need advice - '05 Outback Sport - 2nd engine failure in 85K miles

[lizsmith]

Hi there -
I have a 2005 Subaru Outback Sport, purchased new from the dealer.



The engine failed and was replaced under warranty at 55,000 miles, exactly 3 years ago. It took four months of fighting with Subaru to get them to cover it.



It’s now at 84,000 miles, and has failed again. The engine overheated on the freeway on a cold night. I pulled over, let it cool, added coolant and it ran fine (normal temp) on the way home. The next day, it had a hard time starting, and then wouldn’t start at all.



I towed it to Subaru. They’re saying its a leaking radiator and almost certainly a blown head gasket. $700 for a new radiator and $3000 for a new head gasket/timing belt, etc…


Can anyone comment on the price quote? Should I fight for them to repair for free? They're saying the 1st replacement engine was only warrantied for 1 year - how can that be? It only ran 30,000 miles and has failed.



I’m so tired of dealing with this car. I fought them for 4 months to fix the engine the first time and I don’t want to go through it again.



Should I hold out and let it sit there until we come to a deal on it? Or have them just go ahead and fix it, and go after Subaru corporate once the work is done?



They’re claiming they can’t say exactly what’s wrong till they take it apart, but won’t take it apart until I agree to the full repairs.



I'm already at $100 for the tow, and $150 for Subaru diagnosis, and $150 for a rental car.... that's $400 and nothing's even been fixed yet!!



Any advice is greatly appreciated! I'm a single woman and it's often hard to deal effectively with car dealership guys. They treat you like you're an idiot... I need facts and evidence and sh*t to back up my demands.



Thanks so much!
Liz

[grossgary]

where are you located, i'd consider fixing it for you much more reasonably and a more thorough job than the dealer.

repaired properly the car should last another 200,000 miles. while you've gotten hosed so far, properly repaired it should be a good vehicle.

last radiator i got from radiatorbarn.com was $84 shipped to my door.

headgasket replacement should be $1,500 at most dealers - not $3,000.

one year warranty sounds about right - some places have up to 3 years. that's a tough market and you should have looked into that ahead of time and known, not worry about it once a need arises - it's a warranty, not insurance.

[jbwood5]

If you are located near the Tampa Bay area of Florida, I could fix it for about $1500 to $1800, or buy it near that same price or more if the rest of the car is in good condition.

[ETC]

Wow, 2 motors in 85k ? lousy luck there. Was the first an actual replacement or a repair ?

If you can't get any sympathy from SOA, find a local indy shop that specializes in Subarus and get a quote from them.

The prices mentioned are more in line with our reality than the dream world of car dealers. Should be under 2k with a new radiator and headgasket [and all other related gaskets and labor]

Good luck and a better new year

[1 Lucky Texan]

you need to let that first repair go and just consider the present situation. If the car still meets your needs and hasn't been mistreated/is otherwise in good condition - even $3K is only, what - 8-10 monthly payments on a new car?

[mikec]

To answer your questions directly:

1. Should I hold out: No! The rental costs car costs will eat you alive.

2. Should I have the dealer repair it: No! As already pointed out, his costs are out of line. As a point of reference for you, I just had a quote from a full service Subaru dealer in Wisconsin, and the cost for the engine head gasket and compete replacement of idlers, belts, gaskets, etc was $2400.

You're only choice is to repair it at an independent garage [Subaru specialists] or buy another car. Only you can make that decision. If it were me, I'd find an independent garage and put in a used motor. Other people would repair it. Either way it's a little bit of a gamble.

But you have had so much trouble, that I would reluctantly advise you to sell it, and buy another car. It sounds like it would be too much aggravation for you. And don't feel bad about being treated badly by the dealership. It happens to most of us, male or female. Part of the problem is that many dealerships are idiots, and don't know how to treat anyone properly. Of course some are crooks too.