Can't fix it all! '06 Subaru Forester XT has issues the CAR WIZARD doesn't fix. What are they & why?

[@maubunky1]

According to my Subaru experts, the 2006 XT Turbo head gasket was a beefed up Multi Layer Steel headgasket and has never had any head gasket issues. It was the non-turbo models that had a different crappy headgasket that are the known problems. In fact when replacing those other models headgaskets, it's advisable to upgrade to the Subaru OEM multi layer steel head gasket otherwise the problem wil re-occur.

[@dingdong2103]

I have this exact same model even the same color. Many electrical gremlins and finally the engine grenaded when the lower rad hose came loose on highway and because the temp gauge couldn't be trusted my son didn't notice it.

[@jondemise131]

You are precisely correct sir

[@robsonselzelin]

Exactly. The non turbos have a crappy coating that degreats around 100k miles. It creates a gap between the head gasket and the block, then oil starts leaking through that gap.

[@jondemise131]

@@robsonselzelin exactly. Unfortunately I didn't know this when I had mine replaced at 95,000 miles on my '04 forester. Live and learn I guess.

[@406Steven]

One thing to watch out for when putting an MLS gasket on a NA engine is that they're slightly thinner than the stock head gasket. If you've had the heads machined you'll want to check tolerances before cranking it over. Generally speaking, if it's been resurfaced once they probably didn't take enough material off to cause an issue but if they've been cut on closer to the minimum spec you may have piston-to-valve clearance issues.

[@rootsmanuva82]

I owned a 2006 XT Limited and loved it. The turbo failed so I replaced it with a big JDM STI VF30 turbo, custom tune and Milltek turbo-back exhaust which added 100 hp (230 hp ---> 330 hp). It went from 'peppy' to 'WHOA' overnight. The ultimate sleeper.

[@kheldaryt]

yep had 2, they were awesome... porsche macan minus the sound deadening

[@montuckyhomegrown]

I’m having a issue with my 2005 XT EJ25 new turbo just installed builds 13 lbs but it’s cutting power

[@dzinxxx]

​@@montuckyhomegrown this model is with EJ255 motor.

[@dankoakovic9623]

​@@montuckyhomegrownhow many miles?

[@OriginalMindTrick]

How did the new turbo change fuel consumption if any?

[@billpar]

Mike has got to be one of the kindest respectful people ever

[@rebelusa6585]

And i (myself) respect people like magic mike. Honest, decent person should always be honest, decent. But 2 face people are bottom of society!

[@ILOVEBACONBOY2018]

If only you knew how they were off the internet, its not all shine shine and kisses like most of these youtubers want you to believe.

[@reductio1000]

You know him personally ? Or just by his persona on the internet , ellen degeneres once seemed like a nice person to many, many millions too...

[@obeseperson]

@@reductio1000 oh yeah so the reasonable thing to do is assume people are assholes and never compliment them on their kindness? You weird.

[@reductio1000]

@@obeseperson You have an impressive imagination to assume/read/conclude things that i did not state. I did not even mean to but its clear you take this VERY personally...Must have hit a sensitive nerve really good. Says a lot about who you are and your insecurities. have a nice day. ☺

[@rahulshah1408]

Love the respect for the employees. Giving them a paid break while filming is just class.

[@SV-Isla]

he makes more from the videos than the shop so it makes more to video that work.

[@Ryan-re7oj]

I have an ‘06 n/a, with just over 200k kms. The thing is a beast and was well worth the $5000 I bought it for 6yrs ago. I’ve travelled halfway across Canada and back with it and it has seen some of the worst mother nature could throw at it. Unfortunately due to rust I am unable to keep up on the maintenance otherwise I feel it would easily go another 100k kms. Highly recommend these AWD machines. With a proper set of winter tires you have to work at getting them stuck.

[@dingdong2103]

I have a rust free XT body if you need one. Unfortunately 3000 miles away lol.

[@vihreelinja4743]

390.000km here in Finland. no problems with the engine and i only have surface rust at the front subframe. this 05 forrester have been to rust proofing from new and i bet it has been done again later since i can still see that black stuff under the car.

[@chrismoseley4828]

I daily a 98 outback. Fantastic car. It just hit 320k miles. You MUST be meticulous with your maintenance tho or you will regret it.

[@rturner4205]

I explain this to everybody who wants to buy one of these older Subarus. It's like owning a dog.

[@BobbyLide]

The naturally aspirated 2.5s came from the factory with the coated paper head gaskets that have been issues for years. The turbo engines and the 6 cylinder engines came with MLS head gaskets from the factory and were much more reliable. That's why if you have to do a head gasket replacement on a Subaru n/a engine, you should use the turbo head gasket as the replacement.

[@soopermarkus]

This! Wise words!!!!

[@henrik1743]

Bruh wtf was Subaru thinking

[@TakuroSpirit77]

You're not going to find the old style paper gaskets anymore... they're ALL MLS, and have been for years.

[@stoveguy2133]

And failing car HAS paper gasket.

[@piggy310]

The thin ones haven't be available for years. But yes.

[@lawrencefranck9417]

When the head gasket isn’t blowing the timing belt is breaking. I wanted a Baja years ago but my z71 Chevy cost less, got similar milage and was much more capable. I’m glad I don’t go Subaru

[@LMacNeill]

My Mom has a 2012 Forrester. Absolutely loves it.

[@ThatguyLuke96]

I’ve had my current forester for 2 years now. It’s given me 2 800 mile trips no issues, needed some normal maintenance but has been such a great car.

[@williamegler8771]

My neighbors used to be serial Subaru buyers. They had owned them almost exclusively since 1985. They ALWAYS sang their praises to anyone who would listen. However starting in the early 2000s each one they purchased was less reliable than it's predecessor. The final straw was a new Ascent which suffered from minor niggles to a catastrophic turbo failure all within the first 20K miles. They now have a Toyota minivan and a Lexus SUV in their driveway.

[@fubartotale3389]

Yeah for some reason Subaru, cannot do a three row, re: Tribeca. That said, I have owned a '97, '04, '05, and we now have three '18's (2 Foresters and an O.B.) while they have had normal problems, no more than any other brand with high mileage, and the thing that struck me was how even when the mileage piled up, every thing worked on the cars. Radios, power seats, windows, sunroofs, seat heaters, seat adjusters everything. This was not the case with my Hondas or Toyotas, although the Toyotas were close.

[@tomtheplummer7322]

Subaru, expensive and built to stay that way. Shoulda been the true ad campaign.

[@fubartotale3389]

@@tomtheplummer7322 Ive owned them for decades, along with Toyota and Honda and have not found that to be the case. How do you explain that Subaru has the highest owner loyalty in the industry? Most people don't go back to a product if they got burned. Just keep repeating memes that you heard on the internet, you'll seem like a really smart person!

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

@@fubartotale3389 please cite your source for owner loyalty. Loyalty overcomes quirks and problems. I liken Subaru buyers to Dodge/Chrysler buyers. They are fiercely loyal despite most people having nagging issues with them and problems cropping up sooner than it’s rivals. But they are spectacular at making niche products. Dodge with its high performance vehicles and Subaru with its awd vehicles. That’s how you explain loyalty. Marketing and history.

[@williamegler8771]

@@fubartotale3389 People sing the praises of Jaguar and Range Rover/ Land Rover vehicles and often buy them repeatedly even though they are considered to be some of the most problematic vehicles on the road. Often people are "MARQUE" loyal regardless. Reading surveys you often find that vehicles considered troublesome have high levels of owner satisfaction and those that are viewed as trouble free have average or below average owner satisfaction. An owner being satisfied or unsatisfied with a vehicle has a lot of factors figured into it besides reliability and durability.

[@pauldadzie6991]

That AWD really gives you piece of mind that you can handle anything. I drive a 98 turbo on African roads. Some areas I go to have no roads at all. Just a dust path that really gets fun after it rains.

[@robsonselzelin]

Subarus are very popular here in Canada as well, thanks to the all wheel drive. We have serious winter here, so a lot of people want to be prepared to going down the road even with bad weather, which having a Subaru helps a lot.

[@greengopher2354]

Can't you get almost any car in AWD these days. It's not as unique as it once was

[@atticstattic]

@@greengopher2354 True, but no one has the full time AWD that Subaru uses.

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

@@greengopher2354 agreed. Subaru used to be unique and capable. But other manufacturers systems have surpassed Subaru’s ability. Also, the Subaru cvt is not considered to be one of the best.

[@robsonselzelin]

@@haroldbeauchamp3770 Subaru is still the best AWD in it's price range.

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

@@robsonselzelin I’m not convinced. I had a 2015 Forester and while it was okay, there’s nothing phenomenal about it. There’s multiple vehicles that are in this class that surpass Subaru’s capabilities. Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is one. Has a locking rear differential and low range function. It’s not handicapped by a cvt either. Which is what sucked in my Forester. I’m not simply going to agree that Subarus awd system is spectacular because it’s an uninformed popular opinion.

[@UnkleAL1962]

my 2006 LL Bean NA was one of my all time favorite vehicles since 1977! It was a machine in snow and you could push it to the limits and it would barely slide around. Unfortunately rust took its toll up here in the rust belt and that was that. Never forget it though

[@RazzAlerio]

I’ve got a 2005 Outback L.L bean with the Boxer 6. It’s terrible on gas, but my god. This thing is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. Really fast, even by todays standards, impossible to stop in the snow, cargo room for days. My only complaint is that to replace the radio you need to import a separate headunit breakout piece from Japan at *Quite* a steep cost. My ideal goal is to eventually get a rust free one from the south to keep as a forever vehicle!

[@RazzAlerio]

@@Dankcatvacs I bought it back in sept. With 92,000 miles, it’s got 109,000 now. No issues with the head gaskets, no weeping or lost coolant or anything. Zero blowby, haven’t had to replace the chain. Far as I’m aware, if you keep up on your oil changes their usually good for the life of the engine.

