MC1r

Thank you all for your replies, you've been very kind. I have not needed to add oil, I do check it at least once a month and it's never been low. I put cardboard under the engine overnight, and it's still totally clean - not one drop of oil. I uploaded the photos I took yesterday and the pictures I took just now to BEFORE and AFTER Flickr albums. I drove 30 miles between the two sets of photos. I don't see any new oil leakage. Do you guys see anything? This rusty drip concerned me, but it's dry to the touch and I can see it was there yesterday. Most importantly, can you tell from my AFTER photos what's NOT the problem? I'm headed back to the mechanic this afternoon. Thanks again!

My 2004 Subaru Outback wagon failed inspection today due to an oil leak. I saw the oily mess under the front end. They cleaned all the oil off the underside and put in UV dye to diagnose the leak. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow for a diagnosis, but I suspect they're going to "diagnose" something super expensive and possibly, totally unnecessary. Why? Because the very first thing they suggested was, "it's probably the head gasket." The head gasket was replaced at 140k miles in 2012 by a Subaru dealership I trust (in another state.) Since then, it's never overheated (never even close!) no white smoke, no coolant issues at all, no chocolate-milky oil goop, no head gasket symptoms. It's at 190k miles now, and the oil was changed just last week. (In another state at my parent's mechanic, he mentioned an oil leak but said it was "nothing serious.") Attached is a photo of the area they cleaned (I drove it 5 miles, took picture.) Can anyone point to a more likely source of the oil leak? I'd like to go in there tomorrow having a clue, but I can't even identify the parts in the photo. That's the oil pan, right? Could it honestly be the head gasket again? So soon? Help? Advice? Pity?

Thanks, both of you! Very helpful. I do think it was repaired before I owned it, yes. Does that section of pipe have a name? Is it the midpipe?

My 2004 Subaru Outback wagon suddenly got super loud on acceleration, and I'm guessing this broken pipe is the culprit? (Pic attached.) Can anyone tell me exactly which part this is, and a general idea of how expensive it might be to repair? Is it just a welding issue, or will the part need to be replaced? Any DIY exhaust repair options I could try? I do most minor repairs myself, but I have no welding tools. I can't afford much, so I'm trying to educate myself to ensure I don't get ripped off. I'm new in town, my trusty Subaru guru is 500 miles away. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Wow, this would be so helpful if only the photos were here!? Any chance somebody can fix the broken photo links? I'm desperate to get my hood open, and can't find visual aids anywhere online (like, precisely where under the bumper? What exactly am I looking for?) I really need visuals because it's parked in a dark spot, and no flashlights are strong enough to see what I'm doing. SO frustrating! My 2004 Subaru Outback is a doorstop until I can get the darn hood open.