2002 Subaru Outback Engine Problems

Your 2002 Subaru Outback developed a fuel leak from a fuel line while being driven in 10-degree weather. You tightened the fuel line clamp as a temporary fix, but you're concerned this is a recurring design issue that should have been recalled. The fix may involve replacing or permanently securing the fuel line connections with proper clamps or a complete fuel line assembly.

Your head gasket has failed four separate times and needed replacement, which is an expensive repair. Each failure has caused oil to leak all over the engine, surrounding parts, and your driveway. With 190,000 miles on your vehicle, this repeated problem suggests a potential design or manufacturing defect that should be investigated. Fixing this will require removing the cylinder head and replacing the gasket seal.

Your driver's side head gasket started leaking at 59,000 miles. The dealer replaced only that gasket for $855, but shortly after, both head gaskets began leaking. The owner believes this is a design defect in the engine that will require repeated gasket replacements throughout ownership. The complaint notes that Subaru uses Holts Radweld stop leak in the coolant system but doesn't disclose this to owners.

THE CAR ALWAYS HAS A STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE DURING WINTER. THE SMELL IS SO BAD THAT I GET HEADACHES. *TR

WHEN WEATHER TURNS COLD, THE SMELL OF RAW GAS COMES INTO THE CAR, AS WELL AS IN THE GARAGE AFTER PARKING. SO FAR THE DEALER HAS JUST TIGHTENED A CLAMP, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF I'M ON A HI-WAY AND THAT HAPPENS? I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR WITH A GAS LEAK IN THE ENGINE AND TO FAR AWAY FROM A FIRE STATION SO DO I CALL A TOWE TRUCK OR MY LAWYER. BECAUSE THE CAR BURNT UP? CAN'T BELIEVE THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IS BEING SO UNRESPONSIVE ABOUT THIS. GET THIS RECALL TO ALL THE SUBARU HAVING A ISSUE I THOUGHT YOU HAD GREAT CARS NOT SO MUCH NOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WITH A PRIVATE MECHANIC, THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT RADIATOR FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE EXHAUST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 120,000.

I RECENTLY TOOK MY OUTBACK IN TO A LOCAL SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE, AND THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAS STARTED TO LEAK. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A SECOND OPINION, AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. CALLED FOUR DIFFERENT PLACES, AND GOT ESTIMATES FOR ANYWHERE FROM $1500-$2100 (AFTER SPENDING $2K ON OTHER WEAR AND TEAR REPAIRS THIS SUMMER). EVERY MECHANIC I SPOKE WITH WAS KEENLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY MEANS THIS IS A VERY COMMON - AND EXPENSIVE - DEFECT! *KB

I REPLACED THE LEFT HEAD GASKET (AT A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER) AT 122,000 MILES DUE TO OIL LEAKAGE. AT 123,000 MILES THE RIGHT HEAD GASKET FAILED. I CONTACTED SUBARU BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S COINCIDENTAL FOR BOTH HEAD GASKETS TO FAIL THAT CLOSE TOGETHER. THEY WILL NOT HELP ME BECAUSE OF THE MILES AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE FIRST WORK DONE AT A DEALER. *TR

HEAD GASKET FAILURE CAUSING COOLANT LEAK FROM ENGINE, POTENTIAL OVERHEATING AND ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

IN MAY OF 2007, MY 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH 71,000 MILES FIRST BEGAN HAVING OVERHEATING ISSUES. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO A SUBARU DEALER WHERE THEY UNPLUGGED A RADIATOR CAP AND ADDED SPECIAL COOLANT CONDITIONER. 3 MONTHS LATER, THE RANDOM OVERHEATING STARTED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER. THE RADIATOR CAP WAS REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE OVERHEATING. THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, THEY DISCOVERED IT WAS HEAD GASKET FAILURE WITH A WARPED HEAD. THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALER FOR OVER A WEEK FOR THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA WHO SAID HEAD GASKET FAILURE WAS COVERED BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 98-2002 MODELS, HOWEVER, MY 2002 MODEL FELL OUTSIDE OF THE COVERED VIN #S SINCE IT WAS MANUFACTURED AFTER THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED (NOT ALL OF THE 2002 MODELS WERE COVERED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY). THEREFORE, MY HEAD GASKET REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY SUBARU'S EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS FREQUENT PROBLEM. I GOT MY CAR BACK FROM THE DEALER AND ON THE WAY HOME IT OVERHEATED. I TOOK IT BACK IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REASSEMBLED IT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS ASSEMBLED PROPERLY AND REPLACED THE RADIATOR AS WELL JUST TO BE SURE THAT WASN'T THE CAUSE OF THE CONTINUED OVERHEATING ISSUES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON REPAIR AMONG SUBARU OWNERS. SUBARU DECIDED TO GRANT US A "GOOD WILL WARRANTY" TO COVER THE HEAD GASKETS WITH US PAYING A $300 DEDUCTIBLE AND THEY COVERED THE REST OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR (THEY DID NOT COVER THE RADIATOR, ETC - WE STILL PAYED AROUND $1,000 OUT OF POCKET FOR THE DEDUCTIBLE, RADIATOR, ETC). I AM HAPPY THEY DID THIS FOR US, BUT IF OUR VIN FELL WITHIN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO INCUR THESE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. IT IS CLEAR SUBARU HAS A DEFECT IN THEIR HEAD GASKETS DURING CERTAIN YEARS, BUT IT SEEMS THEY NEED TO STAND BEHIND ALL THE CARS AFFECTED, NOT JUST SOME OF THEM. *TR

