Why Subarus Are So UNreliable!!! Buckle Up!!! 

As a long time Subaru service technician myself, I can 100% vouch for the amount of time we get younger owners of the turbo charged models that completely destroy these cars and have the audacity to blame the brand for the vehicles failures. And we as technicians suffer greatly due to most of these repairs being warranty and having to eat poor labor times due to the owners mistreatment. Subarus are absolutely great vehicles when properly maintained and cared for. I love the brand but I hate some of the owners loll. Had to subscribe after watching this rant lol!

As someone who owned a company that rebuilt Subaru engines and shipped them worldwide, I can attest to the absolute truth of what MrSubaru is saying. Don't maintain or poorly modify your Subaru and you WILL screw up your engine.

I felt like I was in a southern Baptist church and all I was doing was raising my hands and saying amen everytime you hit a point....preach it! Amen!

I’ll be buying my first Subaru this Spring when the 2025 Forester comes out. I’ve researched it and its competitors for two years and was indignant when I saw the title of this video. Having watched it though, I thank you for making it.

Subaru tech myself. We did amateur rally competition for about 9 years now. Blew up 2 motors and 1 5speed manual, not a bad statistics. About 5 years ago I finally built a motor myself. Drove that thing to multiple podiums, 2019 PMSC rallycross champion with 4 full seasons of rallycrossing and 5 years of daily driving that vehicle (spirited) and had 0 issues with the motor. Change your oil, change your plugs, keep and eye on leaks and it will last longer than Toyota

Teachers and Cheapskates love Subarus. I was a Major Appliance repairman for 27 years. I can tell you from personal experience that these people are the "Customers from Hell". Unthankful, Disloyal, Unappreciative, Rude, Impossible to reason with. I FEEL YOUR PAIN! I Now do Commercial HVAC and have minimal interaction with people. What a relief. Anyone who doesn't deal with the public DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. After 27 years it was like GROUNDHOG DAY...The same day over and over. "NO THANKS" Bless you "Mr. Subaru" for what you do. And I love your videos.

I 100% agree with not using cheap aftermarket replacement parts. Buying OEM Subaru parts is not that expensive and they work so much better in most cases. Same with mods. Don’t buy cheap junk, it ends up costing you more later when you have to replace it. I learned the hard way. My 02 EJ20 WRX has over 190k miles on it and still runs great. Still on the original head gasket too. Even if the engine fails, I feel like I got my money’s worth out of the current engine. And thanks to what I’ve learned watching Mr Subaru’s videos, I feel comfortable either rebuilding or replacing it since I really love that old car. I also can’t afford a new $40k+ STi, as much as I’d like one.

When my daughter bought her WRX people were telling her about all these so called defects. A friend who knows his stuff told her "Do regular maintenance and don't live at red line. You'll be fine." I agree with him.

Love the rant!! My husband daily drives a 1999 forester with 255,000 miles on it, and still running strong. She's old and out dated but still gets the job done.

I agree, have had Subaru for the last 18-19 years or so now and never not once did it leave me stranded. Worst issue I ever had was the radiator end tanks on my 02' WRX started to separate after roughly 2-3 years of ownership and was replaced under warranty. That car lived a long life, as did my 09 STI. Proper maintenance and common sense can and does go along way.

I love a good MrSubaru rant! Buy the cheapest components, buy the cheapest fluids, put your maintenance off as long as possible. The perfect formula for blaming the manufacturer! I like a good meme as good as the next guy, but social media has truly beaten Subaru jokes to death. The spread of misinformation is endless. Some people do it intentionally for views. Many people actually believe you need to pull a Subaru engine to do spark plugs. The old NA engines, Subaru, Honda, Toyota, could tolerate bad mods better. Turbo engines need tuning. I'll be the first to say Subaru isn't perfect, they aren't. I'll also say there are other brands which do some things better. To say the brand is unreliable or poor quality though is purely false.

I agree with your sentiments in this video. I am a Subaru and BMW owner/fan. I hate when people poorly maintain a vehicle and get upset when things break and fail. Cars are not engineered to be poorly maintained. I have a 2010 STi Hatchback and modify it and drive it hard and I check my oil all the time because the harder you drive the more oil you consume. Performance engines (like in my BMWs and Subarus) have higher oil consumption under higher strains. I also change my oil more frequently than necessary because of the harder work I put my cars under. I had a BMW that I would take to the track and check the oil after every time (3-5 laps) on the track because it would go through liters of it on the track under sustained hot and high RPM conditions. The general public should temper their expectations on what constitutes reliability. Reliability does not mean it should be poorly maintained and not break.

i recently replaced the head gaskets in my 01 Legacy EJ253..33 hours, but the car runs great. This Legacy was the first one that came into our family and the reason we all love Subarus

AMEN!😊❤ every time I hear someone complain about a Subaru, Honda or Toyota, it is always rooted in neglect. Either their abuse and neglect or the previous owners abuse and neglect.

