2000 Subaru Outback

2000 SUBARU OUTBACK 1) CAR OVERHEATED AND HAD TO BE TOWED 2) TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP - HOLE IN RADIATOR, BLOWN HEAD GASKET (BOTH REPLACED) 3) DROVE LESS THAN 20 MILES AND COOLANT STARTED LEAKING FROM RADIATOR HOSE 4) TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, RADIATOR HOSE FIXED AND REPLACED OTHER HEAD GASKET 5) DROVE ANOTHER 10 MILES - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. APPARENTLY THE OXYGEN SENSOR IS NOW BAD. THERE ARE TREMENDOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE 2000 SUBARUS - READ THE FOLLOWING BLOG TO SEE THE 100+ OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SUBARU SHOULD FIX THE COOLANT SYSTEMS BEFORE AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS. HTTP://SCOTT.MCGERIK.COM/2004/02/18/SUBARU-OUTBACK-HEAD-GASKET-LEAK/. *NM

I OWN A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITED. THE CAR HAS APPROX 45,000 MILES ON IT AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I HAVE KEPT THE CAR UP TO DATE WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I USED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT BUT THEY NEVER COMPLETED THE WORK I REQUESTED AND PAID FOR (I.E. LITTLE THINGS LIKE MAKING SURE THERE WAS ENOUGH COOLANT IN THE CAR, ETC). WAS HAVING A STRONG BURNING ODOR FROM MY CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO. GOT THE CAR INTO A MECHANIC TODAY WHO SPECIALIZES IN SUBARU AUTOMOBILES. I FOUND THAT I HAD A CRACKED HEAD GASKET THAT WAS LEAKING OIL EXTERNALLY. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT SUBARU SEEMS TO HAVE, WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE, A DEFECTIVE GASKET IN THEIR AUTOMOBILES WITH THE 2.5L ENGINES. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO SEE IF THEY WILL HELP REIMBURSE MY COST OF REPAIR. MY CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND ONLY HAS ABOUT 45,000 MILES ON IT!! IN MY OPINION, I BELIEVE THAT SUBARU IS CLAIMING THAT THEY CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM BY RECALLING THE CARS AND RUNNING A SEALANT THROUGH THE COOLANT SYSTEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A BAD COVER-UP. COULD YOU IMAGINE IF SUBARU HAD TO RECALL THOUSANDS OF CARS TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART LIKE A GASKET? THEIR INCOMPETENT DEALERSHIPS WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT! PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. I REALLY HOPE I'M NOT WASTING YOUR TIME. AS I MENTIONED, I TRULY BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND SUBARU IS NOT ADDRESSING IT. THANKS.*JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT/ SENSOR FAILURES. HAD ANALYSIS DONE ON MY CAR WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TURNED OUT TO BE KNOCK SENSOR. PREVIOUSLY CHANGED OXYGEN SENSOR. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, DEALER SAID THAT CATYLITIC CONVERTER WAS BAD POSSIBLY DUE TO ENGINE RUNNING RICH. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY BAD SENSORS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. IS IT RELATED TO THE HEAD GASKET LEAK?*AK

ENGINE COOLANT LEAKS. NOW 90,000 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN LEAKING SINCE NEW OR SHORTLY AFTER CAUSING A HOT ANTIFREEZE SMELL LIKE IT IS DRIPPNG ON THE EXHAUST. DEALER NEVER COULD FIND THE PROBLEM UNTIL AFTER THE RECALL. THEY ADDED THE STOP LEAK SOLUTION BUT IT CONTINUES TO SMELL AND USE SOME FLUID. DEALER SAYS THAT SUBARU HAS AN OPTION TO REPLACE HEAD GASKETS, BUT DEALER IS RELUCTANT TO DO IT. I AM HAVING TO NOW GET TOUGH ABOUT IT. I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE IN MY WIFES 1998 OUTBACK DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. UPSET BECAUSE IT WAS JUST IN FOR FULL SERVICE CHECK PRIOR TO WARRANTY EXPIRING. SUBARU HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 100,000 FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT I AM NEARLY PAST THAT NOW. I DON'T WANT THEM TO PUT IT OFF UNTIL AFTER WARRANTY. I HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED COMPLAINT ABOUT SENSORS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEMS.*AK

CONSUMER WASN'T PLEASED WITH UNDATED CORRESPONDENCE SERVICE PROGRAM WWP-99. (NAR) *PH THE SERVICE PROGRAM WAS ABOUT PUTTING A SPECIAL CONDITIONER IN THE VEHICLE'S COOLING SYSTEM TO PREVENT HEAD GASKET LEAKS. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT ENGINE REPLACEMENT IS THE ONLY SATISFACTORY SOLUTION. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT EH WIPERS NEED TO BE REDESIGNED TO PREVENT THE RIGHT HAND WIPER FROM DUMPING DEBRIS FROM THE RIGHT SIDE INTO THE DRIVER'S LINE OF SIGHT. THE RADIO CONTAINS AUDIBLE WINDSHIELD MOTOR NOISE WHEN THE RADIO STATION SIGNAL IS WEAK. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *NM

PURCHASED CAR WITH 78K ON IT. PRIOR IT DRIVING FROM COLORADO TO WISCONSIN, HAD IT LOOKED OVER. REPLACED LEAKING WATER PUMP, TIMING BELT, AND LEAKING FWD DRIVE SHAFT SEAL. WITHIN A WEEK OF GETTING TO WISCONSIN, RADIATOR AND DRIVER SIDE HEAD GASKET FOUND TO BE LEAKING. HEAD GASKETS ARE BIG ON SUBARU WEB SIGHTS. SOA RECOMMENDS A "CONDITIONER" TO PUT IN THE RADIATOR, BUT IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE YET. PARTS GUY SAID PROBLEM WAS THAT OWNERS ARE NOT ALLOWING CAR TO WARM UP IN COLD ENVIRONMENTS. *JB

2000 OUTBACK WAGON, 5 SPD, WITH 48,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN GETTING A "HOT" COOLANT SMELL COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD (DRIVER'S SIDE) FOR ABOUT THE LAST 1,000 MILES. WHEN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR RAN EMPTY I KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER'S SHOP. SURE ENOUGH, LEAKING HEAD GASKET ON DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN THEY DID THE REPAIRS, THE WATER PUMP WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING AS WELL. THE GASKET AND WATER PUMP WERE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STILL FALLS UNDER THE 60K MILE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY. MY WIFE JUST BOUGHT A 2004 OUTBACK SPORT, WITH THE SAME 5 SPD 2.5 ENGINE. I'M HOPING SUBARU HAS FIXED THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM IN THE NEW ENGINES, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN RECOMMENDING THESE VEHICLES TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND NOW I'M STARTING TO WONDER. I LIVE IN MADISON; MORE SUBURU'S WERE SOLD HERE LAST YEAR THAN ANY OTHER CITY. I WOULD THINK THAT THE LAST THING SUBURU OF AMERICA WANTS IS A CITY FULL OF DISGRUNTLED SUBURU OWNERS, BUT THAT'S WHATS BOUND TO HAPPEN IF SOA DOESN'T LOOK INTO THESE REPORTED HEAD-GASKET, CLUTCH, AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS.