Is a WRX Reliable?
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- Опубліковано 17 вер 2024
- Sorry about the mic quality, I had it turned up too high!
In today's video, we go over the topic of reliability. Is the WRX reliable or unreliable? I go over my thoughts and opinions of reliability after my long journey of engine swaps and misery. Howeaver, was I just unlucky, or does subaru make engines that are not made to last? Questions and comments will be answered right away, thanks for watching !
Rob: 2004 Subaru WRX
Colin: 2009 Subaru WRX
I have a 2003 WRX with 150,000+mi. I am the original owner. Catless & protuned to 225hp & 225tq to the wheels. Daily driven & autocrossed. Original engine,tranny,turbo&injectors cranked up to 18Psi. 3 cross county trips totaling 7000mi each. Left outdoors until 2011. Driven through every Iowa winter since 03. No ring land fail,no head gasket fail,no tranny fail. It has never left me stranded or stuck in the snow.The only trouble I've had is the plastic radiator blew at 100,000mi. (Replaced with an aluminum one) And I had 2 coil packs go bad at 149,000.(still ran fine under 4,000RPM)
What is that? 15 YEARS!!! Just when are all these horrors supposed to happen?
Anedoctal story doesnt mean it's the rule.
@@unassailable6138 mad jealous, my 2017 has had problems every 4000 through the 27,000 I'm at, stock. I couldn't afford this without my warranty
I'm assuming care love and common sense made it last this far right?
updates?
Exception to the rule in this case!
If you take care of it, it takes car of you
Until it doesnt when the head gasket explodes
badger turbo subarus use a different head gasket design. They’re usually good for a long time especially the 2.0s
Yes
There’s a “chance” of problems with ANY car.
I’ve owned three WRX Wagons (2-2002’s and currently a 2007) and all three have been very reliable. Keep up with scheduled maintenance and these cars can be VERY reliable; even when driven hard.
ever owned a type r?
Why so many then? There's nearly 0 difference in any of thos as far as rubbing gear.
2:12 is the answer
thx
I have an '02 wagon that has been kept in pretty much original condition. No mods at all, just maintenance. I got it a few years ago, 3rd owner, about 235K miles at the time. I immediately had to replace the rear view mirror, alternator, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, timing belt, motor mounts, tranny mount, pitch mount, some bushing in the shift linkage, front rotors & pads, left front axle, right front CV boot, and some vacuum lines that snapped when doing the work (because they were original, and so as brittle as sun-aged PVC), and get the clock repaired. I recently removed the Up-Pipe cat, and had to replace even more vacuum lines that snapped when doing that work (including the oil return line for the turbo, but not until seeing all the smoke after I had reinstalled everything. Sigh.). Have since also replaced the tires, struts, right rear rear suspension arm, headlight bulbs, shifter knob (leather was wearing off the original), a/c compressor, a/c condenser. I've also replaced the side viewer mirrors because my kayak fell on one and broke it off, battery, installed an OEM underseat subwoofer, and replaced the ashtray with USB & 12V power ports (looks stock!). And now I need to get some body work done on the tailgate because someone backed into me the other day and it won't even open.
I don't know if I can say it has been reliable or not, given as many miles it has on it (now over 250K). Nothing I have replaced has need to be replaced again. It does burn a little oil in-between changes, but I understand that is normal, even when on the newer side. I'm currently trying to track down and annoying rattle from the cargo area.
What do you expect? Its a 16 year old car with a quarter million miles. Most cars would be in a junk yard by then. You basically restored a vintage car. LOL
Thank you for this...I just got a 02 wrx wagon and the clutch dropped the first day.it was due. so I'm saving for all that. Any tips on replacement parts for when the engine is pulled for the clutch?
Your opinion is based on your bad experience. We call it a bulletproof engine in the whole UK. Its one of the most reliable cars ever built.
