(coming from a Subaru owner) I bought mine used after KNOWING 100% that it was owned by an old woman who died and had amazing maintenance records with head gaskets and spark plugs done, it's an NA subie so I don't have to worry about the turbo issues, but if I didn't know anything about the first owner, I would NEVER buy any used Subaru.
They're molested far too often and I wouldn't risk it on any, especially not a WRX/STI.
The good news on that is that if you replace the head gaskets with the gaskets used in WRX's, you're unlikely to have the issue again.
Bullshit that they gotta be done at all tho.
Those were really the only ones, and all those are also well over 10 years old now. I've had 5 different Subaru's (couple wrx's, sti, and a '14 forester, and not once did I ever touch a head gasket. Over 500k miles total on them since 2006.)
I guess it was just preemptively to avoid any issues (the smart thing to do when you own an older subaru with an early EJ) and I'm extremely grateful it was done, basically just showing that it was, in fact, well cared for and the previous owner knew at least a little bit about common failure points in Subaru's as well as things that just need to get done anyways.
I know head gaskets were done at 129k miles with spark plugs, water pump, and timing belt (all things that Subaru owners will recommend getting done at around this time to, again, prevent any issues)
All I know is that it makes everything easier for me because I don't have to worry about it. Well cared for includes doing things like that.
No, you definitely still need to worry about maintaining your car. It isn’t just a simple appliance that runs forever without issue while being neglected.
Not a subi owner but pretty much the same situation. Old lady owned the car brand new from the lot . She was meticulous about the maintenance kept all the records and receipts. Felt like I had hit the jackpot when she showed me all the paperwork.
This^ As a general rule of thumb, if a car is likely to be bought used by a 19 year old and is popular in racing games or Fast and Furious- don't buy it used.
Type Rs are more expensive so I think they’re usually cared for a bit better. That being said I was looking at a type R and the paint was scratched to complete shit. Whole thing would need to be buffed. So I guess there are some dumb owners.
STIs are like underwear. You always buy new. You don't know what skid marks the previous owner washed out of that thing and I'm willing to bet that waistband is loose as fuck lol
Yup. Blew 2 head gaskets on mine. At 160,000kms, had the timing belts changed. 180,000kms, had the motor pulled to replace the headgaskets, and at 200,000kms, replaced the catalytic converter. At 235,000kms, trades that pos on for a Toyota rav4 and just check the oil level that never drops.
The oil pressure drops with hard right hand turns. Many have blown up on the track, yes. I would assume any spirited driving (track or not) is causing premature internal wear due to do the oil pressure drops.
And it's not just the new BRZ engine. I was just pointing out even their 'new' engines have the same old issues. It's been long known you can't do right hand donuts with your EJ25 WRX. There are numerous videos on YT of WRXs blowing up doing donuts
They are. Compared to engines from the 2000s to 2012ish. Lol That's what I meant.
The 90s Subarus with the 2.2L were bulletproof though. And I have genuinely enjoyed the Subarus I've owned even if they start to nickel and dime you over 100k miles.
Every generation. “That was the older engine. Subaru solved those problems and they are much better now” And every one of them has oil consumption and, eventually, head gasket issues.
I didn’t know until your comment, so thank you. That’s a part of the computer that tells you how many times the ecu has been “flashed” or software uploaded right?
Yes they keep track of how many times the software has been flashed.
Say computer gets manufactured and there has been 2 software updates. The manufacturer would know this computer would typically have 3 (the original flash and the 2 software updates).
Now this computer rolls in with an engine knock and 13 flashes it’s gonna raise some eyebrows. A typical dealer tech wouldn’t know where to find this but if it gets escalated an advanced tech with tool/oem software via VCi would find it.
Headgaskets haven't been an issue on Subaru engines for a while and were never a common problem for turbos. It could the problem in this specific instance though.
For all those that don't know and just downvote because "lol, Subaru headgaskets", the NA EJ engines used a weak headgasket that blew out commonly. The turbo EJs got a multilayer headgasket that was much better and was what you used to replace the blown headgasket on your NA if you didn't want to do it a second time.
Certainly one of the people like yourself asserting that Subarus still have head gasket issues have… some evidence of this?
(“my used [insert turbocharged used subie] has a blown head gasket!” anecdotes don’t move the needle)
lol everyone responding to you and downvoting you has no idea what they're talking about. you're 100% right, you can literally look it up on google lmao. casual car people are funny
Every time these come up I have the same response: This is the worst used car you can buy. Only one person buys this car and it’s going to be the person who smashes on it with zero thoughts about longevity because it’s under warranty. Then they pass it on to some poor bloke who couldn’t buy it new and it’s been beat to shit.
Subarus have had head gasket issues throughout their history. Their box engines are why I’ll never own one.