Why are Subarus so unreliable? Lack of love & maintenance you bloody savages...

"The main reason that Subaru's are unreliable..." Please say owners, please say owners ".... The owners" Me: *Wolf of wall street celebration* YES!!!!

I used to own a G35 that I can beat the crap out of while it was burning through a quart or two of oil a month. Sold it and got a Bugeye and everyone including myself thought I made a huge mistake. Turns out this is one of the easiest cars to do maintenance on with OEM parts still available at a relatively affordable price. I learned so much about cars doing work myself. Maybe it’s the people saying it’s unreliable so I pushed myself to always be on top of everything happening with the car. Treated the car good and the car never let me down. Dare I say WRX are the best bang for the buck cars you can buy today. Practical and fun. Will always own a Subaru in my life.

I was legit popping in here to see the mechanics behind why these things get such a bad rap. When you hit that first "is the ower" I literally fist pumped LMAAOOOOO. Rant was much needed. Glad you put it on blast.

A FREAKING MEN!!!! Thank you for making this. I get so sick of people constantly acting like Subaru makes junk. I've had 14 Subaru's now in every form from na ej22 cars to big turbo built ej257's and have never had a single head gasket issue or any engine failure. Ever. All it takes is some common sense.

I did a COBB stage one on my 2015 WRX did track days and autocross. Did all the maintenance myself... I got a few million miles of commercial driving few thousand miles of off-road racing. The only thing that I actually broke in the car was I burned out the wheel bearings at about 50K... ( Sticky track tires) I was so impressed with the car. I am now proud parent of a 2022 Outback wilderness. Which I have taken on several mild Jeep trails. There are few cars out there that are as versatile and as fun to drive as Subarus

Owners can be unreliable...Unreliable owner, unreliable car, regardless of make. My dad always used to tell me "Take care of your car and it'll take care of you." I've owned many makes of cars and the same applies but Subaru is my fav. Had a '76 DL in the early 80's. Couple of outbacks (2000 and 2012) and impreza's (2003 and 2007) and now drive a 2016 crosstrek and 2019 STI. Never had the "gasket issue." Reliable as all get out cause I don't drive stupid and check change the oil/fluids/maint regularly as recommended or better. You're spot on with everything you said.

This is the kind of stuff I look for, I was thinking about getting a Subie, but got a Kia from all the backlash I've heard from how Subarus are NOTORIOUS for blowing head gaskets. I got a Kia Sorento (suv for the family), and I really like it, but I've always wanted a Subaru for the boxer. Thank you for clearing stuff up!! Maybe my next vehicle will be a subarut

I knew this was going to be about the owners. I bought a 2006 Outback with 260,000 miles for $2000. I replaced the clutch, the rear wheel bearings, timing belt, and some seals at the front of the engine. I used good parts. And, it has been dead reliable since then.

Completely understand your frustrations. My wife complains about the cost of maintenance our cars need. But proper maintenance and they don't leave us stranded. I absolutely love our 2018 forester and would definitely buy another subby. Fyi we have a 2006 chrysler town and county with 217K miles and a passat with 177K miles. They all run perfectly from the regular maintenance and repairs they need at time. Except for the forester the chrysler and vw were bought new. Thanks mr Subaru. Love your channel.

I know my username is a Subaru but I don’t actually own one, YET! But my gosh the emotional roller coaster I have thinking about if it’s worth it to buy this sti I have wanted since high school based on all this hate and misinformation. I can only imagine how much harder it is to deal with as a Subaru tech/master mechanic… My parents have had a 2017 forester n/a since about 3,000 miles and only issue was a dead battery in 2020. I love every chance I get to drive it! Thanks for sharing the right information, it helps me feel confident that my dream to own an sti is reasonable and not something I should be sacred of owning!

Subaru has to start turning away the abused cars and modified cars for warranty work!! Worked for VW for over 30 year and saw some crazy 🤪 modified cars ...... Vw/Audi started turning the cars down for repairs!! ECUs store some rather wild data the public can not see!! I had a GTI Golf achive an engine speed of 10500 rpm!! The engine exploded!! In court the owner admitted to shifting to first gear at 70 mph!! Warranty Void!! Modern cars won't pull to those speeds......the Rev limiters won't allow it!! Another lowered the car and wore the oil pan through!! Siezed the engine!! Warranty Void!! Loved them all!! Great rant Mr Subaru!! 👌

I've gone through 5 modified WRX's, Foresters, GC's. I've also had a 2018 Outback and currently am in a 2020 Impreza Sport 5mt hatch. I can without a doubt, say that the factory engineered cars are better in basically every single way I can think. I'm so glad I'm over the modifying urge, sure they're cool, but cool doesn't get you to Home Depot and back without concern on the back of your mind. Not worth it.