Lol comedian
its not its full of problems everyone knows it... major problems are headgaskets the awd system also fails in most of them and the block is also not so good the only good thing about the wrx or wrx sti is the sound
That's because you're European. Your cars fall apart in minutes not miles
@@lookbehindyousuka exactly
@@lookbehindyousuka idiot
Buying a WRX soon, thanks for the vid
hope it helped !
Did you buy it?
How’s it holding up?
Head gaskets seem to be a weird issue, I've never had any problems and I have wayy more miles than most others, but I've seen them happen on 2014 WRXs, mainly due to 2 stepping and such. Another thing to add with the transmissions is that they're really good as long as you're easy with it. Slow shift into and out of 1st. 1st->2nd is a rapid change in wtq and can cause case flex and gear wear if done too fast. 1st gear really shouldn't be used unless you're starting or crawling in a parking lot (not sure why you'd cruise in 1st with all the bucking). These cars aren't consistent, but it's what makes them special.
Your 3 year-old comment here got my attention, because I'm a new owner (2014) and I'm having more problems with bucking in first from a standing-start than I ever have with any other manual that I've owned (5 total.) I don't know if my car has a stock clutch or not, but it seems to grab the flywheel much quicker than anything else I've experienced, and so "feathering" the clutch to get a passenger-friendly smooth start is much harder, unless I give it significantly more revs. In traffic, I'm hesitant to give it more gas, out of fear that I'll accidentally launch into the rear of the car in front of me.
All of the above is probably made harder by the fact that I have another MT vehicle with a radically different clutch-feel, and my brain gets confused.
Are there any WRX-specific best practices for minimizing the shakes in a WRX when starting from 1st, with the intention of going slow (like in a parking lot)?
166k on my stage 2 06 wrx. I change the oil every 5k with rotella and check all of the fluids every gas fill up (use shell premium gas). Never given me any problems.
At 300whp (~400hp crank) the "glass" 5spd breaks pretty consistently. It holds perfectly fine until then as long as you're rev matching and not jamming gears in under load. Nice vid.
exactly my point! haha, thanks man
So you can't drive it like you stole it sometimes ? haha
Admir Karalic wrong. Always send it :P
I'm under the impression from many different Subbi drivers, that you have to be gentle with these cars. I'm in a debate to either get a WRX or a Civic Si.
You don't necessarily have to be gentle... but keep up with the oil changes. As for WRX vs Civic Si... they're different cars in pretty much every respect so it'll depend what you're looking for.
2011 wrx owner ...head gasket went out at 125,000 miles it was very expensive to fix but that was the only issue but still don’t regret ever getting my wrx ❤️
Lorenzo Gallegos Lopez how much was it to fix?
I’m looking into this car or a 2009 Honda Civic coupe si 8gen
My 2003 wrx was stock with only 23k on the body. My 2007 is stage 3 with 125k I blew one engine in my bugeye my moded Hawkeye still running strong. Years don't matter if you get a tune and maintain it properly then you will be fine. The right tune and matienence and responsible driving is key to these cars.
Great points
Problem is. You won't know if it was tuned and modded properly until its too late.
great vids man thanks for the info
Thanks! I appreciate it, hope I helped!
I have a 2015 WRX with 74K. First Subaru coming from Honda/Acura for my past 4 vehicles. These are the opposite of reliable. I have had so many issues with mine, been left on the side of the road once at 60K miles. Doubt I will purchase another. Note that I do not beat this car and rarely go over 4500 rpm. I have an average gas milage of 29MGP and original brakes at 75k miles if that tells you anything.
Issues Ive had...
1-Off the bat they had to retune the car at 5k miles because kids were blowing engines with under 10k miles on them
2-(not a huge deal on this one) Throw out bearing noise that the dealer denied over and over again that was a problem until their was a recall where they replaced it.
3-After they replaced throw out bearing I believe the dealer didn't do a great job reconnecting things and I blew off the turbo tube and was left on the side of the road.
