Did subaru ever fix the head gasket problems?

10

Asked by Oneill Jul 29, 2015 at 10:08 PM about the Subaru Forester

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

When did Subaru fix the issues with the head gasket? did they? what model or year?

thank you!

26 Answers

23,590

Consult your subaru specialist or your subaru dealer, there are corrections for head gasket issues. we dont have your vehicles information to respond specifically. You can get answers based on your needs and the newest parts offerings. Procedure change was also part of the correcting repair, other parts are updated, and other systems may need correction when you have it apart. The ones I helped with certainly did. Cannot really answer you about what model or year without your vehicle's info

9 people found this helpful.

They have made many improvements but Subaru still recommends Subaru anti-leak in the radiators of new cars. ALL cars can potentially need new head gaskets, not just Subaru's. Subaru still uses the open block design at least on the naturally aspirated cars. I believe the turbos have closed deck blocks like all their cars should have.

10 people found this helpful.
23,590

The ones I saw, researched and helped with, now, they had design change in their leak fix, to the part. Updated gaskets. (or backdated) depends what you are trying to do. and to what. The specialist place researched, did procedure changes, and started using what used to work for the subarus when I discussed it there. They had me take all the parts store recommended malpractice insurance parts that were just going to leak more, and return them. Then they pointed out to me that some used subaru parts are more trustworthy than aftermarket chingpingwingding....ended up saving money, using high quality jap parts, and the procedure was part of the correction. The only part with issues since was a "lifetime puker " from the parts store, for a waterpump. Bad decision. still have to tear down the front of the thing again if it goes completely. Once an engine design is complete, the dealer techs and specialists are the only real help......thats expensive time and experience free, hope you get yours goin someday.

7 people found this helpful.
23,590

oh, and OEM skirtless pistons of course, but thats a total rebuild operation yet to be required at some later date.

3 people found this helpful.
23,590

The advice those guys can give is priceless. it took me the entire vacation time of a subaru owner for the year, to try and help, replace the leaky parts, and get it goin for another week of bein hammered on. I was so sick and in pain, it was deadly. its just not worth it to anybody to invest exorbitant amounts in fixing part problems with more problem parts. I probably would have died or been at least hospitalized if I had to try twice because of aftermarket crap. medication helps some, but save yourself, thats the correct method to do so.

3 people found this helpful.
23,590

Next time that thing takes a squirt, its goin to the specialist on a toetruk. I cannot give 2 hours a day even anymore without feelin like im gonna die. Subaru Genuine parts or specialist proven, that has to be the future recommendation. A person can shop for prices, but ask what you're really getting.

3 people found this helpful.
405

I traded in my 2004 Forestor. I bought it with 18k on in 2006. I traded it in Oct 2014 for my Saturn Vue. Subie had 268k with same trans. Not rebuilt. Had timing belt, water pump and pullies and pretensiors done at 135k. Only at 252 did the head gasket go. I used one of those fixers in rad. It worked ok. Car was just old and little stuff going..........if the car had 150 or so..I'd still have it. Saturn Vue XR V6 is good. Now I have a possible special recall issue but beyond that. Hope it can resolved properly and efficiently. So I can keep my Vue running well.

10 people found this helpful.
23,590

Import model subaru? they have different results i have been told. The 2.2 and 2.5 in the legacy was predominantly where I had cooling system and engine part issues, oh, and the axles.

3 people found this helpful.
41,815

Subaru... "what head gasket problem"~~ "what STI piston problem"

10 people found this helpful.
230

Some people were lucky and did not have a head gasket problem, some were not lucky and had to replace the HG and some had to replace the HG more than once. The root-cause of this problem is in a bad design which has not been fixed since the mid-nineties, what is really shameful. The HG issues have been going on for approximately 25 years, I had to replace HG on my 2010 Forester in 2016 at only 92000 km! Do not buy a Subaru until HG issues are successfully resolved.

23 people found this helpful.
230

These vehicles all have cylinder head gasket related issues: Impreza 1999 to 2011, Forester 1999 to 2010, Legacy 2000 to 2009, Outback 2000 to 2009, Baja 2003 to 2006, You can purchase revised/upgraded gaskets: Non Turbo Upgraded MLS Head Gaskets

23 people found this helpful.
120

Best thing to do is put in either Fel -Pro perma torque multiple layered head gaskets or the Six Star ones. I just had the Fel-Pro ones put in my 2000 Forester. My mechanic has been putting them in the Subaru's and also the Subaru Mechanics are putting them in their own vehicles instead of the Subaru head gaskets. That says it all. So far I have not been told of any failures with those either. They are rare. i do think the engine design does make them prone to head gasket issues but a really good multi layered head gasket set can the majority of time lay that to rest. Subaru's biggest mistake was to have not addressed the head gasket issue early on by going to a much better built muliti layered head gasket.

12 people found this helpful.

The head gasket issue is a combination of a bad engine design (open block) and single layer head gaskets. The newer Subaru's traded the head gasket problem for oil consumption.

8 people found this helpful.
230

I am a subaru service advisor. Keep buying those subaru's people. My paychecks are much better than any brand that I worked for. Between the transmission issues and leaking headgaskets,. I am making a good living

23 people found this helpful.
55

and the really unlucky ones (like me) had to replace the enging & transmission at the same time. the head blew and cracked the engine. i was on my way to the transmission shop at the time... (99).