EXCELLENT VIDEO and explanations! I was in the motorcycle industry; sold parts, bikes, accessories. It was the same in that business also. SOME riders abused their bike (NO break in time wrong fuel/oil mix, over revved them till the blew up, etc etc. AND the abusers always blamed the bikes/manufacturers, (ROLL MY EYES).

Hahah you are completely right 😂 the sti wrx kids are responsible for 95% for the catastrophic failures I have seen in the 6 months since I started at the dealership. the doctors that do maintenance come in with old outback’s with 300 thousand kilometres on them and they are tight as a drum.

Just purchased a 2023 crosstrek standard shift and I love it. It's not a speed demon, but at 30mpg highway, I'm not complaining at all. Trying to learn to do the maintenance myself, due to trying to save money. Your channel is a great help and the channel is also the reason I purchased a subaru.

Also note: The dramatic increase in popularity of Subarus in the last decade+ has lead to a dramatic increase in haters. Popularity always breeds descent, regardless of whether or not its warranted.

Love your videos man! The rant is pretty dead on. My dad was a master mechanic for most of his life and was so infuriated at how people would abuse their vehicles and blame literally everyone but themselves :/

Great video, all this needed to be said. I just replaced my '02 WRX that I had since new (June '01) with 244k miles. Totally stock, no tune. Synthetic oil changes every 3k-3.5k and coolant changed fairly regularly. Bubbles started showing in coolant tank at 243k and Subaru specialist indicated either head gasket or tiny crack in head. If it weren't for all the body rot, I may have had it fixed. Was I pissed? Hell no - 243k miles was impressive all the same. Original motor, exhaust (!), clutch, transmission, diff, steering rack, steering pump, AC compressor. The one issue with that EJ205 that haunted me the last 100k miles were random P0302 and P0304 misfires. Shops threw everything at it until final conclusion was likely tightening exhaust valves on cyl 4. Motor ran fine, the CEL would just turn on and off. Gave the car character. In the end sold it to a friend for $1k and bought a '21 WRX Base. That one will stay stock too.

100% it had to be said, thank you for sharing the rant many of us mechanics have been going on about for many decades. 👍👏👏👏

PREACH. It speaks volumes that subaru is able to be that car company right now. Great video. Love my 06 outback 2.5i with 416k miles. Would rather do a head gasket repair properly on a subaru that needs it than who knows what else from another brand

Preach! Finally the truth. So many people assume turbo subarus are just "junk", but they last if taken care of. My old 2004 wrx lasted until 250k miles with everything original. It's all about the owner. Now I have an 06 wrx wagon with 127k. As soon as i got it i put about 2,000 dollars worth of parts in it for maintenance. Runs perfect and I'm sure it will last just as long as my old one.

Good Job 👍 This is the talk that a Dad has with his kid when he buys them a 1st car. Sadly this maybe the first time some people have ever heard about what maintaining a vehicle really means. Oh yeah and most Vehicles come with a book called "Vehicle Maintenance" and believe it or not it has a schedule for all consumables. Either inspect at specific miles or replace at specific miles. Learn to do the maintenance yourself cause saving money is like making money and it's just nut and bolts and if you can follow directions you can do all of it

I love your honesty and factual vlogs, they are educational for those who do their own maintenance. I leave the my maintenance to the dealership. Keep up with the great work. Venting is good for the soul 🙂👍