4-Clicking sound in the front suspension/linkage or something that Subaru claims they can't repeat during diagnosis
5-Check engine light comes on 5-10 times a month saying that knock sensor is faulty.
6- Randomly has issues with power and turbo not kicking in when it should then it kicks in all at once and is jumpy. Usually at lower rpms. Car has like 65% power and feels like its going to die. Subaru once again can not repeat the issue and says it dosent exist.
So sick of this piece of shit.
That's cause you drove a honda.
Bro, same with my 2017. I wonder about the '18+, but I don't know if I could justify the extended loan duration. I wish I could find a low miles clean Forester 2.5XT Limited 6 speed.
Nah, Scott, coming from anything. 3 Subies and a Jeep and this is by far the least reliable car I've driven.
@Royal King was an '04 Grand Cherokee and it ran really well.
@Royal King I had the V6 and it never gave me any issues, had just enough pickup, especially with overdrive. I dont own it anymore, it was RWD so never functioned well here in CO. I owned Subarus after that. Just bought a BMW E30 325 iX and I've really been enjoying it.
I want an STi with an EJ257, every little bit is better than the WRX, so that should eliminate most of the said problems. However, it's hard to find one for a realistic sum of money. People who have them are trying to make a fortune on a 10+ years old car. And when i add to that import tax, VAT, inspection and registration costs, the price is ridiculous.
I bought mine for $4600 usd. They’re rare as hell. Took me a whole month to find one with 100k miles and no body rust. Paint is great too. I bought it 2 weeks ago and spent $2000 so far. $6600 total. Probably another $400 to fix the valve cover oil leaks. I am golden.
Look after the car and it will look after you. My last impreza had 158k miles on it. Never a problem ever. No brake downs ever brilliant car. My latest subaru wrx turbo is 100% original and fabulous. The guy in the video says about head gaskets. My old one with 158k miles no head gaskets problem ever
Man I love the reviews and your car and how smart you are with them. The only thing i would think about for your next video is the actual video. lighting, AUDIO and maybe look into getting a gyro.
Thanks for the feedback! I actually just picked up a Rode Mic, and am looking to get a gyro👍
A well taken care of wrx is solid!
I saw this guy's face and I was like OMG ITS MARKIPLIERS BROTHER
Not really
@@stupidslave the fact you wasted your time to reply to a 2 year old post amazes me
How the fuck am I supposed to know your age? Also you replied anyways so dont try to act smart cos
@@stupidslave who said anything about age? The POST was from 2 years ago, and u decided to reply so I replied to what u said, dont get all defensive cuz u didnt like what I said
@@Dextria I'm not defensive about this, I dont really care. I didnt look at the date
"i know everything there is to know about this car" yeah i get it, u swapped an engine, u tell us every video. that does not mean you know everything my guy. im 20k deep into a wrx build and trust me, there is so much more to be learned
haha you're definitely right I do not! don't know why i said that, what I meant is I know more than what I would've if I didnt! I stress the fact that I did an engine swap because I want to help people, not as a brag
I swapped the engine too, plus I pulled out the engine a couple of times, seems like a Subaru thing lol. Don't buy one for $10k if all you have is $10k. No matter what condition it's in, something will break. I've made it past 200k miles with mine, mainly stock, not a lot has been replaced. Still on original struts and clutch. These things are well built, but are finicky and alien to most people.
good point. people dont take good care of them and seriously abuse them. thats what kills their car faster.
In 2012 I was looking for used Subaru, every one with 100k miles was tore up and modded. Bought a 2007 Malibu excellent shape for $7200 instead
Thanks, i will keep my honda civic hatchback ex 😎
My take is if the worst thing that happens to you after 100k miles is a head gasket problem, then you're doing alright. You can do a lot worse with more money.
