After perusing many posts here about the hg issues with various sub engines I'd decided I'd stick with buying a 2000 or later Outback with the hopes of lessening my chances of hg failure. (I know this is controversial but that's how I distilled the information) As I understood it the 2000 and beyond models all came with the SOHC engine.

So I bought an outback ltd via Ebay and it hasn't arrived yet but in re-reading the Carfax report on the car it lists " 2.5L H4 PFI DOHC 16V" for the engine. Is it likely Carfax is wrong on this? Or is all the other info I've found wrong?

 

Anyone know if they put out ANY 2000 outbacks with the DOHC engines?

 

Thanks,

John

From cars101.com (an excellent resource maintained by a Subaru salesman):

 

2000 Outback

Re-designed Third Generation Legacy Outback, Outback Limited, Outback Sedan Limited

for options, prices and specs on older Outbacks visit my archive pageThis all new Legacy Outback is more powerful with a much smoother ride, slightly larger and safer, plus easier to drive. Mechanical:

• All Outbacks have the more powerful Phase II 2.5L SOHC Boxer engine first used in the 1999 Forester and Impreza RS. This 2.5L has 20% more torque at 1250 RPM, 30% more at 2,4000 RPM and a whopping 50% more at 3,250 RPM!

 

 

The above from http://www.cars101.com/outback2000.html

 

The SOHC 2.5 is still subject to headgasket problems, but the leak is external rather than the internal leak of the 96-99 DOHC engine. New headgasket design sometime during the 2003 model year production seems to have solved the problem.

Yes, that's some of the "other info" I was referring to. That site does seem really nice I just wasn't sure I could trust the info since Carfax disagreed.

 

I also understood the <1999/internal >2000/external leak differences but I gathered the general consensus was that the sohc incidences of problems was at least slightly less.

The other differences (more power, etc) also were some of my reason for going for the sohc engine. I'll be a little disappointed if carfax is right and my OB has the dohc but I'm guessing they're wrong.

 

Thanks,

John

i LOVE the dohc engine, but if i had a choice of HG issues to have, il'd take the external leak.

 

 

nipper

Carfax has got their fax wrong in this case.