rings. The chrome molley rings they used do not seat. This creates blow by that throws carbon to the oil rings. When they get stuck you have consumption. Then the engine gets ran out of oil and spins a rod bearing. If you have a 2.5 remove it, replace the pistons, install cast iron hastings rings, replace the head gaskets, fill the radiator using ZEREX, rebuild the front end, and you'll be good.
Rust loves Subarus too. Most are driven in snow areas in northern states so they rust out on the body and the frame.
Live in Nova Scotia. Subarus don't seem to rust any more than other cars. Definitely less than Fords and Mazda
Thank you for all the information. I have been around all different type of engines and I know manufacturer love to accused mechanics of lacking silks but thier engines are the problems. Especially, head gasket and aluminum engines. VW, Subaru, Fiat, and Renault
Can't wait to find out which ej25 to buy
Great video very educational
I have a 3.6 outback so I’m good, my last Subaru a 15 impreza saved my life after a grand Cherokee sideswiped me at 70mph when I was waiting to turn and I walked away so I’m subaru for life.
Thanks for the nice explanation of these Boxer engine's.
Well this is an interesting video. I know very little about Subaru. I know now I will never own one now. I had a great laugh when the presenter compared the Subaru engine to a Land Rover which frankly is the worst vehicle made. I hope Subaru helps to make Ratchets and Wrenches rich they seem to have found a niche. Good luck I enjoyed your video.
i got my 93 loyale for free and it has 297k head gasket leaked threw some stop leak in it and im still driving it.
but they were made like tanks in the 90s
I do see your theory on the engine blocks being made out of aluminum being the main cause, however the gm atlas 4.2 straight six engines have both heat treated aluminum heads and engine blocks and have quite a reputation for running past 200,000 miles. I think that the big cause would be how they heat treated the blocks.
Around 8:10 on the video you mention placing oil levels toward the high end. My oil level dipstick readings are different. I figured as long as the oil reading Is at the full mark I'm ok. (The other side of the dipstick shows a 1/4 inch past the full mark) Is that because of the horizontal design of the boxer engine? We have a 2008 Impreza wrx 2.5 EJ257 turbo. Thank you.
Great info, great content
Good video. You might piss off the Subie squad with this one.
I had a 2007 outback and it ended up blowing 2 engines from oil starvation. Shit factory Piston rings were what mechanic said was their reason for blow up. (Engine just died on the hy way) twice.
Just trade-it in for a 2012 Ford Fusion SE sedan with the 2.5 L four-cylinder and six-speed automatic next.
Did you ever check the oil? I knew a kid who blew he’s New Corolla and subaru wrx like that.
@@Walterrinho I have a lot of friends, who drives WRX's and they always treat these vehicles with respect.
Your mechanic is exactly right. Rebuild with new pistons using Hastings cast iron rings and the rings will seat and the engine will not use oil.
Fans wore out on 2000 Outback @194k, head gaskets failed. Spent less than $600 to replace them with Fel-pro laminates and replaced the timing and accessory belts, coolant pump, upper and lower hoses, both fans and valve cover gaskets. Milled valve heads by adhering sandpaper sheets to a table saw.
Extremely important to change the coolant regularly and keep the battery terminals clean...weird, I know.
Sold it @250k and no problems
I had a 97 Outback. It needed the head gasket replaced at 125,000 miles. Put another 125,000 miles on it with no other problems. Only thing that took it off the road was being rear-ended on the freeway. Best car I ever owned.
The problem I have with Subaru owners is even if they bought a Subaru once, most of them would still buy another one. It’s like going back to a cheating spouse. It’s never a good thing.
Subarus drive good for their price only enthusiasts buy Subarus if you know how to work on cars then Subarus are not bad
I don’t have one anymore but let me tell they are awesome, it’s like having a pet, i want to buy and old one and build it, because the biggest issue as with any car is previous maintenance. Specially when you buy from someone that change their oil once’s a year.
A strong candidate for worst engine.... 3.6 V-6.
A relative of mine had that engine in a GMC vehicle. Had to replace the timing chain 3 times at 2k a pop..
Finally sold it for 2500 just to get rid of it.
Thank you have a good day!
I have a 15 sti and haven't had any problems, thank goodness
I just watched till the end. It's only like $150 to replace the head gaskets and like 5 hours of work? I literally did this surgery today. Although mine is a DOHC Dual AVCS. I feel like I must have really messed this up if it's truly thousands of dollars to fix.
The Subaru head gaskets are more like a benifit, when your buying one you can simple point at the engine bay, say the magic code "head gaskets are leaking" for a 20-50% discount, fix it yourself for ~300-500 using the bullet proof genuine EJ25 *TURBO* head gaskets and you have yourself a reliable practical car, have been doing this for years.
Good to know, thanks for the information.
Which i did buy one with this issue.97 legacy gt with leaking head gaskets into the coolant.I spent about 3k on it and almost have a brand new car.I work at a machine shop so they did the heads for me even though i could only get a one thousands feeler gauge in.
Had a 17 forrester, oil consumption was so bad they changed the small block and it still was burning oil about a liter per 4000 kms swapped out to a 4runner and never looked back
You should review the BMW inline 6 engine and the variations in the E series BMW’s because you had an extremely reliable engine in the N52 then you had the N54 which is almost the opposite so this would definitely make for an interesting video.
2010 Legacy EJ253 here with 152k miles, original head gaskets still going strong :) buying tools little by little so I can pull the engine myself when the inevitable occurs haha
I've always bought Hondas and Toyotas. Head gasket failure has never been a concern. First Accord had 235k at trade-in with only an A/C leak. Acura Integra had 190k only needed radiator replaced. Corolla only need an A/C compressor by 185k miles. I'm currently driving another Accord that has less than 20k.
I have a 2010 impreza with a 253 at 100k miles. Head gasket started going out but thanks to scotty kilmer (everyone says hes dumb). Its been a year since and its still holding up because he said to try bar's leaks. That shit works.
The head gasket problem was resolved years ago.
Head gaskets leak, engine gets hot, and heads warp or crack. The best remedy is to not buy a Subaru.
Makes sense Subies introduced diesel engines so late (seeing as they struggled with petrol ones). Was considering an outback with diesel (there ain't many diesel wagons with decent AWD), then read about broken crankshafts and variable geometry turbos.
As someone who has a 2008 version of this engine, hes definitelynot wrong lol.. fortunately I've replaced the gaskets with MLS and its been amazing. The stock ones are garbage
I'm a mechanic and I agree 100%. But I also think that subaru is a good vehicle. The aftermarket parts support all this. Is like Ford and their 6.0 diesel engines... once you bullet proof them that truck will last you for ever. Its a matter of how much your willing to spend
Is a 2015 Subaru Outback a good buy? Does it have a lot of these problems? I’m looking for it to last hundreds of thousands of miles