Signs of the Subaru Head Gasket Problems In The First Generation Engine This can cause acid in the fluids to erode the seals. They sit lower in the vehicle for an improved handling, but fluids have a likelihood to pool next to the head gaskets. These motors lay flat and the pistons move laterally, balancing weight accurately and quickly. The engines that are within these cars are considered boxer-style engines. The Subaru Outback was re-designed in 2012, and the new motor has fixed all of the leaking issues. By 2011, the Subaru Impreza was the only model that experienced head gasket problems. In 2010, the problems affected the Subaru Forester and Impreza. Subaru head gasket problems are in every model in 2007 except for the Baja. Subaru head gasket problems are prevalent in 2006 in every model except for the Baja. Subaru head gasket problems have occured in the Forester, Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Baja in 2005. The wide range of Subaru head gasket problems means that numerous models have engine issues. The breakdown of the affected models are the Subaru Forester from 1999-2010, Impreza from 1999 to 2011, Outback from 2000-2011, Legacy from 2000-2009, and Baja from 2003-2005. This engine causes overheating, loss of coolant, and black-colored coolant in the recovery chamber.Īlthough any internal combustion engine might undergo a head gasket failure, Subaru’s specific models are more susceptible to the issue and more known for having this issue frequently occur in many of their models. The main reason that they have the issues is because they share the 2.5-liter SOHC engine. The most commonly affected models are the Impreza, the Legacy, and the Outback models between the years of 1999-2004. The Subaru head gasket issues have been known to affect a large number of Subaru models and makes throughout various years. When Did The Subaru Head Gasket Problems Start? Higher temperature levels during operating.Oil dripping between the block and the head near the engine.If this is happening in your Subaru head gasket, then you may experience the following signs: The newer head gaskets on newer-model cars can do a better job of containing internal leaks than the older models, but they don’t prevent any leaks in the fluid passages. If the seals rupture at the cooling jackets, then the extra exhaust and heat produced can be very detrimental to your vehicle. Other symptoms of a blown Subaru head gasket is white oil in the reservoir, your engine overheating, exhaust bubbles and vapors in your coolant reservoir, and your vehicle overheating in various driving conditions. In Subaru petrol cars, the white smoke can be a sign of burning coolant, black smoke due to oil burning inside, a broken catalytic converter, or complete engine failure. In some instances, the white smoke in diesel Subarus can be caused by a damaged or partially-clogged fuel filter, faulty injector timing, or contaminants within the diesel. White diesel smoke is the product of being caused by a lack of heat in the combustion chamber, which means that the fuel is not being burned correctly and at the right proportion. One of the symptoms of a blown head gasket in a Subaru is white exhaust leaking from the tailpipe. When the head gasket materials start to break down over time and begin to erode, you should be able to notice some or all of the tell-tale symptoms that your Subaru has a blown head gasket. If you have an older Subaru model with a blown head gasket, then your engine faces a risk of overheating when compared to a newer model Subaru. The explosive forces are then trapped in places within the engine that they shouldn’t be – this means that oil and coolant drifts into the wrong places as well. When the head gasket fails, the engine no longer is able to contain the pressures that have built inside. The head and block must gain and let go of heat at various rates of pressure being put on the seals. The head gasket works directly with the engine, shifting in position as the engine fluxuates in temperatures between heating and cooling functions. Head gaskets are also supposed to be the last line of the engine, and should only really require replacement with major internal auto body work happening. The gaskets are in charge of keeping the oil in the right oil passages, and keeping the coolant in the correct coolant lanes. The job of the head gasket is to absorb the energy between the two metal components near the engine. The gaskets get placed between the block and cylinder heads during the assembly process. A head gasket is a thin strip of metal with various holes punched through it.

Head gasket leaking coolant externally