There’s a lot to love about the Subaru; the iconic exhaust rumble, all-wheel-drive capability, wholesome community, safety awards, reliability, and outright versatility. But, when it comes to head gaskets, Subaru is known to have issues with them. It’s a problem that has plagued the community for years. Worse, it’s not a cheap fix!
David Long from the Car Wizard YouTube Channel recently got his hands on a client's 2009 Subaru Impreza with a blown head gasket on one of the cylinder banks. It is the version with a 2.5-liter, flat-four engine, not a WRX or an STI.
“There was a leak constantly on the ground, and the customer suspected it’s possibly the head gasket. Knowing the story of Subarus blowing head gaskets, he thought, well, that may be the case here,” the Car Wizard said, introducing his client’s Subaru Impreza.
Still, it’s not the precision in his client’s diagnosis that stunned the Car Wizard, but the fact that he had no idea how expensive it was to fix a blown head gasket in a Subaru.
The client's Impreza was in good condition, both inside and out. It's currently at 103,530 miles (166,615 kilometers) which isn't too much for such a vehicle. The Car Wizard noted a little surface rust in the engine bay and at the bottom, but it was nothing too serious.
He also noticed a minor oil leak on the transmission pan while lifting the car. Checking it thoroughly, David Long noticed that it came from one of the head gaskets on the side that was supposed to seal the lubricant, not the coolant.
Apart from leaking fluids (oil or coolant), another symptom of a blown head gasket is overheating. Fortunately, this Impreza didn't have that issue.
“It’s a very small oil leak. It’s kind of annoying. It’s not pouring all over the ground. It’s just leaving a little trickle everywhere. It’s not overheating. The coolant portions of the head gaskets are fine,” the Car Wizard revealed.
According to the Car Wizard, fixing any of the head gaskets issues on a Subaru isn’t cheap. For starters, the engine needs to come off.
You also need to remove the timing belt before taking off the cylinder heads, which means buying an entire timing belt kit that includes tensioners, pulleys, and the water pump—add the head gasket kit to that list.
Lastly, it takes a considerable amount of time to fix this issue (18 hours), based on his experience. The total cost, including service, diagnosis, and sales tax, was about $3,500 (plus a brake service).
The client wasn't too happy with the total cost considering it was a tiny leak. He decided he wasn't going to spend $3,500 to fix it. The Car Wizard agrees. It's an expensive ordeal. In his opinion, it could take up to two years before the damage gets unbearable– which would be a better time to fix it, at least for this particular type of damage, which only caused only a minor oil leak.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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