2004 Subaru Outback Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP AND COOLANT HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MULTIPLE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 60,000 MILE INTERVALS SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. IT SEEMS LIKE THE MANUFACTURER IS COVERING UP A VERY BAD ENGINE DESIGN AFTER LOOKING ONLINE OF VERY SAME REPORTS. I AM SURPRISED WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS IT IS NOT BEEN RECALLED OR CORRECTED. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO COSTS OF REPAIR I AM FORCED TO SCRAP THE CAR AND FIND A DIFFERENT CAR COMPANY. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL TAPPING NOISE WHEN FIRST STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE PISTONS. THE NOISE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BLOCK WITH NEW PISTONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,100.

DURING EARLY DECEMBER 2010 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND HEARD A HUGE RATTLING NOISE. SHE PULLED OVER AND WE GOT THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE VALVE ON THE ENGINE CYLINDER GOT DAMAGED AND AS A RESULT THE VALVE STEM HAS FALLEN INTO THE CYLINDER. AS THE PISTON WAS MOVING, IT GOT DAMAGED. SO WE NEEDED TO REPLACE TWO PISTONS. WHICH WE DID. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AS DIFFERENTIAL MATERIAL EXPANSION HAS CAUSED THE STEM TO FALL AND DAMAGE THE PISTON. IF THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED BY BAD DESIGN AND USING TWO DIFFERENT MATERIALS FOR ENGINE VALVE AND BLOCK. SUBARU NEEDS TO RECALL THE VEHICLES AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT BE PAYING. THE CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAD ONLY 65,000 MILES. GOT IT REPAIRED. SUBARU WAS OF NO HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE ROAD AND ADDED COOLANT TO THE RADIATOR. THE COOLANT CONTINUED TO LEAK OUT OF THE RADIATOR; THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEAD GASKET, WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. ONE YEAR LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE REPAIR WAS ONLY GOOD FOR A YEAR. THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,380.

DIAGNOSTIC CODE P0420 (CATALYST SYS). VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS TEST DUE TO CODE. 85000 MILES ON VEHICLE. WAS TOLD THERE WAS A COMPUTER UPGRADE FOR THIS COMPLAINT PUT OUT BY SUBARU. DEALER PERFORMED UPGRADE THEN INFORMED ME HEADGASKET WAS LEAKING. DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKET "GOODWILL". DAT AFTER REPAIR CODE 0420 CAME BACK AND NOW NEED CONVERTERS REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1800.00 TO $2200.00 DUE TO CONTAMINATED CONVERTERS. FUEL, OIL LEAKING INTO EXHAUST FROM FAILED HEAD GASKET.

