GeneralDisorder

Yeah those cars have BAD transmission issues. Valve bodies, torque converters, wiring harnesses, and often times the whole transmission. About $8500 for transmission replacement. I tell customers to avoid those models like the plague - the 6 speed manual is the way to go for those years. But they also frequently have head gasket failures resulting in overheating - they used the 770 gaskets from the factory but something about the installation of them didn't work out I guess. Kindof odd actually - it's just the 10-12 Legacy models with the weird final years of the SOHC belt engine that have that problem. Then you stack the CVT failures on top of it and they are absolute piles of trash. Incidentally Subaru is now ranked like 20th for reliability - even below Mercedes an Volkswagen. 😂 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2022-us-vehicle-dependability-study

The CVT's on those are problematic. First and foremost if the TC hasn't been changed it's going to need one. Stab the brakes coming to a stop and I bet it stumbles or stalls: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10140492-9999.pdf

They are very effective and don't crack around the bolt holes, rattle, or rust like the heat shields. GD

Just get a turbo blanket - get the PTP Lava model - and throw the brackets in the trash. GD

It could be break-in related. That said - in a perfectly machined, and perfectly cleanly assembled engine - assuming it is primed correctly, etc - there *should* be NO break-in except for rings - which would be cast iron, steel, and I think the top compression ring is plasma-moly (100% molybdenum) coated..... there's really nothing in an engine that *should* wear that contains silicon. The bearings should float on a film of engine oil and continued excess silicon in my opinion is an indication of sloppy clearance, assembly, or cleanliness. It may wear to a point and plateau there for a very long time - or it may just eat itself in short order. It's really hard to say - continue to do analysis and watch the trends. GD

Important to note here that "Silicon" is different than "Silicone" (often found in engine sealants) and also different than "Silica" (which is often found in sand and dust) - these are all different materials with different properties. Silicon is used in the BiMetal bearings Subaru uses for the connecting rod and main bearings: https://www.aclus.com/bimetal-bearings-characteristics.html Having seen the a few of these reman engines fail, and given the track record of this particular vehicle and the dealer doing the repairs - I would guess accelerated bearing wear is the reason for the high silicon. Might be minimal and clear up with more miles, or it might eventually throw a rod. We had one of those engines blow at about 13k miles. GD

Disregard my advice and experience at your own risk. 🤷‍♂️ GD

You need a factory Subaru thermostat. The aftermarket one's never work correctly on Subarus. TAMA is the OEM manufacturer. Subaru uses a cold side control and it seems to be a problem for the aftermarket units. Also if you ran it without a thermostat and that is your basis for assuming the head gaskets are good - that's a false assumption. In fact we often gut the thermostat on cars that have internal HG failures to buy the customer a few months to figure out their situation since they won't overheat with the thermostat pulled. I've had customers gut the thermostat and drive 3 hours to my shop on vehicles that absolutely had fire ring HG failures and wouldn't drive more than 15 minutes with a thermostat in place.

Based on reliability history, experience, and resale value I would pick the Toyota 4Runner or Tacoma/Tundra hands down. They are still available relatively trimmed down and simple, they are bulletproof, and they hold their value: https://caredge.com/toyota/4runner/depreciation Toyota has a host of other models also and don't seem to suffer (as much) from the foolishness that has plagued Subaru in the last decade. And overall they hold their resale value at least as well. Without adjusting for inflation you can practically drive a 4Runner for free these days - selling it after 5 years for nearly it's new asking price. Subaru is a puppet of Toyota and with the trend toward electric vehicles Subaru really has no technology to offer - leveraging Toyota for that space. Going forward they have nothing to offer other than a brand image. Once you go electric you no longer need the mechanical symetrical AWD, and the boxer engine is just an old gas burning relic. Toyota will milk the brand for it's image and toss the husk. Watch and see. GD

I'm tellin ya - sell that albatross while it still moves. RIGHT NOW you can sell it and cut your losses. When it fails? What's your prognosis financially? The ONLY course that makes sense given the reputation of this transmission is to get rid of it NOW. Gambling in Vegas probably has better odds IMO. If you look at the sum total of my experience - go back and look ay my posts from 10+ years ago - 15-20 years ago even. I was an EZ Board member of this forum when I was just a kid in my 20's with no money and a $400 Subaru. I've been AROUND ya know? You really think I got here without (once upon a time) being a fan of the Subaru design, engineering, and in general their simple construction and being friendly to repair and service? At this point I check in here from time to time - mostly to marvel at how much the tables have turned and to warn others of the writing on the wall that I see on a daily basis owning and running a Subaru performance/repair shop. You think it's good for my business to rag on the brand? Be grateful that I don't care. GD

That's around the mileage we start to see these fail at. Probably a sign of what's to come. The last 2013 Legacy we did a CVT on was a total failure at 135k. Wouldn't even move. Sell it while it still moves and you can get a reasonable return on it before it needs an $8k transmission. GD

Reliable? Anything made before 2005. After that it just goes downhill. GD

That is Subaru sealant that's been used at the dealer level. That's Threebond 1217B and at one time was the Subaru recommendation for transmission pans as it is particularly suited to ATF. It's VERY hard stuff - we call it the pink concrete..... some dealer techs liked it because it rarely leaks. 1217b has been superseded by 1217h for all applications. 1217h is grey. GD

3 steps till seated. GD

They typically drop right in. Lap them a bit if you like. Usually lash is fine - can open it up by grinding the stem a bit if needed. It's not rocket surgery. GD