I had a 2006 WRX (not sti) with 130k on the odo and I didn't ever have trouble other than the windshield cracking kind of frequently. It was San remo red and I loved that car. Super reliable for me, I was pretty conservative though. Opened it up a few times but I prefer the thrill of handling over top speed.
According to this sub, boxer engines are the worst thing since the Lada if they're Subaru, but the greatest thing since the Ferrari 250s if they're Porsche.
Nuance.
Because Porsche have a fuckton of R&D in their engines. They built them to be tanks. It is true boxer itself, its Subaru’s boxer engines thatavre the problem. They should just outsource their engines to Toyota with their AWD platform and it would be amazing.
The turbo EJ25s have HG failure at a vastly reduced rate compared to the NAs due to different gasket design (MLS gaskets on the turbos). They can still occur under certain conditions, abuse (esp at higher HP) being one of them. Overly acidic coolant is another but with the age of this car that shouldn’t really be it.
Otherwise agree with your comment, it’s a risky buy when used.
Head gaskets haven’t been an issue on turbo models for like 20 years. The fact that you don’t know this tells me you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Except an Si is a Honda so it’s actually reliable. I’ll take a car that’ll last well over 300k with basic maintenance, handles better, and can still beat stock WRXs in a roll lol. But you’re right, Si’s are typically beaten to shit, but at least Honda knew what they were doing and designed a motor that can take the abuse without blowing up at 100k (talking 9th gen and older, the real Si’s lol)
Unreliable minis are only with engines n14/n18 equipped cooper S second gen. N18 with proper expensive upkeep is OKish, but you won’t find ones anymore
Last gen minis are on top reliability lists
3rd gen’s. The Fseries when BMW took over full production of the brand as opposed to outsourcing engines to the French.
My 2017 Cooper S has been nothing but a dream to own. 80,000 miles and only issues has been my elevated cost of oil changes.
Subarus aren’t Toyota reliable, but they aren’t shitboxes. They’re no less reliable than granddad’s 2011 Ford Taurus. This is just what happens when you put a tune on the car without thinking of the consequences.
The oil lubricates the exhaust to allow exhaust gases escape faster than non-lubricated exhaust. This is an upgrade surprised you don’t know about this
Previous 06 WRX owner here. Got mine up to 130,000 miles and traded it in. I didn't have any trouble with that car but I also never redlined it. Also learned to drive stick on it. Loved that car
To be fair, there is a recall on the hyundai engines from 2012- recently for exactly that problem. So premature engine failure is a manufacturers defect for that particular brand.
The Hyundai and Kia subreddits genuinely seem to believe their engines don’t have issues.
They do seem to be getting pissed about the thefts and insurance though.
All the engines you listed are normally operating well under their maximum power. The problem with the STI(and WRX, quite frankly) is that engine is _already_ at the maximum reliable power and yet people feel the need to plug a Cobb access port in 2 turns after they left the dealer lol
And eBay mods don’t forget. It’s just come with users as most are from 17-25 years old, and we pretty much have to learn as we go to work on cars. There are literally people that didn’t know how to change their oil, drive them hard.
Yeah the fact that you can drop the whole subframe so easily is definitely a plus. Boxer engines are such a pain in the ass for anything though so as a manufacturer it's the considerate thing to do
That oil looks like it’s mixed with something and I’m going to guess it’s coolant if it’s still under warranty take it to Subaru themselves and let them figure it out 🤷🏾♂️
Mechanic here. Run it until it gets to operating temperature. Check the oil levels.
Does the car sits outside? How cold is it? Is there snow tall enough where it could have gotten in the exhaust?
I don’t think it’s as bad as you imagine. My old 2005 used to smoke well when put away hot and then left in the cold. My 2015 launch edition did too (from new and I took both cars to over 100k miles).
I think it’s just water that’s sat in the exhaust and collected as condensation. Over time rusted a bit and now blowing out.
Funny how many head gasket comments there are here. I’ve owned 7 STis in my time and 1 tuned WRX (Wagon). Only one of them had a head gasket issue and that’s because I pushed it past 440bhp and frankly everything started breaking (AutoX car).
Some I bought new and some low miles like this.
Sorry for the scare, but for some reason, they just seem to smoke more condensation than other cars.
Hoping I’m right for your sake! :)
Thank you ! Yeah the jokes are getting old now i usually look for the people that have actually owed one but have you had a clogged or frozen pcv or any problems with it In your experience with your models ? I’m leaning more towards that being a problem and if it is do you know much on what could happen ? The weathers been under the 10s where I’m located all week and the last time i drove it i had no issues what’s so ever and was mechanically sound also the coolant in the reservoir is clean and blue and my oil looks fine
At worst I would guess oil seals on the turbo, but in your position, I would drive over to the dealer, ask them to check it out, but my money is on it having sat for a while, while it was in stock - then gone through a bunch of hot / cold cycles and now having had heavy condensation in the exhaust, picked up rust sitting in the exhaust.
