as a owner of the 1st gen FRS who had an engine failure due to the RTV failure. During my Rebuild its INSANE how much the engine is held together with RTV. the headgasket and valve cover gasket are the only gaskets in the engine that isnt RTV. The oil pan is RTV, the upper oil pan is RTV, block halves are RTV, Timing cover is RTV, Rear cam cover is RTV, the valve craddle is RTV. I swear 90% of the rtv issues would be eleminated if they actually used premade cork/rubber gaskets.
And i got berated by subi fan boys b4 on my fa20 rod bearing issues. You didn't do this to it it, that to it, you drove like xyz, you didn't change oil. Nice when facts are more sufficient then ego and emotion. I've had a dozen cars including focus st and supercharged Mercedes and only car I've ever had issues with was a wrx. Not saying there isn't workarounds but from factory, their ass and also without a GOOD tuner, you risk having warranty axed.
@JonBonazza the 1st gen did infact have issues. It's was HIGHLY advised for toyota and scion owners to take the car to subaru for the 13' recall and for any serious engine work. As subaru was more "light on the hands" when it came to re-apply thr rtv sealant. Since they work on suabrus all the time they knew
the good thing about RTV gaskets is they are almost 0.000" thick and they can fill very tiny inconsistencies in the sealing surface, unlike dry paper gaskets. I worked at a honda dealer and we would use hondabond during timing belt jobs or pan re-seals and fire it up once we put it back together, no wait, never had issues and would seal everytime in my cases. Edit: Ultra black and Ultra Grey are pretty good for parts store.
Yeah they never had it issue With the turbo one Only the non turbo one Because they were using paper gaskets It was never a issue with the turbo The guy has to get his facts straight before he talks about something
What up. I drove my 2004 WRX off the lot brand new and I have 212k miles on it in the past 20 years. Regular oil changes at 3k-4k miles and performed all the fluid changes at the recommended intervals. It never let me down because I took care of it. I ordered a 2024 BRZ TS two weeks ago and I can't wait!
I've had my 05 sti for 17 yrs and have never had an issue. I've only put 19k miles on it in all these yrs and only 3800 miles since 2014 lol it stays in my climate controlled garage just ready for whenever I want to take a cruise by the beach here in NC
I bought my WRX in 2008, also new, ...I never changed oil for the first three years, made 50k miles during that time and even today at 296k my WRX motor is like new! Lesson here: don't believe everything people write on the internet, especially regarding Subaru engines. There are plenty of Subaru shils around the net.
They're made to be semi-quick economy road cars and they do that great. Yes, once you increase grip substantially, the oiling system can't keep up. Yes, once you push substantially more power, the trans and radiator can't keep up. And on and on. And yes, subaru could have fixed all those problems and given you BMW-levels of reliability at high power, but the car would have cost BMW money. Everything's a balance.
Yeah agree, the sti fixes a handful of problems i.e transmission failure, but even with that option available people will buy the WRX because the cost of admission is cheaper 👌
@Coryw133 and maintenance. Wrx brakes do fine for me. The price difference of my hatch vs an sti hatch in same condition was about 8-10k. I can do the trans swap for much less than that 🤷♂️
The latest BRZ/FRS engines aside, the majority of the problems with Subaru engines come from Subaru owners. I have a Stage 2 2005 STI with almost 150k miles on the original engine, transmission, and turbo. I haven't had a head gasket fail, or a spun bearing, or a ring land failure, or anything else that people claim are guaranteed to happen to these vehicles. How? Well, four things. 1. Modify Subarus like they're Subarus, not like they're Hondas (or any other vehicle you've modified before). Do not change anything that touches metered air without getting a tune. I don't care what the internet tells you, if it's the exhaust, intake, PCV system, etc. GET IT TUNED FOR THOSE SPECIFIC PARTS. If you get an off the shelf tune, buy all of the parts from that manufacturer. They'll test with their own parts, so use those. Whatever your tuner tells you to do, do it. Your engine is in their hands, so don't act like you know better if you don't know enough to tune it yourself (and chances are, most can't). 2. Keep up with maintenance. This should go without saying, but if the service interval says something should be done, do it. Don't sit on it for 30k miles and then wonder why you have problems later. If you're racing, use the "severe" intervals. 3. Street parts != Race parts. The oiling and PCV systems are reliable for STREET conditions, because that's what they're designed for. When you take the car to the track, you need to look at how these cars need to be modified for RACE conditions. That means upgrading the oil pickup, getting a baffled oil pan, and probably going to a thicker oil among other things. The factory specifies 5w-30 for street conditions, but on the track (for an STI), you need to be using a 5w-40 or even a 5w-50. Verify this with your tuner. You'll also want to get a large AOS or dual catch cans and TUNE FOR THEM. 4. Fix leaks and monitor your oil level. Always keep it topped up. Not just within the range, but topped up. Also, the head gasket issues are NOT for all EJ25__ engines. In fact, the fix to prevent head gasket issues was to chuck the composite head gasket and put on one made for the WRX or STI. If you have a WRX or STI, then this isn't a problem you need to worry about. They can be reliable, but you can't neglect them. Know the platform, maintain and tune it properly, and it won't give you problems.
In terms of oiling, I think Subaru should invest in making an economical dry sump solution. Claim it allows even lower mounting for even better handling etc.
Dry sumps setup would be amazing in all aspect from efficiency of ring seal, parasitic losses, rock steady oil pressure, ect. Could possibly see an increase in MPG of 5-10% but downfall is they are very expensive for a daily driver scenario, most aftermarket dry sumps have procedures for priming motor if vehicle sits for a couple days, pumps normally have to be rebuilt in event of engine failure, & engine sealing needs to be improved by going to rubber oring gaskets for the oil pan, front cover, case halves to ride use of rtv contaminants that could cause expensive damage to dry sump pump. I personally will be going dry sump on my 19 sti when it becomes full track car in couple yrs may be sooner once built motor goes in and I shake car down at willow springs, but won’t be very convenient to daily/street drive anymore that’s why I opted not too from the start, would still like to drive it to work once or twice a week, go to Vegas ect.
This was a really nice video. To be honest, as a subaru owner myself, I went into this bracing for a ton of slander lol. But, this was presented very fairly and reasonably. The truth is, the cars are cheap, engines are cheap, and there are a million of them out there. High volume and cheaper parts means lots of room for failure. I fortunately haven't had any issues but have known a lot who have. I've seen them blow at 8k miles and I've seen them kicking ass into 250+ k miles. Seems like it's a combination of luck and religious maintenence and research while modding. 10/10 video!
I've had my 05 sti for 10 years now it had a built motor with around 50k miles on it and too this day still runs cherry haven't had any issues pushing 427hp on pump so anyone saying subarus are unreliable then it justs show either they have know idea how to take care of their car or it does happen just bad luck bust 90 percent of the time its the owner not properly taking a care of the car or not properly building the engine
I feel as though the biggest "issue" with the boxer engines is that they need more regular maintenance than some other engines and some parts of them should have been upgraded from factory. But I'm not expert by any means.