First and foremost, this video is warranted and your rant is a good one. It's also one I've heard from every Subaru mechanic I've ever talked to, and frankly, I agree with them. Proper care and maintenance is everything, no matter what you drive. That said, fair warning, y'all, this is gonna be a long one: In 2015, I bought a 2007 Outback 2.5i Basic 5MT with 86,584 miles on it. I've never gotten a clear image of the maintenance the previous owner did or did not do, so I feel like I've been playing catch-up ever since. I've done my best to maintain the girl, including paying a Subaru dealership to do the head gaskets on my engine about a year and a half after I bought the car (112,936 miles on the OD) because I didn't have the tools or the space to do it myself. I went ahead and had them do the 100K mile service at that time as well, but sadly kept having issues with oil, for lack of a better term, disappearing from my engine. It never leaked when parked, and it wasn't coming out the tail pipes ever - it just kept consistently vanishing. I was doing full synthetic oil changes myself roughly every 5000-6000 miles, but I often had to top up in between, and more than the .8 of a quart left over after filling the engine to 4.2Q each time. In this time, I did other maintenance - namely CV's, wheel bearings, and coil overs on all 4 corners, replacing each with OEM parts after discovering this wonderful channel on RU-vid. In fact, other than the oil going missing between oil changes and a belt almost shredding itself on a 1500 mile road trip, my trooper of an Outback did really well - until the clutch went in late 2018 on another 1500 mile road trip. I was able to baby it enough to get her back home, but by that point, I'd glazed the fly wheel thanks to the weight I had in the back (I had gone to the middle of nowhere to rough camp for 9 days) and a freak rain storm making the highway treacherous in multiple places. Man, did that clutch job teach me how little I knew about working on Subaru's. Between waiting for parts, bad weather (I was working on it out in the open as I didn't have access to a garage or a shed), and finding other issues like bad gaskets in my exhaust and getting the wrong transmission seals from the dealership, it took me the better part of six months to get her back on the road. I did an oil change before driving her again, since I was worried about the oil possibly having broken down in the engine, but from that point on, she's been a bit of a lemon, never quite feeling like the solid car I'd loved for almost 5 years. In January 2021, she suddenly developed a smoking problem - every time she was driven or even started for more than a couple of minutes, smoke would come pouring out of the engine bay. Once again without a good place to work on her and knowing that I didn't know enough to tear into the engine on my own, I took her to the dealership again. Diagnosis - the cylinder head had warped and the valve guides had dropped causing cylinder's 2 & 4 to leak into the crank case. The dealer was able to find a rebuilt long block and so I let them do the swap, but shortly after I got her back, she threw codes again. This time, it was the catalytic converters failing, so I replaced them, but the issues still keep coming. At this moment, I almost don't even want to start her. I got codes for P0303 and P0304 after driving her 110 miles. I started with spark and replaced all four plugs, wires, and the coil pack (again, all OEM), but that didn't fix it. When started, she sounds like a diesel, but I haven't been able to get any more codes since I had to disconnect the battery to do the spark plugs. I am worried about damaging the engine, so I don't want to leave it running for long. The one time I did leave it running to see if the engine would smooth out, she almost died on me once she started to warm up. I'm at my wits end, and wishing I had just let her go when I found out about the engine failure. Friends and family think I should just sell her, but that feels morally and ethically wrong to me. I don't want to inflict my problem child on some poor bugger who thinks they're getting a good deal on something that's supposed to be reliable and doesn't understand that the "little lady" might actually know a thing or two about this car at this point. Through the magic of the internet (HA!) and my own past experiences, I've narrowed it down to fuel or air, but that leaves me with about 15-20 possible solutions. I figure I'll start with air and replace all the vacuum lines and the PCV valve, since those are all from my original engine, but if that doesn't do it, then I have to figure out where I want to go next. I'm not quite ready to give up on her, but I am beyond frustrated at this point. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, I have full records on EVERYTHING I've done or paid to have done since I bought the car, so I'll do my best to answer them. Suggestions are definitely welcome at this point, as I'm about 100 miles from the dealership who did the long block and the cats, so I'm trying to do this myself. If you've gotten this far, I thank you.

love the videos dude, I bought a 03 Outback and blew HGs. Only because previous owner blocked a pipe from the radiator? Had my mechanic save the day, he was recommended by my local subaru dealer. wish me luck haha.

I love these types of videos. Speak your mind, brother!

Well said my man! I'm actually a few months into working at a Subaru dealer. I am an ASE MasterTech coming from a different manufacturer and you are 100% correct sir. Just within the last few months of being there we've already gone through multiple WRX's with clutch issues or rod knock and simply just stupid concerns all related to poor maintenance , poor driving , or really really bad aftermarket accessories. But by far the best is when you get the ol " well I'm am engineer" which I guess basically means they know better than anybody of how things are supposed to work in a vehicle they are driving. Love your videos especially when you have to rant! Keep it up!

Video well received! I know I have mentioned this in the past but it bares repeating. I own a 2014 Impreza Premium 2.0l NA on its way to 200k. I always perform scheduled maintenance with Subaru OEM parts… no issues and I am not worried about the high mileage. I live in a condo complex and when I look out my front door my neighbor to the right has a 2007 Outback LL Bean edition while my neighbor to the left has a 2010 Forester 2.5l NA and a 2015 Impreza WRX 2.0l turbo. All these vehicles have zero issues and all have been properly maintained with genuine OEM Subaru parts. I know because I maintain them all. When my neighbors asked what manufacturer I recommend for driving in the Northeast I said Subaru. Unbeatable all wheel drive, cars are super easy to work on, and parts are cheap when compared to other car makes and models. True anything mechanical can fail and your going to pay if you want to play and play hard. However this can be avoided through proper care and maintenance and certainly should not be promoted through neglect and ignorance. Spun rod bearings can be avoided by checking the dipstick dip$&!@. FYI it is the one with the yellow ring end as seen in the video. FYI again all fluids you should check have a yellow cap or top! Subaru can only do so much to make things idiot proof. By the way Mr. Subaru you can shake some people all day long but if there’s nothing upstairs…there’s nothing upstairs.