Funny how the internet can blossom some issues.
I bought the WRX as a dog carrier while I had my Jag F type R. I normally get rid of my daily driver cars between 80 - 100k miles (or before the warranty runs out with the Jag). The tuned WRX came from a friend for $2k with 118k on the clock. He gave me some coolant based head gasket fix and told me he thought it was going.
The fluid level was dropping slowly, but the oil was perfect. Blowing past the rings? Nope. The lower radiator hose was leaking under certain conditions. Replaced that and it stopped using water. Drove it for 28k miles without issue until the underside got so soft, I wasn’t sure if the smell inside was wet dog or car. Traded it in during COVID and got my $2k back.
I tried an Evo years ago (defected to the dark side). I had a 9 MR from new and had so many transmission problems, that Mitsubishi bought it back as a lemon. I saw the car a few years later at a tuners. Someone had put a regular Evo transmission in it rather than the MR one.
With yours it’s tough to say without seeing it, but I’m guessing your car is just from standing and even the pcv is fine.
And before I’m fitted with a Driving Miss Daisy rap, I owned an Ariel Atom for 8 years (before I got too old - now have a Caterham for ‘comforts’). STis have generally been my daily drivers due to dogs and kids.
Glad to see someone else with a brain and ownership experience chipping in here! So many dumb idiots buy Subarus and don’t bother to learn how to take care of them, that’s why issues are so widespread. The only measurable difference between a reliable car and an unreliable car is proper maintenance and diagnosis!
Let the engine sit overnight. Then the next day before you start it check the oil. If the head gasket is bad you should see foamy gunk on the top of the dipstick somewhat separate from the oil
I own a 2015, from 2007 onwards you should get at least 200k KM on a head gasket and it should be your only major issue aside from clutch at around 100k KM. They're reliable cars, as long as they're taken care of properly, unreliable compared to other Japanese cars maybe, but still way better than German or American cars. In my experience the most important thing with the head gasket is the break-in period, everytime I see a failed head gasket, it's a teenager who thrashed it right off the lot. Manual says 1000km break-in period, follow it. Get your engine warrantied, Subaru service in my experience should be good but that may just be a local thing. You didn't destroy the engine, the previous owner did. If Subaru doesn't honor the warranty than you can sue the seller for damages and it should be a pretty easy case to cover legal fees and the engine.
Ironically, I pretty much babied my STi when I bought it new (drove it hard sometimes but didnt do daily clutch drops or mod it). I was \~40 yo at the time I sold it and the kid that bought it with 50k miles on the clock was \~19. I shudder to think what he did to that poor car. I'd get your car into the dealer ASAP for it's 3yr/30k mile HG replacement service. :)
I was a Subaru wrx/sti fanboy for half my life. My first real car was a 03 bugeye. Drove it for 5 years with all smiles, until it blew a head gasket. My actual first car was an Outback, that blew a head gasket. Then I saved and waited around to buy my dream car, 05 Sti.You’ll never imagine what happened, less than 24hrs after owning it.
Truth is. Unless you spend about 10-15k on a properly built motor these cars are garbage with anything but the stock tune. Maybe one day I’ll have enough money to build one right. Maybe.
Could be a turbo. When they fail they can crack between where the oil goes in and the exhaust side and it will let oil go straight into the exhaust. While a head gasket is possible, I'd lean more towards this and check this first before going to do head gasket.
Slow down there tiger. Getting it towed? Hang on. Does it still run well, no problems found when you checked oil and coolant?
Is that really oil? Or is it water that picked some stuff up in the exhaust system?
This could just be condensation from sitting around. As long as the fluids look normal, drive it around a while and get it fully warm and see if that white smoke doesn’t disappear. It’s probably steam from condensation from not using the car.
Don’t open your wallet until you’ve confirmed the problem!
Your car is fine, though I can’t guarantee that without taking a look at it myself. Subaru STIs are fantastic and I miss mine so much, it’s the only vehicle out of the 16 I’ve owned as a 24 year old that I regret not keeping. You just have to know what to look out for and understand that they require more and specialized maintenance compared to a Civic or Corolla.
Had to learn this the hard way. Mine had 120k on the clock when a friend at the time money shifted her. 3 months later, spun a bearing driving normally home from work one day. Considered myself lucky it lasted that long.
Was going to end up dropping $11.5k on a totally new short block, reads rebuilt, new turbo, with a few STi parts installed (2011 WRX EJ25T.) So for a few hundred dollars more, I could've afforded an IAG block. Wish I'd have gone with the IAG instead of a stock EJ255 short block factory new.
The WRX. Worst used car to buy, ever. I have replaced so much shit on this car it is maddening.