Everyone I know with newer Subarus have had nothing but trouble with them, not so much head-gaskets, but basically everything else...Electrical problems, leaking fluids, oil burning, bearings failing by 30,000 miles, various module failures, etc...
Decent summary but a little inaccurate on the headgasket issues. It wasn't a multi-layered composite - it was just a single layer gasket with graphite coating. The MLS (multi layered steel) gaskets were good and all turbo models had the MLS. The MLS HGs fail at a similar rate as the ones in a Toyota V6 that everyone raves about as being bulletproof. I have had many Subarus but only turbo models, so the whole headgasket issue is annoying since it only affected NA 2.5L. The bigger issue for the EJ257 is ring-land failure which you almost touched on. And as others have mentioned, oil pickup tube cracking is a big boogeyman that everyone warns about, yet I've never seen anyone have it happen including on 4 of my own pre-2008 turbo Subarus nor on the forums that I frequent.
Lol, that's what I thought... I was thinking I could be wrong but anyway !! I'm a Subaru dealer tech and the only headgasket failure I saw since about 6 years were on overheated engine due to a coolant leaks.
I owned a 17 STI, built the engine multiple times with different shops and head gaskets every 6 months and oil valves problems was constant. Selling it was the best decision I’ve ever made
No such thing as oil valves on an EJ unless you're talking about the AVCS system which is kind of like an oil valve. Also, head gaskets are not a problem on STI's. OEM HGs hold well over 500hp and you can upgrade to firelock and go well over 1000hp.
@@dogdog4173as someone who has 54k mi on my 2019 sti, factory sealed longblock and 40k+ of those miles at 550whp/481wtq with over 1k power pulls, headgaskets are not an issues! Baseline for dyno stock car is 205-210whp BTW. I also have a built destroked ej25 2.34L sitting in my garage that has firelock & personally know people who have pushed over 65psi boost with firelock headgaskets if tuned right u won’t lift a head & blow headgaskets. I’ve made 500whp on 4 factory motors on my own cars since 06, & was in the 700whp realm back in 2010.
I have a LOT of respect for SUBARU, but I think their biggest mistake is to treat WRX(sti) almost on the same level as all the other models, from the things they are trying to improve from year to year; they want better fuel economy (implies a lot of small changes not made for relliability and performance), they are making everything to keep they production price low, they want the car to be safer and they certainly do NOT like seeing getting their car properties modified. I'll give one example, they known for years that their fueling piping setup is creating weird short terms fluctations in the fuel rails, but instead of really fixing the problems, they just use some turn -arounds, because it already "works" the way it is and they have to use some production Costs on other things like fuel "economy"...they even created a fuel map that kick on on certain specific RPMs/Load/injection time etc to reduce the effect of those fluctuations... One good thing they did is improve the speed as which the oil get back into the sump using a scavenge pump, but it doesnt solve every failure for sure ! Every improvements they do MUST have to be related to Effficency and Safety unless it wont (probably) be considered.
I have been driving Subaru for over 20 years. I have NEVER had an engine blow up. Yes, they used to have gasket issues but that was fixed years ago. Subaru makes good, reliable engines. 2011 outback went 11 years 255,000 km no problems….just one example.
I have a 2022 Ascent, regular oil changes, just hit 60,466 miles, and it’s in the service center at this moment with a blown engine. The tech cannot tell me what caused the failure.
I’ve had my 18 Sti for 3 years now, I’m the 3rd owner and has never left me stranded, but it is also stock w just the Grimmspeed drop in filter. Also I do my oil changes every 5k💀
I’m curious if after cleaning the RTV sealant on the oil pan and changing to a 5w-30 full synthetic oil for the GR86/BRZ would be better for engine longevity and reliability (to an extent)
0w-20 is fine for daily driving. 5w-30 would be good for track. Most of the RTV isn't actually from the oil pan, but other parts of the motor that get filtered down into the pan. After breaking the engine in and dropping the pan to clean out any excess, RTV shouldn't ever be an issue again. Second and third pan drops reveal little to no new RTV flakes.
5w40 would be even better for longevity, but hurts the MPG and power output slightly. If I was revving my GR86 past 5k a lot, I'd use Motul 5w40 and a good oil filter, not the Subaru blue (FRAM) ones, and monitor oil pressure (add a gauge).
@@sssnake2332 that’s what I was reading on the forums that a lot of people for daily driving use 5w30 and if they drive it “like they stole it” or track it once every few months they’ll use 5w40 for peace of mind. I’m more inclined to run 5w30 for daily driving just to be safe.
@@MikeBonacasa That's what I do with my gen 1 BRZ, especially because I live in a hotter climate, It lets me drive it how I want when it cools down as well
As someone who has owned Subarus since 06, & had a 2014 frs as a commuter/beater I’ve ran mobil 1 0w40 forever, sold my FRs to a buddy with 202k miles & still ran flawless just cosmetic beat up from LA freeway tires/ debris. Car seen tons of drifting shenanigans ect amazing car. I also have built wrx sti for time attack/track use & when done right and maintained properly won’t have issues. I have 54k mi on my 2019 wrx sti with over 40k mi at 550whp/481wtq factory sealed motor, that has seen over 1k power pulls baseline for stock car is 205-210whp on dyno i tuned on BtW. But I have a built destroked ej25 2.34L ready to go in for more power. But have made over 500whp on all 4 of my STI to have fun since 06 along with many others I have built.
Everyones experience is different but im at 243k miles on a 97 legacy all original with a NA/T setup, long block unopened. A 09 daily with 180k miles all original, and a 11 wrx 122k miles all original. Transmissions and engines have been fine. Maintainence and not being a dill hole. The 97bwith the NA/T setup i do beat the shit out of though. Bought a new (to me) ej22e long block the week i boosted the original engine expecting it to go but 5 years of boost later the spare engine has just been collecting dust in storage.
A bit disingenuous about oil consumption due to thinner 0w20 oil and low-tension oil rings. Subaru is by no means the only manufacturer to have issues with consumption - BMW is another notorious oil user (they even offer an optional trunk mounted rack that is designed to hold 2 quarts of oil for those "oh, crap, I need oil!" days). Lexus is another as are Toyota, Mazda and others. A simple research into this clears this up. Oil return to sump issues? Gravity works on all engines - boxer style engines included (see: Continental, Rotax, Porsche, Lycoming, et al.) have no issues with lack of gravity for oil return to sump. Subaru had a problem with the pickup tube brazed joint on some engines sucking air but gravity was and is not a problem (Issac Newton would agree). As for head gaskets Subaru allowed that one to go on too long but I have also had head gasket failures on three early '90s Toyota engines in Celica's that I've owned, all occurring around 100k miles so there's that. So, do Subaru engines blow up? Yep, some "smart guys" trying to pull 400 to 500 wheel horsepower and more out of them using aftermarket crap do it all the time. That is not a Subaru issue.
My Honda Civic SI also likes oil and it is just at 100 000 km. If you drive the car hard red line the engine every time you shift it will consume oil this is normal. Normal oil consumption in high performance engine is to be expected especially if you use the power .
