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Advice needed: Get rid of car that overheated twice? (1 Viewer)

BeTheMatch

Footballguy
I know nothing about cars and need some advice here.

My wife has a 2011 Subaru Outback with 70K miles on it. Paid off. Planned to keep it for another 4-5 years.

In the fall, it overheated and the coolant basically erupted under the hood and spilled out everywhere. Filled it back up and had no issues with it since. At next oil change, dealer said it all looked fine. So now a couple weeks ago, it happened again.

But this time, just refilling the coolant didn't work. It would start to immediately overheat again, and so I had to have it towed. Turned out to be blown head gaskets, which evidently is a somewhat common problem with this model year. I yelled at Subaru for a few days and got them to cover the cost of the repair even though I was out of warranty.

But now I have a buddy who knows quite a bit about cars telling me that I should sell it and get a new one, that with the coolant/water mix spilling out everywhere under the hood twice, who knows where that water might've gone and what problems could pop up with it down the road.

A mechanic said that seems like a legitimate concern too.

The Subaru dealer that fixed the head gaskets says that's BS, there should be no worry. Of course, they have no credibility (they insisted for a week it was just a dirty radiator and not blown head gaskets even though a different mechanic had diagnosed the head gaskets right away).

So, what do I do here? I could get 11K on trade-in or maybe 13K if I sell privately. Is it warranted to get rid of it to avoid a potential major issue down the road?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 
You're lucky Subaru covered repairs that your wife was responsible for. Tell her to shut off the engine next time the temperature gauge gets high. Cars overheat for a reason. You should've fixed the problem the first time.

As long as the dealer fixed the CAUSE of the problem I don't know why you'd replace the car if you like no car payment and it runs well. If you want a new car get a new car. If you two don't take maintenance seriously or don't know basic symptoms for larger problems, you may be best with vehicles that are under warranty.

 
There isn't a right or wrong answer here. You can sell the car if you want, but I wouldn't worry about the headgasket blowing again. It's only going to blow again if you or your wife fail to maintain the coolant level.

 
You're lucky Subaru covered repairs that your wife was responsible for. Tell her to shut off the engine next time the temperature gauge gets high. Cars overheat for a reason. You should've fixed the problem the first time.

As long as the dealer fixed the CAUSE of the problem I don't know why you'd replace the car if you like no car payment and it runs well. If you want a new car get a new car. If you two don't take maintenance seriously or don't know basic symptoms for larger problems, you may be best with vehicles that are under warranty.
:lmao:  give me a break 

 
My 2015 Outback has a low pressure tire warning.  Time to trade in?

 
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What you stated as a concern is nonsense IMO.

"But now I have a buddy who knows quite a bit about cars telling me that I should sell it and get a new one, that with the coolant/water mix spilling out everywhere under the hood twice, who knows where that water might've gone and what problems could pop up with it down the road."

 
 Subaru is know for this and once you ignore the temperature warning and drive until it tells you (ok, enough stupid...) the head gasket is done it will have numerous issues (that are related) from that point on... Cars aren't owner proof, so whatever you do really makes no difference.

 
 Subaru is know for this and once you ignore the temperature warning and drive until it tells you (ok, enough stupid...) the head gasket is done it will have numerous issues (that are related) from that point on... Cars aren't owner proof, so whatever you do really makes no difference.
I worked with my dad at a Subaru dealership eons ago and remember a lot of head gasket issues (one of the very few issues).  Are the engines still made by Porsche?

Keep the car, IMO.  

 
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 Subaru is know for this and once you ignore the temperature warning and drive until it tells you (ok, enough stupid...) the head gasket is done it will have numerous issues (that are related) from that point on... Cars aren't owner proof, so whatever you do really makes no difference.
We didn't ignore the temperature warning. There is no gauge on the display on this car. The first we were aware of it is when it lit up yellow, and then red 2 seconds later. We immediately stopped driving it.