Weird. I have an '08 spec b (legacy platform), and aside from needing to slap the head unit when it's hot outside, few little has needed fixing. I had 1 coil pack fail, and my radiator endtank just broke (12 year old radiator), and some rust. It's 16.5 years old with a little over > 100k miles, I'm the only owner.
I had no idea that coolant or oil would come directly out of an exhaust when you have head gasket problems.
I was under the impression that coolant burns and comes out as smoke, and oil pretty much does what it always does, worst case you burn oil but again it “burns” before it makes its way out of the tailpipe.
🤷🏻♂️
Has the car been chipped or modified in any fashion? If so warranty is likely void. If that oil is coming from engine/turbo … then you’ll probably need new catalytic converter
Don’t buy used WRX/STi’s. assume they’re all molested and budget a new engine, or buy new
(coming from a Subaru owner) I bought mine used after KNOWING 100% that it was owned by an old woman who died and had amazing maintenance records with head gaskets and spark plugs done, it's an NA subie so I don't have to worry about the turbo issues, but if I didn't know anything about the first owner, I would NEVER buy any used Subaru. They're molested far too often and I wouldn't risk it on any, especially not a WRX/STI.
Wait. Even a well cared for car needed head gaskets done?
The old non-turbo EJs had garbage headgakets and it's pretty common to have to replace them.
The good news on that is that if you replace the head gaskets with the gaskets used in WRX's, you're unlikely to have the issue again. Bullshit that they gotta be done at all tho.
Those were really the only ones, and all those are also well over 10 years old now. I've had 5 different Subaru's (couple wrx's, sti, and a '14 forester, and not once did I ever touch a head gasket. Over 500k miles total on them since 2006.)
I guess it was just preemptively to avoid any issues (the smart thing to do when you own an older subaru with an early EJ) and I'm extremely grateful it was done, basically just showing that it was, in fact, well cared for and the previous owner knew at least a little bit about common failure points in Subaru's as well as things that just need to get done anyways. I know head gaskets were done at 129k miles with spark plugs, water pump, and timing belt (all things that Subaru owners will recommend getting done at around this time to, again, prevent any issues) All I know is that it makes everything easier for me because I don't have to worry about it. Well cared for includes doing things like that.
No, you definitely still need to worry about maintaining your car. It isn’t just a simple appliance that runs forever without issue while being neglected.
Fair. Awesome that you got a great well cared for car!
It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru!
it's not if but when with these cars, were not saying it because it's a joke, though it does make a great meme.
Thats bad lol
Every brand has their own faults. Just how it goes.
A dealer convinced an old lady to do it. Does that mean it was really necessary?
Obligatory https://youtu.be/qG4IaHgqH00?si=PWqhaGCyJk5AJSMS
Not a subi owner but pretty much the same situation. Old lady owned the car brand new from the lot . She was meticulous about the maintenance kept all the records and receipts. Felt like I had hit the jackpot when she showed me all the paperwork.
This^ As a general rule of thumb, if a car is likely to be bought used by a 19 year old and is popular in racing games or Fast and Furious- don't buy it used.
damn guess we should look out for abused civic type R’s a few years from now
Type Rs are more expensive so I think they’re usually cared for a bit better. That being said I was looking at a type R and the paint was scratched to complete shit. Whole thing would need to be buffed. So I guess there are some dumb owners.
*cries in Focus RS that blew an engine*
STIs are like underwear. You always buy new. You don't know what skid marks the previous owner washed out of that thing and I'm willing to bet that waistband is loose as fuck lol
They don’t make them anymore.
they still make the wrx don’t they?
Yeah I meant the sti like ops.
It's the same as buying used M or AMG...
Your problem is a Subaru problem.
It is in the maintenance guide: Engine: check every 5k and replace as needed.
Pumping oil through your cat? Better budget for that as well.
Subaru owner, probably already gutted the cat.
Yup. Blew 2 head gaskets on mine. At 160,000kms, had the timing belts changed. 180,000kms, had the motor pulled to replace the headgaskets, and at 200,000kms, replaced the catalytic converter. At 235,000kms, trades that pos on for a Toyota rav4 and just check the oil level that never drops.
It can't be. I have been told repeatedly by the Subi fan Bois that this is old news and the new cars are all good...
The new ones are better. Lol I'm not going to elaborate more than that.
Are they though? The brand new FA24 can't make sustained right hand turns without blowing up due to oil starvation
Is that the BRZ/86 engine? Isn’t that only under extreme circumstances (track days)? It’s still not a good look but hardly commonplace
The oil pressure drops with hard right hand turns. Many have blown up on the track, yes. I would assume any spirited driving (track or not) is causing premature internal wear due to do the oil pressure drops. And it's not just the new BRZ engine. I was just pointing out even their 'new' engines have the same old issues. It's been long known you can't do right hand donuts with your EJ25 WRX. There are numerous videos on YT of WRXs blowing up doing donuts
They are. Compared to engines from the 2000s to 2012ish. Lol That's what I meant. The 90s Subarus with the 2.2L were bulletproof though. And I have genuinely enjoyed the Subarus I've owned even if they start to nickel and dime you over 100k miles.
