1998 SUBARU LEGACY Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

IT SEEMS AFTER 5 MINUTES OF INVESTIGATION THAT THERE IS THOUSANDS OF 1997 TO 2002 SUBARU OWNERS WHO ARE HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH OVER HEATING AND HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT. SUBARU REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE AN ISSUE OR DESIGN FLAW AND IS MAKING THE CUSTOMER BARE THE COST OF REPAIRING A FAULTY HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. EVEN REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET DOES NOT INSURE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL BE DEALT WITH AND NO FURTHER TROUBLE WILL BE HAD. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

1 X OVERHEATED ON A HOT DAY, HEADING UP A HILL. NOTICED HIGH TEMP AND TURNED ON HEATER, WAITED FOR CAR TO COOL, ADDED H2O. 2 MONTHS LATER, DRIVING ON A HOT DAY WITH AC ON, SUDDEN CLICKING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, LOST POWER, SMOKE, STOPPED. TOWED TO GARAGE THAT SPECIALIZES IN SUBARU AND THEY FOUND HOLE IN HEAD GASKET. REPAIRS TO COST $3K AND THIS IS SOMETHING THEY SEE 2X A WEEK WITH SUBARU VEHICLES. FOUND A WEB SITE WHERE DOZENS OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THE SAME ISSUE OVER THE YEARS. SUBARU APPARENTLY HAS A RECALL ON 1999-2002 VEHICLES, BUT NOT OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. SUBARU SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THE PARTS ON THIS WIDESPREAD AND KNOWN ISSUE! *TR

Mileage: 85,000

MY 98 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK 2.5 LITER, 144K MILES WAS SPORADICALLY OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THROUGH A SNOW/RAIN STORM. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD GO UP, AND THE CABIN HEATER WOULD START PRODUCING COOL AIR. I PULLED OVER AND LET IT COOL DOWN, FILLED THE RADIATOR BACK UP WITH WATER (IT HAD OVERFLOWED) AND DROVE SLOWLY HOME. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC, HE SUGGESTED WHEN HEARING THE SYMPTOMS THAT IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, AND THAT THIS SUBARU ENGINE WAS NOTORIOUS FOR THIS. HE EVEN SUGGESTED A CLASS ACTION SUIT. AFTER HE CHECKED IT OUT, IT WAS INDEED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. AFTER SOME WEB RESEARCH ON CAR FORUMS, I FOUND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE. *NM

Mileage: 144,000

CAR OVERHEATED, TOOK TO DEALERSHIP. CALLED NEXT DAY AND INFORMED THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. AFTER DISCUSSING, THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEAD GASKETS. KNOWING ABOUT CARS, THIS SEEMED STRANGE TO ME THAT BOTH WERE BLOWN AT SAME TIME - IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT DEALERSHIP POINTED OUT TO ME THAT SUBARU IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HEAD GASKETS AND THAT THIS IS NOT AN USUSUAL PROBLEM. REPLACEMENT COST WAS $2200.

Mileage: 150,000

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS REGISTERING HOT ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK......IT WAS NECESSARY TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE AND REPLACE ALL THE GASKETS/HOSES/RADIATOR/WATER PUMP/THERMOSTAT, AS WELL AS THE COOLANT AND OIL. FROM JANUARY 2004 TO SEPTEMBER 2004, SUBARU REPLACED 13 HEAD GASKETS ON OUTBACKS, AND VINTAGES FROM 1996-1998, AND A MILEAGE FROM 60,000 MILES-90,000 MILES. THIS REPRESENTED A SERIOUS MANUFACTING DEFECT, IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER WITH A RECALL NOTICE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BLOW OUT. *AK UPDATED 02/24/06

Mileage: 72,580

OIL LEAKING FROM OIL PUMP. THE LEAKING OIL COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE HEADER AND BURNS. *JB

Mileage: 70,000

VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ANT FREEZE, WHICH WAS SPLASHING ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS RESULTED IN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READING HOT. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, AND WAS REPLACED. *AK

Mileage: 105,000

COOLANT LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE GASKET HEAD/GAS, AND HOLES. *AK *JB