- someone who put up with BS repair bills from GM
No shit, my 2007 Malibu 292k miles running great....after a engine and transmission change
I have a 02 wrx with 240k miles no headgasket problem up to date but I'm gonna replace the engine and swap the transmission to the 6 speed anyways
Maintain and keep it stock your WRX will take care of you.
300 to 400 hp is fine just don't beat on it and tune it properly you will be ok. The problem is when ppl keep burning out donuts and forget to check their fluid levels is when they go boom. Key matinence is a must
Well that's no fun. The car is supposed to be a rally car for fucks sake, yet it can't handle power and abuse.
@@abc_u_hater what's the point of 400 hp if you can't use it?/
LOLOLOL THE TAI LOPEZ TROLL INTRO THOOOOO
Hello so I own a 2017 STI and it has been modded to Cobb’s stage 3+ flex fuel package. I’ve been on those mods for almost 14k miles with no issues luckily but honestly I panic sometimes for no reason haha. I’ve taken care of my car by ensuring the maintenance gets done on time. Do you think running e85 gas will save my car compared to the shitty California 91 gas? Or should I use 91 more often and let the car run less power by the ECU’s self adjustment of power?
Oh by the way it also has the killer b holy equal length headers just to give me more piece of mind. I’ve heard that UEL headers may be a factor for rig land failures.
Honestly e85 is definitely worth it. Kinda pricey because you need to upgrade your fuel pump, and injectors. But it reduces knock, and is considered way better for your engine than 91. If you have it in your budget, and you can easily access it, definitely will help a lot.
Yeah UEL definitely does, which is so bitter sweet. ELH does still sound good though at least :p
Rob Cameron - Car Vlogs yeah that’s what I thought good to know! Are you keeping yours stock?
Potentially just a turbo back, and an access port for the time being! can't afford another engine swap haha
Reliable is subject without context. 20k miles 80k miles 150k miles 200k miles 250k miles. If you base reliability on 20-150, means absolutely nothing in my opinion.
So I got a 2002 wrx im 17 guy seem to not know anything on the car I did a lot to it replaced a lot just did cold air and put a intake to turbo on it didn’t start it woke up started it loud knock and rough idle seems like it low on power but the day before ran perfect could you help with some tips to what it could be??
Funnies intro!! Lol
Truth! I still can't believe yours blew up on you. I just found out my downpipe is cracked. 👎
Stock DP?
Rob Cameron - Car Vlogs yeah. Cars not boosting well. It holds boost just fine, but doesn't have that giddyup. Could be wastegate crack, then im looking at repalcing the turbo.
Damn.. upside is that you can get that cobb dp and vf39 and have a completely different car.
Rob Cameron - Car Vlogs yeah, if I had the $ to go catless uppipe, downpipe, IC, and bigger turbo and get a tune. 🙁im afraid to drive my car as it is. Something you have to plan for.
Got a blown head gasket at 200k, don't know what to do, may just replace the engine
200k is pretty high, but if you do an engine swap, keep in mind that you might as well do the clutch, head gasket, fly wheel, and things like valve cover seals while your engine is out, which will be pretty pricey. If you can do that yourself, could be worth it to do the swap
Same as any vehicle... you just never know
how much do tune cost? just get a rebuild every 5-7 years and go hard imo and replace those head gaskets when they breath yo ☺ u good homie playa!
so long story short there reliable but the only problem is the rod bearings, head gasket, valve covers, timing belt tensioner, transmission, oil pickup, rings.
My 2020 had under warranty 2 engines rebuilt because if rod knock.
if u get ring failure when u rebuild can u bore bigger if u want ?
My engine is knocking 3 weeks after buying it lol.
but dont call it a dubrex
So how much does it cost to fix a blown head gasket?
If you do it yourself, $200, if you get someone to do it, $1000
@@robdog9265 $1000 is on the very cheap side, $2000-2500 is average
Depends how you treat it. Had a 2000 WRX for 15 years and done 260000kilometres and only problem it's ever had is leaky radiator hoses and a cracked radiator.
