Hi all, new to the forum, so thanks for bearing with me. I'm in the market for an 04 or 05 FXT. I was doing some research on Consumer Reports, and came across their "Reliable Used Cars" section. Foresters made the list, but there were some exceptions: the 2004 and 2005 XT engines were singled out for "Needing replacement at a high rate."
I was aware of the head gasket issues with Foresters in the 90s and also from early 2000s until 2007 or so. But FXTs weren't noted for head gasket issues (to my surprise). Instead they were dinged for needing new engines at a high rate, which is obviously a worse problem.
I ask because I'm currently looking at an 04 FXT from a very small auto dealer. It has 151,000 miles. However the head gaskets, valves, timing belt, water pump, and turbo were all replaced in the last month.
On one hand this is great, because these problem areas have supposedly been taken care of. On the other hand, I wonder how good a job was done replacing the head gaskets, and if the car is still at risk for "engine failure" like Consumer Reports describes.
1) Is it generally accepted that 04 and 05 FXTs need engine replacement at a high rate? And what is usually the cause of this?
2) Do FXTs experience the same head gasket issues as the NA engines?
3) Would you trust a small shop/dealer to correctly replace head gaskets (torque to exact Subaru specs and tighten in correct order, etc) and machine the heads properly?
Thanks for any info you can provide.
I was aware of the head gasket issues with Foresters in the 90s and also from early 2000s until 2007 or so. But FXTs weren't noted for head gasket issues (to my surprise). Instead they were dinged for needing new engines at a high rate, which is obviously a worse problem.
I ask because I'm currently looking at an 04 FXT from a very small auto dealer. It has 151,000 miles. However the head gaskets, valves, timing belt, water pump, and turbo were all replaced in the last month.
On one hand this is great, because these problem areas have supposedly been taken care of. On the other hand, I wonder how good a job was done replacing the head gaskets, and if the car is still at risk for "engine failure" like Consumer Reports describes.
1) Is it generally accepted that 04 and 05 FXTs need engine replacement at a high rate? And what is usually the cause of this?
2) Do FXTs experience the same head gasket issues as the NA engines?
3) Would you trust a small shop/dealer to correctly replace head gaskets (torque to exact Subaru specs and tighten in correct order, etc) and machine the heads properly?
Thanks for any info you can provide.