Mileage: 108,000

VEHICLE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF HEAD GASKETS, AS PART OF THE ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM. ORIGINAL SERVICE COMPLAINT WAS THE " CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON". AFTER THREE DAYS AT DEALER SERVICE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS NEEDED REPLACEMENT FOR THE COST OF $ 2,700.00. BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE GASKETS. LABOR WILL INVOLVE 3 DAYS. THE DEALER HAS ADMITTED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE SUBARU AND MODELS FROM 1999 WILL BE COVERED. I FEEL THE COST IS EXCESSIVE BECAUSE OF A DESIGN DEFECT. I AM WILL TO PAY BUT NOT $ 2,700.00. I WAS EXPECTING $ 400-$500 DOLLARS. FOR A $ 20.00 DOLLAR SEAL! WHILE NOT A SAFETY DEFECT; IT CERTAINLY IS A DESIGN DEFECT! *JB

Mileage: 149,000

HEAD GASKET FAILURE. *JB

Mileage: 108,096

DEALER WROTE: "NOISE FROM VALVE TRAIN...ADVISED OWNER THESE ARE SOLID LIFTERS AND ARE NOISY WHEN COLD, ALSO CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS ENGINE IS 'CAM WALK' WHICH ALSO WILL BE NOISY FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN COLD THEN GOES AWAY." THAT WA AT 48.5 K MILES, NOW AT 53000 MILES, NOISE IS MUCH LOUDER WHEN COLD, AND STILL PERCEPTABLE WHEN WARM. BOUGHT CAR USED FORM DEALER--RESALE VALUE IS NOW MUCH LOWER DUE TO NOISE. THEIR EXPLANATION IS NONSENSICAL. OBVIOUSLY DUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE--I WROTE TO SUBARU USA AND THEY REFERED ME BACK TO DEALER.*AK

Mileage: 48,528

AT THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY, 2003, BLOWN ENGINE IN A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5 GT. DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO COLD WEATHER IN THE NORTHEAST, AND THAT THERE WERE 4 OTHER SUBARU'S WITH BLOWN ENGINES IN HIS LOT AWAITING REPAIR. I HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED WITH A 1999 SUBARU AT A TRUSTED MECHANIC'S (AT A COST OF $4000), AND TODAY THE ALTERNATOR ON THIS 1999 ENGINE DIED ( THIS HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE '98 SUBARU'S). *JB

Mileage: 78,000

ASKED DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT KNOCKING NOISE IN ENGINE 2 YEARS AGO, NO PROBLEM IDENTIFIED. ASKED ANOTHER AUTOMOBILE REPAIR FACILITY ABOUT THE NOISE AND THEY CLAIM SUBARU HAD A HISTORY OF PISTON SLAP THAT WILL EVENTUALLY GET WORSE RESULTING IN BURNING OIL AND ENGINE DAMAGE. *JB

Mileage: 35,000

ENGINE NOISE WHEN COLD. SOUNDS LIKE A LIFTER IS STICKING. IT DISAPATES WHEN THE ENGINE WARMS UP, HOWEVER, CAN LAST UP TO 15 MINUTES OR LONGER DEPENDING OH HOW COLD THE ENGINE WAS WHEN STARTED. WHEN I DROVE THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ITS 30000 SERVICE, I THOUGHT A ROD WAS GOING TO SHOOT THROUGH THE ENGINE WALL..IT WAS THAT NOISY. IT LASTED AT LEAST 10 MILES OF DRIVING UNTIL THE NOISE DISAPATED. THIS AUTO WAS PURCHASED BY MY MOTHER IN LAW (NOW DECEASED), IS IN HER ESTATE AND HAS TWO MONTHS BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR DUE TO ALLEGED SUBARU BULLETIN. SUBARU OF AMERICA SAYS IT IS NORMAL, WILL NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM OVER THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE, HOWEVER CLAIMS THEY HAVE NOT PRODUCED NOR WILL PRODUCE A SUBARU BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL OPERATING NOISE AND IT WILL NO DOUBT DAMAGE THE ENGINE OVER TIME. I WOULD NOT BUY THIS CAR WITH THIS SOUND AND WOULD NOT EXPECT ANYONE INCLUDING ANY SUBARU DEALER OR SUBARU OF AMERICA TO PURCHASE WITH THIS ENGINE NOISE, LET ALONE TRY TO SELL ONE IN THIS CONDITION. IN MY MIND IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND A RESPONSIBILITY OF SUBARU TO FIX. THIS IS A PROBLEM SUBARU NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN INFERIOR ENGINE DESIGN. OR POST A WARNING ON EVERY CAR WARNING POTENTIAL BUYERS THAT THEIR CAR MAY DEVELOP AN ENGINE NOISE DUE TO ENGINE DESIGN, THAT WILL EFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO SELL THE CAR AT A LATER DATE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING A TAPPING NOISE IS COMING FROM ENGINE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER CANNOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

ENGINE WAS DIED.