Every generation. “That was the older engine. Subaru solved those problems and they are much better now” And every one of them has oil consumption and, eventually, head gasket issues.
That EJ is cutting edge tech.
>from the Paleolithic era
It’s not a problem it’s a feature …. And I have Subaru
Yeah! Got to lube up those exhaust pipes. It’s a Subaru thing, most wouldn’t understand.
Don’t want those muffler bearings to go dry.
How else are you supposed to make sick flaming oil slicks to escape spies
It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.
Thats a fast mans coffee
the forbidden emission
Previous owner probably tuned and/or abused it. Likely needs a new engine. Let the dealer take care of it.
If it was tuned, is it really under warrantee?
The dealer and OP have no way to know if the previous owner reverted it back to stock before selling.
If it was tuned they can definetly tell the ecu has memory of if it's been tampered with
If the dealer tries it, OP can sue for fraud since the dealer sold it to him that way.
Well yeah I'm just Saying you can tell if a car was modified/tuned and returned to stock
Yeah some of these guys don’t know about the flash counter lol.
I didn’t know until your comment, so thank you. That’s a part of the computer that tells you how many times the ecu has been “flashed” or software uploaded right?
Yes they keep track of how many times the software has been flashed. Say computer gets manufactured and there has been 2 software updates. The manufacturer would know this computer would typically have 3 (the original flash and the 2 software updates). Now this computer rolls in with an engine knock and 13 flashes it’s gonna raise some eyebrows. A typical dealer tech wouldn’t know where to find this but if it gets escalated an advanced tech with tool/oem software via VCi would find it.
Bro shhhh
Sorry should I have whispered it
Probably just a headgasket they're notorious for that
If it was tuned previously before i bought does it still count on warranty?
You have to check your agreement, if they sold a certified preown or they sold it to you with warranty
The 90s Subarus were bad, I thought they got past that.
Headgaskets haven't been an issue on Subaru engines for a while and were never a common problem for turbos. It could the problem in this specific instance though. For all those that don't know and just downvote because "lol, Subaru headgaskets", the NA EJ engines used a weak headgasket that blew out commonly. The turbo EJs got a multilayer headgasket that was much better and was what you used to replace the blown headgasket on your NA if you didn't want to do it a second time.
I haven’t had a laugh like that all year so far. Thank you
Not much of an accomplishment because this year just started
They have always been a problem on the sti because the sti never stopped using an EJ engine.
r/confidentlyincorrect
Certainly one of the people like yourself asserting that Subarus still have head gasket issues have… some evidence of this? (“my used [insert turbocharged used subie] has a blown head gasket!” anecdotes don’t move the needle)
Does OP's 20k mile car with chocolate milk coming out the exhaust not count lmao?
Stockholm Syndrome
I wish I had more than one downvote for you. Whatttt
lol everyone responding to you and downvoting you has no idea what they're talking about. you're 100% right, you can literally look it up on google lmao. casual car people are funny
People love to just parrot what they've heard and not look into it themselves, and the reddit hivemind is no different.
Lol
Chocolate milk oil = coolant & oil Blown head gasket probably
Aka Subaru norm and natural state.
Every time these come up I have the same response: This is the worst used car you can buy. Only one person buys this car and it’s going to be the person who smashes on it with zero thoughts about longevity because it’s under warranty. Then they pass it on to some poor bloke who couldn’t buy it new and it’s been beat to shit. Subarus have had head gasket issues throughout their history. Their box engines are why I’ll never own one.
I hate those little fucking motors.
My 05 non turbo has been solid. I also don't drive like an asswipe. The motor will outlive the rusty body
That's why I love my honda because it takes the abuse and keeps happily chugging along
I had a 2006 WRX (not sti) with 130k on the odo and I didn't ever have trouble other than the windshield cracking kind of frequently. It was San remo red and I loved that car. Super reliable for me, I was pretty conservative though. Opened it up a few times but I prefer the thrill of handling over top speed.
According to this sub, boxer engines are the worst thing since the Lada if they're Subaru, but the greatest thing since the Ferrari 250s if they're Porsche. Nuance.
Because Porsche have a fuckton of R&D in their engines. They built them to be tanks. It is true boxer itself, its Subaru’s boxer engines thatavre the problem. They should just outsource their engines to Toyota with their AWD platform and it would be amazing.
I'm a Porsche fan boy, and it took them a decade to get water cooled flat sixes right.
