I can't fix this one! Heartbreaking diagnosis! I hate it when this happens!

Not all cars should be repair and this 2000 Subaru Forester is one of them. It has several items that are its death sentence. 🧙🏻 ➡️Don't forget to check out ‪@MrsWizardsWays‬ ⬅️🧙🏻
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[@keithmalmberg8395]

Dump stop leak on it and drive it till the wheels fall off.

[@maxdragon15]

How long do you think it would go, 20k miles? 50k?

[@youtube2kwatcher]

could be 2k lol@@maxdragon15

[@keithmalmberg8395]

@@maxdragon15 my 20 year old cousin had a water pump go out on a 4.0 jeep and massively overheated it. Had water in the oil and water into #3,4,5. Put Barsleak into it and ran it just over 50k. Ever 20k it would start getting a little milky in the oil and would drop a nother can in. For $10 it is worth a try. Didn't have the 2k for a new motor plus the labor.

[@carlgarrett5142]

Don't forget to ram out then reattach the catalytic converter box, it's not like Kansas has emissions testing anyway. 😁

[@CS-oe8og]

Isn’t that how you get your moneys worth? Kinda like taking leftovers home from the restaurant.

[@thomasfarley6052]

I dont know if anyone would propound much more than 1000 bucks for that one. You are very kind not to charge them for your time and most importantly your advice.

[@geekfreak618]

Win win win... Everyone got educated and a little something out of the situation done that way.

[@Gonzo_Bubb]

I learned a new word today

[@andoletube]

lol. "propound". 🥴

[@geraldscott4302]

He got some KZbin content and free advertising out of it. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[@MrTilbin]

Because it's it's paid off, and lastest this long already, a repair can be cheaper than a down payment and loan.

[@JS-1983]

Crunching Subaru brings my mind Hoovies Baja which had "little bit" rust... 😂

[@liamjackson6930]

I was going ask if it was one of Hoovies latest purchases

[@Sonny_McMacsson]

@@liamjackson6930 Welcome to Hoovie's car disposal emporium!

[@kennethpotter8475]

You know the Wizard is the best out there when Knight Industries hires him to work on KITT lol

[@ericschultz1073]

I noticed that. And that’s all I could really focus on. I certainly hope a video comes soon

[@tiborkutak2332]

It was a shock for me too,"why is Kitt in the shop?"

[@talon262]

Well, every intrepid Knight should keep the counsel of a great Wizard...

[@ACEMIDNIGHT102]

Wizard is the new Bonnie

[@Nothingtoya]

Is he really any better than most other shops? I really doubt it. However I have very little experience with mechanic shops. I'll take it in for a transmission or rear end rebuild but that's it.

[@deangiulitto1076]

The empty coolant recovery tank is a huge tip-off!

[@greyfox79007]

Any Subaru over 160,000 miles needs head gaskets. By the way easy fix if you have an engine crane and time.

[@andrewdonohue1853]

​@@greyfox79007the problem is supposed to have been fixed

[@TheCharacter97]

​@@greyfox79007Does one need to do a resurface of the engine block when replacing HG? My EJ253 SOHC needs new HG if I want to keep it going. I could do it but I see lots mentioning a engine block resurface and I dont have any machine to do so other then my hands and blocks that would help sand "flatter".. Id like to change my compression rings while I would be at it.. valve cover gaskets.. im confident I could do it but the resurfacing factor has me hesitant..

[@highvisibilityraincoat]

Machine shop would do it

[@samholdsworth420]

​@@TheCharacter97send it bro

[@davidl2438]

With over 300,000 miles, the owner got his use out of this Subaru. I owned a Subaru once and I decided for myself to only own one Subaru in a lifetime. At 112,000 miles, my 2003 Subaru Outback needed head gaskets: but since this needed to be done I decided to change the water pump, timing belt, spark plugs, and all hoses. My opinion of Subaru is this: It gave me trouble free service until 112,000 miles and then everything needed to be replaced at the same time making the cost expensive. In those days I was charged $2,500 for this work. At 246,000 miles the same repairs needed to be done at a cost of $4,500 (year 2018). I loved that Subaru and almost decided to have the work done. I sold the car and purchased a Toyota Rav 4.

[@ObliqueVisualsNz]

I owned a 98 forester and few legacys. Sold them all b4 200k on the clock. It's like a meme in NZ with Subaru's and head gasket issues lol

[@kosmologist]

201k not 301k

[@kansascountry970]

Basically same story for me. Bought an 08 forester and drove it for a couple years until I hit a deer. Bought a rear ended 06 for parts. Got the 08 fixed and continued to drive it for about a year until I had a major engine failure at about 140k. I swapped the engine from the 06 and drove it for about 6 months before it started having major electrical issues. I messed with it for months trying to figure it out. Finally gave up and bought a beater Scion (Toyota) for $500 and been daily driving that one for the last year. I will never own another Subaru. I had more problems with that car in a few years than I’ve ever had with any of my other vehicles combined and they were all older than the Subaru.

