Subaru Outback Wagon cooling system leak Engine overheating

What kind of damage was done to the engine? You shouldn't need anything more than just a radiator unless there was some serious damage done. I have had a few cars overheat without any major damage.

I drove about 12 miles with the temperature gauge pegged at the top on my '95 Outback w/ 167,000 miles. That was like 3-4 summers and at least 50,000 miles ago. And unless you count the alternator last year, I haven't done anything to that car as far as repairs are concerned, only brakes/tires/shocks.

-Matt

This is a silly trade in amount as long as your car is not beat. You could sell it privately after you repair it for quite a bit more, almost double that!

My 2001 OBW has not been an inexpensive car to maintain either, unlike my wifes Accord which except for timing belts has been very inexpensive.

Are you sure you didn't blow a head gasket? These engines have been blowing them left and right and there is a recall on them. This involves the same thing: coolant leaks and overheating.

I will NOT. This is my first and last. It just so happens that my dealer is OUTSTANDING! But, this OBW is the most trouble prone car I have had out of the past six cars except perhaps for my Turbo Volvo. (Honda Accord, Merc. Moutaineer, Nissan Quest, Acura Legend, Chev. Cavalier, Nissan Stanza) In my three years of ownership (52K), I have had constant steering pulling to one side or the other, shaking steering wheel not aleviated by replacing original tires at 40 K, blown headgasket, Premature front brake pad replacement at 26k, (my other cars last 36-60k for front pads), terrible wind noise in the front windows, Two recalls, lights dimming with no reason, driving light flashing off and on with no dealer fix, alternator light flashing on a few times per hour, but no problem able to be diagnosed. Exhaust resonances at certain rpm's dealer unable to identify or fix, defective washer pump, and these are just the things I remember.

For the bad snowy days it's ok.

Gee, it sounds like my jeep I had. :)

I have an Impreza built in Asia as I think the whole line is and I haven't had any problems so far. I am the second owner at 100k and the original owner had no problems other than routine maintenance.

I have heard comments before about the US built product lines. It looks like there is some merit to the question of the reliability of the models built here.

I must agree though that for $6,200 they are not even being close to fair with you.

Without a doubt, the radiator was made in Japan. Don't be so quick to blame US workers.

So you have an explanation for all of the other failures as well then.

I never said anything about American workers, that was your assumption. If anything it seems American corporations are greedy. Rather than build a reliable vehicle that will last for years and hundreds of thousands of miles it seems to be a bigger money maker to build one that will last less than ten years and costs thousands and thousands in repairs in the process causing you to turn around and buy another one right after that.

I don't know what the hell you are talking about.

He had a defective radiator. You implied that it was becasue the vehicle was made in the US. I pointed out that the *defective* radiator was made in Japan. We are not talking about any other failures.

Now, If you want to talk about shoddy US products, I can tell you an earfull about the two Taruses I owned. But I'll spare you the details.

I've worked in manufacturing since 1972. I've worked in a Japanese factory in Tokyo for 6 months, a privilege few US engineers have enjoyed. I have my own company that manufactures products here in the US. I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to build a quality product:

1. Good engineering. If it's not designed right, it will never work right. Suburu is good but not perfect. Oil seals that leak after 80k miles are an engineering defect. Head gaskets that blow are an engineering defect. Coolant additive is not an engineering fix for marginal head gaskets. To the best of my knowledge, all the Subaru design engineers are in Japan, not the US.
2. A driving goal of shipping a quality product. Closed-loop manufacturing process that identifies problems and fixes them as soon as possible. I don't know anything about Subaru's quality programs or the motivation of their production workers. All I know is that only defects I've found (and they are few) in my '99 Legacy, I'd blame on engineering, not manufacturing.

I've crawled all over my car. I've not seen one manufacturing defect. Do you suppose I'm just lucky? I've followed the posts on this group and I've not heard anything to convince me that Subaru Japan turns out a better car than Subaru US. You've not convinced me with your ad hominem criticism of US workers.

Like I've said before, buy a Japanese-built car if you like. I don't care. Just try to treat your fellow Americans fairly.

This is what the hell I was talking about:

"I will NOT. This is my first and last. It just so happens that my dealer is OUTSTANDING! But, this OBW is the most trouble prone car I have had out of the past six cars except perhaps for my Turbo Volvo. (Honda Accord, Merc. Moutaineer, Nissan Quest, Acura Legend, Chev. Cavalier, Nissan Stanza) In my three years of ownership (52K), I have had constant steering pulling to one side or the other, shaking steering wheel not aleviated by replacing original tires at 40 K, blown headgasket, Premature front brake pad replacement at 26k, (my other cars last 36-60k for front pads), terrible wind noise in the front windows, Two recalls, lights dimming with no reason, driving light flashing off and on with no dealer fix, alternator light flashing on a few times per hour, but no problem able to be diagnosed. Exhaust resonances at certain rpm's dealer unable to identify or fix, defective washer pump, and these are just the things I remember."