Good speech. I saw people blew up their WRX or STi on RU-vid all the time, and all them are young and don’t know much about the costs to maintain their race car. I abuse my 2020 WRX STI all the time and it never had any problem. It’s because I do engine oil change with Motul 300V every 1000~2000 miles, it depend on how I drove it. change transmission and differential oil every 10000 miles, change water coolen, break fluid, power steering oil year. I also launch the car all the time, but in the right way to launch it that only ware clutch pads, and my clutch is still alive so far. It may sound expensive to maintain STI, but it’s not high cost to take care of your car compare to people whom blew up their engines. I also modified STI only with STI parts without touching ECU tuning. I know STI engine has potential for ECU tuning, but I rather not to use engine life to exchange hosper. WRX STi is a reliable car to own, but if you drive it mad, better make sure you pay attention and more money on maintain it.

They’re so unreliable, I’m looking to buy another Forester, even if it’s motor has been overheated.. because I truly know how great these cars are.

I just bought a 2008 subaru outback with 175,00 miles on it. When I first looked at it I could tell the original owner had the head gasket done. This car doesn't have a single leak. I put new wires, plugs and a coil on it, cleaned the throttle body and changed all the fluids and I love this car. I've bought everything from the dealer and I do not regret it at all. It might be more expensive but I can tell the quality is there. Your channel has been invaluable to me as I've learned about this car.

I have a GC8 that has run for 4 years. And it at 230,000 miles. I thought it would blow sooner than that. I do my regular oil changes and it still runs. Its awesome. 2000 dollars well spent. I just bought 2 more GCs !

I live in a state (and especially a city) populated with Subarus. People love their Subarus and depend on them. They're the go-to car when the weather turns bad, or one wants to be out in the mountains, ski slopes, or at the beach. We own a 2018 Legacy that's been trouble free. Can't say that for the Prius we also own.

Man when i was getting a Subaru I was worried about all these rumors about being unreliable. I actually do buy all the right parts and HAVE to get a tune. Always do maintenance on your Subie and good mods with a tune always. I did a lot of research before buying myself one. Much love Mr. Subaru, you always help me out greatly

Recently bought an 03 wrx with 144k on the odo and couldnt be happier with it! cant wait to see how it fares in the winter

Guess me and my friend were unlucky with our SH Forester XTs. Previous owner of mine blew the factory gaskets at 213K miles, he was in his 60s, only highway drove the car, and had it dealer maintained. A friend of mine who also has an SH chassis Forester XT lost his factory gaskets at 160K. Both pushing coolant, both both caused by warped heads. Both cars also were on stock tunes with stock exhausts, stock turbos, stock intakes, etc. Most of the unreliability I have encountered has been the result of incompetent dealer techs who due to their work environment don't have time to read the service manual and end up fucking up the repairs. Aside from an airbag recall and an warrantied a/c compressor replacement, I have not had a single dealership repair last/or been done right on the first try. Had the tech actually read the helpful tips and cautions in the FSM, I wouldn't have had to bring my car back or redo the repairs myself a couple years later. For example: dealer replaced the 6 speed in my outback under warranty (with a good used one) due to a failed center diff, get the car home, gear oil pouring out of the front axle seals. What did the FSM say about replacing CV axles? 1) Before installation, check the drive shaft. 2) Replace the differential side retainer oil seal with a new part. • 6MT model: • 5AT model: • CVT model: It's literally step 2 🤦‍♂️. So they righted their wrong and replaced both seals right? Nope, they only replaced the one that was pouring fluid. So a month later, the other seal is still dripping a little so I have to bring the car back again. Same dealership did the headgaskets in my Outback and Forester XT (one was done before I owned it, the other as a discounted package deal shortly after I bought it.) and on both of those engines they used a scotchbrite roloc disc to prepare the deck surface (a big no-no you've already made a video on). The Forester XT which runs double atmospheric pressure blew the gaskets again 28k miles later, the outback with it's NA 2.5 made 55K before pushing coolant again. I just been taken for a ride by techs who didn't have the time or care to read or think about what they were doing. Luckily as a mechanical engineer, I've been able rebuild both engines and come up with very reliable combinations that can withstand being thrashed, but it didn't happen overnight (or cheaply!).

Spot on MrSubaru1387, I've owned everything from highly modified WRXs through to grocery getter Foresters and have never had a major issue with a head gasket. My 2012 WRX had an oil blow back issue with the turbo which was repaired under warranty. My 2004 XS Forester had a head gasket oil leak after 350,000Km (217,000 Miles). My other Subaru's including Liberty, Impreza, Outback and current highly modified XT Forester have never had an issue. My mechanic loves them, regular service, oil & fluid checks & it ain't expensive. Like you said a Subaru isn't a Toyota etc, it needs a bit more love and if you take care if it then they'll go forever!!!