On my third Subaru. The first was an Impreza 2.5i which was fairly reliable up until the catalytic converter shit the bed and needed to be replaced. Traded that car in for a brand new 2016 Impreza 2.0 base which was the most reliable car I ever had. Now I have a 2023 WRX Premium that I have no plans to tune except maybe the steering and suspension. But it's early to tell how this one will do. Never had any engine problems except an oil leak in the 2016 that was covered under warranty.
For the love of god, before you tune it, just go STRAIGHT to a tuner, let them know what you want from it, and then just buy the parts he tells you to buy. Don't do what most people do and just buy whatever parts the internet it crazy about at that moment in time. Get what they know works and what's reliable. You'll thank yourself later. (See Cylinder 4 cooling mods actually causing coolant flow issues. I was going to buy one until my tuner said he tested it and identified issues. He doesn't recommend them, so I'm not buying it.)
You didnt even talk about coolant starvation of the 4th cylinder and detonation issues caused by stock unequal length headers, or even the crappy ass oil pickup and baffle.
@ any side feed. I had mine stick open stock then sent them out to get modded and cleaned they lasted another couple years but stuck open. Went too feed and never happened againZ but it hydrolocks fills the cylinder with fuel every time,
I am driving Subaru's since 2007. The first one in Germany mostly Autobahn at an average speed of 100 mph. Put 200000 miles on it. Coldest winter and hot summers. Not a single issue. And so with the ones after that. Porsche uses the same basic boxer engine design and dont blow up.
I say if you aren't well educated enough on building an EJ you probably shouldn't do it. Also you can also have an external headgasket leak with oil instead of coolant, which is really the best case scenario.
I have a 2013 WRX STI the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned if you don't count my awful Fiat 128. It goes through oil like a 2 stroke; it threw a cam belt at 16K miles, which the dealer didn't want to cover because I changed the oil myself, which is illegal under Federal law, but the dealer didn't care. Mine currently has something weird wrong with it. It sat during COVID and ended up with a dead battery ever since, despite recoding it multiple times still acts up. I will never buy another Subaru.
Subaru engines/trans are build to do what they are designed to do. As soon as you put more power in they start to break. Just look at how flimsy everything is. This is not a small block chev where you can triple the engine power and the block is just fine.
Its so sad how Donut tried to get people pumped about wrx's only to show episode after episode why the wrx just ISN'T a sportscar. Subie fanboys clamor to defend it, stating how all you have to do is replace EVERYTHING on the car, and then its a great sportscar. 5:10 "Originally the head gaskets for these engines were made of a multi layered composite material." Oh, really? A composite of what and what? You cant just say it was made out of a multilayed composite material like that means something. Was it made of layers of chalk covered in peanut butter? Cuz that would be a multi-layered composite material. Not a very good one, but still. All you're really saying here is it was made out of... stuff. WOW!!! Stuff?! I never would have guessed!!! But I thought all head gaskets were made of... stuff...
What weight of oil does everyone use in their WRX vehicles over 100K? I did a search & found a few recommendations. The following came up a few times: > Mobil 1 Extended Performance is a great choice for the WRX. > It is 5W-30 and has an API SN Plus certification.
You can't hardly beat the versatility of these cars. I've had 2 very reliable and efficient wrx's. Leave them alone and regular maintenance and they're fine. You want luxury or 400-600 hp for drag racing, get a American muscle car. I've see them blow up too when messed with for more power.
really wish people didn't take examples of reliability from modded subarus my dad has owned his 2020 subaru wrx sti for close to 4 years now (he bought it new) and he takes care of it he takes it in every time it needs an oil change or spark plugs and it has not even shown a single check engine light in his car he hasn't even put wheels on the car it is completely stock and he plans on keeping it that way and he doesnt drive it crazy either he has done donuts in it once. turns out when you take car of a car it doesnt try to explode
Subaru not being dogshit might stop ppl talking shit bout them. All will be electric due to the new world order agenda 2030 soon, so at least no-one will own a pos Subaru and act happy.
man, this only scratches the surface of subaru engine issues. Broken pickup tubes are common, you touched on oil scavenging issues, but high G turns without oil pan baffling will also kill them quickly. The aftermarket "preventative" mods dont do shit either. AOS, Cyl 4 cooling mod, e85, forged bottom end.... none of them make a difference, motors still going to pop eventually.
I've had my WRX for nearly 5 years and the only issues I've ever run into with this car are usually after changing things. I ran an off the shelf tune for the longest and though it might not have been the main factor to my I blew a clutch or how I managed to kill a Rod Bearing, but assuming that using Factory spec oil or beating on the transmission like a "race car" would allow the car to last more than the 43,000 miles I got it to before I had the motor rebuilt was my mistake. I truly fell in love with the handling characteristics and how the powerband feel (after proper mods and a proper tune to fit). Yes, I'm aware there's better cars out there but with the way the market has been I happy where I'm at. Moral of the story: Just do the right maintenance and the car will be fine.
I have two subarus and both have been money pits. I follow maintenance to the letter. But tons of problems even so. Will never buy another one. If you're considering buying one, do yourself a favor and don't.
My 2010 Outback 2.5i with the CVT has 226k miles and counting. keeping my fingers crossed, but I also keep up with fluid changes. coolant, brake fluid, cvt drain and fill, diff fluid, motor oil every 4k or 4 months. I *think* the head gaskets were replaced at one point before I bought this car lmao. On it's third timing belt now.
Subaru's biggest weakness: Crappy owners who try to push stock engine above it's capacity and are surprised it gives out, other crappy owners who drive constantly at 4-5k+ revs and think it shouldn't do anything to engine, other crappy owners who don't take proper care of the engine, other crappy owners who slap mods on it without knowing what they are doing. I've seen way too many using stock block/internals never run into a issue because of good maintenance and care, my 2008 wrx has never has an issue and I push her daily. The car itself is not the issue.
No issues with my 2015 STI. 20g turbo, killer b headers, ETS TMIC, pro tune, and supporting mods. Whole year on the set up. Driven hard. I just check my oil and don’t run it too hard when it’s really hot or humid. 125k when modded. Now it’s as 145k.
Funny, I have a 2016 wrx with full bolt ons and E50 tune. Stock oil pan and pump/ 160k miles on in and i track it several times a year. Never had any of the issues you have mention. The biggest problem with Subaru Engines is the driver!! PS...Why are you talking about a 20+ year old Engine? Focus RS anyone, Gasket problem on 60k car!
I like this channel, and don't even own a subaru, but the amount you guys rag on subarus is super annoying lol, we get it, you guys don't like them. Almost everything you say about them is true on different platforms aswell.
So I have a fb20 impreza for my commuter car. Its been super solid since I got it. I do the normal maintenance stuff and checki g the oil every 1200 miles or so like i did on my gti.
I will say this loud & clear! Most of the blown EJ motors are due to owners negligence & improper modifications, tuning/calibrations, maintenance! Myself along with many others have been pushing 500whp or more on factory motors since 06, yes life expectancy goes down due to increased cylinder pressure & distortion of the main tunnel/ cases but they will last if maintained/built properly! I currently have 54k miles on my 2019 sti at 550whp/481wtq factory sealed longblock. Baseline for dyno stock car is 205-210whp. Zero issues and still going after over 1k power pulls ect. It gets ripped on basically every day.