[@pablopicaro7649]

Subaru tend to rust rather badly on Salted Roads, and being AWD they are very popular snowy icy roads, that get lots of SALT !

[@marsgal42]

Subarus are amazing. That "sure-footed" AWD feeling, unstoppable in snow. They can also get very expensive very quickly when they break.

[@cigarsgunsanddiesel8032]

unstoppable with proper tires... my OE tires were GARBAGE in the snow!

[@cigarsgunsanddiesel8032]

@@Dankcatvacs try Goodyear Eagles in snow... that was my OE tire!

[@hottew_twat3963]

thats why you stay on top of maintenance

[@boomerguy9935]

I only owned one. It ran great in between trips on the tow truck for major repairs. It was my first and last Subaru.

[@christopherguzzi1316]

What kind of maintenance would you suggest for the driveshaft that has to be replaced entirely when the joints go bad?

[@bmwloco]

SWMBO has a Forester. Leather hearted little beast. It just goes , and goes and goes.

[@whitetailfox1]

I wouldn't say "good fuel mileage" but it's usually the same no matter the weather or cargo

[@maxlucas88]

i bought this car for 3500 Cad a year ago and swapped it to a manuel! i think its the best!! I just love the speed and size but it is an older car and chasing issues wether it be rust sunroof problems ect is a thing. the secondary airpump is one of those things that overtime fails but most ppl tend to go the delete route by blocking it off and deleting the codes.

[@ezacher4634]

Had a Legacy over 10 years. Alternator rear brake caliper and both front axles. Never left me stranded.

[@rebelusa6585]

Actually, today the only car i know of that can stranded you are bmw and Range Rover. And maybe tire puncture or radiator puncture.

[@308media74]

I just got rid of my 09 Forester. The whole car started to break down in its 9 clean fun years . 20k in 2 years in repairs. (My Wife loved it ) Now we have a new CRV . She loves it more .

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

Truth be told 9 years is a good run for most Subaru’s. They just not to the level of Toyota or Honda. You’ll be good for many many more years in that CRV

[@daveleephoto]

Reason this one has no head gasket issues, is Subaru uses a different head gasket part for the turbo engines vs. the naturally aspirated ones. The turbo head gaskets do not degarde as the normal gaskets do. I had to have my head gaskets replaced (2009 Subaru Impreza) at 105K miles and that cost me $3200. Other than that, I've had zero problems with my car and I love it.

[@mikescherrer4923]

Dang I'm in the wrong business... That in Canadian dollars?

[@rebelusa6585]

$3200 for stupid head gasket replacement. That make a mercedes look reliable and affordable. People should sue subaru for that stupid simple manufacturing mistake.

[@jumpinjojo]

*Degrade.

[@krisphoton7304]

...had a radiator failure n engine O. Heated on my Forester 10. HG cost 1800$ a year ago in New Milford Ct. The Suby I like most is my 03 Legacy L SW with 158kmiles. It has HG problems n I add coolant n little oil for the last 20kmiles n keeps going fine n strong. NO fluid mixing inside the engine.

[@LinPurz]

I still have my 2006 Subaru Forester XT and I still love it! Purchased 07/25/2005. I hope it lasts me the rest of my life!

[@noobeenaut]

These are everywhere where I live in northern Minnesota. In fact, my brother also has an '06 Forester. His is a naturally aspirated model with the L.L. Bean trim option. It's shockingly torquey for its size

[@ddemier]

We need more of MAGIC MIKE IN THESE VIDEOS! hes awsome!!

[@miraconyo]

My first car was a 07 Subaru forester. miss that car

[@riprex2072]

Got a 2012 xt manual gearbox Australian model, Great car had since new plenty of power Greetings from Queensland Australia.👍

[@barrythomas6429]

I have this model XT auto. The secondary air valves gave way at 60k Kilometers. Fortunately they jammed shut ,so we just took all of the plumbing off as well as the pump. Had to get the ecu reflashed. Apart from that it has been plain sailing.

[@ToomasTelling]

Here in Estonia you see a lot more Volvo XC70s or XC90s and we get a fair bit of snow in the winter. far as Japanese stuff, most are Toyota RAV4s or Honda C-RVs. most people tend to stand clear of subarus because of blown motors and turbos.

[@jaunteraudi817]

Jeah, in Latvia the same - a lot of xc70 xc90 xc60, audi quattros, Ravs and crvs, but subarus, they are rare on the roads and as i repair all my cars by myself, subarus is a big no in my car list because of rust and bad engines, they are hard to work on and in my opinion pretty unreliable.

[@ToomasTelling]

@@jaunteraudi817 my brother worked at a subaru dealer in 2010-2011 and he would be constantly be rebuilding engines. Blown headgaskets,worn and spun bearings, broken crankshafts on manual cars. All of it was warranty work.

[@lukejolley8354]

Yeeaaa, greetings from Canada! We love our Subarus here; ya they are quirky but they are so much fun in the snow. I still haven't gotten stuck in my '07 Impreza knock on wood (and we don't even get the roads plowed here in my part of town!).

