throwin

My 98 Outback is currently in the shop (Subaru Dealer) as I write this. I had the same "classic" blown head gasket at 100,000 miles. Couldn't believe how much of an epidemic this is for this car! I am getting pretty much the same work you are getting done to your car. My price tag came at $1,700 with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty which is good piece of mind since you never know what else could go after this. I could've got it done at an independent garage for cheaper but they won't guarantee anything! BTW, call Subaru direct and tell them your problem. They MAY help in the repair payment. I did! This problem left a bad taste in my mouth about Subaru's because this is a HUGE problem with their 2.5 engines! It was an obvious design flaw that they are not coming out and admitting to. They just say it is "normal" wear and tear (heating and cooling) on the engine. I bought a Subaru in the first place because of their reputation of running next to forever. Now I have to re-think that! Good Luck!

Thanks all for your input. We'll know more this week (fingers crossed)

The car is in "good" shape. Was told by my mechanic that it would cost $2000 to replace HG. He said that when the head gasket goes there is no guarantee that anything else has gone wrong. I have extensively searched this issue! How do you know which phase engine it is (I assume phase I)?

My 1997 Outback is having the classic symptoms of a blown head gasket. Gunk in the overflow, overheating etc. My mechanic has replaced the thermostat TWICE with a certified Subaru thermostat, flushed the radiator and put a new cap on, and tested for a water pump malfunction. It ran fine for about 30 miles before the dreaded temp guage peaked out again! We were scratching our collective heads until I reaserched it on the wonderful world wide web. I was shocked to see that the HG has been an issue for some time now!!!!! I love the Outback because we live in a snow prone area. The AWD is a MUST! I am very upset at Subaru for not addressing this problematic issue of HG's in the past! I had no clue this was an epidemic until this happened to me. The car ONLY has 100,000 on it so replacing the HG would probably not be worth it. I will need to make a pretty quick decision next week on weather or not to buy a new one after it gets looked at by the local Subaru. I wanted to know if anyone here knows if the new 2006 models have been addressed with the faulty HG issue in the 2.5 engine and FIXED! Subaru is a car that's been known to run forever which is one of the reasons why I bought it in the first place. (I could've bought a cheap GM product and got much more mileage out of it.) I don't want to buy a new Outback if the same problem will happen again. That would be crazy! THANKS!