Idk I have a 2000 jdm gf8 sti with a v6 ej207. The engine itself has been flawless with 198xxx km in the odo. I will note that the 207 has steel head gaskets. Guess it sucks for the usdm guys
Cause they're dumb and cheap is sadly the answer. They use an engine design that has inherent oiling issues and they don't dish out the dollars to add components that would fix it, Porsche does and that's why they don't have those issues.
I had my first Impreza wagon for 18 years. Only put an ac compressor and rear bearings besides normal brakes etc. If I was smart enough to rust coat the thing it would still be in my driveway (Canada eh). Our Tribeca is almost at 300k km, has only needed a coil on plug and front strut mounts. Our 2018 Impreza hasn't needed anything. All used when purchased. Only once had any of these 3 not started and it was just a battery, those die in every car brand. They are reliable if you use them as intended and take care of them. I've had other makes that were extremely unreliable (Ford, Dodge, Pontiac) and others that were less reliable (Hyundai, Mazda, and yes a Toyota). For us it was an easy choice when choosing another car.
“You guys are wrong my cousin’s friends dad’s uncle owns a Subaru and has had zero issues. If you just keep up with the maintenance the RTV will magically not flake off into the oil pan. Subaru’s are more reliable than Toyota you just did everything wrong!”
I'm on my third Subaru, a 23 Outback Wilderness. Zero issues with the past 2 cars, (2013 impreza with 203k miles no issues with cvt or engine, and a 2015 forester xt with 133k miles and no issue. It's all about keeping up with maintenance and the car will last. This is more for the people who race/engine modify them that have issues and breakdowns. I have a buddy that still drives his 98 outback with 300k+ miles on it, still runs like a champ. He just got done lifting it as well. Both Toyota and Subaru are reliable just people who abuse them are the ones who puts a bad name on them IMO.
I'm running a stage 2 2005 STI with 150k miles on the original engine, transmission, and turbo. Haven't had head gasket issues, RTV issues, ring land failures, spun bearings, or any other major issues to date. I don't put parts on my car without a tune, I keep up with maintenance, and I don't race without parts Subarus need to go to the track. Chances are, if you blow up a Subaru engine, it's probably your fault. But hey, there are enough idiots on the internet to hop on the bandwagon with, so go ahead and blame the car.
@@ZzmaerD no there are literally videos of mechanics on UA-cam showing design flaws whether from head gaskets to RTV issue’s Subaru has. You can literally look it up they show you with diagrams as well.
In the past firat gen emissions and gas mileage wars. Companies would take cars with no air filters down dirt roads so the dust would basically polish the cylinders to reduce friction! Than test them to say it was this good!
please stop saying just the ej25 the only ej25s that had those headgasket issues were the non turbo ejs NOT the turbo ones like the engine in the wrx and sti
First of all when ever you do a video like this you better make sure you have done extensive research and provide plenty of details. With that said I will now go into providing the important relevant details you failed to mention. In reference to the oil starvation, the issue with the oil pick up being starved has to do with the oil pan design that has no baffles to prevent the oil from slushing around when cornering hard. However all Sti models have oil pans with baffles. You can actually retrofit a WRX with the same STI oil pan. Another issue with this area is the oil pickup it's self due to the weak factory welds. However the issue can be permanently fixed by replacing the oil pick up with a stronger made aftermarket pickup. In regards to the leaking head gaskets that issue was only found on NA engines that used those defective graphite coated gaskets. All turbo models have used multi layered steel gaskets. The only way those will fail is due to over boosting the engine with bad modifications or poor maintenance due to old corrosive coolant.
Saying the best most expensive model fixes the problems is not necessarily the best argument as it’s saying Subaru saw the problem and let it happen. Additionally the oil pick up thing is a huge problem and saying “a person can and should fix that in the aftermarket” doesn’t change the poor execution on Subarus part
@@BudderChicken101 The issue with the weak oil pickups would not me known until several years later when they failed. By then most of the affected generation have already ended production. At least there are high end aftermarket alternatives parts available to permanently address the issue. I recommend looking up an oil pick made by Killer Bee to see just how well made it is.
@@BudderChicken101 If you're going to race the car, buy a baffled oil pan. I don't understand why people will drop $800+ on summer tires that will wear out in 3-4 years but they won't spend the same or less money on a proper baffled oil pan and reinforced oil pickup tube to make sure your engine doesn't blow up. If you're not going to race the car, then the street parts are fine.
@@PocketDrummer agreed but most people buy the cheapest tires they can find in general or whatever tire shops have because they don’t know about upgrades and all that. You shouldn’t have to upgrade a car from factory to keep it from blowing up in general.
bollocks. EJs blow up because stupid owners dont use the stock filter or appropriate oil and engine builders have no clue when rebuilding them. The ej ENGINE IS A FANTASTIC DESIGN. Regards from an engineer
as a owner of the 1st gen FRS who had an engine failure due to the RTV failure. During my Rebuild its INSANE how much the engine is held together with RTV. the headgasket and valve cover gasket are the only gaskets in the engine that isnt RTV. The oil pan is RTV, the upper oil pan is RTV, block halves are RTV, Timing cover is RTV, Rear cam cover is RTV, the valve craddle is RTV. I swear 90% of the rtv issues would be eleminated if they actually used premade cork/rubber gaskets.
And i got berated by subi fan boys b4 on my fa20 rod bearing issues. You didn't do this to it it, that to it, you drove like xyz, you didn't change oil. Nice when facts are more sufficient then ego and emotion. I've had a dozen cars including focus st and supercharged Mercedes and only car I've ever had issues with was a wrx. Not saying there isn't workarounds but from factory, their ass and also without a GOOD tuner, you risk having warranty axed.
The first gen didnt bave rtv issues
@JonBonazza the 1st gen did infact have issues. It's was HIGHLY advised for toyota and scion owners to take the car to subaru for the 13' recall and for any serious engine work. As subaru was more "light on the hands" when it came to re-apply thr rtv sealant. Since they work on suabrus all the time they knew
What about exhaust manifold gaskets, intake manifold gaskets?
the good thing about RTV gaskets is they are almost 0.000" thick and they can fill very tiny inconsistencies in the sealing surface, unlike dry paper gaskets. I worked at a honda dealer and we would use hondabond during timing belt jobs or pan re-seals and fire it up once we put it back together, no wait, never had issues and would seal everytime in my cases. Edit: Ultra black and Ultra Grey are pretty good for parts store.
Headgasket issues mostly plague non-turbo EJ engines.
Yeah they never had it issue With the turbo one Only the non turbo one Because they were using paper gaskets It was never a issue with the turbo The guy has to get his facts straight before he talks about something
You're close but still not there.
It was only the NA 2.5L EJ.
Why Subaru kept using that single layer HG for like 10 years is the real question.
