Engine rebuild in 2008 Subaru Outback

Asked by Guru9363XF Apr 08, 2023 at 12:46 PM about the 2008 Subaru Outback

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hi Y'all

I am looking for advice on fixing my 2008 Subaru Outback, currently with
159,000 miles on it. I just replaced the shocks last year, and got it a new
catalytic converter two years ago. It also has new tires, and generally has
been an incredibly reliable car until this past week. While I was driving, the
engine blew, and I am currently looking at an $8.8k repair to get it back up to
speed (this would include a new short block, as well as all required
maintenance). I also asked around with other shops in the area, and no one
was able to give me much more of a cheaper quote. It is currently not
drivable, so I am stuck in a relatively small area to not get towing costs too
high. I am waiting for the full assessment from the mechanic on the state of
the rest of the car, but if everything else is in good shape, does it seem worth
the repair? I am just honestly not finding that much cheaper on the used car
market, and if I can get another 100,000 miles out of it could be worth it? Just
looking for any advice. Thanks!

2 Answers

40,325

If you go cheap you're going to have problems , there's no cheap way to do it right and it won't be done in 2-3 weeks

158,595

In my opinion it's not worth fixing. The vehicle is 15 years old and you're lucky to have gone this far without the head gasket blowing. Most Subarus from that time period blew head gaskets long ago. It also sounds like you've already been putting money into it for the past few years to keep it going. I'd suggest using the money toward a newer vehicle with less mileage on it. It'll be cheaper in the long run. Hope that helps! Jim

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