[@austinmurray4287]

You can install blockoff plates and tune out the secondary air system. I own an 06 XT and opted to fix it before I tuned the vehicle…but should have just tuned and done the blockoff plates all at once.

[@soopermarkus]

I was told recently by a Cobb tuner that they cannot tune out the CEL anymore because it’s tied to the emissions system. I hope they/I am wrong about this but lots of things have changed with the new emissions laws regarding aftermarket tunes. Mine is deleted and coded out but I had it done a few years ago.

[@oambrosia]

@@soopermarkus Cobb will not sell you a tune with the codes deleted anymore. It's always been illegal to disable emissions codes; they just got away with it for a long time!

[@doughuman526]

@@oambrosia This is my wife's Subaru. I was planing on a Cobb tuner and block off plates. Looks like I will be getting a new secondary air system.

[@oambrosia]

@@doughuman526 Depending on your state you can remove that system and have the codes deleted, no problem.

[@doughuman526]

@@oambrosia I'm in Kansas, I will have to look in to that. Thanks!

[@mtashland1]

Love that generation of forester. Just put a new engine and trans into my na 07 forester. Probably not the best financial decision since the car cost 8k and repairs were 13k but I love the car too much.

[@taylorandon]

I daily drive a 2009 Forester XT has 267k on it. Been the most reliable daily since I got it and fixed it up. Got it for free with a massive misfire on cylinder #4. Was under the assumption that it had a cracked ring land which is the most common issue with the EJ255/EJ257 engines. Given the miles and lack of care before I owned it was easy to assume. I was going to do a compression test just to verify my concern. Low and behold the heat sink on the ignition coil had rust jacked so bad it put a crack through the entire thing. Had a friend with a pile of OEM used ignition coils that he let me have for free. Thumbed through the pile and picked the best-looking condition coils. Threw some plugs in it and swapped all the coils. Ran smooth as new. I was elated. I did some more repairs to it after that and got all the maintenance up to date and have been driving it issue free for the last 2 1/2 years. Let's talk about that CTS-V wagon in the background. I own an 11 CTS-V sedan w/ 6sp manual. Would love to own a wagon version but man the price tag pretty much doubles with hose. oof.

[@JesusRodriguez-pf1gq]

I have a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT which has a similar 2.5 Turbo engine. It’s now my project/weekend car. It needs some work. I thought of getting rid of it but it’s a fun car. Head gaskets are next on my list.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

The filter on the transmission that’s nice I just wish that everyone did that. The driveshaft was irritating I would ask about the idea of real building to use serviceable U joint. I know it’s to expensive so I’d just gripe. Thank you Sir I appreciate your videos

[@stuartferguson7947]

I owned a 2006 XT from new in Australia where the MY06 had the full spec WRX engine not the detuned engine from earlier and subsequent years, it was a touring beast and sold after 13 years and over 300,000km and replaced by a 4WD for more serious outback touring. Up until then I only had one problem apart from normal wear and tear, a radiator tank split.

[@joemdee]

I had the 2005XT and the 2007XT. I drove them both to 150,000 miles and never had any issues beyond normal wear and tear. A new radiator at 110,000 miles on both of them was as bad as it got. I’m now driving a 2017 XT and preferred the older generation. If I could find a 2007 XT Premium (I love the leather seats) with under 30,000 miles and one careful lady owner I would jump at it. Forester XT is the best car I’ve ever driven and 19 years later I am still driving one. No offence but I always had an annual dealer service with Subaru trained mechanics. I attribute that to never having any major problems.

[@805NAVE]

Ugh I LOVE these. I’m a Lexus guy through and through , my whole family has em and I have several myself, but this car has a special place in my heart. My grandmother had a black 2006 Forester XT and I learned to drive on both that and my moms Land cruiser. The forester was always super peppy and fun to drive and I loved the old wagon body style. My grandma got rid of it tho she had many issues with it and she got a Lexus ES like myself and couldn’t be happier with the Lexus. However I miss the Forster XT and I still see it around town all the time still cruising! I want to buy it back one day

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

I had a base Forester with a manual. It was fun to drive but it was a POS. So many issues with it, including a defective MAF sensor that was covered under a recall.

[@dingdong2103]

The XT was very fun to drive but the worst car I have ever owned reliability wise. First and last Subaru I will ever buy.

[@NoetsMierKeps]

I love you, you have my taste

[@kifhurlbut]

There is a guy in Denver who rebuilds the prop shafts. Ships them at a reasonable price on an exchange basis. They come balanced and repainted. I saved something like $600 over new.

[@Treeplanter73]

Foresters are great cars in Wi!! Overall very reliable, except sparkplug changes.

[@Stealthhayes93]

I have a bullet proof ej22 this forester that he's talking about is one of the best sunarus ever made

[@shellite]

If the secondary air system valves are closed and not seized (or at least, seized closed), you can just remove/gut the relay and delete the codes's from the ECU. Leaving the system inoperable and prevents the car running in limp mode. My car has been running fine for 4 years this way ;)

[@davidduffy9806]

The 2006 Subaru was the best car I ever own, wish I’d not sold the thing. I traded the 2006 for a more recent Subaru, purchased new. The replacement Subaru was auto not manual as was my 2006. The manual had a hi and low position, for a small vehicle it was brilliant for towing.