We had an '09 Legacy 2.5i whose headgasket went at 100k miles. I've had two EJ255 motors also that have never had head gasket issues.@@sssnake2332
@@sssnake2332 The Turbo ones never used that one
@@sssnake2332 Because it was not the gaskets fault?
I really hope MW gets big to keep it pumping content, Thanks Alex for bringing the boys back in a format we love
What up. I drove my 2004 WRX off the lot brand new and I have 212k miles on it in the past 20 years. Regular oil changes at 3k-4k miles and performed all the fluid changes at the recommended intervals. It never let me down because I took care of it. I ordered a 2024 BRZ TS two weeks ago and I can't wait!
I've had my 05 sti for 17 yrs and have never had an issue. I've only put 19k miles on it in all these yrs and only 3800 miles since 2014 lol it stays in my climate controlled garage just ready for whenever I want to take a cruise by the beach here in NC
Did you mod it?
@@Zeiss120I’m at 205k and I’m stage 2 + it would be fbo I just don’t have headers or front mount
I bought my WRX in 2008, also new, ...I never changed oil for the first three years, made 50k miles during that time and even today at 296k my WRX motor is like new! Lesson here: don't believe everything people write on the internet, especially regarding Subaru engines. There are plenty of Subaru shils around the net.
While the "taking care of it" is a requirement for anyone who cares about their car, it's not 100% a causation for engine failure in these cars.
They're made to be semi-quick economy road cars and they do that great. Yes, once you increase grip substantially, the oiling system can't keep up. Yes, once you push substantially more power, the trans and radiator can't keep up. And on and on. And yes, subaru could have fixed all those problems and given you BMW-levels of reliability at high power, but the car would have cost BMW money. Everything's a balance.
Spot on. This is exactly what nobody seems to understand.
100% agree 🫡
Yeah agree, the sti fixes a handful of problems i.e transmission failure, but even with that option available people will buy the WRX because the cost of admission is cheaper 👌
@Coryw133 and maintenance. Wrx brakes do fine for me. The price difference of my hatch vs an sti hatch in same condition was about 8-10k. I can do the trans swap for much less than that 🤷♂️
The latest BRZ/FRS engines aside, the majority of the problems with Subaru engines come from Subaru owners. I have a Stage 2 2005 STI with almost 150k miles on the original engine, transmission, and turbo. I haven't had a head gasket fail, or a spun bearing, or a ring land failure, or anything else that people claim are guaranteed to happen to these vehicles. How? Well, four things.
1. Modify Subarus like they're Subarus, not like they're Hondas (or any other vehicle you've modified before).
Do not change anything that touches metered air without getting a tune. I don't care what the internet tells you, if it's the exhaust, intake, PCV system, etc. GET IT TUNED FOR THOSE SPECIFIC PARTS. If you get an off the shelf tune, buy all of the parts from that manufacturer. They'll test with their own parts, so use those. Whatever your tuner tells you to do, do it. Your engine is in their hands, so don't act like you know better if you don't know enough to tune it yourself (and chances are, most can't).
2. Keep up with maintenance. This should go without saying, but if the service interval says something should be done, do it. Don't sit on it for 30k miles and then wonder why you have problems later. If you're racing, use the "severe" intervals.
3. Street parts != Race parts. The oiling and PCV systems are reliable for STREET conditions, because that's what they're designed for. When you take the car to the track, you need to look at how these cars need to be modified for RACE conditions. That means upgrading the oil pickup, getting a baffled oil pan, and probably going to a thicker oil among other things. The factory specifies 5w-30 for street conditions, but on the track (for an STI), you need to be using a 5w-40 or even a 5w-50. Verify this with your tuner. You'll also want to get a large AOS or dual catch cans and TUNE FOR THEM.
4. Fix leaks and monitor your oil level. Always keep it topped up. Not just within the range, but topped up.
Also, the head gasket issues are NOT for all EJ25__ engines. In fact, the fix to prevent head gasket issues was to chuck the composite head gasket and put on one made for the WRX or STI. If you have a WRX or STI, then this isn't a problem you need to worry about.
They can be reliable, but you can't neglect them. Know the platform, maintain and tune it properly, and it won't give you problems.
Agree 1000% 🤝
MotoIQ did the absolute most comprehensive video on Subaru and exactly WHY and What their problems are.
Not comprehensive. At all. In fact, glaring omissions.
In terms of oiling, I think Subaru should invest in making an economical dry sump solution. Claim it allows even lower mounting for even better handling etc.
Dry sumps setup would be amazing in all aspect from efficiency of ring seal, parasitic losses, rock steady oil pressure, ect. Could possibly see an increase in MPG of 5-10% but downfall is they are very expensive for a daily driver scenario, most aftermarket dry sumps have procedures for priming motor if vehicle sits for a couple days, pumps normally have to be rebuilt in event of engine failure, & engine sealing needs to be improved by going to rubber oring gaskets for the oil pan, front cover, case halves to ride use of rtv contaminants that could cause expensive damage to dry sump pump. I personally will be going dry sump on my 19 sti when it becomes full track car in couple yrs may be sooner once built motor goes in and I shake car down at willow springs, but won’t be very convenient to daily/street drive anymore that’s why I opted not too from the start, would still like to drive it to work once or twice a week, go to Vegas ect.
This was a really nice video. To be honest, as a subaru owner myself, I went into this bracing for a ton of slander lol. But, this was presented very fairly and reasonably.
The truth is, the cars are cheap, engines are cheap, and there are a million of them out there. High volume and cheaper parts means lots of room for failure. I fortunately haven't had any issues but have known a lot who have. I've seen them blow at 8k miles and I've seen them kicking ass into 250+ k miles. Seems like it's a combination of luck and religious maintenence and research while modding.
10/10 video!
I missed these kinds of videos from you guys . I'm glad they're back !
I've had my 05 sti for 10 years now it had a built motor with around 50k miles on it and too this day still runs cherry haven't had any issues pushing 427hp on pump so anyone saying subarus are unreliable then it justs show either they have know idea how to take care of their car or it does happen just bad luck bust 90 percent of the time its the owner not properly taking a care of the car or not properly building the engine
Subie need more love per gallon
🚗💥💨🔥
I feel as though the biggest "issue" with the boxer engines is that they need more regular maintenance than some other engines and some parts of them should have been upgraded from factory. But I'm not expert by any means.
Everyone I know with newer Subarus have had nothing but trouble with them, not so much head-gaskets, but basically everything else...Electrical problems, leaking fluids, oil burning, bearings failing by 30,000 miles, various module failures, etc...
Who?
Keep pushing out videos! Love what you guys do!
Meanwhile BaderBuilt’s Va Sti is pushing over 1000hp 😂
Decent summary but a little inaccurate on the headgasket issues. It wasn't a multi-layered composite - it was just a single layer gasket with graphite coating. The MLS (multi layered steel) gaskets were good and all turbo models had the MLS. The MLS HGs fail at a similar rate as the ones in a Toyota V6 that everyone raves about as being bulletproof.
I have had many Subarus but only turbo models, so the whole headgasket issue is annoying since it only affected NA 2.5L.
The bigger issue for the EJ257 is ring-land failure which you almost touched on.
