1996 SUBARU LEGACY Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

1996 SUBARU LEGACY, BRIGHTON MODEL SW 65,000 MILES I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. I HAVE HAD PLUGS AND WIRES REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. THIS LAST TIME ONE PLUG WIRE AND PLUG WAS BAD. THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WAS WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH SPEEDS THERE WAS A MISS OR HESITATION IN THE ENGINE AS WELL AS THE A SHAKING. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS ALSO HAPPENS MORE OFTEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD OR WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE. MY LOCAL DEALER FINALLY BELIEVES IT IS A BAD VALVE GUIDE. HE DROPPED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND COULD SEE ONE OF THE GUIDES HAVING DOWN FROM THERE. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS FIXED YET, I JUST FOUND THIS OUT 1-2-04. I UNDERSTAND THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL LEGACY'S WHICH WERE MADE IN 1995 AND 1996 THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO SEEN A COMPLAINT WHICH WAS FILED AT THIS WEB SITE REGARDING THE SAME PROBLEM IT IS ODI ID NO. 732588. THIS IS A COSTLY PROBLEM AND FEEL SUBARU SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES. I AM HOPING TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. I ALSO FEEL DEALERSHIPS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE TO CHECK THIS PROBLEM WHEN PLUGS BEGIN TO FOWL OUT LIKE MINE HAS DONE SEVERAL TIMES NOW. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW THIS GOES. JD *LA

WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, DRIVER LOST POWER STEERING, AND ENGINE DIED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO INDICATED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH SOME OTHER COMPONENTS. *AK

Mileage: 90,000

I HAVE A 1996 SUBARU LEGACY L WITH AN INTERMITTENT ENGINE MISS WITH A P0304 (MISS IN CYLINDER 4) CODE. MOST OF THE TIME IT RUNS FINE BUT WHEN IT MISSES, IT IS VERY VIOLENT. IT SEEMS TO RESONATE. CHANGING SPEED USUALLY MAKES IT GO AWAY. WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, IT ONLY OCCURRED ONCE A MONTH. OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND AFTER SEVERAL MECHANICS VISITS, IT NOW OCCURS NEARLY EVERY TRIP.I HAVE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS (YES NGK), SPARK PLUG WIRES (SUBARU ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT), GAS FILTER, AIR FILTER, COIL, PCV VALVE, KNOCK SENSOR, CAM AND CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THE INJECTORS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED BETWEEN CYLINDERS. I HAVE BEEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TWICE. ON THE SECOND TRIP HE GAVE UP AND ADVISED I GO TO A SUBARU DEALER. AFTER TWO VISITS TO THE SUBARU DEALER, I'VE SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AND STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED PLUGS, KNOCK, CAM, AND CRANKSHAFT SENSORS.DOESN'T SUBARU HAVE DIAGNOSTICS TO IDENTIFY WHAT THIS PROBLEM IS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY COULD IDENTIFY WHAT IS WRONG INSTEAD OF JUST REPLACING HIGHLY SUSPECT PARTS. THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE DOING ANY BETTER THAN I HAVE DONE ON MY OWN.*AK I'VE SEEN OTHERS POST PROBLEMS HERE AND AT EDMUNDS WITH DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. I'VE NEVER SEEN A POSTING THAT INDICATED IT WAS ACTUALLY SOLVED. SURELY SUBARU KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS A FIX. IT HAS GONE FROM AN ANNOYANCE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? ARE SOME SUBARUS JUST LEMONS?

Mileage: 75,000

I HAVE A 1996 SUBARU LEGACY L WITH AN INTERMITTENT ENGINE MISS WITH A P0304 (MISS IN CYLINDER 4) CODE. MOST OF THE TIME IT RUNS FINE BUT WHEN IT MISSES, IT IS VERY VIOLENT. IT SEEMS TO RESONATE. CHANGING SPEED USUALLY MAKES IT GO AWAY. WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, IT ONLY OCCURRED ONCE A MONTH. OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND AFTER SEVERAL MECHANICS VISITS, IT NOW OCCURS NEARLY EVERY TRIP.I HAVE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS (YES NGK), SPARK PLUG WIRES (SUBARU ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT), GAS FILTER, AIR FILTER, COIL, PCV VALVE, KNOCK SENSOR, CAM AND CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THE INJECTORS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED BETWEEN CYLINDERS. I HAVE BEEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TWICE. ON THE SECOND TRIP HE GAVE UP AND ADVISED I GO TO A SUBARU DEALER. AFTER TWO VISITS TO THE SUBARU DEALER, I'VE SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AND STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED PLUGS, KNOCK, CAM, AND CRANKSHAFT SENSORS.DOESN'T SUBARU HAVE DIAGNOSTICS TO IDENTIFY WHAT THIS PROBLEM IS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY COULD IDENTIFY WHAT IS WRONG INSTEAD OF JUST REPLACING HIGHLY SUSPECT PARTS. THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE DOING ANY BETTER THAN I HAVE DONE ON MY OWN.*AK I'VE SEEN OTHERS POST PROBLEMS HERE AND AT EDMUNDS WITH DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. I'VE NEVER SEEN A POSTING THAT INDICATED IT WAS ACTUALLY SOLVED. SURELY SUBARU KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS A FIX. IT HAS GONE FROM AN ANNOYANCE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? ARE SOME SUBARUS JUST LEMONS?