Its the vapes making the kids go nuts with their subarus! I have an ‘11 outback with the ej253 and 190k miles, runs great, even though its got some miles on it, I still choose to use oem subaru parts for routine maintenance and for parts that fail, who knows, the car might last longer than I think. And all it takes to make a subaru last is by just going easy on it, checking fluids religiously, not smoking crack, and changing the oil regularly, I’ll do my oil every 5k, and so far it seems to be keeping the motor in good shape.

Thank you for making this video. You are so right. I keep my 2017 base model WRX stock and the design of these engines by Subaru are amazing. If you maintain these cars right you will have a beautiful driving experience. I will never modify my wrx. Stay safe brother.

I love my 2015 Subaru Forester! No modifications, keep up with my regular maintenance and outside of replacing a few things in the front end, I have had no issues.

2007 hawkeye sti Satin White Pearl here with 102k miles. I do most of the maintenance myself and still pulling strong to this day👍🏾

Love this! We have Outbacks, foresters, imprezas and an ascent in the family....all trouble free

Thank You!!! I have a 2011 Outback and still going Strong and Clean!! after 215,000 miles. My car is Great!! and have only given it regular maintenance.

We’re on our 7th Subaru. Never had any major problems & only a couple small ones. I do really good maintenance on my vehicles though too. Our Cvt’s had fluid changed every 40k miles too though.

I'm totally with you, I'm a fan of boxer engines, I went off on a guy because he was talking $#!T about the type 1 VW beetles, he said " I had a beetle it was the biggest piece of **** the brakes sucked the heat didn't work and then the engine blew! " I asked him if he adjusted the brakes did you change the oil religiously did you adjust the valve lash at the required intervals, and so on, his answer was no, I gave him an earful about maintenance on cars that basically haven't changed since the thirties, just like you said don't blame the car or the manufacture for YOUR! (People that neglect and beat the crap out of a car) lack of care for your vehicle.

I had to replace my 04 LL Bean 3.0L's head gaskets at 200,000 miles. However it was my first car and I did not maintain it well out of ignorance and who knows how it was maintained before I owned it. And that engine did last 2 years after being overheated pretty bad (I was 18). Now it has 244,000 miles and is running great - I'd take it across the country tomorrow and it's my baby.

I am on my 4th Subie, started with a Loyal wagon, two Outbacks, and a Forester XT. Each went over 200K miles without ANY mechanical issues. I change oil and filter at every 3k with Mobil 1 and use Wix premium filters, tire rotation at every LOF, brake pads and rotors were the only expensive parts used. I live in AZ and when the cars hit 200k I drive them up to Colorado Springs and sell them at premium $$, then return to AZ and buy a new one on the cheap. ,

We own a '11 Outback and '09 Forester and do the routine maintenance and fix what needs to be fix and never once have issues. It always boils down to the owner and how the cars are treated.

Thanks for this, I just purchased a 2015 Subaru crosstrek XV and I've had people scoff at me buying this car, telling me to expect it to fall apart on me around 100k miles (Bought it at 74k miles) used, salvage (no mechanical damage, just the bumper, headlights and the hood) with one previous owner who took really good care of it. Frankly, I'm quit happy with my purchase and this just made me immensely better.

My 2019 WRX was used, clearly had an idiot as a previous owner. Tons of fasteners missing all over, broken parts, and a sticky spot on the dash where the tuner controller was. Fortunately they only owned it for 11k, I’ve fixed all the stupidity and it still runs great.

A good rant is good for the soul, especially when it is warranted!

Just like their commercial, "Love, it's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru " The ones with issues dont love their Subaru unfortunately.

Mr. Subaru. Thanks for being so informative regarding maintanence on a Suburu. Despite following every maintance interval on my low mileage 2016 Impreza 5 speed manual I got Torque binding at 65000 KM. It was especially pronounced after 15 minutes of driving and clicking noise when making turns. The cost of repair was so high that I opted to purchase another car.

Could not agree more with you that most if not all issues with WRX/sti are driver error. I have 97k miles in my hard! driven 100% stock 2017 WRX. By hard driven I don't mean abused. I will often up shift at high rpm (5k+ rpm). Oil changes every 5k mile, original clutch no aftermarket engine mods or tune. I have had 0 problems with the car except for a battery that failed at 37k miles and Subaru replaced it for free. One needs to know how to drive. Proper way to up and most importantly down shift. It drives me nuts reading WRX forums everyone want to mod the engine but seems not to want to put the effort into learning how to drive. A OEM WRX/sti is a blast to drive as is and if driven properly will last a very long time without problems.

