I am in the market for an Outback XT, and I found one that has had the Turbo replaced. Anyone have thoughts on buying a 2.5 turbo where the turbo was replaced? The car is a 07 and has 45000 mi and there was apparently no other damage.

I am concerned about long term reliability of the Motor and Turbo. I have read a lot of posts about multiple turbo failures and possible engine failure.

I haven't much about turbo failures. Is that a common thing with the XT's?

I've heard of a couple but I am part of a forum here in Maine, and there are quite a few people that have them and love them and have never had any problems with them! No headgasket problems at all like the N/A versions and no motor or turbo problems

I have read about a bunch of failures on the Legacy GT forum, but forums can be misleading in regards to numbers.

Thanks

Sounds like alot of the issues were do to people not doing preventative maintenance of replacing the PCV valve or getting a proper oil change as well maybe?

We had a 2005 Outback the other day cant remember if it was an XT or not i dont think it was ...but anyways the guy complained of the HG's leaking...anyways brought the car in and to all the techs surprise they sure were leaking oil and a small amount of coolant....this is the first 2005 Subaru any of the techs at the dealer i work at have ever seen with HG failure....and only 55k miles....the saga continues....

I bet it wasn't an XT. That would be the first turbo model to have leaky HG's that I've heard of

see that never made sense to me....i personally have never seen a turbo'd boxer 2.5 have HG problems either...im sure it happens....but you would think with all that extra heat and oil and coolant flowing that something would be more likely to happen on the forced induction models...

see that never made sense to me....i personally have never seen a turbo'd boxer 2.5 have HG problems either...im sure it happens....but you would think with all that extra heat and oil and coolant flowing that something would be more likely to happen on the forced induction models...

 

yeah me too. I wonder if the block or the heads have more meat to them or something. But I have heard over and over now that the turbo 2.5's are more reliable than the N/A

When placing a parts order with Jason at Mike Scarff Subaru last summer I had asked him about any problems with the 2005+ Turbos - he mentioned that he had seen a couple come in destroyed - apparantly due to dirty filter mechanism on the turbo from not changing the oil regularly (3700 miles Subaru requires). I guess small contaminants can starve or mess up that precision bearing in the turbo:-\

 

Turbo owners, make sure to stay on the maintenance schedule....

I have been told to remove the oil screens on the turbo. They evidently get clogged and don't allow for good oil circulation.

Do all turbo cars have this? Where would it be?

Do all turbo cars have this? Where would it be?

 

I'm not completely sure about that. I have not worked on any of the newer turbo stuff and very few old turbo stuff

I have been told to remove the oil screens on the turbo. They evidently get clogged and don't allow for good oil circulation.

 

Good advice, I do this on all the turbo subies I work on. If it has the screens they are in the banjo bolt on the oil feed line from the head to the turbo.