My 1998 Legacy 2.5 GT with 84,000 miles is having issues. It overheating but the radiator is staying cold. We brought it into be repaired, and the Subaru dealership said it was a headgasket. They said they'd NEVER seen a headgasket go before on this specific car w/mileage.... it was going to cost alot of $$$$$ so we brought it to get a second opinion.....

The second place didn't think it was a headgasket... (and we called a few other subaru dealerships in the area and they said that they SWEAR UP AND DOWN that it's not a headgasket)... They ran a buch of tests and ended up chaging the thermostat. And it worked...the car ran fine for about a week, then we had to drive the car down to my parents (1.5 hours away) and about 10 minutes from their house it started overheating again........

So as of now its at the shop but the mechanics STILL dont know what is wrong.... The radiator is COLD when the car overheats... It's not leaking coolant on the ground or in the engine bay....there isnt any smoke/smell coming from the motor so we dont think its buring the antifreeze... They did run tests and the engine is HOT, so its not a faulty gauge.

Does any have any ideas on whats going on? Or has this ever happened to anyone else?
If you have any information... e-mail me at lauren97a152@yahoo.com

Thanks

 

I feel your pain. I got my 97 legacy GT six months ago, It started leaking oil on the headers three months ago and i had alot of work done while the car (crank seal, oil pump oring, ac belt, timing belt, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, some hoses, etc). Turns out it is a common flaw in the EJ25 DOHC engine in our cars.
So about a month ago I noticed my coolent system temp getting high after a long ride on the highway and slowing down to get in a fast food line. I turned the car off for 15 min. and it went back to normal upon restart. Then last friday , one month later I notice the temp rising again. I turned the engine off and pulled over to have the car towed back to the dealership that did the repairs assuming they put a bad thermostat in the car. They told me I had a blown headgasket!!! I couldn't believe my ears, my car only has 87K. The japanese specialist i took my car to today told me it is insane i blew a headgasket with only 87K miles. After looking thru the various "legacy headgasket" threads on this site and all over the internet I discovered all my problems are wide spread and due to a weak headgasket and crank seal, oil pump housing that subaru put on our engine. I am trying to rally as many people who have had this problem to form a united front to do something about Subaru of America's denial of responsibility. So if you read this and have experienced the problem write me at diverdave9000@yahoo.com and lets do something about it! If anyone knows how to get Subaru or the dealerships to pay for this repair PLEASE WRITE! I'm driving a rent a car and I'm going to be poor by the time my subby is back in my loving arms. I wouldn't be suprised if there is some sort of cover up between SOA and the Service centers at subby dealerships.

 

Yeah there is a new headgasket design, too bad they didn't put a good one on the engine in the first place or offer to replace it for free if it goes out earlier than it should, like mine did.
There is a service campagin for some engines like mine between 1999-2001 that will replace the headgasket with the new design for free, however mine is a 97!!! If you have a 2.5L subby engine Give a service rep the last 8 digits of your VIN and they can find out if you are elgible for the repair.

 

This is a know problem among Subaru of America and it dealer network, bothwhom have tried to sweep this headgasket problem under the carpet.

Do a search on the I-club web page using the key word of "Head gasket" "Problem" "EJ25"

I had my short block changed out and new four layer head gaskets installed by dealer only after a long exhaustive battle. (Fixed under warranty @ 82,500 miles- all my service documented over the years; very important to win your case)
Both solved problems with bad oil seals, piston slap, metalurgy problems in floating cylinders, and warping headgaskets. Head torque is very important in motor reinstallation.

Call SOA and insist that they open a case file on your Subaru with this known problem.

Good luck.

Babu

 

Thanks Babu,

I am fighting like a pit bull in a corner. My independent mechanic discovered that I had four bad timing belt pulleys, that Subaru should have told me about when I had them change my timing belt and tensioner, crank seal and oil pump oring. The service at the dealerships in California don't know jack about subarus because there is no subaru exclusive place here in Diego. It is always JEEP SUBARU or some crap like that. I am so happy i found a great mechanic who is indpendent of subaru to tell me the truth about my engine.

I am planning on picketing the dealerships new location with my buddies till i get someone to cut me a check for at least part of my repair bill. Those jerks told me it was normal for my headgasket to go at only 87K!!!

I'm currious if anyone is seriously persuing a class action lawsuit to get subaru to at least kick down some cash to the victims of their bad headgasket desgin. Subaru is a great car, and the company should step up to the plate and deal with its mistakes.

-Furious Diver Dave