 
Water under the hood? OH NOES! Definitely sell it
The mechanic who originally diagnosed the issue said he'd be concerned that the water from the coolant mix could've ended up in the engine block or any number of other places that could lead to major problems down the road. He had no money to make here, so he wasn't scamming me. He was the one who steered me to the dealership, saying no way the head gaskets should blow at 70K miles, so see if Subaru will pay for it. And he doesn't make any money if I buy a new car either.

 
so the head gasket keeps the cylinders and the coolant passages in your engine separated and if it blows it basically means that your engines coolant will get in the cylinders the worst i ever had it the car actually had green coolant come out of the tail pipe if you repair the head gasket though and the car still goes then you should be ok i mean maybe change the spark plugs too and hopefully the mechanic inspcted the cylinders and head when he had the head off to make sure that they were not ruined or scored i would also check out the other cooling parts of the engine as a bad head gasket can cause the overheating but overheating can also ruin a head gasket so i think i would want to know that my water pump was pushing coolant that my radiator was not clogged up and that my thermostat was working correctly just my thoughts brohan take that to the bank

 
You're lucky Subaru covered repairs that your wife was responsible for. Tell her to shut off the engine next time the temperature gauge gets high. Cars overheat for a reason. You should've fixed the problem the first time.

As long as the dealer fixed the CAUSE of the problem I don't know why you'd replace the car if you like no car payment and it runs well. If you want a new car get a new car. If you two don't take maintenance seriously or don't know basic symptoms for larger problems, you may be best with vehicles that are under warranty.
Sounds like the dealer is the one that failed to diagnose the problem the first time and that's what caused the problem. Hard to fix it the first time when the dealer is telling you that there is no problem to fix.

 
so the head gasket keeps the cylinders and the coolant passages in your engine separated and if it blows it basically means that your engines coolant will get in the cylinders the worst i ever had it the car actually had green coolant come out of the tail pipe if you repair the head gasket though and the car still goes then you should be ok i mean maybe change the spark plugs too and hopefully the mechanic inspcted the cylinders and head when he had the head off to make sure that they were not ruined or scored i would also check out the other cooling parts of the engine as a bad head gasket can cause the overheating but overheating can also ruin a head gasket so i think i would want to know that my water pump was pushing coolant that my radiator was not clogged up and that my thermostat was working correctly just my thoughts brohan take that to the bank
They changed the spark plugs, and they sent out the cylinder heads (??) or something to a machine shop to get them back to where they're supposed to be. They did also clean the radiator and replaced the thermostat and the water pump.

Appreciate the info.

 
Sounds like the dealer is the one that failed to diagnose the problem the first time and that's what caused the problem. Hard to fix it the first time when the dealer is telling you that there is no problem to fix.
That's what I argued too. My understanding is the dealer agreed to pay half and Subaru agreed to pay half.

 
The mechanic who originally diagnosed the issue said he'd be concerned that the water from the coolant mix could've ended up in the engine block or any number of other places that could lead to major problems down the road. He had no money to make here, so he wasn't scamming me. He was the one who steered me to the dealership, saying no way the head gaskets should blow at 70K miles, so see if Subaru will pay for it. And he doesn't make any money if I buy a new car either.
If you search "Subaru head gasket" you'll find that it was a common problem on many 2000s models but apparently has been rectified in newer models.

 
If you search "Subaru head gasket" you'll find that it was a common problem on many 2000s models but apparently has been rectified in newer models.
Right, I had found the same thing and saw that in many cases Subaru was paying for it. So that's why I contacted them and asked to pay even though it was out of warranty. They didn't agree that it was a "known problem" but did end up paying, so fine with me.

 
Sounds like the dealer is the one that failed to diagnose the problem the first time and that's what caused the problem. Hard to fix it the first time when the dealer is telling you that there is no problem to fix.
I took his statement that the coolant was filled up again as meaning that's what he did himself. 

Separate regular oil change trip and the dealer said looks ok. Were they even aware of the overheating at that point? 

Then coolant was filled again. By OP again? Sure reads that way to me. It didn't work that time so it was towed. 