For real you got these 19 year olds putting blow off valves on their cars and not tuning it.. beating it daily doing pills up to 9000 rpms. And they never check their fluid levels and wonder why their w rx blows up at 7500 rpms racing that 99 Honda civic.
Gotta remove that banjo bolt filter, first mod I did on my obxt.
Of course they are.
I was thinking about getting a wrx sti, but they kinda don't sound reliable to me...
sounds scary im looking at getting a 2004 for a daily driver it's extremely daunting to get a car that can have something go so horribly wrong just cause it feels like it as my only way to get to work
2.0L 6 speed and you will have no issues. However if you choose a 2.5L then big end bearing failure is more common. The 5 speed box is fine if not driven like a race car everywhere you go but is weaker than the 6 speed. If you run cheap fuel on either engine then it will cause problems but it would take many miles to take effect. The main reason wrx have bad rep is because people cant resist cheaply modifying them without the required maintenance let alone the correct supporting mods and map. You should buy one that is standard and has full service history. Keep ontop of the servicing and propper fuel and you will have no problems 👍
Dude no joke but I felt like I saw that same exact wrx in Colorado with the same rims and no tinted windows, red look to it weird huh
Glad I live in the south...fuck snow
This car is built for rally and tough driving! Diehard
Can You prevent head gasket failure if you switch to ARP head studs?
I believe head studs would help, but it wouldnt be what completely prevents it. A main reason for upgraded head studs would be to help your car be able to handle higher levels of boost.
WRX and reliable shouldnt be on the same sentence. previous owner. The problems didnt upset me as much as the extreme understeer from the engine being so forward from the front axle.
Hi, So I'm planning on buying WRX, however because of where I live and other reasons, I'm getting the WRX in automatic. I've heard many reviews and just general people about how the automatic is extremely worse. Can you comment about that at all?
Hi there, what year were you planning on getting ?
2004 / 2005 WRX. Whichever I can find in my area.
Awesome! well, the auto transmissions mainly have less problems than the manuals. In terms of reliability, they would be almost the same as the manual, besides the fact that kids with manuals launch, and drive too hard which they then run into problems. The only downside to the automatic is that it is a 4 speed, which means there is less gears obviously which makes it a bit slower, and more awkward in terms of gear ratio. But if you're not planning on modding your car too hard, you shouldn't have any problems. The auto is the same transmission Suburu used throughout their lineup. People just think the WRX can only be manual, so thats why it gets a bad rep. Hope I answered your question : )
I wanted to do some mods, will I still be able to do some sort of mods on the car? I'm no street racer, but I would want to modify turbo and stuff like that. Yeah you definitely answered my question, I subscribed also.
Of course, I think the magic number on these engines is 17-18psi max, before you start running into major problems like ringland failure. Cobb stage 1 brings that to 15psi with no mods. Just make sure you tune after every mod! I've also heard that subarus really dont like intakes, so keep that in mind too! and thanks I appreciate that
Meh.. will stick to my Honda Civic SI... bullet proof compared to WRX.
And slow
@@sturdyg63 wrx is pretty slow also
the answer is.. buy a honda
*Grinds 3rd gear*
How is that the answer... I already have a riding lawn mower
@@abc_u_hater LOL! Typical answer from a subi guy 👌
*Leaks oil while mowing the lawn*
“It is reliable, but it isn’t”
Oh my 🙄
Lol the Ti Lopez got you a thumbs up.
To bad this car sounds like a money pit.
read a book a day hahah
Just who on earth has time for that? Karens?
Obviously it's pretty obvious.... obviously
I see more broken wrxs then i see bmws broken
BMWs are pure dog shit terrible engines terrible transmissions have fucking shit stem valve seals that get worn super fucking fast and the mechotronics units are shit makes gears shift so harsh
There shoul be a class action against Subaru, how can they sell such crap
Lol just like the rx8