[@randybills3848]

I like the spin on filter for the trans all cars should be that way in my OP JS

[@volvo09]

Yeah what a great idea. If only everyone did that.

[@WesleyDropDead]

My 04 fxt just hit 225k miles yesterday :)

[@bradhaughton6698]

Well, at least my Subaru I have to get a new engine in a 2010 Subaru Forester, and this time I'm deciding to up for the newly upgraded gasket. This engine fair with 190,212 miles on it the new engine has 110,000 miles on it. This is within a 1-year ownership of the car.

[@goodday126]

I feel like a small private break japanese garden grotto, koi pond, and hibachi grill would also be nice. But that's just me. Have you seen Twitter headquarters? Not even asking for a wine tap.

[@artyross392]

Finally a positive Subaru review 💙

[@unstablebobgable]

The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on KZbin! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music!

[@williamegler8771]

Same comment every time the Wizard uploads a video. Do you want that continuous loop video for your "SPANK BANK"?

[@FarrellMcGovern]

I have a 2012 Forester SH, which means that it is in the sweet spot where it has timing chains, not belts, and it doesn't have a CVT. I've had it for 3 years now buying it second hand, and all I have had to do are brakes all around, and a connection fitting on the oil cooler broke, so that was replaced. As others have noted, here in most parts of Canada, we get serious winters. I am currently running Michellin X-Ice Xi3 tires, and I have been able to drive through a metre (~1 yard) of snow with now problems. I do an oil change every 5,000 kilometers and she runs well. It may be the last internal combustion car I own. Next one will either be a hybrid, or electric...but most likely a hybrid.

[@mikescherrer4923]

You Canucks really don't learn...

[@FarrellMcGovern]

@@mikescherrer4923 I'll just laugh as I pull another Jeep out of a snow bank...

[@timkowles728]

I had a 2005 outback years ago that when it came to the driveshaft issue, I found a place in California that would make me a brand new driveshaft with replaceable u joints for half the price of a new one from Subaru. They sent me a box to ship my old drive shaft to them so they could copy it and shipped the new one back to me and they paid all the shipping, a win win situation. I don't remember their name, but they had a shop in Cal and in Tx and built drive shafts for custom and drag cars.

[@queensapphire7717]

The customer should get coated rotors to prevent rust, well worth the little extra cost.

[@correct_lee]

Turbos don't have headgasket issues like the NA versions did. Also removing the intercooler and throttle body to get better access to parts is extremely easy and not labor extensive. I own a 2008 which is identical and did it on my own as a beginner mechanic with ease!

[@Voogess]

We deal with a lot of Subaru's at work, and experience a lot of SAI fault codes, just like this one. On the NA engines, there's not much else you can do than replacing them, but on the 2.5 Turbos you can get them disabled by some engine tuners. We sent them out to a local tuning shop, and they flash the ECU to disable the SAI system, costing €250 instead of ~€1000 for SAI parts.

[@hoffman5982]

NA's had it over there? Here in America only the turbo models had SAI

[@ml.2770]

We bought our first Forester in 1998 when they first came out, again in 2013 and am waiting for the 2026 hybrid. I suspect I will own one forever.

[@johnnumbat9782]

Here in Australia I’ve owned 10 Subarus over several decades and wouldn’t drive anything else except for my Toyota Hilux automatic diesel (Tundra in the US?) - the Subarus have been reliable, capable light off-road vehicles, the best AWD system in the SUV market and have climbed many steep high country tracks here with no problems even fully loaded with camping gear - my ‘97 automatic Forester has been the most reliable getting me to 425000km before a camshaft finally seized - the ‘06 Forester had the typical head gasket issues, and driver window actuator failures only and my ‘09 turbo performed well but the new offset piston rod design proved to be a design weakness causing numerous failures for the ‘08-‘13 Foresters now too expensive on fuel (A$2.37 per litre) and the awfully expensive secondary pump ended this ownership.

[@scottbishop2532]

If you are on a tight budget you can replace these U joints and any swing bearing that may be there with a 4lb hammer and block of wood however, it will require a lot of labor and you will never get this to stop vibrating a little bit, unless you buy the whole axle.

[@krisphoton7304]

...Never hammer on a balanced rotating component like the drive shaft- can use press or puller. Yes, U can improvise if your time is cheap! but, I am sure U can get the part from a Junk yard affordably.

[@scottbishop2532]

@@krisphoton7304 That is what the wood is for.

[@daviddyson7359]

Regarding suspension, The standard suspension has a hydraulic self-leveling system on the rear which is prone to failure and expensive to replace. I would bet that's why they replaced the standard struts with a Pedders setup. I have the identical suspension on my 2006 XT here in Australia.

[@jamesm90]

Love my H6 3.0 Outback, super smooth and powerful 245BHP.

