1997 Subaru Outback Engine Problems

You discovered a cracked engine block in cylinder 3 during a gasket replacement job. After reassembling the engine, your car won't start. A cracked engine block is a serious issue that typically requires engine replacement or professional machine shop repair.

Your engine is losing coolant, causing it to overheat. A mechanic diagnosed a blown head gasket as the cause. This is a serious engine problem that needs immediate repair to prevent engine damage.

Your engine is overheating and the head gasket has blown. This is a serious problem that prevents your engine from running properly and can cause further damage if not repaired immediately. The repair will require replacing the head gasket and addressing whatever caused the overheating in the first place.

Your car suddenly started leaking antifreeze, and when you took it to a shop, they found the head gasket had failed and damaged the engine. You had to replace most of the engine including the block. The owner notes this appears to be a common problem with Subaru 2.5 DOHC engines.

Your engine's head gasket failed repeatedly, causing the coolant to bubble over and the engine to overheat without warning. This created dangerous situations, including nearly getting stranded in a blizzard and having to pull over on highways due to overheating and risk of engine fire. Fixing this will require replacing the head gasket, which is a major engine repair involving removing the cylinder head.

Your 1997 Outback is overheating, a problem that started intermittently about 5 months ago. You've already replaced the radiator cap, thermostat, water pump, and timing belt, and had the radiator flushed and pressure tested, but the overheating continues—especially after driving downhill on cold mornings. Your Subaru dealer mechanic suspects a failed head gasket, which other Outback owners report having the same symptoms. Fixing this will likely require replacing the head gasket, a major engine repair.

You noticed oil leaking from your engine, which required replacing the front crankshaft seal. The oil also leaked into the timing belt cover, so the timing belt needed to be replaced as well. The leakage started when your car was only a few years old despite no accidents or abuse. The repair involved replacing the crankshaft seal and timing belt to stop the leak and prevent further engine damage.

Your engine has a blown head gasket, which is the seal between the engine block and cylinder head. This can cause coolant to leak into the combustion chamber, leading to overheating, white smoke from the exhaust, and loss of engine power. Replacing the head gasket requires removing the cylinder head and installing a new gasket.

Your car overheated suddenly during a short drive. After replacing the thermostat and flushing the radiator, it overheated again two days later, with coolant spraying onto the engine in both instances. The dealer diagnosed a blown head gasket, which required $1,400 in repairs. The fix typically involves removing the cylinder head and replacing the head gasket seal.

Your engine is overheating intermittently with temperature spikes, and you've noticed engine oil mixing into your coolant reservoir with coolant leaking onto the engine. This is a head gasket failure, a known issue with Subaru's 2.5L engine. The repair will require replacing the head gasket and potentially resurfacing the cylinder head.

Your engine's head gasket failed, causing the cooling system to lose pressure and overheat. You'll notice the temperature gauge reads hot, and you may find the coolant reservoir empty with fluid spilled across the engine. Fixing this requires replacing the head gasket and refilling the cooling system.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED, AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED.*AK

THE NOW INFAMOUS "BLOWN HEAD GASKET" IN PHASE I 2.5L ENGINES IS THE FOCUS OF MY COMPLAINT. SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS AT LEAST RECOGNIZED THE PHASEII 2.5L ENGINES IN 1998 MODELS AND NEWER, BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF A DIFFERENT METAL WAS THE "PROBLEM". THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF CASES IN THE PHASE I 2.5L (1998 AND PRIOR) ENGINE IS AN OBVIOUS INDICATOR OF DESIGN FLAW IN THE ACTUAL SHAPE OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF. A RECALL INVESTIGATION IS A DEFINITE MUST. JUST ANOTHER UNHAPPY SUBARU CUSTOMER. *AK

SPARK PLUG POPPED OUT OF HEAD WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE DIED. SPARK PLUG UNABLE TO BE REINSERTED RESULTING IN A HEAD REPLACEMENT. VERY EXPENSIVE! ONLY 135000 MILES REGULAR MECHANIC SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN 4 OF THESE CASES IN THIS MODEL IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM DEALER ABOUT MECHANICAL DEFECT. *JB

THE ENGINE SEALS OF THE MAIN CAM SHAFT FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LEAK OIL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEALS AND THE TIMING BELT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

2.5 LITER ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED, CAUSING REPEATED INSTANCES OF OVERHEATING REQUIRING STOPPING IN DANGEROUS TRAFFIC SITUATIONS AND EVENTUAL REPLACEMENT OF BLOCK AT OWNER EXPENSE. TS

OVERHEATING CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE BLOCK WHICH CRACKED REQUIRED REPEATED IMMEDIATE PULLOVERS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TO PREVENT SEVERE OVERHEATING. MR

CRANK/CAM/OIL PAN SILICONE SEALS FAILEDS EARLY IN VEHICLE LIFE. ALSO, ALTERNATOR BELT FELL OFF, MAIN PULLEY BROKE, CENTER OF PULLEY BADLY WORN, AND VALVES BENT ON CYLINDER #2. $635 TO REPLACE SEALS, $415 TO REPLACE MAIN PULLEY, AND $1107 TO REPLACE VALVES.

WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH WATER PUMP FAILED ,ALLOWING TIMING CHAIN TO SLIP OFF, AND BENDING VALVES TO ENGINE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

ENGINE WILL STALL INTERMITTENTLY DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND REPLACED SENSOR VALVE TWO TIMES AND COMPUTER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT ENGINE BLOCK AND HEAD ARE CRACKED WITH NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING, SUBARU MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND NO MECHANICAL REASON WHY THIS OCCURRED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *TT

CONSUMER STATES THAT ENGINE BLOCK AND HEAD ARE CRACKED WITH NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING, SUBARU MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND NO MECHANICAL REASON WHY THIS OCCURRED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *TT

LOCAL SUBARU DEALER HAS SOLD THESE PARTS SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY. IT APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM. WHEN THIS FAILS THE PULLY SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE FALLS APART, LITERALLY, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, POWER STEERING, BRAKE WARNING... THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS HAD WE NOT BEEN ON A BACK ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC. *AK

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH IN FREEZING WEATHER OR 32 DEGREES BELOW VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT ,CONSUMER MUST WAIT AT LEAST 10 MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING VEHICLE , DEALER CANNOT FIND PROBLEM ,HAS CHANGED SPEED SENSOR BUT DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE THERE ARE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS, RESULTING IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BECOMING INOPERATIVE, ALSO HEATER. CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED A FUME ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY OTHER DETAILS. *AK