THE FR0NT MAIN SEAL FAILED REPAETEDLY (3 TIMES) RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. NLM

COMMENTS FROM THE DEALERS INVOICE: 671 MILES: CHECKED FOR OIL LEAK, FOUND FLUID LEAKING FROM POWER STEERING RACK. REMOVED AND REINSTALLED RACK ASSEMBLY.671 MILES: I COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. ADVISED IT WAS POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ONTO EXHAUST. 944MILES: OIL LEAKING FROM ENGINE DOWN ONTO EXHAUST. FOUND LEAK AT TOP OF ENGINE ON THE RIGHT SIDE NEAR REAR OIL GALLEY PLUG. DISASSEMBLE ENGINE COMPLETE DOWN TO SHORT BLOCK. REPLACE SHORT BLOCK AND ALL NECESSARY GASKETS AND SEALS. REASSEMBLE ENGINE. 944 MILES: I COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. THIS TIME TOLD IT WAS BURNING OIL GETTING INTO VENTS BEFORE ENGINE REPAIR.6195 MILES,03/27/98: COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. DASH ASSEMBLY DISASSEMBLED, CLEANED, REASSEMBLED. 7173 MILES: COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELL IN VENTS. WORKING WITH ZEXEL REP. ON A/C SYSTEM LOCATED LEAK AT EVAPORATOR COOLING UNIT. REMOVE AND REPLACE RECEIVER DRIER AND A/C COMPRESSOR. REASSEMBLE. 8009 MILES: I COMPLAINED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. TOLD POSSIBLE THAT FUEL TANK CAP WAS NOT ON TIGHT. 10185MILES 08/06/98: I COMPLAINED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL STAYS ON: FOUND REAR 0-2 SENSOR TO HAVE SLOW RESPONSE TIMES. REMOVE AND REINSTALL REAR 0-2 SENSOR. 8485 MILES COMPLAINED OF BURNING SMELL FROM UNDER HOOD. TOLD INNER AXLE BOOT LEAKING. INNER AXLE CV BOOT GREASE IN FRONT REPLACED. 29901MILES: RECALL CAMPAIGN WXQ74 MASTER CYLINDER. PERFORM WXQ-74 AND INSTALL LABEL. 39150 MILES: COMPLAINED ABOUT RATTLING NOISE FROM REAR AXLE. CHECKED REAR DIFFERENTIAL, HEARD PINION BEARING TO BE NOISY. REPLACED REAR DIFFERENTIAL. WARRANTY EXPIRED. 45330 MILES: MY ALTENATOR FAILED. I WAS TOWED 15 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP, AT A COST OF $140 DOLLARS, AND PAID 294.35 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPLACED. AT THE TIME I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON BOTH 1996 AND 1997 ALTENATORS BUT NOTHING ON THE 1998'S. LAST WEEK I GOT A LETTER FROM SUBARU INFORMING ME THAT SOME 1998'S MAY REQUIRE ALTENATOR REPLACEMENTS. *AK

ENGINE PISTON NOISE CONTINUAL, CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE IN TO DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS, DEALERSHIP AND MANFACTURER STATE THAT THE ENGINE NOISE IS DUE TO THE NEW EFFICIENT DESIGN OF THE ENGINE. *JB

I AM GETTING A LOUD SLAPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE ON COLD STARTS IT LAST FOR ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES OR UNTILL THE ENGINE WARMES UP,THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS A PISTON SLAP AND THAT IS NORMAL. I DO NOT AGREE, WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR IT DID NOT HAVE THAT NOISE ,AND IT IS GETTING LOUDER ,I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED ,MY WARRANTEE WILL EXPIRE SOON

THE OBD SYSTEM INDICATES CHECK ENGINE. THE ENGINE LOOSES POWER AND THE CARS ACCELERATION BECOMES VERY WEAK. THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED AND THE ENGINE WILL EITHER CONTINUE TO MALFUNCTION OR WILL RUN NORMALLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL ($600) BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. NOW SUBARU SAYS THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANY MALFUNCTION. WHEN THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS WITHOUT WARNING IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I CANNOT TRUST THIS CAR TO GET ME SAFELY TO MY DESTINATION.