FACTS Mr S.! Have aftermarket CAI, downpipe + full exhaust, run a tune and take it easy on my 2011 STi, the power is there when i want it. With that change my oil like clockwork, coolant..slacking on brake fluid 70k nil issues! owned w/21k

Mr Subaru, you're good man! 100% agreed what you're saying. I have to explain to all of my friends the same thing. 97% is owners fault. It's hard but it's true!

Mr Subaru, last year January my Nissan pickup was stolen, all I could get my hands on was a 2008 forester 2,5 with 312000km on it. Engine runs great still and has never been opened. What I have had to do, complete clutch, brake pads and discs, muffler and the spark plug seals. I didn't want to take the vehicle but I'm really loving the ride. My only issue is the price of gas 😅. Lastly, I really appreciate all the videos you have put up, still going through them and I'm learning alot. You got my subs sub 😂

Love your content. I have a 2008 WRX white Sedan. Love the sleeper look. Completely stock 170,000 miles with just normal maintenance i.e. brakes, clutch, timing belt. So much fun to drive. Keep up the great work.

Great video. I think your points appt to any brand. I’ve owned many cars that were supposedly ‘unreliable’ or problematic. Yet I’ve never had a car with less than 300,000 kms when I traded it. Regular maintenance and proper care is huge.

When I was young, it was drilled into me that adhering to the maintenance schedule will make a difference. If you don't, and if you abuse the car, you will shorten the life of your car. Highest mileage I've taken a car was 312k. It still ran, I wanted to upgrade to something newer and nicer. When I tell people that, they are usually quite surprised and all I can say is "do the services, all of them, on time or a little early. It makes a difference."

I am from Poland here in Europe Subaru is one the best choice what you can do. This car is very good like you sad when you maintain properly i totaly agree with you.

Great rant! Genuine Subaru oem parts and regular maintenance goes a long way!

Ive owned 4 subarus including a wrx with zero issues. All about good driving habits and maintenance. 600k miles under my belt without a single catastrophic failure.

I agree with this. I have a modded 370Z, but I'm not going to blame Nissan if I blow up the rear end, or if a set of rear tires lasts me less than 10,000 miles. I know I beat the hell out of it sometimes, so I own the consequences when it breaks.

Well said!!!! 👍 I've owned two STI's, one 100% stock and my current one which is highly modified. Both have never blew up. Because I look after them and don't abuse them.

My 2012 Forester non-turbo was burning a bit of oil, nothing crazy, but then it suddenly developed heavy knocking one week after a fresh oil change. The car had literally burnt all the oil off, no leaks anywhere.. it just torched it all. This seemed insane to me so I did some research, and it turns out that my year of vehicle along with a few others had a short block recall on the engine. However, when we brought it into subaru, they tried to hide the fact that there was already an ongoing law suit about it in the states. So instead of correcting the issue in the past, Subaru saw dollar signs. They had decided to ship the cars up here to Canada, and sell them like they were fine. After learning this, we fought back and forth with subaru and eventually they admitted to the problem and their decision to keep them in Canadian markets. They covered the 24 hours of labor and the short block replacement. That was at 100k km, now it's at 170k km and she runs like a dream. Never had a problem with oil burning since. I have no sympathy for people who mod their car right out the yin yang like you say, but there is also a chance that their vehicle was part of this group of problem engines. That problem, in addition to their idiocy of modification and maintenance, means that the car is sure to fail.

I have a built STI 2006 and I've used only the most expensive parts - Cosworth pistons, 12mm OEM oil pump, OEM brand new nitrided crank etc.. For example, many people put a lightweight crank pulley on their ej25, I've put a Fluidampr pulley. My maintenance schedule is as follows: Oil is changed every 3k km with Bardahl XTR 5w50 with Full Metal additive (no buts or ifs with this maintenance and yes it is expensive AF) Spark plugs are changed every 8k with NGK one step colder (mine runs around 400 bhp since I'm with hybrid vf37) Fuel filter is changed every 10km, yes the one in the tank,which is rated from Subaru for something ridiculous like 80k km My COBB filter is being cleaned every 1k km Car uses only 100 octane fuel Water coolant every 10k I check my coolant and oil at least 2-3 times a week and every single time I'm planning to drive hard, I'm even joking, that my bonnet is being opened more than my drivers door. I have Defi gauges for coolant temp, oil temp and oil pressure. I'm always waiting for the temps to be at their optimum, before driving hard and yeah, I drive it hard. Yes, it is a car that needs attention to itself, but it's a "rally" car for the street with a little bit more specific engine than the daily Corolla with 1.3. IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO MAINTAIN YOUR SUBARU, DON'T BUY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!!