[@md2k8]

We are now on the very first day of February 2023 and the Car Wizard should have the next all-new installment of the six used vehicles that you should plan to buy in general tomorrow. The very first vehicle to buy, if you can afford a newer one is the 2017 to 2021 Mazda CX-5 with the 2.5 L Skyactiv four-cylinder engine and the six-speed automatic transmission. You can always go for only the front-wheel-drive (FWD) model, if you want to save money on fuel and maintenance or repairs, but anyway they are very reliable and they are extremely fuel-efficient. Then, the second vehicle to buy would be a 2011 or a 2012 Hyundai Tucson with the 2.4 L four-cylinder engine and the six-speed automatic transmission. They are fairly reliable and they are good on gas with only the FWD model. The 2 L engine is a little underpowered for the Tucson, but the 2.4 L engine is just a regular engine, not the one with GDI technology. So, you should fair with this vehicle. The third vehicle that you could buy is the 2008 to 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander with the 3 L V6 engine and the six-speed automatic transmission, because these vehicles are very reliable and they are built in Japan since manufacture. The warranty on these Outlander's have already expired back then, but they are currently on the road with proper maintenance. The gas range and the mileage is not that good, but if you go for the 2WD model, it is still worth the penny for fuel, so make sure you do not accelerate or brake too aggressive and drive fairly slower than the speed limit (the vehicle capability), about two miles per hour or ten kilometres an hour below, you should be golden. Furthermore, the fourth vehicle to buy will be the 2003 to 2006 Infiniti G35, preferably the coupe with the six-speed manual transmission, because the 3.5 L engine from Nissan is bulletproof and when driving on the highway, you can get up between 25 to 30 miles per gallon, when you take it on a road trip through the southwestern United States. These G35's are much better vehicles than these G20's, because the G20 is unreliable and they have numerous problems with these vehicles. So, stick to the G35 for an Infiniti. The fifth vehicle that you can buy would be the 2008 to 2010 Mitsubishi Eclipse, coupe and GT trim as always with the 3.8 L V6 engine and the six-speed manual transmission. These Eclipse's are fun vehicles to drive, but fuel economy is not that bad, because you can still get around twenty miles per gallon and you just have a lower fuel range. It is an excellent vehicle that you can use during the weekend or on special occasions. Finally, the sixth vehicle to buy, if you are a CEO of a company or a millionaire would be the 2002 to 2005 Ford Thunderbird with the 3.9 L V8 engine and the five-speed automatic transmission, because they are a great collector's vehicle, you do not have to worry about repair costs, you can spend more than a hundred dollars to fuel up the tank from empty to full and you can take on a cross country road trip within North America (except Mexico). In addition, for these newer Thunderbird's, you have to keep the vehicle maintained up by manufacturer standards and you can plan to purchase another one and keep your current one in your possession. Anyway, I am totally a fan of these mid-2000's Ford Thunderbird, because the insurance is a lot cheaper for this vehicle than a European one. I hope you have a great day ahead and the Car Wizard will approve this idea and it should be uploaded tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for your understanding about which vehicles to buy and which vehicles to avoid. It should be very interesting, guys.

[@maubunky1]

Also, the oil cooler on the XT turbo engines has a total of 4 orings, two large and two medium sized, you have to take the thing apart in layers to get to all of them.

[@cnorton1us]

Subaru is basically the unofficial car brand of New England, so I see tons of them in Massachusetts. Including my own parking spot 😀 I have the baby brother Crosstrek, which of course isn't turbocharged. But it does great in the Winter, and I got 34 MPG on a road trip to (and all around) Colorado. Saw mostly Outbacks there.

[@dcinhere]

They're headquartered in Jersey

[@md2k8]

These older, 2006 Subaru Forester XT's are currently reliable at this time - it is turbocharged. I would like to own one of these for a daily driver. Anyway, we still needed an all-new buy this, not that video, as well as the next all-new, six used vehicles to buy and/or to avoid video. Thank you very much and keep us updated for the Car Wizard channel.

[@A_Guy123]

Especially with todays market, would love to see the updated post. Would be cool to have it in tiers of car as well. An economy one, luxury one, sports one

[@md2k8]

@@A_Guy123 Great idea

[@jasonw7053]

This car would be worth a fortune where I live in eastern Canada, I'd even pay quite a bit for it! Every car here that's older than 5 years is pretty much a pile of rust and those old forester xt's were super cool but pretty much non existent around here.

[@billd66]

Subarus are extremely popular here in New England because the AWD is idea in winter. I have a neighbor who has a Forester. I'm guessing it's from the mid 2010s. It seems to be a good car.

[@RollerCoasterLineProductions]

Subaru is the official car of the north east and Alaska.

[@senseicorey9979]

Despite what you might think, a turbo subaru is actually a pretty special vehicle. Especially if you live where it snows. I've had my wrx since 2007, 240k miles and I still love sliding it around

[@groosbro1]

Subaru's head gasket problem started when Toyota helped with emissions. They changed the combustion chamber shape and gasket types.