LOUD ENGINE KNOCKING AT START-UP/SUBARU HAS "INTERNAL" SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPLACE PISTONS?*AK

HOT BURNING SMELL IN THE CABIN AND OUTSIDE OF CAR,SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE SHOP. *AK

TIRES LOST NEARLY ALL AIR WITHIN 2,000 MILE OF CHECKING;HAD TO REPLACE;THEY WENT TO STEEL BAR AT 18000 MILES; FUMES INSIDE CABIN FROM PURCHASE OF CAR;FELL ASLEEP AT WHEEL SEVL TIMES; ROMANIA SUBARU IN EUGENE WOULDN'T FIX ON 2 VISITS;3RD VISIT, FOUND LEAK;STILL HAVE FUMES INSIDE CABIN AND MORE IF WINDOW IS DOWN ON PASS SIDE;NO ONE CAN FIX THE OPEN WINDOW FUME PROBLEM;INSIDE-FOUND CRANKCASE LEAKING ON EXHAUST SYST;COSMOLENE OVERLOAD, BUT STILLHAVE BURNING EYES AND SORE THROAT;CAN'T FIND PROBLEM;BRAKES WENT TO FLOOR-REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER PER RECAL;WINDSHIELD FROM PURCHASE,COULDN'T SEE THROUGH;BAD FILM;PURCHASED A NEW ONE RECENTLY;CAR HESITATES AND SURGES FORWARD;SUBARU SAYS THIS IS NORMAL( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 185 70 R14 )

THE CAR DEVELOPED A LEAK AT THE OIL FILTER (LEE MAXI FILTER) WHERE IT MEETS THE ENGINE. THE LEAK STARTED SMALL AND GREW STEADILY LARGER (10 EXTRA QUARTS OF OIL WERE NEEDED TO GO THE LAST 50 MILES). THIS OCCURRED TOWARD THE END OF MY TRIP, AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 140 MILES. I KNOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL PREVIOUSLY ON THE SUBARU BRAND FILTER (1998) FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, BUT I HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A LEE BRAND FILTER, WHICH I HAD BUT ON 2100 MILES EARLIER. UP UNTIL THIS TIME, NO LOSS OF OIL HAD OCCURRED WITH THIS FILTER OR WITH PREVIOUS OIL CHANGES (I HAD JUST CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL A FEW DAYS EARLIER). I BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE A LARGER PROBLEM HERE, OTHER THAN THE SUBARU BRAND FILTER FROM THE RECALL. YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN AUTO QUESTION AND ANSWER AREA IN THE FRIDAY JULY 23 ISSUE OF THE NEWSPAPER "NEWSDAY" (LONG ISLAND, NY WWW.NEWSDAY.COM). THE VERY FIRST QUESTION IS FROM AN OWNER OF A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY WHO HAD AN OIL LEAK ATTRIBUTED TO THE FILTER, AND HAD TO HAVE HIS CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. HE MENTIONED THAT THE DEALER REQUIRED HIM TO PAY FOR THE TOWING AND REPAIR, AS THE OIL FILTER THAT FAILED WAS NOT A SUBARU OIL FILTER. SINCE THIS IS ANOTHER INCIDENT INVOLVING A NON SUBARU FILTER FAILURE. THIS MAY INDICATE THAT OTHER BRAND FILTERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR ITSELF, AND NOT THE FILTER. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY PARKED, WAITING FOR ME TO GET OFF OF WORK TO PUT ON A NEW FILTER (FRAM BRAND). I DID NOTICE THAT THE RUBBER GASKET ON THE FRAM FILTER IS MUCH TALLER THAN THE LEE BRAND FILTER GASKET. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS ANY RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROBLEM. CAN YOU ADVISE ME IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE FROM PEOPLE WHO EITHER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH A SUBARU FILTER NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL OR WITH A LEE MAXI FILTER OR OTHER NON SUBARU FILTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. (I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH VIN NUMBER IN THE NEAR FUTURE)

GREASE SEALS ON DRIVE SHAFT FAILED. YH

SUNROOF DRAINLINES WERE REPAIRED TWICE, DUE TO LEAKAGE, DEALER BELIEVES THAT THE WINDSHIELD INSTALLER CAUSED THEM TO BE DISCONNECTED. CV JOINT LEAKING DUE TO FREEZE PLUG IN THE CV JOINTS, REPLACE BUT LEAKS WORSE. INSTALLED A BATTERY HOLD DOWN, TOP DEFROSTER LINE REPAIRED TWICE, SMELL OF BURNING OIL.

OIL LEAK FROM OIL FILTER SEAM, CAUSING FIRE. (QCAW)