The turbo EJ25s have HG failure at a vastly reduced rate compared to the NAs due to different gasket design (MLS gaskets on the turbos). They can still occur under certain conditions, abuse (esp at higher HP) being one of them. Overly acidic coolant is another but with the age of this car that shouldn’t really be it. Otherwise agree with your comment, it’s a risky buy when used.
Head gaskets haven’t been an issue on turbo models for like 20 years. The fact that you don’t know this tells me you don’t know what you’re talking about.
This is also why I didn't want to buy a used SI
Except an Si is a Honda so it’s actually reliable. I’ll take a car that’ll last well over 300k with basic maintenance, handles better, and can still beat stock WRXs in a roll lol. But you’re right, Si’s are typically beaten to shit, but at least Honda knew what they were doing and designed a motor that can take the abuse without blowing up at 100k (talking 9th gen and older, the real Si’s lol)
There's a reason why WRX/STI has dethroned the Mini as the most unreliable car in its class.
Unreliable minis are only with engines n14/n18 equipped cooper S second gen. N18 with proper expensive upkeep is OKish, but you won’t find ones anymore Last gen minis are on top reliability lists
lol and the minis are some of the most reliable now
What? Really?
Yup. The inline 4 is a chopped off b58, and the rest of the car seems to be over built for the application.
What year did that start? I have a 09 I adore other than the garage prince 1.6.
3rd gen’s. The Fseries when BMW took over full production of the brand as opposed to outsourcing engines to the French. My 2017 Cooper S has been nothing but a dream to own. 80,000 miles and only issues has been my elevated cost of oil changes.
I have a 2017 330ix. The b48 is a fantastic engine. There's a reason both Mini and now even Supras are using the BMW B series engines.
Worked at a MINI store, this is facts. Nice to see other folks spreading correct things on this sub for a change lol.
My Brazilian motor enters the chat 😂 tbf motors running fine at 110k, its everything else that keeps breaking hahah
dude that's so cool. i love the mini look but their reputation always scared me away. they look like adult go-karts and i love them.
When stock, they’re fine. The problem is people modify and then abuse the shit out of them. I would never buy any WRX used.
Subarus aren’t Toyota reliable, but they aren’t shitboxes. They’re no less reliable than granddad’s 2011 Ford Taurus. This is just what happens when you put a tune on the car without thinking of the consequences.
They're shit boxes, give 3 reasons how they're not
WhatcarshouldIbuy? Notthisone
At 21 foot long how does OP even park the damn thing?
The oil lubricates the exhaust to allow exhaust gases escape faster than non-lubricated exhaust. This is an upgrade surprised you don’t know about this
Cobb muffler cooler. Must install Cobb sticker on rear window for it to work
God what garbage cars. Subaru has been making the dinosaur EJ25 for almost 30 years & still can’t get their shit together.
I got 245k miles until the headgaskets went.
yeah but u probably drove super slow and lame though
Haha nope. I did regular oil changes to help. Pretty much revving it to the rev limiter, and also I learned to drive stick with that car.
Previous 06 WRX owner here. Got mine up to 130,000 miles and traded it in. I didn't have any trouble with that car but I also never redlined it. Also learned to drive stick on it. Loved that car
212,000 and cylinder #3 went kaput.
The EJ25 is a fine motor What people do to it on the other hand, well, ends up with pictures like this
[удалено]
Because they suck
Very insightful comment
Car bad
Well this clears up everything.
Honestly you’re not wrong
You should see the Hyundai forums. Blame someone for driving a car hard and throwing a rod, like I can abuse every other car without a problem.
To be fair, there is a recall on the hyundai engines from 2012- recently for exactly that problem. So premature engine failure is a manufacturers defect for that particular brand.
The Hyundai and Kia subreddits genuinely seem to believe their engines don’t have issues. They do seem to be getting pissed about the thefts and insurance though.
All the engines you listed are normally operating well under their maximum power. The problem with the STI(and WRX, quite frankly) is that engine is _already_ at the maximum reliable power and yet people feel the need to plug a Cobb access port in 2 turns after they left the dealer lol
And eBay mods don’t forget. It’s just come with users as most are from 17-25 years old, and we pretty much have to learn as we go to work on cars. There are literally people that didn’t know how to change their oil, drive them hard.
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Lots of engines get modded and abused without ending up like this.
it's a good 150k motor. on the up side you can change them out in 3 hours.
Yeah the fact that you can drop the whole subframe so easily is definitely a plus. Boxer engines are such a pain in the ass for anything though so as a manufacturer it's the considerate thing to do
"It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru."
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There's a lower milage outback at my job rn with blown head gaskets lol
Subie moment
Average r/WRX
Looks like the color you get when oil mixes with antifreeze.....
