Originally Posted By: ram_man
Curious I found an 01 forester looks clean 153,000 miles but they haven't ever done the head gaskets they aren't sure if owner before them did. Is there a way to tell or should I be Leary ?
Not all Subaru HG fail... just enough to take note (and the different year failed differently).
Yes, you can tell with the Phase II (early 2000s) engines as they tend to be external failures. So you will see leaking if it is bad or your can do a coolant/exhaust test to see if there is exhaust gasses in the coolant if the leak is minor. Still, it can not tell you if it is going to fail in a few miles (risk with used...hey, that is the way it rolls sometimes). However, testdrive the car for a while... a long good wile and get it up to temp for a good long time (and under a strenuous load if possible. If it raises above 40-45% on the dial, ie above the "water" on the temp icon, you might have an issue. If you can't get it up to that 40% mark, you might have a problem. Any temp variability can be an indicator of the HG issue.
Also, make sure you have OEM parts related to cooling the car, especially the thermostat, (aftermarket parts might increase the likelihood of the HG issues) and check to see if the fluids are good. Subaru provides the liquid HG repair in a bottle as "preventative" measures for the PhaseII engines.
With the 2.5, you also look for the Timing Belt records (or have it inspected). You check for excessive torque-bind (parking lot figure 8s with the steering wheel to lock). Check the tires. Mis-matched tires, old/new, and unequal treads depth can damage the AWD system.
The 4EAT trannys are often golden even when abused. Transmission mounts can be a bit less robust so it can send transmission related vibrations to the rest of the car under load. So if there are any tranny concerns, have it checked out as it might be a very easy fix.
It is a very good car. It would be snapped up in an instant in my area.