He said he doesn't know anything about cars. I'm not reading that the cause of overheating was examined after it overheated the first time. It happens to anyone. If it's a design flaw that's cool that the dealer took care of it. But there are lessons to learn here for the OP and his wife imo. 

 
I haven't read the whole thread, but I was in a similar spot, my 2005 BMW with 120k miles cracked the coolant container as my wife headed to work.  the radiator light flashed on briefly, but went off.  by the time she realized the issue, car overheated and shut down.  that was basically it for the head gasket.  we planned on having this car another 5 years and we had no idea what to do.  my local mechanic said head gasket repair could be 3-5k, new engine between 4-7k.  we thought the car was worth at least 5k; however, the car was realistically worth maybe 1-2k.  we didn't want a new car and payments, we can afford them however.  that is where our decision was made.  not gonna pour maybe 5k into a 1k car.  we used that as a down payment on a pre-owned with a 3 yr warranty and kept the payments reasonable.

so, what is the real value of that car?  likelihood of the issue arising again?  financial situation?

 
I worked with my dad at a Subaru dealership eons ago and remember a lot of head gasket issues (one of the very few issues).  Are the engines still made by Porsche?

Keep the car, IMO.  
It's because the 6pack holder-looking head gasket thing is made of some plastic in Subarus... they warp and then there's no seal or w/e.. there's a company that sells aluminum ones or something for them that is supposed to remedy the issue.  Usually happens around 100-115k from what I hear

 
It's because the 6pack holder-looking head gasket thing is made of some plastic in Subarus... they warp and then there's no seal or w/e.. there's a company that sells aluminum ones or something for them that is supposed to remedy the issue.  Usually happens around 100-115k from what I hear
normally a head gasket is a series of thin metal plates held together by a plastic looking material that is closer to rubber than plastic and it is sticky and sort of gummy or pliable so that it will stick and seal up good to the head and the block and bam brohans there is a little head gasket knowledge in your ear from the old swcer take that to the bank 

 
I'm enjoying all the yucking it up over the engine getting wet.

     "If" the dealer had the head machined.  That's good because many times when a car overheats the head will warp.  Warped heads will cause the head gasket to fail in short time.  There is a strong possibility that coolant got in the oil and you've been driving around with coolant in your oil.  That's bad.  Engine internals will wear and or overheat if they're being lubricated with coolant.  Everything may seem fine now but 10k miles from now???   I would trade the car unless you're willing to divulge the overheating issues to the private buyer.  Then the car won't be worth as much in a private sale...

Keep the wet engine jokes coming.  You guys are killin it

 
We didn't ignore the temperature warning. There is no gauge on the display on this car. The first we were aware of it is when it lit up yellow, and then red 2 seconds later. We immediately stopped driving it.
2011 model year without a temp gauge on the instrument panel? 

that can't be right. 

 
squidrope said:
I'm enjoying all the yucking it up over the engine getting wet.

     "If" the dealer had the head machined.  That's good because many times when a car overheats the head will warp.  Warped heads will cause the head gasket to fail in short time.  There is a strong possibility that coolant got in the oil and you've been driving around with coolant in your oil.  That's bad.  Engine internals will wear and or overheat if they're being lubricated with coolant.  Everything may seem fine now but 10k miles from now???   I would trade the car unless you're willing to divulge the overheating issues to the private buyer.  Then the car won't be worth as much in a private sale...

Keep the wet engine jokes coming.  You guys are killin it
This was what my buddy was saying.

 
Quint said:
2011 model year without a temp gauge on the instrument panel? 

that can't be right. 
How often do you check your temperature gauge while driving? You only care about the temperature when it's running too hot. A warning light is all you need.

 
How often do you check your temperature gauge while driving? You only care about the temperature when it's running too hot. A warning light is all you need.
i'm not saying people need to be actively checking the temp gauge in their cars ever couple of minutes. 

i am saying it's really odd that a model year 2011 vehicle would not have a temp gauge on the instrument panel. 

 

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