[@Levibetz]

If that rough running is significant at idle, and throwing misfire codes, check compression. The most common issues with these engines are piston ringland failure (yes, even when stock) and spun bearings. Obviously the bearings are fine being that it's not knocking (presumably). But ringland failure can be damn near asymptomatic.

[@lewlewis6511]

Have a 2008 one of these 2.5 XTs in England, with the auto gearbox. That transmission filter works the opposite way to engine oil filters, its expensive and people have been known to fit cheaper engine oil filters, which only serves to starve the gearbox of oil flow. Auxilliary air pump failed on mine, they all fail and are stupid money to replace, had it removed and programmed out. These are great multip purpose cars, really quite small overall but enough room inside, like all Japanese cars (mine was made in Japan) they need some extra underbody protection applying where salt is used on the roads, mine is completely rust free underneath. I change the engine oil every 3k, and the coolant every 20k miles, the only job i hate doing on all Subarus is changing the spark plugs. Note, in England at least, the exhaust is specific to the XT its 2.5" bore, correct new exhaust is only available from Subaru, pattern parts here are all wrong they fit and are sold as suitable for XT but they are 2" bore only, my exhaust rusted out so had a stainless steel system made and fitted....don't ruin your XT by fitting the wrong exhaust.

[@RedScare67]

I've an EJ204, so the non-turbo version, SG with a manual. Looks very different under the car at the front! I also recommend those Pedders units. I've got the heavy duty ones in the rear of mine, and will likely replace the fronts when one fails too. Cheers for the video, Wizard. Was great.

[@texarkana3781]

I had basically the same engine in an 06 WRX. Run like a clock until it blew the head gaskets at 200,000 mi. I also had had the smog pump snail-like thing go bad at 100,000k, expensive as hell to fix. Run on dino 10W-40 all its life, changed at 4000 mi and never used more than 1/2 quart in 4k mi.

[@stevescarsfish2175]

You’re an amazing boss for treating your people so well.

[@thatguy6111]

I’m from Central Washington State and the Wizard is correct there are Subarus everywhere here. There were two of this body and color Forester outside my work today.

[@fatalsupremacy]

I had one of these 5spd, stage 2 tune with turboback-exhaust. what a freaking blast it was, still miss it.

[@jackals1982]

I have a 07 Forester xt sports with 212,000 miles and no rust , I love it and it won't die but when it does I'll definitely get another one thanks Subaru.

[@peterhumphrys]

AWD Subarus are fairly popular in the snow here in Canada, my rear drive van was spinning its drive wheels in the driveway yesterday and I was reminded why I was taking the Subie out and putting the van back in the garage. Thank you for covering this year of Subaru forester, there is plenty of power without a turbo, my tires are only rated to 100 miles per hour or so and I wonder what sort of speeds that turbo would put out and where you could safely drive it.

[@mikescherrer4923]

Buy snow tires. RWD with LSD and good winter tires and you'll be sailing by spinning subarpoos all day.

[@billermanthegreat]

They know lots about snowy conditions up in northern Japan.

[@peterhumphrys]

@@billermanthegreat yes for sure, a good friend of mine former apartment dweller from school in Texas, lives in Amori city, with the highest yearly snow fall about 9metres or 30 ish feet per year. I thought that my sister's place was bad in the Sault with 3m or 10 feet of snow, 30 feet annually is just crazy! One thing about Japan is that they pretty much force you to get a new vehicle after six years, while I drive about 20 year old vehicles, my 2007 Subie is the newest in the "fleet".

[@peterhumphrys]

@@mikescherrer4923 very funny, my brother referred to my first car, Honda civic hatchback, as an upholstered roller skate which wasn't far off the mark I take it all in stride, and I keep the 2001 Safari in the garage so that the salt doesn't destroy it, holding up quite well so far, I have an Astro AWD - minor rust issues - with snow tires for when some work needs to get done in the winter.

[@glennbeadshaw727]

You think that's cool calling it a subie? It's not it's childish

[@aaronmclaughlin9766]

In regards to the secondary air system, ots a super cheap fix, buy a set of blanking plates for £20 and just remove the system entirely. Not sure how it works in the states but in the UK, our emissions tests are done when the car is warm and since the secondary air system is only effective on a cold start to "dilute" the emissions, its not a system that actually affects the running of the car so I ordered blanking plates and wired up a resister circuit to make the ECU think the secondary air pump was still functional and stop it throwing a check engine code and problem solved!

[@velvetjones1856]

I had one of these. Great car. Only problem was that sunroof glass shattered on its own. Replaced under warranty. Getting ready to buy a new Crosstrek Limited.

[@yem7157]

Same here

[@Flies2FLL]

I just did the rear brakes on my '01 Subaru Outback LL Bean. PowerStop kit, the only thing difficult was getting the two pad carrier bolts loose. You had to feed a 12 inch extension with a 14 mm socket through two small holes in the suspension arms to get at these bolts. Without a lift it was a pain in the ass! Great video!

[@garthg.6150]

I have to do that when the weather warms up.

[@Nordic_Mechanic]

Recently changed the transmission and differential on my farrier's Forester. I never worked on Subaru before and I was shocked at how easy it was. Good cars if you want to learn to wrench.