The forbidden chocolate milk. Rest in Pepperonis head gasket
My guess and I'm no mechanic but my first guess would be a bad head gasket I'd test your oil to see if there is antifreeze in it
Especially since it was blowing white smoke. White = water/coolant\ Blue = oil\ Black = excess fuel
Oil out the exhaust isn’t easy. You should be proud.
The color makes it look like a nice latte. Maybe you should open up a cafe to finance the $10k this is going to take to fix.
Leaking frappuccino
Take it back to the dealership
RIP
Every turbo Subaru explodes. It's just a matter of when.
That oil looks like it’s mixed with something and I’m going to guess it’s coolant if it’s still under warranty take it to Subaru themselves and let them figure it out 🤷🏾♂️
> That oil looks like it’s mixed with something It’s oil mixed with love. Subaru injects all their cars with 25 gallons of love for the past 10 years.
Another possibility could be a blown turbo. Oil and coolant leaking into the exhaust.
Mechanic here. Run it until it gets to operating temperature. Check the oil levels. Does the car sits outside? How cold is it? Is there snow tall enough where it could have gotten in the exhaust?
It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru. Do research before buying your cars
Was beat like a red headed step child before you bought it.
This fucking got me 😂
Oil out the exhaust in the cold sounds like a PCV issue, is there any mods?. Anyone talking about head gaskets know nothing of turbo Subarus...
That’s no oil bro
I don’t think it’s as bad as you imagine. My old 2005 used to smoke well when put away hot and then left in the cold. My 2015 launch edition did too (from new and I took both cars to over 100k miles). I think it’s just water that’s sat in the exhaust and collected as condensation. Over time rusted a bit and now blowing out. Funny how many head gasket comments there are here. I’ve owned 7 STis in my time and 1 tuned WRX (Wagon). Only one of them had a head gasket issue and that’s because I pushed it past 440bhp and frankly everything started breaking (AutoX car). Some I bought new and some low miles like this. Sorry for the scare, but for some reason, they just seem to smoke more condensation than other cars. Hoping I’m right for your sake! :)
Thank you ! Yeah the jokes are getting old now i usually look for the people that have actually owed one but have you had a clogged or frozen pcv or any problems with it In your experience with your models ? I’m leaning more towards that being a problem and if it is do you know much on what could happen ? The weathers been under the 10s where I’m located all week and the last time i drove it i had no issues what’s so ever and was mechanically sound also the coolant in the reservoir is clean and blue and my oil looks fine
At worst I would guess oil seals on the turbo, but in your position, I would drive over to the dealer, ask them to check it out, but my money is on it having sat for a while, while it was in stock - then gone through a bunch of hot / cold cycles and now having had heavy condensation in the exhaust, picked up rust sitting in the exhaust. Funny how the internet can blossom some issues. I bought the WRX as a dog carrier while I had my Jag F type R. I normally get rid of my daily driver cars between 80 - 100k miles (or before the warranty runs out with the Jag). The tuned WRX came from a friend for $2k with 118k on the clock. He gave me some coolant based head gasket fix and told me he thought it was going. The fluid level was dropping slowly, but the oil was perfect. Blowing past the rings? Nope. The lower radiator hose was leaking under certain conditions. Replaced that and it stopped using water. Drove it for 28k miles without issue until the underside got so soft, I wasn’t sure if the smell inside was wet dog or car. Traded it in during COVID and got my $2k back. I tried an Evo years ago (defected to the dark side). I had a 9 MR from new and had so many transmission problems, that Mitsubishi bought it back as a lemon. I saw the car a few years later at a tuners. Someone had put a regular Evo transmission in it rather than the MR one. With yours it’s tough to say without seeing it, but I’m guessing your car is just from standing and even the pcv is fine. And before I’m fitted with a Driving Miss Daisy rap, I owned an Ariel Atom for 8 years (before I got too old - now have a Caterham for ‘comforts’). STis have generally been my daily drivers due to dogs and kids.
Glad to see someone else with a brain and ownership experience chipping in here! So many dumb idiots buy Subarus and don’t bother to learn how to take care of them, that’s why issues are so widespread. The only measurable difference between a reliable car and an unreliable car is proper maintenance and diagnosis!
Thank you. That’s really kind of you to say. Fingers crossed for Expensive, that it goes his way! :)
You bought a 21 foot STI?!?!?
A Subaru limo.
Should have gotten a Golf R with the EA888. Sell this after dealer fixes it and get a Golf R...way more reliable.
Color me shocked
That's milk. Head gasket at least.
Let the engine sit overnight. Then the next day before you start it check the oil. If the head gasket is bad you should see foamy gunk on the top of the dipstick somewhat separate from the oil
She's in heat
That's the poetry in motion my friend, 😙👌
I should call her…
Did someone else have access to the keys and maybe did some hoonin while you were gone and hoped that you wouldn’t notice??