[@dennislippert8875]

I feel like I need to add a success story! '02 Legacy GT wagon... purchased at 166k, sold at 217k. No major issues in those 50k miles. Sold it mainly due to rust and lust. (Not condemnably structural... just rough enough to bother me). It was replaced by the Audi A4 I lusted after... and it took me for every dime I had lying around! The Audi was wonderful fun when it ran. Which wasn't often!

[@jeremybirdwell2623]

Wizard just LOVES to bag on Subies. Even though this one went almost 300k. As someone who currently has three Subies, I will say that they are not Toyotas. You can’t just put oil in them and have them run forever. You HAVE to do the maintenance. It is obvious from the shape this car is in that either the current owner or the previews owner was just not into doing routine maintenance on the vehicle.

[@mattdonna9677]

This video makes me grateful to still have my 1980 Ford F-150 shortbed with an inline 6 cylinder. Simplicity.

[@RageUnchained]

Makes me glad I still have my 94 single cab short bed 5.8L F150

[@PolPotsPieHole]

those FORD inline 6 were one of the best motors ever

[@rni302]

I had a 2001 Forester that made it to 460K. A great little commuter car but it was my part time job constantly replacing parts (cost effective if you are a DIY). Head gaskets, leaking fuel pipes and right side wheel bearings being a common and constant repair theme of that era. Eventually salt roads rusted the underside out so much I was leaving a rust trail after hitting a bump.

[@TWEAKLET]

how the hell did it make it to 460k in an area where they salt the roads you sure you even had a frame for that last 200k?

[@8.4V10]

@@TWEAKLETit was held together by the hands of Jesus

[@user-pf5xq3lq8i]

He must have had a patchwork of welded metal plates underneath. No way that bottom held out for 400k+

[@rni302]

Hey American peps, 460K KM which is 285K American miles

[@jarrettmcgowan3663]

Just wanted to say, i love how calming your videos are. The shop has always been an intense, high energy, loud place for me, so its a nice change of pace to see calm work in a quiet empty atmosphere like this

[@w210amgmercedes2]

Head gaskets are a problem for this era of the EJ engine. However if you overlook that, these cars are bulletproof. I bought a 2004 Forester with 160K miles for $4000 years ago. It was leaking oil (not coolant) from the head gaskets. I had it repaired and put 150K more on it. Engine was fine at that mileage, A/C evaporator core went out and didn't want to pay someone to take the dashboard apart.

[@bikeman1x11]

I had an 04 outback- my favorite car

[@damianwirth2313]

I had an 04 Forester XT 5speed. Loved that car

[@dyer2cycle]

..That's when I just start driving them with no A/C..just roll down the window...most of the cars/trucks my dad bought when I was a kid(all used, of course) didn't even have A/C...if they DID have working A/C when he bought them, he would say to us, "Enjoy the A/C while it is working! When it quits working, that's the end of the A/C"...A/C always has been expensive to repair, even in the old days...

[@brianpack5479]

I have an '03 Legacy sedan that developed a misfire. Shop replaced plugs and wires, which only partially resolved the issue. They diagnosed the low compression on cylinder 2 as a burnt valve and to not bother fixing. After a year of putting up with it, I took it to an actual Subaru dealer to diagnose again. The original shop had botched the first repair. Plugs and wires: $250. HOWEVER, there was an existing oil leak that caused it to fail inspection. *That* was a head gasket problem. Since I'd budgeted for a possible cylinder head replace, I said go for it. Total job was under what I'd feared... at $2400. The car was otherwise in such good shape the dealership praised it.

[@That_Handle]

Have been curious for some time whether it's possible to use Evan's waterless coolant in these engines if the head gasket issues were from electrolysis due to the water content in the coolant. Obviously, the thermal transfer capacity is lower from the waterless coolant but I've been curious as to whether or not the sensors and older, ~ relatively loose engine management compared to today's vehicles more tightly scrutinized readings across the engine could otherwise in older vehicles manage just fine to not seek operation mitigation if it were, to say, make a play at adjusting the fuel mixture if it was mistaking a rise in temperature from running lean.... outside of the engine, is it possible to calculate if not at least estimate radiator upsizing if not also getting a multipass aftermarket radiator if that possibly brings temps back within specs expected from the engine management system of the cooling system that could also include adjusting the temperature at which the radiator fan(s) turn on / off and, if need be, drilling small hole in the thermostat to bring average operating temperatures down within expected ranges for the engine management to properly run fuel mixture and ignition timing instead of seeing indications from its sensors that there is an adverse event for which the engine management would go through its typical mitigation actions otherwise? I read that utilizing waterless coolant such as that from Evans would be lifetime coolant and would simply be poured back in after expected periodic thermostat and water pump replacement but from what I understand it would be flammable and the best not ever be allowed to leak onto Hot exhaust in the engine bay

[@philbiker3]

I've had a car with that motor. Knew the answer before the video started as you state at the end. Thanks for videos like this - so many KZbin car channels are all about sports cars and exotics - and yes I like those, but it's nice to see the daily driver as well.