And as others have mentioned, oil pickup tube cracking is a big boogeyman that everyone warns about, yet I've never seen anyone have it happen including on 4 of my own pre-2008 turbo Subarus nor on the forums that I frequent.
all these channels do 0 research before covering subarus lol
Lol, that's what I thought... I was thinking I could be wrong but anyway !! I'm a Subaru dealer tech and the only headgasket failure I saw since about 6 years were on overheated engine due to a coolant leaks.
On top of this my fa24d only after 20k miles my timing cover started leakihg massive amounts of oil.
Love informational vids. You should do something like this for honda
I owned a 17 STI, built the engine multiple times with different shops and head gaskets every 6 months and oil valves problems was constant. Selling it was the best decision I’ve ever made
No such thing as oil valves on an EJ unless you're talking about the AVCS system which is kind of like an oil valve.
Also, head gaskets are not a problem on STI's. OEM HGs hold well over 500hp and you can upgrade to firelock and go well over 1000hp.
Nothing that I love more than random internet ppl TELLING me what was wrong with MY car. 😂😂😂
@@dogdog4173as someone who has 54k mi on my 2019 sti, factory sealed longblock and 40k+ of those miles at 550whp/481wtq with over 1k power pulls, headgaskets are not an issues! Baseline for dyno stock car is 205-210whp BTW. I also have a built destroked ej25 2.34L sitting in my garage that has firelock & personally know people who have pushed over 65psi boost with firelock headgaskets if tuned right u won’t lift a head & blow headgaskets. I’ve made 500whp on 4 factory motors on my own cars since 06, & was in the 700whp realm back in 2010.
I have a LOT of respect for SUBARU, but I think their biggest mistake is to treat WRX(sti) almost on the same level as all the other models, from the things they are trying to improve from year to year; they want better fuel economy (implies a lot of small changes not made for relliability and performance), they are making everything to keep they production price low, they want the car to be safer and they certainly do NOT like seeing getting their car properties modified. I'll give one example, they known for years that their fueling piping setup is creating weird short terms fluctations in the fuel rails, but instead of really fixing the problems, they just use some turn -arounds, because it already "works" the way it is and they have to use some production Costs on other things like fuel "economy"...they even created a fuel map that kick on on certain specific RPMs/Load/injection time etc to reduce the effect of those fluctuations... One good thing they did is improve the speed as which the oil get back into the sump using a scavenge pump, but it doesnt solve every failure for sure ! Every improvements they do MUST have to be related to Effficency and Safety unless it wont (probably) be considered.
250k kilometers / 155k miles JDM Forester STI EJ255 TD05 18G turbo with 350hp and 500nm. Never blew up :) Even drove hard on the Nurburgring!
I have been driving Subaru for over 20 years. I have NEVER had an engine blow up. Yes, they used to have gasket issues but that was fixed years ago. Subaru makes good, reliable engines. 2011 outback went 11 years 255,000 km no problems….just one example.
I have a 2022 Ascent, regular oil changes, just hit 60,466 miles, and it’s in the service center at this moment with a blown engine. The tech cannot tell me what caused the failure.
Tell me who done the last 2 oil changes out of curiosity ? Was it knocking on a rod?
I’ve had my 18 Sti for 3 years now, I’m the 3rd owner and has never left me stranded, but it is also stock w just the Grimmspeed drop in filter. Also I do my oil changes every 5k💀
this videos length is almost perfect!
I’m curious if after cleaning the RTV sealant on the oil pan and changing to a 5w-30 full synthetic oil for the GR86/BRZ would be better for engine longevity and reliability (to an extent)
0w-20 is fine for daily driving. 5w-30 would be good for track. Most of the RTV isn't actually from the oil pan, but other parts of the motor that get filtered down into the pan. After breaking the engine in and dropping the pan to clean out any excess, RTV shouldn't ever be an issue again. Second and third pan drops reveal little to no new RTV flakes.
5w40 would be even better for longevity, but hurts the MPG and power output slightly. If I was revving my GR86 past 5k a lot, I'd use Motul 5w40 and a good oil filter, not the Subaru blue (FRAM) ones, and monitor oil pressure (add a gauge).
@@sssnake2332 that’s what I was reading on the forums that a lot of people for daily driving use 5w30 and if they drive it “like they stole it” or track it once every few months they’ll use 5w40 for peace of mind. I’m more inclined to run 5w30 for daily driving just to be safe.
@@MikeBonacasa That's what I do with my gen 1 BRZ, especially because I live in a hotter climate, It lets me drive it how I want when it cools down as well
As someone who has owned Subarus since 06, & had a 2014 frs as a commuter/beater I’ve ran mobil 1 0w40 forever, sold my FRs to a buddy with 202k miles & still ran flawless just cosmetic beat up from LA freeway tires/ debris. Car seen tons of drifting shenanigans ect amazing car. I also have built wrx sti for time attack/track use & when done right and maintained properly won’t have issues. I have 54k mi on my 2019 wrx sti with over 40k mi at 550whp/481wtq factory sealed motor, that has seen over 1k power pulls baseline for stock car is 205-210whp on dyno i tuned on BtW. But I have a built destroked ej25 2.34L ready to go in for more power. But have made over 500whp on all 4 of my STI to have fun since 06 along with many others I have built.
You have to be smeedia to own one of these vehicles lol 😆
Everyones experience is different but im at 243k miles on a 97 legacy all original with a NA/T setup, long block unopened. A 09 daily with 180k miles all original, and a 11 wrx 122k miles all original. Transmissions and engines have been fine. Maintainence and not being a dill hole. The 97bwith the NA/T setup i do beat the shit out of though. Bought a new (to me) ej22e long block the week i boosted the original engine expecting it to go but 5 years of boost later the spare engine has just been collecting dust in storage.
Change your timing belt pulley at 7 years from New. Mine blew up 68k.
A bit disingenuous about oil consumption due to thinner 0w20 oil and low-tension oil rings. Subaru is by no means the only manufacturer to have issues with consumption - BMW is another notorious oil user (they even offer an optional trunk mounted rack that is designed to hold 2 quarts of oil for those "oh, crap, I need oil!" days). Lexus is another as are Toyota, Mazda and others. A simple research into this clears this up. Oil return to sump issues? Gravity works on all engines - boxer style engines included (see: Continental, Rotax, Porsche, Lycoming, et al.) have no issues with lack of gravity for oil return to sump. Subaru had a problem with the pickup tube brazed joint on some engines sucking air but gravity was and is not a problem (Issac Newton would agree). As for head gaskets Subaru allowed that one to go on too long but I have also had head gasket failures on three early '90s Toyota engines in Celica's that I've owned, all occurring around 100k miles so there's that. So, do Subaru engines blow up? Yep, some "smart guys" trying to pull 400 to 500 wheel horsepower and more out of them using aftermarket crap do it all the time. That is not a Subaru issue.
VW as well ...
My Honda Civic SI also likes oil and it is just at 100 000 km. If you drive the car hard red line the engine every time you shift it will consume oil this is normal. Normal oil consumption in high performance engine is to be expected especially if you use the power .
