badge of ownership

I dunno. They still win awards for reliability, quality, etc. and I LOVE my '11 Forester. By far the most fun car *I've* ever owned. YMMV, of course.

*R* *H*

Sure they do.

It is just the 200k plus mile car that has become practically extinct. When the 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2L engines were common there were NO awards, just cars making it past 200k miles easily.

Now its the other way around!

Even that lousy 2.5 liter engine that ate through headgaskets like no other, has been given an award (!), ....though it is the sole cause one rarely sees a 200k plus Subraru nowadays.

Thank god they finally put themselves together at Subaru and built some new engines, and a different 2.5L.

I think they new they could not carry on like that without eventually destroying the brand. The awards cover-up I suspect was an invention engineered by GM, when GM was a major stakeholder in Subaru, a few years back. An ugly legacy!

Basia

I just had the head gasket problem on my '03 Forester with only 40 k mi. Out of warranty but have appealed to SOA anyway. Wife has an '08 Forester but I don't want to see the problem on either. Dealer said they've never seen it below 100 k mi. We love our Foresters but this is the kind of problem that could chase me to another nameplate. Hopefully by the time I want a new one, the new engine will have proven itself.

200K? Why, that's nothing. My two last cars made it well past that. Chevy Silverado - 230K, ran like new when I traded it. Original everything.

VW Fox, 250 K when I got rear ended on the highway. Original clutch on that one.

*R* *H*

Yea, I hear you. I don't want that problem! I've got the new 2.5. Hoping they looked into that problem on the new head design...

I try to keep the rev's below 3K. don't know if that makes a difference or not. BTW, I hear from a friend that Honda has the same problem with the head gasket on the 4 cyl or used to.

*R* *H*

I guess they're trying to appeal to a certain demographic - the commies. ;)

*R* *H*

Funny, I was thinking about that just yesterday. I live around Northampton, MA, home of Smith College. I was going to get a friend of mine the LGBT one (he's NOT!)

Hey! It's GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

When they first started advertising them, they had them! Wonder why they got rid of it?

They have a "rainbow" one labeled "diversity". How quaint...

I'm surprised the LGBT didn't go over BIG around here! Either that, or they completely depleted the stock...

Why do you think it didn't go big around here? I like the diversity badge, got to get me one. I am Polish after all.

Basia

Sorry to hear this.

I think the only thing helpful here is to change the coolant frequently

- to help reduce head temps and acidic contaminattion eating at head gaskets, ...and to remember to do refills properly (!)

- i.e. extra extra slowly, preferably with front of car slightly higher than the rear, also burping the cooling system to avoid those notorious air pockets. Don't forget to be adding Subaru coolant conditioner. Water wetter may be a helpful preventive too.

Good luck, with these you should do fine, Basia

Wondering on new engine: Is Subaru synthetic oil required and is special Subaru coolant still needed?

I'm a little concerned with being stuck with Subaru shop for service. My dealer wants to do all sorts of unnecessary stuff. Wife insists on going there and went this week for oil change and he wanted to flush engine and change cabin air filter at 20 k mi. Fortunately I had educated her and knew flush was unnecessary and had cleaned the filter myself (at a savings of $90).

I suspect Subaru is not the only company guilty of trying to make up for lost sales by piling on shop charges.

If it's under warranty, I'd go by the book schedule (not every whim the dealer takes to do maintenance) and I might use Subaru parts and fluids, but there are other synthetic oils and other coolant brands that will work fine in your car. Coolant I think just needs to be low silicate/phosphate and otherwise approved for aluminum engines. Be careful to never mix 'type' of coolant without an EXTREMELY thorough flush first. But I don't think you need the flush either.

maybe someone else will chime in here.

Dealers will often try to accelerate the maintenance schedule. Keep in mind though, that high mileage, offroad and LOW mileage use are all considered 'severe duty' and may need an accelerated maintenance.

Sorry for delay. My schedule sucks. Yes, takes Synth 0W20, IIRC, and coolant is Subaru Super Coolant, whatever that is. I take it that's like another poster said a low corrosion type coolant (Dextron, etc.).

*R* *H*