2004 SUBARU OUTBACK. *TR

BLOWN HEADGASKET AT ONLY 40K. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE WITH EXTRA CARE CAR WHEN NEEDED. TOOK TO DEALER AND COMPLAINED OF SMELL OF COOLANT IN THE INTERIOR OF CAR WHEN DRIVING AND AFTER SHUTTING VEHICLE DOWN OR AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT STOP. TOOK TO DEALER COMPLAINING OF A NOISE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF ENGINE. AFTER THE DEALER EXAMINED VEHICLE NOTHING WAS FOUND AS PER REPORT. I TOOK THE CAR FOR BRAKE REPAIR AND THE MECHANIC NOTED A COOLANT LEAK FROM THE LEFT BANK OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. HE STATED THAT HE CAR HAS A BLOWN HEADGASKET ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE CYLINDER BLOCK. THE WARRANTY ON THE POWERTRAIN IS ABOUT TO RUN OUT AND HE ADVISED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR. HE DID STATE THAT THE DEALER WILL ONLY REPAIR THE BANK THAT IS LEAKING AND THE OTHER WOULD NOT BE COVERED AND SHOULD BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME TO PREVENT THE OTHER BANK FROM BLOWING OUT DUE TO A CHANGE IN THE BALANCE OF PRESSURE ON THE BLOCK RESULTING FROM THE REPLACEMENT OF ONLY ONE HEADGASKET. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK USED FROM OUR LOCAL DEALER. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE VEHICLE HAD 28,545 MILES ON IT. SINCE PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE WE SMELL BURNING OIL AND ENGINE COOLANT- WE CURRENTLY HAVE 36,119 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WENT IN FOR REPAIR, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET BECAUSE THERE WAS A "PIN SIZED HOLE" IN IT. AFTER ABOUT THREE MONTHS THE SMELL RETURNED AND WE BROUGHT TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP PUT AN ADDITIVE IN THE VEHICLE THAT THEY SAID WAS RECOMMENDED BY SUBARU TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. WE ARE WAITING TO TAKE THE GAR BACK YET AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND ARE NOW BEING TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO SMELL THIS WAY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. ONE OF THE MECHANICS EVEN TOLD US THAT THE SMELL WOULD BE ESPECIALLY BAD DURING THE WINTER WHEN GOING UP HILLS. THIS EXPLANATION SEEMS LIKE A BUNCH OF NONSENSE AND AN ATTEMPT TO GET US TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT SUBARU VEHICLES ARE. ALL WE WANT IS A CAR THAT WORKS AND DOESN'T SMELL LIKE COOLANT OR BURNING OIL. *TR

WE OWN TWO SUBARU OUTBACKS, A 2003 WAGON & 2004 SEDAN, BOTH PURCHASED NEW FROM, AND SERVICED BY, THE SAME DEALER, RAFFERTY SUBARU, WEST CHESTER, PA. WHEN THE DEFROST IS TURNED ON, THE AIR RECIRCULATION IS NOT AVAILABLE. WHEN FOLLOWING VEHICLES IN RAIN &/OR SNOW WHEN THE DEFROST IS NEEDED, EXTERNAL EXHAUST FUMES ARE SUCKED INTO THE CAR... IN SLOW OR STOPPED TRAFFIC, THIS HAS MADE MYSELF AND OTHER OCCUPANTS FEEL ILL. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO TURN OFF THE DEFROST, BUT THIS ALLOWS THE WINDOWS TO RE-FOG / -FROST CUTTING VISIBILITY. I'VE INQUIRED TWICE AT MY SUBARU DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE RECIRCULATION CUT-OFF IS BY DESIGN, AND HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU VIA THE INTERNET AND RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER, WITH REFERENCE TO PAGES IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL DESCRIBING THE CIRCUMSTANCE AND NO RESOLUTION. *NM

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE COMMENCES TO SURGE AND LURCH FORWARD WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY INCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ONCE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *NM *TT *NM

I WANT TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS FOR SUBARU QUALITY AND RELIABILITY. AS A FAMILY WE HAVE OWNED SEVERAL SUBARU OUTBACK VEHICLES. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR 2002 HAD BAD PISTONS THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 11,000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP. THE VEHICLE STILL DID NOT RUN CORRECTLY AFTER THE ENGINE OVERHAUL SO WE SOLD IT AND REGRETTABLY PURCHASED YET ANOTHER NEW 2004 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON, WHICH IS NOW AT OUR LOCAL DEALER HAVING PISTONS REPLACED IN THE ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME A 4 CYLINDER OUTBACK IN OUR FAMILY HAS LET US DOWN. I NOW KNOW WHAT KIND OF QUALITY THEY BUILD INTO THEIR VEHICLES. WE ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OWNERS AND WE MAINTAIN OUR VEHICLES TO A REALLY HIGH STANDARD. WE FEEL THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE ENGINE PISTON QUALITY IN 2002-2004 (4 CYLINDER) OUTBACK WAGONS SO THAT OTHER OWNERS DO NOT FIND THEMSELVES IN AN UNFORTUNATE AND PRECARIOUS POSITION. THE ENGINE IS JUNK! *AK