5 people found this helpful.
90

No, they did not fix the problem, based on my experience. 2011 Outback blew a head gasket at 112,000 in Dec 2016. Just blew another head gasket at 150,000, about 20 months later. I think I bought my last Suby. May be going back to Honda or Toyota very soon.

9 people found this helpful.
150

Don't buy a Subaru. They had opportunities to fix the Head Gasket problem with Six Star head gaskets, and chose instead to continue to use defective ones for over ten years. A Class Action Lawsuit for fraud should be filed. I have an 03 Outback Sport that I have kept because it has a manual transmission, but I will never buy another one. Currently, it has a new Six Star long block, new Exedy Clutch, brand new brakes, new AC, and a 53,000 mile JDM Transmission. You must know the Timing Belt sounds, and when it is telling you it is about to go, as well. Currently waiting to see if the rebuilt and EPA certified Catalytic Converter will keep the engine light off, and pass emissions. It is only worth keeping if you know what parts to get, and where to get them. If you do not know cars, run away! Their only saving grace is that they are not difficult to fix, and there are many standard parts that were used for many years, and so they are not expensive. Not for an average driver.

15 people found this helpful.
80

My wife's 2013 4 cylinder Outback just quit running on the way to the local grocery store,Sept.by the 25,2019. This car has been regularly serviced by the local dealer and at 128,000 miles they had mentioned replacing the timing chain and tensioners. They said nothing about the head gaskets or the results of their failure. They failed and totally demolished the engine, without any warning of over heating or low coolant level. Replacing the chains and and tensioners is a lot less work than replacing the engine,but that is what I am doing. My next move is to replace the Outback and also my son's Crosstrek .Subaru of America should give their retriever dogs a wrench or maybe a whole set of tools to fix their cars.

8 people found this helpful.
30

Am I going to have problems with my 2019 outback or should I start adding leak stop at 6,000 miles ?

3 people found this helpful.
100

The only way to fix a Subaru head gasket problem on the 2.5L engine is to: A) Put dual cooling systems, one for each side of the boxer engine B) Use their stop leak C) Never, ever buy a Subaru My 2011 has a blown HG (92k - babied engine twice to 3500 RPM, early oil changes, timely maintenance, clean engine compartment (SoCal, garaged)... I talk to people a lot. 2014s have the problem, 2017s have it too. It is just going to happen as long as they build their engines as if they want them to self destruct. My old 1998 was sold to a lady who drives about 25k a year and is still driving it. I shouldn't have sold it. I've had CVT issues from month one and I've also talked to a few who are on their second transmission (2012 and 2014 MYs). Just don't buy one. If you have one MONITOR IT LIKE A HAWK and COMPLAIN A LOT AND LOUDLY to Subaru quickly. They are slow to respond or ignore you unless you throw them a high and inside pitch. I wish someone would hit these guys with a class action suit.

7 people found this helpful.
10

Reading all these comments have helped me make up my mind about Subaru's. Will never buy one. Cars have been having the same problem since the early 90's and nothing has been improved. Guess the Japanese engineers are not very good.

1 people found this helpful.

No other brand blows head gaskets, Hondas and Toyotas last forever. Why would anybody ever drive or buy a Subaru. I love my 2016 Forrester however

10

I'm replacing my 2nd head gasket & radiator on my 2011 Outback 2.5L (1st at 52K mi & now at 91K mi). My friend owned a 2012 Outback and unknowingly drove with a blown head gasket and coolant leak until the engine sized ! I tried to get Subaru's assistance on my 1st blown head gasket - but they wouldn't because I was out-of-warranty. I believe Subaru is involved in a massive cover-up of the numerous drivability problems that persist ! You can help fight Subaru - don't purchase one !

1 people found this helpful.

I was thinking of buying a 2017 subaru forester! Are they still having the problem with the head gasket? Why is the consumers report rating them on top?

100

@Guru9YNMVL Consumer Reports only looks at superficial features of a brand new, low mileage car. For example, the 2015 Nissan Versa Note was well ranked. It is a rolling piece of cow pie. it is had a class action lawsuit (grouped in with other cars that they sold) over a very poorly designed transmission and Nissan's Mexican factory has had multiple rust issues leading to safety notices being sent out. The reliability rankings, usually expressed with black dots through red dots, bases their ratings from their subscribers who complete a survey. It is a very small number of people and it is certainly not random nor scientific. The survey is not only of a small sampling group, those who are completing the survey must actually pay extra postage because the envelope is oversized. It makes an already small sampling group even smaller. While they may be able to tell you that a TV screen has more dots per inch or a toaster tends to burn one side more than the other, it doesn't tell you how long they are going to last based on engineering or design factors. They may bring up that reliability survey and state that a brand historically has ranked badly, but they do not get into the fine details of any of that. I have said it repeatedly but I'll repeat it for you, I had a 1998 Outback that made it over 330,000 miles before an accident took its life. The president of Subaru has been on an apology tour of sorts. He has been interviewed and has stated plainly that he apologizes for their bad product. If anything screams "don't buy a Subaru," that does. give them another 6 to 10 years to prove that they have improved their designs. Don't trust anything before then.

1 people found this helpful.

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