My Legacy GT blew its head gasket at 130K fully stock. I'll admit I did drive the car kinda hard when I first got it. Nothing crazy like launching. The car has always been really well cared for by myself and the previous long time owner. Oil changes done on a schedule with frequent oil checks. I suspect the stock tuning which is known to be lean for emissions might have been a factor in the head gasket failure. Honestly I wasn't even that upset when it happened. While the engine was out I had an independent shop install Cobb stage 2 mods as well as a Crawford AOS, and high flow turbo oil feed. 30K later the car is doing great and fun as hell.

Good Rant there and I TOTALLY Agree with you... Logic suggests 1+1= -1?? -NOT!!! people need to pay attention to maintenance.. and as always You my dear sir are a credit to the mechanic profession... Keep up the great work. Cheers

I cant stress how good of a guy you are mate. If people are disregarding your information and advice they literally have bricks in their heads

100% agree i have a 1998 JDM subaru impreza classic wrx that is running 350bhp and has been in the family form new when i got it i modded it and has been for 6 years now i have looked after the car for some time now im at 150000 miles and my head gasket has just gone apart form that iv had no major issues not bad for a 24y old car all i can say is look after your car and it will look after you if you can not then don't get one. love the vids

Its about damn time someone with some actual creditability speaks up and says what I've been saying for years!

I'm going to agree with you. We've maintained our Subarus and kept up with the maintenance, including brake fluid and coolant changes. There have been some small things, but multiple cars routinely went for 2500 mile trips without issues.

I couldn't agree with you more. I've owned 5 Subarus in the last 35 years, starting with my 78 DL 4wd wagon to the 2010 Impreza I currently own. Not one of these cars has ever left me sit on the side of the road. I have always associated Subarus with reliability. I am a firm believer in keeping everything factory. I learned this the hard way modifying my Mustangs back in the 70's.

You got my attention! I’m considering purchasing a first-time Subaru after seeing a video by a Toyota mechanic and Camry owner who pointed out a poorly constructed panel of his car. He remarked that the car was manufactured in the USA and that it wouldn’t have been accepted in a Toyota factory in Japan.

Daily driving a 94 JDM Legacy GT (EJ20H Twin Turbos). I love the car. It runs great for a 27-28 years old car with only 79k km (49k miles). Recently replaced the valve cover gaskets (original ones) and now they're running great except some exhaust gaskets are on their ways out for being too damn old. I agree that Subaru owners are to blame for their "unreliable" cars. They're so obsessed with modifying cars, running high boost turbos, not properly warming up/cooling down the engine or doing donuts in the snow or muds. I think Subaru is one of the best reliable car makers and their cars are amazing.

True, I have a 2006 Forester as a daily driver, first car I ever got after college in the harsh climate of Saudi Arabia. Still running like clockwork today, no head gasket issues ever but i did replace the engine seal gaskets pro-Activley and just last week replaced the MAF sensor and Transmission Soleinoids and its good as new.

Great video. Racing teams rebuild their engines after beating up on them. Subaru's are not race cars. Marketers have seduced people into believing an STI is a rally/race/invincible machine. The STI you own is NOT the car Colin Mcrae drove. Not even close.

Ppl will always mod cars. It's part of the culture and lifestyle. I understand your frustration. Make a series of vids about the mods you can do to a turbo, and explain the issues that need to be addressed and what to do. Informative. Content. And more subies live!

I have a 2006 forester manual at 210k, hopefully she keeps on chugging. Does have piston slap on colder starts so im always checking the oil and letting it come up to operating temp before pulling away.

Preach! I have a 2008 WRX (original owner), modified and tuned. Never abused. Just took it to my local shop and had it put on a lift. All the mechanics were blown away at how clean it is. No oil leaks, no bad gaskets. It got a clean bill of health. Oh yeah, I don't drink Monster and I don't vape either.

I love it !!! You are SOOOO spot on! Your videos are full of much appreciated information and many, especially this one, are VERY entertaining !!! Go Bro !!! I'm glad you found your passion at such a young age for the rest of us are benefiting from it now, thank GOD !

My favorite customers are the ones who tell me, I broke this, I was treating it like a rental geo......they know they f$$#ed up. Rare anymore

As the original owner of a 03' bugeye, the stigma behind subaru is overwhelming. People told me their subaru horror stories and insinuate that my bugeye will "blow up" or has "blown up". It's laughable because my bugeye is about to hit 300k on its UNOPENED engine and its 5th timing belt change. Not to mention the car still has its original, unopened "glass" transmission. You said it best, use quality parts and thats been the case for all of my cars.

Whoa take it easy man! You did scare an old man with the opening. I’m one who has finally outgrown modifications and “driving the crap” out of my sub. I was relieved to hear Subaru failures are user failures.