Forester '99 engine dead @ 100k.

[bethpageblack75]

Hi fellow owners. BIG problems. First time poster from long island. I bought a 99 Forester last year. Loved it. Car had 100k miles (previous owners used to visit family in midwest canada often).

 

I only used it locally for past 9 months. Suddenly, some funny "diesel" like noises. Take it for complete fluid change. Next day on highway, it ka-putts. Tow it home, a few days later, slowly get it going to a garage about a mile away - very noisey and wheezey. I don't know anything about cars but inside the handbook is a sub dealer work detail recommending fix leaky head caskets (??).

 

As I pull in, mechanic friend says, "it's dead". Checks it out anyway and a few days later gives me these options:

 

Subaru engine 6.8k

re-manu engine 6k

junkyard engine 1.8k (plus labor, 30 day gtd)

 

 

Now, I only payed 9k for this forester. Book now is what 7k? (write it off?) what would you do? Body and everthing else works fine and I like driving it around town (very hilly). I don't drive it hard, only local stuff, no commute. Would you risk the junkyard model? My mechanic offered to buy it from me for a few grand.

 

This hurts.

[Cougar]

As someone once said, "I feel your pain ". Sorry about the sad news. You could cut your losses now and move on to a newer Forrester. They made improvements to the newer models that you may like. If you don't want to spend more money on a later model and really want to keep what you have then I would recommend you purchase an engine from CCR instead of buying a used engine you know nothing about or higher priced new one from Subaru. You will get a very good warranty and a rebuilt engine from one of the best engine rebuilders in the business. Here is a link to their web site: http://www.ccrengines.com/

 

The cost of doing this will be fairly high but you will have a new engine in the car with a warranty. If you do go with the engine it may be worth getting a new radiator also at the same time.

[bethpageblack75]

my mechanic found a 2.5L for 1.6k (labor 1K +)....this is painful.

[Huffer]

Waitasec, what's the actual diagnosis on the state of the engine?

Fluid levels, etc?

Are there any leaks anywhere?

 

Maybe there's an internal problem that would be easily fixed without getting a whole new engine.

[Cougar]

my mechanic found a 2.5L for 1.6k (labor 1K +)....this is painful.

Did you check with CCR about a rebuilt engine. Remember, you will have a new 36 month warranty with it. That is worth a lot. The same as a new car warranty. If something happens to a used engine 6 months or more down the road guess who pays for more repairs. This is the route I would go if I wanted to keep the car for at least 4 to 5 years. When you cost average it then the cost isn't so bad. You may be to get by with a used engine just fine but these engines can have problems, particularly head gasket problems. This is why I think having a warrantied engine is important. You don't want to go through this again.