I was replying to a reply. Maybe you are not talking about any other failures, but the other two people in the thread and I were. Maybe you ought to learn how to read a thread before you go sticking your foot in your mouth. Not to mention putting words in mine.

"I have heard comments before about the US built product lines. It looks like there is some merit to the question of the reliability of the models built here."

That was my whole comment right there. Never at all at any time did I imply that the reason the radiator failed was because the car was built in the US. That is your own fabrication. I was merely making an observation. The fact the we are talking about US and Japanese product lines is circumstantial evidence. I suggest learning how to read before attempting to read between the lines.

You talk about my Ad Hominiem attack on US workers, and yet you are the one that attacks the Ford car. I find that interesting. You assume from my comment that I somehow imply US workers are to blame. I don't even know where that came from. I find it humorous that in accusing me of using a fallacy you use a couple of your own.

I also find it humorous that you automatically insist faulty engineering is to blame since "you" can't find any manufacturing defect. As far as I know, only assembly is performed in the US from Japanese or wherever made parts, so how is it exactly that I was attacking US workers never having mentioned US workers? There are 3 processes that I can see. Engineering is charts on paper. You have to make the parts and then assemble them. You already stated the parts are made in Japan from engineering plans also made in Japan, so where again did I attack US workers?

So, how do you know that leaky oil seals and head gaskets are engineering defects? The only seals I have had leak are _aftermarket_. Now I guess you are going to assume I am blaming US workers for shoddy aftermarket parts? I doubt we make those parts either.

As far as buying a Japanese car, my Subaru is the first foreign car I have owned _period_. I do my own repair work so I can say that the Impreza engineers can engineer circles around the Jeep engineers. I can say that from having worked on both. I can also tell you that a number of our very own home grown cars are built with Japanese and wherever parts. If you don't believe me, you should do some homework.

What kind of damage was done to the engine? You shouldn't need anything more than just a radiator unless there was some serious damage done. I have had a few cars overheat without any major damage.

first,thanks for everybody who replied here. before I came here, everything i knew was what dealer told me. the views from third party are precious.

I think the head gasket is blown now, cause the exhaust are coming out of the coolant tank after test drive. but subaru service center told me it's caused by failure of cooling system and continue driving after that.

thanks, Shengyi

That's a head gasket. You have exhaust gas leaking into the water jacket. That will cause it to overheat. You probably have antifreeze leaking into the engine oil. Check you oil and see if it looks really frothy like a chocolate mousse.

Can we actually service the car else where other than subaru service center with out loosing the warranty?

Can we actually service the car else where other than subaru service center with out loosing the warranty?

I see what they are saying now. There is a recall on head gaskets on the engine, but since the blown radiator caused the head gasket to blow, they refuse to service it under warranty.

You most certainly do NOT want to continue driving it unless it is a few blocks to have it serviced. If you are getting exhaust gas into the coolant, you can get coolant into the engine oil. This will cause serious damage to the engine beyond what has already happened.

I would get some quotes from around town and see who is willing to do the job and for the cheapest price. Since you can't get it done under warranty, I see no reason to give the dealer the money. The choice is yours.

For that I am not sure. I would ask another dealer though and not the one you went to. They are likely to tell you it will void the warranty just to get you to have the work done there. Ask around and get some opinions first before you decide.

-Matt

we were on the insterstate when we noticed the check engine light turned on. I was on passenger side couldn't see the temp gauge at all. the temp gauge was way above the red line.

we pulled off the road immediately and opened the hood. the coolant was boiling, and lid of the coolant reserve blown open with steam coming out of it. I could see a small amount of coolant at the bottom of tank with lots of bubbles.

I also saw some splash dots of green coolant on the bottom side of coolant cover. was it caused by any kind of explosion in the middle of radiator?

dealer told me the knock senser was melted.they needed to replace it before test drive. do you think the engine could be totally damaged while there is still coolant left in the radiator(though not much)?

Shengyi

-Matt

we were on the insterstate when we noticed the check engine light turned on. I was on passenger side couldn't see the temp gauge at all. the temp gauge was way above the red line.

we pulled off the road immediately and opened the hood. the coolant was boiling, and lid of the coolant reserve blown open with steam coming out of it. I could see a small amount of coolant at the bottom of tank with lots of bubbles.

I also saw some splash dots of green coolant on the bottom side of coolant cover. was it caused by any kind of explosion in the middle of radiator?

dealer told me the knock senser was melted.they needed to replace it before test drive. do you think the engine could be totally damaged while there is still coolant left in the radiator(though not much)?

Shengyi

u r saying it's an internal leak of head gasket?but the dealer insisted that the coolant was leaked out first and caused the head gasket to leak as a result. they still won't cover it. I told them the the head gasket could leak internally first and cause an explosive leak in the radiator. but they said that kind of explosion will happen first on those rubber hoses instead of metal radiator itself.