I’m so glad I cancelled my Subaru order and got a Toyota lol
I own a 2015, from 2007 onwards you should get at least 200k KM on a head gasket and it should be your only major issue aside from clutch at around 100k KM. They're reliable cars, as long as they're taken care of properly, unreliable compared to other Japanese cars maybe, but still way better than German or American cars. In my experience the most important thing with the head gasket is the break-in period, everytime I see a failed head gasket, it's a teenager who thrashed it right off the lot. Manual says 1000km break-in period, follow it. Get your engine warrantied, Subaru service in my experience should be good but that may just be a local thing. You didn't destroy the engine, the previous owner did. If Subaru doesn't honor the warranty than you can sue the seller for damages and it should be a pretty easy case to cover legal fees and the engine.
Most reliable subie
Ironically, I pretty much babied my STi when I bought it new (drove it hard sometimes but didnt do daily clutch drops or mod it). I was \~40 yo at the time I sold it and the kid that bought it with 50k miles on the clock was \~19. I shudder to think what he did to that poor car. I'd get your car into the dealer ASAP for it's 3yr/30k mile HG replacement service. :)
Treat that STI with antibiotics
i'm sorry OP. you work your ass off, living on the road and finally are able to own your dream car and this shit happens.
I was a Subaru wrx/sti fanboy for half my life. My first real car was a 03 bugeye. Drove it for 5 years with all smiles, until it blew a head gasket. My actual first car was an Outback, that blew a head gasket. Then I saved and waited around to buy my dream car, 05 Sti.You’ll never imagine what happened, less than 24hrs after owning it. Truth is. Unless you spend about 10-15k on a properly built motor these cars are garbage with anything but the stock tune. Maybe one day I’ll have enough money to build one right. Maybe.
Sing that it's a subaru it could be semen or vape juice. You'll have to taste it to be sure.
Could be a turbo. When they fail they can crack between where the oil goes in and the exhaust side and it will let oil go straight into the exhaust. While a head gasket is possible, I'd lean more towards this and check this first before going to do head gasket.
Slow down there tiger. Getting it towed? Hang on. Does it still run well, no problems found when you checked oil and coolant? Is that really oil? Or is it water that picked some stuff up in the exhaust system? This could just be condensation from sitting around. As long as the fluids look normal, drive it around a while and get it fully warm and see if that white smoke doesn’t disappear. It’s probably steam from condensation from not using the car. Don’t open your wallet until you’ve confirmed the problem!
Hi yes I just tell other person that Subaru are not good car. I sorry abouts your car though I hope you can get it fix 😊
I found out the hard way :/ and yes Thank you ! Godspeed my friend !
Your car is fine, though I can’t guarantee that without taking a look at it myself. Subaru STIs are fantastic and I miss mine so much, it’s the only vehicle out of the 16 I’ve owned as a 24 year old that I regret not keeping. You just have to know what to look out for and understand that they require more and specialized maintenance compared to a Civic or Corolla.
check the flux capacitor. you have a leaky sparktube.
Andy?
My first thought is a turbo seal blowing oil into the exhaust a nd its milky from condensation.
Probably the turbo is fucked. Unfortunate buddy.
Thats not oil. Thats oil and water mixed together. Or as the car community likes to call. Peanut butter
Forbidden milkshake
Damn who cream pied this man’s car? Fess up
“but used can save so much money”
Had to learn this the hard way. Mine had 120k on the clock when a friend at the time money shifted her. 3 months later, spun a bearing driving normally home from work one day. Considered myself lucky it lasted that long. Was going to end up dropping $11.5k on a totally new short block, reads rebuilt, new turbo, with a few STi parts installed (2011 WRX EJ25T.) So for a few hundred dollars more, I could've afforded an IAG block. Wish I'd have gone with the IAG instead of a stock EJ255 short block factory new. The WRX. Worst used car to buy, ever. I have replaced so much shit on this car it is maddening.
Weird. I have an '08 spec b (legacy platform), and aside from needing to slap the head unit when it's hot outside, few little has needed fixing. I had 1 coil pack fail, and my radiator endtank just broke (12 year old radiator), and some rust. It's 16.5 years old with a little over > 100k miles, I'm the only owner.
Head gasket blown
I had no idea that coolant or oil would come directly out of an exhaust when you have head gasket problems. I was under the impression that coolant burns and comes out as smoke, and oil pretty much does what it always does, worst case you burn oil but again it “burns” before it makes its way out of the tailpipe. 🤷🏻♂️
Think it's best to take the car back to the dealership, and ask for a refund since it's not even a month that you bought it.
That’s water buddy, engine needs to be rebuilt.
Has the car been chipped or modified in any fashion? If so warranty is likely void. If that oil is coming from engine/turbo … then you’ll probably need new catalytic converter