On my third Subaru. The first was an Impreza 2.5i which was fairly reliable up until the catalytic converter shit the bed and needed to be replaced. Traded that car in for a brand new 2016 Impreza 2.0 base which was the most reliable car I ever had. Now I have a 2023 WRX Premium that I have no plans to tune except maybe the steering and suspension. But it's early to tell how this one will do. Never had any engine problems except an oil leak in the 2016 that was covered under warranty.
Honestly with the low center of gravity you don't need to do all too much to have fun in one, you just need a twisty mountain road.
For the love of god, before you tune it, just go STRAIGHT to a tuner, let them know what you want from it, and then just buy the parts he tells you to buy. Don't do what most people do and just buy whatever parts the internet it crazy about at that moment in time. Get what they know works and what's reliable. You'll thank yourself later.
(See Cylinder 4 cooling mods actually causing coolant flow issues. I was going to buy one until my tuner said he tested it and identified issues. He doesn't recommend them, so I'm not buying it.)
You didnt even talk about coolant starvation of the 4th cylinder and detonation issues caused by stock unequal length headers, or even the crappy ass oil pickup and baffle.
Well the injectors stick open and then we’ll. Exhaust fills with fuel. Then try to start snd well you get a big fire
Never saw that... modded or not ?
@ any side feed. I had mine stick open stock then sent them out to get modded and cleaned they lasted another couple years but stuck open. Went too feed and never happened againZ but it hydrolocks fills the cylinder with fuel every time,
I am driving Subaru's since 2007. The first one in Germany mostly Autobahn at an average speed of 100 mph. Put 200000 miles on it. Coldest winter and hot summers. Not a single issue. And so with the ones after that. Porsche uses the same basic boxer engine design and dont blow up.
I say if you aren't well educated enough on building an EJ you probably shouldn't do it.
Also you can also have an external headgasket leak with oil instead of coolant, which is really the best case scenario.
can anyone tell me what model is that beautiful car in the background?
Itsa Fernini foterdy
@@M-PASTA it's a 430 with a wing, i figured it out, but thanks anyways
@@Danijamali1 thats what i said
I have a 2013 WRX STI the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned if you don't count my awful Fiat 128. It goes through oil like a 2 stroke; it threw a cam belt at 16K miles, which the dealer didn't want to cover because I changed the oil myself, which is illegal under Federal law, but the dealer didn't care. Mine currently has something weird wrong with it. It sat during COVID and ended up with a dead battery ever since, despite recoding it multiple times still acts up. I will never buy another Subaru.
Cylinder # 3 being a Rodney knock rip 02 wrx wagon 😢
you know this doesn't help the Gels and Dakota identification issue if you have Gels doing a subaru episode, haha
Subaru engines/trans are build to do what they are designed to do. As soon as you put more power in they start to break. Just look at how flimsy everything is.
This is not a small block chev where you can triple the engine power and the block is just fine.
Its so sad how Donut tried to get people pumped about wrx's only to show episode after episode why the wrx just ISN'T a sportscar. Subie fanboys clamor to defend it, stating how all you have to do is replace EVERYTHING on the car, and then its a great sportscar.
5:10 "Originally the head gaskets for these engines were made of a multi layered composite material." Oh, really? A composite of what and what? You cant just say it was made out of a multilayed composite material like that means something. Was it made of layers of chalk covered in peanut butter? Cuz that would be a multi-layered composite material. Not a very good one, but still. All you're really saying here is it was made out of... stuff. WOW!!! Stuff?! I never would have guessed!!! But I thought all head gaskets were made of... stuff...
What weight of oil does everyone use in their WRX vehicles over 100K? I did a search & found a few recommendations. The following came up a few times:
> Mobil 1 Extended Performance is a great choice for the WRX.
> It is 5W-30 and has an API SN Plus certification.
W205 c300 next please
GELS!
Good broad video, definitely skipped some info though
Moto IQ just released a video with legitimate reasons for the Subaru issues
You can't hardly beat the versatility of these cars. I've had 2 very reliable and efficient wrx's. Leave them alone and regular maintenance and they're fine. You want luxury or 400-600 hp for drag racing, get a American muscle car. I've see them blow up too when messed with for more power.
really wish people didn't take examples of reliability from modded subarus my dad has owned his 2020 subaru wrx sti for close to 4 years now (he bought it new) and he takes care of it he takes it in every time it needs an oil change or spark plugs and it has not even shown a single check engine light in his car he hasn't even put wheels on the car it is completely stock and he plans on keeping it that way and he doesnt drive it crazy either he has done donuts in it once. turns out when you take car of a car it doesnt try to explode
I don’t hate Subarus but working on them doesn’t look pleasant, rotaries are easy compared to the average rat's nest under the hood of an sti
Because they wanna blow up and act like they dont know nobody 😂 (ba dum tssss)
another day another subaru slander video for views
Automotive yt content truly is something else in 2023
Subaru not being dogshit might stop ppl talking shit bout them. All will be electric due to the new world order agenda 2030 soon, so at least no-one will own a pos Subaru and act happy.
man, this only scratches the surface of subaru engine issues. Broken pickup tubes are common, you touched on oil scavenging issues, but high G turns without oil pan baffling will also kill them quickly. The aftermarket "preventative" mods dont do shit either. AOS, Cyl 4 cooling mod, e85, forged bottom end.... none of them make a difference, motors still going to pop eventually.
I've had my WRX for nearly 5 years and the only issues I've ever run into with this car are usually after changing things.
I ran an off the shelf tune for the longest and though it might not have been the main factor to my I blew a clutch or how I managed to kill a Rod Bearing, but assuming that using Factory spec oil or beating on the transmission like a "race car" would allow the car to last more than the 43,000 miles I got it to before I had the motor rebuilt was my mistake.
I truly fell in love with the handling characteristics and how the powerband feel (after proper mods and a proper tune to fit). Yes, I'm aware there's better cars out there but with the way the market has been I happy where I'm at.
Moral of the story: Just do the right maintenance and the car will be fine.
I have two subarus and both have been money pits. I follow maintenance to the letter. But tons of problems even so. Will never buy another one. If you're considering buying one, do yourself a favor and don't.
So no one’s gonna point how long the video is and the video being about blowing up 👀
Enjoyed the Subaru history!
My 2010 Outback 2.5i with the CVT has 226k miles and counting. keeping my fingers crossed, but I also keep up with fluid changes. coolant, brake fluid, cvt drain and fill, diff fluid, motor oil every 4k or 4 months. I *think* the head gaskets were replaced at one point before I bought this car lmao. On it's third timing belt now.
Subaru's biggest weakness: Crappy owners who try to push stock engine above it's capacity and are surprised it gives out, other crappy owners who drive constantly at 4-5k+ revs and think it shouldn't do anything to engine, other crappy owners who don't take proper care of the engine, other crappy owners who slap mods on it without knowing what they are doing.
I've seen way too many using stock block/internals never run into a issue because of good maintenance and care, my 2008 wrx has never has an issue and I push her daily. The car itself is not the issue.