2002 SUBARU OUTBACK STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR FROM THE A/C. PEP BOYS CHARGED OVER $1,000 TO REPAIR. THERE WERE NO SUBARU DEALERS IN OUR CITY. WE ARE ELDERLY AND RETIRED. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY SUBARU THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH LEAKAGE ON THE 2.5L ENGINE MODELS. *AK

OUR MECHANIC FOUND OUR PROBLEM IS A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. MODEL-2002 OUTBACK SUBARU WAGON. WAS TOLD THESE MODELS WERE MADE WITH A THIN HEAD GASKET THAT CRACKS. TOLD TO CONTACT OUR SUBARU DEALERSHIP TO SEE ABOUT A RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP SAID, YES A RECALL ON HEAD GASKETS BUT VIN # HAS TO END WITH PROPER 7 LAST DIGITS. OURS, OF COURSE, DID NOT HAVE THE NUMBER THEY WOULD COVER. WAS TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT. HAS BEEN REPLACING THE HEAD GASKETS IN THESE MODELS-AND SUBARU HAS BEEN PAYING 1/2. THIS IS ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS WITH THAT STATEMENT. QUOTED COST OF $1350.00 AND SUBTRACT HALF. BRING CAR IN AND SUBARU WOULD BE CALLED BUT NONE HAS BEEN REFUSED FOR 1/2 THE COST COVERED. CALLED OUR MECHANIC. HE LAUGHED AND SAID- TAKING US FOR A RIDE AS THE PRICE IS JACKED UP SO IT APPEARS SUBARU IS PAYING 1/2 BUT THE CONSUMER IS REALLY PAYING THE FULL COST. OUR TWO YEAR OLD SON, WITH MEDICAL PROBLEMS, HAS BEEN SICK IN THE CAR FROM THE FUMES. AS ANTIFREEZE IS LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET AND SEEPING INTO THE CAR THRU THE HEATING VENTS. IT IS NOT FAIR THAT WE HAVE A 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH A CRACKED HEAD GASKET AND OTHER CARS OF THIS SAME YEAR/MAKE/MODEL ARE HAVING THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED AS THEIR VIN # MEETS THE LAST 7 DIGITS. WE HAVE THE SAME ENGINE/MAKE/MODEL AND PROBLEM AS THESE OTHER CONSUMERS BUT WE ARE HAVING TO ABSORB THE COST. WE HAVE TO GET THE CAR FIXED AS OUR YOUNG SON DOES NOT NEED TO INHALE THIS STRONG ODOR WITH HIS PRESENT HEALTH. OUR MECHANIC SAID THE HEAD GASKETS IN THESE SUBARU OUTBACKS ARE TOO THIN AND CRACK. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND IS NOT OUR FAULT. IT IS NOT FAIR THAT OTHER OWNERS OF THE OUTBACK HAVE A CERTAIN VIN # ARE HAVING THEIRS REPLACED WHEN THEY HAVE THE SAME ENGINE AND PROBLEM AS WE DO. THIS IS AN ADDITION TO CONFIRMATION # 10170783-MY HUSBAND SENT.