[@skylerdylan1005]

Agreed. They are great for learning. I had a 17 WRX and I had never worked on a car before owning that. It’s especially nice for oil changes because the filter is at the top.

[@TheGhungFu]

Very desirable amongst Subaru aficionados..May be worth more than they think. Head gaskets generally were not an issue with the turbos. They had the MLS gaskets from the factory. Also, this car is worthy of an engine 'refresh', replacing all the seals. The entire OEM seal kit is around $300. Engine can be out in a few hours.

[@thelonelywolf88]

I was almost considering buying a used 2013 Forester XT, but I looked it up on Google, and it said it's not very reliable. It looked cool with a two-tone paint job, though. Black on the top, grey on the bottom.

[@Emergency785]

Paid breaks!? Man Car Wizard, i want you to hire me! What A Boss!!!

[@Sprintervan1]

I worked as a salesman for Subaru for 11 years. Forester and outback’s always came back for multiple major issues. I would insist they get the extended warranty! My customers were so happy I made them get the warranty. Almost every one of them got and engine or transmission replaced!

[@edwil111]

2008 Forester with 160K miles. Original everything.

[@rjnation5042]

I miss my 2.4ltr Outback so much, we put almost 400,000kms on it, yes we did the head gasket once, but other than that known issue it was a trooper, there very popular in country areas over here, unfortunately last year it got T boned & it was a total loss, Oh Pedders is an Australian company, there very well known, great to see there known about, Rj in Oz

[@Mike_44]

Man, that's actually one well kept Forester XT. If it wasn't so far from South FL, I'd be very inclined to offering on buying it.

[@dizk5283]

These particular years were very problematic. I love the ones from 2003 to 2005. The only problems with those were the headgaskets.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

Not exactly a simple problem but I get what you’re saying.

[@dizk5283]

@MrSamPhoenix oh yeah, it's a expensive problem. That's why I buy them with the headgaskets already done or blown headgaskets.

[@adamdistortion8810]

@@dizk5283 yeah im just like you, i personally like the nonturbo models myself. They blow headgaskets way less and i can have them apart in about a day and fixed in 2 to 3. If i want a fast car, i just wont buy a subaru. Lexus is perfect for a reliable fast car. My 2 favorite brands tbh 😋

[@dizk5283]

@adam Distortion Exactly 💯 I love subarus, it's all the cars I have on my Channel.

[@suzumr2754]

@@adamdistortion8810 The turbocharged EJ25 don’t have head gasket problems.

[@31dknight]

Another great video from the wizard. Keep it going

[@pavementsailor]

During icy winters here in the PNW, the decks and ramps on our car haulers are very slippery. Subarus are the easiest to load in these conditions. No surprises. Many other manufacturers AWD vehicles are probably as good, but the Subarus were the first for me to notice how good they are.

[@shahab_shawn_siahpoosh]

These are very cool cars. These turbocharged Subaru engines are not known to have major head gasket issues. Only 2.5 liter naturally aspirated engines between 1999 to 2012 are plagued with premature head gasket failure. Some Subaru turbo engines start burning oil due to the oil ring problem. But besides that, these are very tough engines.

[@ISOUPKOBE]

The 04 05 xts are the best in my opinion an an owner of an 05 forester Xt

[@Czechbound]

*SOUND MIX* Woah, that up-lift/ down-lift music is very strong in the mix today. My ears ! 🙂

[@catchfeelings8459]

Nothing better in the snow with some good Blizzaks! Confidence In Motion!

[@dakarak]

I had one of this year and model, but a 2.0T JDM version. It was down on power with only 30,000km on the clock, found out they are VERY sensitive to the type of oil used. If non synthetic oil used it would be very laggy, had to flush oil and it came right.

[@jeffreydeans7097]

There are replacement U-Joints for the Subaru's. Same part used on many other vehicles including Toyota/Lexus. The bearings of replacement U Joint has a slot on the inside of the U Joint yoke that accepts a C clip to retain the new U Joint in position (replacing what the stake did). You have to drill out the stake clip and press out the original U Joint. My local transmission shop replaces unrepairable U joints on all sorts of vehicles using these replacement U Joints. The replacement part has a grease fitting, and it may not last as long as the original part, but if you replace it before the yoke gets chewed up then its a very cost effective repair even if you have to do it again. Rockford Driveline has the replacement U-Joint parts, if it fits a Toyota Highlander/Lexus RX, it will fit the Subaru, and they cost about $20 each.

[@ScottsSynthStuff]

Same for GL1500 Goldwings. Their U-joints became unavailable a number of years ago when Honda lost one of its suppliers. Shops sprung up and started repairing these "unrepairable" staked U-joints the same way: drill out the clip, press out the old one, install new ones with c clip. They too put grease fittings on them.

[@roylappin4491]

Just subscribed a couple of weeks ago, enjoying your presentation.

[@boowiebear]

I bet it is nice working for the Wizard!

[@Tec2Nut]

I had a tuned 300 plus BHP one of these, what a car