No issues with my 2015 STI. 20g turbo, killer b headers, ETS TMIC, pro tune, and supporting mods. Whole year on the set up. Driven hard. I just check my oil and don’t run it too hard when it’s really hot or humid. 125k when modded. Now it’s as 145k.
Funny, I have a 2016 wrx with full bolt ons and E50 tune. Stock oil pan and pump/ 160k miles on in and i track it several times a year. Never had any of the issues you have mention. The biggest problem with Subaru Engines is the driver!! PS...Why are you talking about a 20+ year old Engine? Focus RS anyone, Gasket problem on 60k car!
I like this channel, and don't even own a subaru, but the amount you guys rag on subarus is super annoying lol, we get it, you guys don't like them. Almost everything you say about them is true on different platforms aswell.
well i have 2, so fuck me i guess.
So I have a fb20 impreza for my commuter car. Its been super solid since I got it. I do the normal maintenance stuff and checki g the oil every 1200 miles or so like i did on my gti.
Subaru engines are reliable from my experience with Subaru cars I don't understand all this criticism. Is this a joke
I will say this loud & clear! Most of the blown EJ motors are due to owners negligence & improper modifications, tuning/calibrations, maintenance!
Myself along with many others have been pushing 500whp or more on factory motors since 06, yes life expectancy goes down due to increased cylinder pressure & distortion of the main tunnel/ cases but they will last if maintained/built properly! I currently have 54k miles on my 2019 sti at 550whp/481wtq factory sealed longblock. Baseline for dyno stock car is 205-210whp. Zero issues and still going after over 1k power pulls ect. It gets ripped on basically every day.
Subarus are just plain and simple trash..
I’m an actual flat earther, I vape and I have the new VB WRX😂
Idk I have a 2000 jdm gf8 sti with a v6 ej207. The engine itself has been flawless with 198xxx km in the odo. I will note that the 207 has steel head gaskets. Guess it sucks for the usdm guys
Cause they're dumb and cheap is sadly the answer. They use an engine design that has inherent oiling issues and they don't dish out the dollars to add components that would fix it, Porsche does and that's why they don't have those issues.
Very Nice! **Horrible Borat Impression**
I had my first Impreza wagon for 18 years. Only put an ac compressor and rear bearings besides normal brakes etc. If I was smart enough to rust coat the thing it would still be in my driveway (Canada eh). Our Tribeca is almost at 300k km, has only needed a coil on plug and front strut mounts. Our 2018 Impreza hasn't needed anything. All used when purchased. Only once had any of these 3 not started and it was just a battery, those die in every car brand. They are reliable if you use them as intended and take care of them. I've had other makes that were extremely unreliable (Ford, Dodge, Pontiac) and others that were less reliable (Hyundai, Mazda, and yes a Toyota). For us it was an easy choice when choosing another car.
So at the end of the day, just get a basic ride if you're dumb. Leave the Subis out of it lol.
“You guys are wrong my cousin’s friends dad’s uncle owns a Subaru and has had zero issues. If you just keep up with the maintenance the RTV will magically not flake off into the oil pan. Subaru’s are more reliable than Toyota you just did everything wrong!”
I'm on my third Subaru, a 23 Outback Wilderness. Zero issues with the past 2 cars, (2013 impreza with 203k miles no issues with cvt or engine, and a 2015 forester xt with 133k miles and no issue. It's all about keeping up with maintenance and the car will last. This is more for the people who race/engine modify them that have issues and breakdowns. I have a buddy that still drives his 98 outback with 300k+ miles on it, still runs like a champ. He just got done lifting it as well. Both Toyota and Subaru are reliable just people who abuse them are the ones who puts a bad name on them IMO.
I'm running a stage 2 2005 STI with 150k miles on the original engine, transmission, and turbo. Haven't had head gasket issues, RTV issues, ring land failures, spun bearings, or any other major issues to date.
I don't put parts on my car without a tune, I keep up with maintenance, and I don't race without parts Subarus need to go to the track. Chances are, if you blow up a Subaru engine, it's probably your fault. But hey, there are enough idiots on the internet to hop on the bandwagon with, so go ahead and blame the car.
@@ZzmaerD no there are literally videos of mechanics on UA-cam showing design flaws whether from head gaskets to RTV issue’s Subaru has. You can literally look it up they show you with diagrams as well.
@@PocketDrummer no offense but every Subaru owner any time anyone criticizes them has the same type of response.
In the past firat gen emissions and gas mileage wars. Companies would take cars with no air filters down dirt roads so the dust would basically polish the cylinders to reduce friction! Than test them to say it was this good!
Chik fil a should just be closed !
Are you trying to be like donut media? Lol
please stop saying just the ej25 the only ej25s that had those headgasket issues were the non turbo ejs NOT the turbo ones like the engine in the wrx and sti
They don't
First of all when ever you do a video like this you better make sure you have done extensive research and provide plenty of details. With that said I will now go into providing the important relevant details you failed to mention. In reference to the oil starvation, the issue with the oil pick up being starved has to do with the oil pan design that has no baffles to prevent the oil from slushing around when cornering hard. However all Sti models have oil pans with baffles. You can actually retrofit a WRX with the same STI oil pan. Another issue with this area is the oil pickup it's self due to the weak factory welds. However the issue can be permanently fixed by replacing the oil pick up with a stronger made aftermarket pickup.
In regards to the leaking head gaskets that issue was only found on NA engines that used those defective graphite coated gaskets. All turbo models have used multi layered steel gaskets. The only way those will fail is due to over boosting the engine with bad modifications or poor maintenance due to old corrosive coolant.
Saying the best most expensive model fixes the problems is not necessarily the best argument as it’s saying Subaru saw the problem and let it happen. Additionally the oil pick up thing is a huge problem and saying “a person can and should fix that in the aftermarket” doesn’t change the poor execution on Subarus part
@@BudderChicken101 The issue with the weak oil pickups would not me known until several years later when they failed. By then most of the affected generation have already ended production. At least there are high end aftermarket alternatives parts available to permanently address the issue. I recommend looking up an oil pick made by Killer Bee to see just how well made it is.
@@BudderChicken101 If you're going to race the car, buy a baffled oil pan. I don't understand why people will drop $800+ on summer tires that will wear out in 3-4 years but they won't spend the same or less money on a proper baffled oil pan and reinforced oil pickup tube to make sure your engine doesn't blow up.
If you're not going to race the car, then the street parts are fine.
@@PocketDrummer agreed but most people buy the cheapest tires they can find in general or whatever tire shops have because they don’t know about upgrades and all that. You shouldn’t have to upgrade a car from factory to keep it from blowing up in general.
@@BudderChicken101my oil pick up was fine at 105k at 6 years old.
Hell no they aren't good cars. Fast yes.
its the owners
bollocks. EJs blow up because stupid owners dont use the stock filter or appropriate oil and engine builders have no clue when rebuilding them. The ej ENGINE IS A FANTASTIC DESIGN. Regards from an engineer
still better than an Audi /s
So much misinformation
Because owners are negligent
The fact that I got knock the same night this came out…….✨triggered✨….but helpful🥲