Yahoo Answers is shutting down on 4 May 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Do all Subaru's have head gasket problems?

My Outback needs one. Don't all cars have this problem eventually?

13 Answers

Relevance
  • fuzzy
    Lv 4
    8 months ago
    Favourite answer

    I remember the commercial: Subaru inexpensive and built to stay that way.

    (until you need head gaskets, or a timing belt, or.....)

  • 5 months ago

    They had a FEW bad years and it is QUITE possible you do have a bad NEAD GASKET>>>BUT>>> use ONLY GENUIEN SUBARU COOLANT and change your COOLING FAN SWITCH at about 100,000 miles and do NOT USE WAX BASED OILS like VALVOLINE in there! It WIL eat up gaskets! you can TRY to SUE VALVOLINE if you like if this is so! i sued Castrol AND WON A FREE Audi engine WITH labor AND ALL! You can TRY this>>>>replace ALL The HEAD BOLTS< as ONE OVER HEAT can S T R E T C H Them to where a LEAK will occur! There are ADDITIVES to reseal a leaking gasket as WELL <but i do NOT recommend doing that! ENGINES with a CAST IRON BLOKCK and ALUMINUM Heads ALL use STRETCH bolts for the heads! They CAN give out and cause this issue! A few years had BAD RINGS as well, but SUBARU fixed them all under a warranty! IF YOU HUNT AROUND you may find a SECRET WARRANTY about this for leaking head gaskets on SOME years of SUBARU! They Are SO GREAT< and the engines are designed after the PORSCHE flat six and four engines with an ADDED WATER JACKET for HEAT! >>>>NO>>>Not ALL cars have this problem EVENTUALLY! BMW does NOT! AUDI does NOT! BENZ does NOT! FORD does not usually> and many TOYOTAS do not! >>REALIZE that there is MORE to an engine than just the The MECHANICALS! There is CHEMISTRY involved here, too! This means compatibility with COOLANT and OIL qualities, etc!  E.g., GM was sued for every engine they made from 1996-2003 for FAILED LEAKY engines due to the proven fact that DESCOOL coolant would EVENTUALLY dissolve GMS choices of GASKET MATERIALS.  

  • Anonymous
    5 months ago

    Eventually could mean 10 years later and no they don't.  My 55 Chev did not have a HG problem on its 265 V8 engine ever.

    Don't know it for Subes either.  Maybe you are confusing  valve cover oil seepage with H.G.? VC oil seepage is common though not important more than the looks of a clean engine.  It is just a wet spot.  Oil does that.  It is not pouring out so not even noticed.  a H.G is way under the V.C. like 3" deeper.  The V.C. hides the bolts that hold down the head to the block and there is about 10-15 of them, depending on the engine. They are bolts as big as your middle finger and just as long.  Not something you do WITHOUT A TORQUE WRENCH and knowledge of the TORQUE specs for the bolts.

    Google car engine exploded view.  All engines are built the same way.

  • F
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    The EJ25 2.5 litre engine was not as robust as the 2.0 litre it replaced, although mostly when turbo charged.

  • bo
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    yes common problems with them when they hit high mileage

  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    they tell you that a subaru is love but not about a common problem

  • k w
    Lv 7
    8 months ago

    dunno, but most head gasket problems I heard of were due to warp-age due to aluminum heads with a cast iron block, dissimilar metals should never be used on the same engine.....

  • 8 months ago

    All motors have head gaskets but some motors have a common problem with them leaking and Subaru motors are on that list.

  • Anonymous
    8 months ago

    Subarus are known to eat head gaskets.  Get a known good engine from a junkyard.

  • Anonymous
    8 months ago

    Yes all cars have that problem eventually, they blow but it's not that expensive to sort out.

Still have questions? Get answers by asking now.