Hey folks, people online make it sound like all Subaru Bajas will eventually need the head gasket replaced. Most by 150k miles. Some by 100k. Is this accurate to your experience? What percentage of 03 Baja owners would you guess have had to change the head gasket in the vehicles' life?
Thanks!
How common is head gasket replacement?
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deanrocker
- Scoobytruck Contributer
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:54 pm
Re: How common is head gasket replacement?
As mentioned elsewhere: I have a 2005 Turbo AT with 166,000 on body bought used in NJ this past July...it has had 2 dealer engine replacements and with 34k on new engine dealer reported “oil around head gaskets” during banjo bolt replacement...I think we can consider the engine replacements as including “head gasket replacement”deanrocker wrote:Hey folks, people online make it sound like all Subaru Bajas will eventually need the head gasket replaced. Most by 150k miles. Some by 100k. Is this accurate to your experience? What percentage of 03 Baja owners would you guess have had to change the head gasket in the vehicles' life?
Thanks!
Having said that since July have had 3 offers from mechanics who have worked on it to buy my Baja #wtfBut maybe I’m being unecessarily negative...just got a $2500 estimate from my MINI mech to “maintain” my 92,000 mi. 2012 Cooper Base (no turbo) hatchback (timing chain & water pump related stuff, plugs & coils, shocks/struts/endlinks, ...took it in for 2 check engine lights...
Previous 2007 Cooper S imploded twice at 36k and 52k covered by warranty - the dreaded timing belt tensioner & fuel pump issue (now class action lawsuit)... #whocaresreally
Civic or Corolla only real solution I believe:)
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kamesama980
- Scoobytruck Master
- Posts: 369
- Joined: Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:54 am
Re: How common is head gasket replacement?
Most will. Luckily it's usually non-catastrophic: the oil drainback leaks at the lowest point.
I still need to do mine. It's been slowly leaking oil for the 10k miles I put on it and who knows how long before that.
I still need to do mine. It's been slowly leaking oil for the 10k miles I put on it and who knows how long before that.
-Russell
"You don't get to judge me for how I fix what you break"
03 sport 5mt
05 turbo 5mt vf39 and other STI bits, 3" turbo-back
"You don't get to judge me for how I fix what you break"
03 sport 5mt
05 turbo 5mt vf39 and other STI bits, 3" turbo-back
Re: How common is head gasket replacement?
Replaced the gasket on my 03 at 236,000, only because it had a very small leak, did the oil pan gasket at the same time.
Re: How common is head gasket replacement?
My experience with the EJ251 and EJ253 is that they will all need to be done at some point. Usually around 100k miles. I drove my 03 Baja for 30k miles with weeping head gasket on the passenger side. I eventually changed it because I was tired of it smelling when I parked it.
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