Mileage: 75,000

AFTER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SMELLING BURNING OIL, A MECHANIC FOUND DEFECTIVE SEALS ON THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY AND ELSEWHERE. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED THREE TIMES. THE DETAILS ARE ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THOSE DESCRIBED IN COMPLAINT ODI ID#855347. IN TWO CASES, THIS HAS RESULTED IN FOULED TIMING BELTS, WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN THE LAST CASE -- MARCH '03 AT 90,000 MILES -- THE VALVE COVER GASKETS FAILED AS WELL. PLAINLY THE SEALS, THEIR DESIGN, OR THE GEOMETRY OF THE ENGINE FITTING ITSELF IS DEFECTIVE. *JB

Mileage: 90,000

SUBARU 1996 ENGINE DEFECT IN WHICH EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES PREMATURELY FAIL AROUND 70-90000 MILES, FALLING INTO THE ENGINE AREA AND CAUSING MISFIRING AND OTHER ENGINE DAMAGE. *NLM

Mileage: 83

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE STALLED, LOST ALL POWER.BATTERY ACID WAS LEAKING FROM BATTERY CAP. ALTERNATOR FAILED WHICH MELTED FUSE BOX. BATTERY LOST ALL CHARGING CAPACITY. DEALER CONTACTED. OVER A $1000.00 IN REPAIRS. *AK *CB

Mileage: 53,869

CAR WOULDN'T START AFTER WARM. TOOK 6 TIMES TO GET IT CORRECTED. ALSO, HAS HAD THREE OIL LEAKS IN 6 YEARS. *AK

FRONT CRANK SEAL IS LEAKING OIL ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM. *AK THE SEAL THAT SEPARATES THE BLOCK FROM THE OIL PUMP HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, EACH TIME, A CLOUD OF SMOKE RISES FROM THE EXHAUST AS THE OIL IS SPRAYED BACK ONTO IT, ON ONE OCCASION THE SEAL COMPLETELY DUMPED SEVERAL QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE GROUND. *JB

THE FRONT CRANK SEAL STARTED LEAKING FOR THE SECOND TIME AT APPROXIMATELY 102,000 MILES. THE ORIGINAL SEAL STARTING LEAKING AT APPROXIMATELY 44,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 59,195 MILES. HEAVY SMOKE AND A STRONG BURNING ODOR IS EMITTED FROM THE SIDES AND FRONT OF THE ENGINE AREA. IN ADDITION, SMOKE WILL BE EMITTED FROM THE CENTER DASH HVAC VENTS. THE CAR JUST FAILED PA STATE INSPECTION ON 11/1/01 AS THE SEAL IS LEAKING BADLY AND IS CONSIDERED A FIRE HAZARD. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA VIA EMAIL ON 10/2/01 BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REPLY. I CONTACTED THEM AGAIN ON 11/1/01 AND 11/2/01 BUT STILL NO REPLY.*AK

ON AUGUST THE 12 AFTER GOING UP A STEEP HILL THE ENGINE STARTED MISSING REALLY BAD TO THE POINT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO QUIT . THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REOCCURING EVERY TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN. I CONTACTED MY DEALER ON AUGUST THE 11 AND THEY HAD ME TO BRING IN THE CAR TO DECARBON THE ENGINE . THIS DIDNOT STOP THE PROBLEM. ITOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON SEPT. 12 TO HAVE IT DECARBONED AGAIN. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT SUBARU HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR A YEAR AND A HALF AND STILL HAS NO KNOWN FIX FOR THIS LOST POWER AND ROUGH ENGINE PROBLEM WHICH THEY SAY IS DUE TO CARBON BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE LIGHT BECOMES ILLUMINATED, THEN CUTS OFF. ENGINE WILL TURN OVER WHEN RESTARTED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE WILL FAIL AT THE SAME PLACE DAILY, WAS TOLD BY A SUBARU ENGINEER THAT THE VEHICLE HAD LIFTERS INSTALLED WHICH WERE TOO SMALL AND SUGGESTED THAT ONLY VERY THIN SYNTHETIC OIL BE USED, CONSUMER TRIED THIS AND VEHICLE OPERATES NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 1200 MILES, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE FOLLOWING TO TRY AND CORRECT PROBLEML MAF SENSOR, CRANK AND CAM SENSORS, PLUGS AND WIRES, COIL, COMPUTER, STARTER, ALTNERNATOR, IGNITION SWITCH, AND TIMING BELT. *SLC

