1999 Subaru Outback

HEAD GASKET FAILED ON 1999 SUBARU AT 38,000. CAR WAS MAINTAINED RELIGIOUSLY. SUBARU RECALL WAS NEVER SENT TO ME. I WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS THE 'WRONG PHASE ENGINE' TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CAR HAD OVERHEATED 3 MONTHS EARLIER. SUBARU FLUSHED THE SYSTEM AND ADDED 'SPECIAL COOLANT LUBRICANT'. THIS WAS WORTHLESS. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $2000+, EVEN THOUGH MY FAMILY HAS PURCHASED 4 SUBARU'S FROM THE SAME DEALER. AFTER A LOT OF SCREAMING AND YELLING, THEY REPLACED BOTH GASKETS, RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP. I ENDED UP PAYING $250. DEALER, (WAKEFIELD SURBARU, WAKEFIELD MA.) HELPED CONVINCED SUBARU CORPORATE TO FOOT MOST OF THE EXPENSE. LATER WHEN SUBARU OIL FILTERS FAILED (LEAKS) AND AFTER MORE SCREAMING AND YELLING WITH THIS DEALER SHIP, (AFTER THEY SAID I WAS MAKING UP THE LEAK PROBLEM) I'VE CHANGED DEALERSHIPS WHO HAS A MORE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CENTER. *TR

IN OCTOBER 2003, THE ENGINE OF MY 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH 80,000 MILES OVERHEATED, SEIZED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME AND REALIZED THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER AND THE THERMOSTAT GAUGE WAS ABOVE "H". I CONTACTED SUBARU PRIOR TO THE REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS LIKELY DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AND BESIDES, MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS WAS SUBARU'S RESPONSE EVEN THOUGH I REGULARLY MAINTAIN MY CAR. I DID GET THE ENGINE REPLACED AT SIGNIFICANT OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSE. LAST WEEK, WHILE TRAVELING ALONG THE INTERSTATE, MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE AGAIN WAS ON "H" AND I QUICKLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AND I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SUBARU MECHANIC AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE AFTER ONLY 30,000 MILES ON A FACTORY REBUILT ENGINE. ALTHOUGH I AM NOW AWARE THAT SUBARU SENT OUT A RECALL / NOTIFICATION LETTER IN FEB. 2004, I DID NOT RECEIVE ONE, APPARENTLY BECAUSE I HAVE THE TYPE OF ENGINE THAT MAY NOT BE COVERED BY THE NOTIFICATION. IT IS CLEAR FROM A REVIEW OF THIS WEBSITE THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN MY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE OUTBACK'S ENGINE AND COOLING SYSTEM, AND THE FACT THAT SUBARU IS NOT STANDING BEHIND ITS PRODUCT. *JB

THE 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK IS EQUIPPED WITH A DUAL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINE. THE TIMING BELT PULLEY FOR THE CAMS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC. MY WIFE AND 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD JUST EXITED INTERSTATE 20 NEAR ATLANTA WHEN THE ENGINE "SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION" ACCORDING TO MY WIFE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER AND SEIZED, AND SHE HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING AND STOPPING THE CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT CAM PULLEY (PLASTIC) HAD SHATTERED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AT SPEED, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. THE CAR HAD BEEN MAINTAINED, INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF TIMING BELT AT RECOMMENDED INTERVAL. THE ENGINE IS RUINED AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OR REBUILDING. CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY GARAGE SINCE. *NM

I HAD JUST PAID APPROX. $450 FOR THE MAJOR 90,000 MILE DEALER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE IS IN GREAT SHAPE. I'VE MAINTAINED IT RELIGIOUSLY. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 6 YEARS/100,000 MILES THAT JUST ENDED SEP. '04. I JUST DROVE IT UP TO THE MOUNTAINS AND 90 MILES FROM MY DESTINATION, WITH THE CAR DRIVING PERFECTLY, I NOTICED THE TEMP. GAUGE WAS SPIKED. ULTIMATELY IT TURNED OUT THAT THE HEAD GASKET WENT. I HAVE 91,000 MILES ON MY SUBARU. I SPOKE TO NUMEROUS GARAGES IN MAMMOTH LAKES AND THEY SEE THIS PROBLEM ON A DAILY BASIS. DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, YOU WILL FIND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE MECHANICS THAT ALL OF THE DOUBLE OVERHEAD CAM 4 CYLINDER SUBARU ENGINES BLOW HEAD GASKETS AT SOME POINT AFTER APPROX. 80,000 MILES AND THAT THIS ENGINE HAS SINCE BEEN DISCONTINUED. I ALSO HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE "PHASE 2" VERSION WAS RECALLED AND THEY WILL FIX THAT ONE, BUT THE "PHASE 1" ENGINE THAT I, AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, HAVE THEY WON'T DO A [XXX] THING ABOUT. WHAT KIND OF COMPANY IS THIS? IT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE... THEY PUT OUT A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND ALL THEY WILL DO IS STICK IT TO THE CONSUMER. THIS COMPANY NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR GLARING AND OBVIOUS SCREW UP. HOW CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS?*JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I OWN A 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK. CAR LIGHT CAME ON AT ABOUT 85000. DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEM & LIGHT TURNED OFF. LIGHT BACK ON SHORTLY AFTER - HAD 90000 MILE MAINTAINENCE COMPLETED - DEALER STILL UNSURE OF PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, WHEN ACCELARATING TO HIGHWAY SPEED, CLEAR POWER LOSS NOTED - ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH. TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP - REPORTED THAT VALVE BROKEN - HEAD REQUIRED REPLACING. DEALER/ MECHANIC STATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. TOTAL COST OF DEALER BILLS - OVER 3500. SUBARU REFUSED TO REIMBURSE FOR PROBLEM - BLAMED ON MILEAGE. I'VE HAD WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLES WITH OVER 150000 MILES AND NEVER HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEMS BEFORE.*AK

RANDOM OVERHEATING IN MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK WAGON, 85000 , LEAD TO BEING STRANDED ON A RURAL ROAD. AFTER REPLACING THERMOSTAT, PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. EVENTUALLY, MY MECHANIC SAID IT WAS DUE TO A FAILED HEAD GASKET. AT 85000, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT OCCUR. SUBARU HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON PHASE II, 2.5L ENGINE HEAD GASKETS BECAUSE OF FAILURE, HOWEVER HAVE CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE OWNERS OF THE PHASE I ENGINES. I FOUND A WEB-SITE FORUM WITH MANY OTHER VICTUMS OF SUBARUS NEGLECT, MANY OF WHOM WERE ALSO STRANDED ON THE ROADSIDE BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT IN CARS WITH 50-100K MILEAGE. CLEARLY THE HEAD-GASKETS ON THESE ENGINES ARE DEFECTIVE AND THIS IS SERIOUS DEFECT THAT SUBARU SHOULD ACKNOWLEGE AND FIX.*AK