THE HEAD GASKET, TOO THIN, ON OUR 2002 OUTBACK SUBARU AND CRACKED. FULL RECALLS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO OWNERS OF OUTBACK MODELS FROM 2000-2002 FOR CRACKED HEAD GASKETS. VERY STRONG ANTI-FREEZE FUMES ARE SEEPING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. WE HAVE 2 TODDLERS BREATHING IN THESE FUMES-1 HAVING HEALTH PROBLEMS! CALLED DEALERSHIP. YES, IS A RECALL BUT OUR VIN NUMBERS NOT ON THE LIST. WAS INFORMED MANY OF THESE MODELS ARE COMING IN FOR HEAD GASKETS TO BE REPLACED. SERVICE DEPT. SAID SUBARU IS PAYING 1/2 THE COST FOR THE VIN NUMBERS NOT ON THE LIST. SUBARU, THEREFORE, IS ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS A PROBLEM OR THEY WOULD NOT BE PAYING 1/2 THE COST OF REPAIR. IT IS NOT FAIR THAT CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS TO THE SUBARU OUTBACKS ARE HAVING A TOTAL RECALL FOR A DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET AND THE REST ARE RECEIVING 1/2 OF THE COST TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. OUR HEAD GASKET SHOULD BE RECALLED AND CORRECTED THE SAME AS OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2000-2002 SUBARU OUTBACKS. TOLD IT WILL COST $1350.00 TO FIX THE CAR AND 1/2 FROM SUBARU WILL MAKE THE COST $675.00. CLEARLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THESE MODELS. THIS CAR IS AFFECTING OUR ONE CHILD'S HEALTH WORSE SO WE HAVE TO GET IT FIXED. THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED TOTALLY BY SUBARU AS THEY RECALLED OUTBACK WAGONS NO MATTER WHAT THE VIN NUMBERS. THIS IS A HAZARD TO OUR SON'S HEALTH AND WE ARE NOT BEING TREATED EQUALLY WITH OTHER OWNERS OF OUTBACKS THAT HAVE HAD THEIRS REPLACED AT NO COST TO THEM. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ABSORB THE COST OF A PART THAT IS RECALLED ON SOME WHEN CLEARLY MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

2002 SUBARU OUTBACK (NOT SURE WHICH ENGINE) - NOTICED COOLANT SMELL AROUND NOVEMBER 2005; WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING - THEY COULD EITHER ADD A GASKET "CONDITIONER"'' TREATMENT" - OR I COULD GO WITH THE REPLACEMENT GASKET FOR ~$3000 OR SO. THIS WAS NOT LONG AFTER MY 60K SERVICE, WHEREIN NOTHING HAD BEEN FOUND WRONG. I ALSO NOTED FUEL SMELLS, WHICH THEY NOTED MIGHT REQUIRE NEW FUEL LINE AND FUEL RAIL(?) TO THE TUNE OF ANOTHER ~$650 OR SO. I ASKED ABOUT RECALLS, AND THEY HEMMED AND HAWED - THEY FINALLY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON EARLIER SERIES ENGINES, BUT THAT MINE WAS OUTSIDE THE RECALL GROUP. I'VE SINCE FOUND HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BY OWNERS OF LATE-MODEL SUBARUS. SOME GET THE REPLACEMENT, BUT THE CAR NEVER RUNS THE SAME AFTERWARDS. MANY ONLY GET A REPLACEMENT OUT OF SUBARU AFTER GOING TO THE DISTRICT OR EVEN NATIONAL LEVEL AT SUBARU OF AMERICA. *JB

AT 69,013 MILES, THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING COOLANT. WE FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE ODOR. *NM

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK SMELT BURNING COOLANT. THEN , STARTED SEEING A LOT OF SMOKE FROM THE DRIVER SIDE ENGINE HOOD AREA. PULLED OVER AND FOUND THAT THE COOLANT WAS EMPTY IN THE TANK. REFILLED WITH FRESH COOLANT AND CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD BACK HOME. CAR WAS SMOKING ALL THE WAY BACK. TOOK IT TO A SHOP, AND FOUND THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. MECHANIC REPLACED THE HEAD GASKETS AND MACHINED HEADS. COST $1700.*AK

PISTON SLAP IN 2.5 ENGINE. *NM

FUEL SMELL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CABIN. DEALER HAS EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE, INSISTS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR.*AK

CAR HAS COMPLETELY STALLED TWICE WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE.

MASTER CYLINDER HAS A BAD LEAKAGE, CAUSING ENGINE TO LOCK. PH...*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING; HESITATED(SEVERE) ON ACCELERATION (ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD/EVEN AFTER WARMED UP), THERE'S A WIND NOISE COMING FROM THE ROOF/ROOF RACK-AND HAPPENS AT SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH/VERY NOISY, A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE-MOSTLY WHEN MAKING TURNS, BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY(MAYBE THE STRUT), STALLING, AND WOULD SIT FOR1-2 HOURS, THEN WOULD START WITH DIFFICULTY, RUNS ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN IS FINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITHIN THE SPECIFICATIONS. (THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES) SCC

ONCE WARMED UP, THE VECHICLE IDLES VERY LOW AT 300-400 RPM'S AND STALLS OUT. *MJ

VEHICLE STALLS WHILES DRIVING AND DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. DEALER CAN NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM WITH CAR. THE CAR HAS STALLED REPEATEDLY, AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN OUR POSSESSION, AND SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IN THE DEALER'S POSSESSION.