SUBARU LEGACY HAS HAD A WIDELY REPORTED HISTORY OF A HESITATION OR HIGHSPEED MISS. IN THE CASE OF THIS VEHICLE, IT WAS RETURNED FOR SERVICE FIVE TIMES WITH THE #1 VALVE GUIDE REPLACED TWICE. IN 2000, SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN CATONSVILLE MD. IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM FROM COMPRESSION TEST AS A "MISCAST CYLINDER HEAD" AND REPLACED ON WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT ADDRESSED FOR FOUR YEARS, AND WE WONDER IF SUBARU KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM IN CASTING CYLINDER HEADS AND HAS NOT CONDUCTED A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE CARGUYS ON PBS HAVE HAD FOUR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OVER THE LAST YEAR REGARDING SUBARU LEGACY AND OUTBACK VEHICLES WHICH SOUND SIMILAR IN COMPLAINT TO THIS VEHICLE. THE SYMPTOMS ARE A HIGH SPEED MISFIRE ON A CYLINDER (60 MPH) AND SUBSEQUENT SETTING OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ANOTHER SERVICE DEALER INFORMED US THAT SUBARUS ARE KNOWN FOR "BAD VALVES". IF THERE IS A KNOWN CASTING PROBLEM IN THE CYLINDER HEADS, THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED.*AK

A FUSE HAD BLOWN OUT FIVE TIMES, CAUSING ENGINE TO STALL . ALSO, AFFECTING WINDOWS AND FAN. *AK

SMELLING OIL FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS. FINALLY TOOK VEHICLE IN 6 WEEKS AGO FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE & DISCOVERED OIL LEAKS. WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC LEAKS CAMEFROM CRANKSHAFT OR CAMSHAFT GASKET AND CYLINDERS. CONTACTED DEALER REPLACED CRANKSHAFT GASKETS/WATER PUMP. ANOTHER LEAK IN THE BACK OF ENGINE CAUSED BY SEPARATOR COVER GASKET. *AK

SMELLING OIL FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS. FINALLY TOOK VEHICLE IN 6 WEEKS AGO FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE & DISCOVERED OIL LEAKS. WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC LEAKS CAMEFROM CRANKSHAFT OR CAMSHAFT GASKET AND CYLINDERS. CONTACTED DEALER REPLACED CRANKSHAFT GASKETS/WATER PUMP. ANOTHER LEAK IN THE BACK OF ENGINE CAUSED BY SEPARATOR COVER GASKET. *AK

4 INCIDENTS ENGINE FAILURE. FIRST TIME I PUSHED ACCELATOR AND THERE WAS NO POWER. CONTINUED TO APPLY GAS PEDAL AND NO POWER, IT WAS AS IF I WAS NOT APPLYING THE GAS AT ALL. CHECH ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH, CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE, AND AS SOON AS CHECK ENGINE STOPPED BLINKING AND LIGHT REMAINED ON, THE CAR RAN SMOOTHLY. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE FIRST. THE THIRD INCIDENT THE CAR DID THE SAME EXACT THING BUT THIS TIME IT STALLED OUT AS WELL. 4TH TIME WAS VERY MUCH LIKE THE FIRST TWO. HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

REPEATED EPISODES W/OUT RESOLUTION. CAR WILL STALL AT ANY GIVEN TIME WITH NO WARNING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKS AND CAR WILL LOOSE POWER OR COMPLETELY STALL. NO WARNING, NO BRAKES, NO REASON AFTER REPEATED VISITS TO DEALER. MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN, CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN .

CONSUMER NOTICED RUST ON THE ENGINE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED ANDTOLD CONSUMER TO LOOK OVER THE RUST. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NO SUMMARY

ENGINE FAILED , LOUD KNOCKING AT ENGINE STARTUP. SUBARU REPLACED ENTIRE ENGINE SHORT-BLOCK AT 18K MILES. REPLACEMENT ENGINE FAILED AT 19K MILES OPERATION WITH SAME PROBLEM (OR 37K MILES ON CAR). SUBARU CLAIMS IT IS A PISTON RELATED PROBLEM. AFTER MANY COMPLAINTS TO SUBARU, THEY HAVE AGREED TO REPAIR IT. CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER GETTING NEW: PISTONS, PINS, RODS AND BEARINGS AS NEEDED. THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM THAT SUBARU IS NOW TELLING DEALERS AND OWNERS "IT IS A NORMAL OPERATING NOISE IF THE NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER 5 MINUTES OF OPERATION". IT IS NOT NORMAL ! AND IN MY OPINION WILL ONLY GET WORSE IF NOT REPAIRED. I PLAN TO SELL MY CAR AFTER REPAIRED. *AK

COMPUTER SENSOR CONTROL UNIT FAILED.

ENGINE FAILED CAUSING NOISE DURING STARTUP IN COLD WEATHER.

ENGINE STALLS.