[@lirr408]

I had a 2000 Olds Intrigue . Loved that car, but due to the rot due to salt and snow here on Long Island , it could not pass NYS inspection. I had to let it go 4 years ago.

[@F9FCJ429]

Your integrity goes far above expectations. Respect.

[@peterjackson6228]

Good advice Car Wizard! It's done its time, now it needs to be recycled.

[@JasPlun]

Unless somebody has sentimental attachment and wants to pay the cost to repair it knowing its not worth it except the fact it might have been my Grandpas car and I want to keep it going in honor of him. Whatever the reason my be if they are willing to pay the money then take it and fix it:P

[@demcomp]

Hahaha! That's awesome.. the CRP123 (crap 123)... love it! My mom used to have a license plate, so many moons ago, that was 328 CRP... any vehicle it was attached to was called the "Crap Mobile"... haha! Good to see others with the same sense of humour ;)

[@seanottaway1615]

I had an 08 Impreza OBS with the 5 speed manual. Thing was a rebuild title (it was rolled), it made horrible clunking noises from the center and rear diff, the synchros were shot so shifting was a pain in the ass, clunks creaks and pops from the rear end of the car. But the thing never left me stranded or broke down. It was doomed for the junkyard shortly after I bought it and it wasn’t worth putting the money in to fix it. Thing was a tank, I drove it like this for 6 months to see how long it would go. I found a really nice focus st and I used the Impreza as a downpayment. Thing just refused to die.

[@jim_bocho]

I had a 2000 Forester. Loved it, however I also had to part ways with it because of massive rust 😢

[@mrn9778]

My forster blew HG at 180000 . Got a used FDM import EJ20 and it installed for 2K total/. The EJ20 are super common in Japan and are a long block direct swap for a EJ25 Has run flawlessly for 4 years now and not nocieably slower.

[@Tedroy]

I have a 2001 Forester. It does have issues, but it rolls on! I've done the timing belt every 80,000 mi like a religion. Head gaskets are spot on. 185,000 mi now. Great car. No complaints.

[@wyomikey65]

The dreaded HG. The Achilles heal of Subaru EJ251,253 SOHC. I buy Subarus for dirt cheap do all my own labor and make a descent profit on them. I love them.

[@GroovesAndLands]

I certainly understand where CW is coming from here... However: In the hands of a half-decent home mechanic with a weekend or two to spend on this project - this car could easily be back on the road for $250 in parts - particularly in a non-emissions state. It could provide another 100k miles of service, no problem.

[@bikeman1x11]

stop leak, ebay cat and amazon canister will keep it going

[@tylerniday8935]

Up here in the north, broke but handy people would snatch this rust free car up in a minute. Im a 10 year subaru dealer tech. Seen it all. Sometimes I wonder just how pampered southerners are when it comes to cars.

[@clydedoris5002]

Your not getting new cats for $250

[@dyer2cycle]

Is it possible to delete the cat?..mechanical wise, not talking about the "legality" aspect of it...@@clydedoris5002

[@davidhughmurrayuk]

@@clydedoris5002Cat, canister and stop leak will be about $400 all in for DIY, quality unknown.

[@3.2Carrera]

The flat engines are cool having owned several H4 and H6 Subaru's and an air cooled Porsche. But better have the ability to pull them when they get old, lol. Anyway the owner has absolutely nothing to lose at this point with the Bar's stop leak like you said. My old Dodge V10 was eating coolant (those get head cracks) and Bar's stopped it and I put another 25k heavy towing miles on it with no issues. Might as well at this point.

[@pixelbath2131]

Yep. My last car was a forester. Took it into subaru for a major service thinking it was driving fine but wanted to give it some mid-life TLC. Head gasket, rear main, timing belt on and on. Just short of $8k bill (australian) Ended up selling it for $1.5k to a local indy mechanic and bought a Lexus ES300 with even higher mileage than the subi. Absolutely love it.

[@dingdong2103]

My son crashed my S500 Mercedes and I had to wait for months for replacement parts (it's a 4-matic so suspension parts are hard to find). I bought a Forester XT with a plan to sell it away once I get my MB back. My son drove around in the Forester and the lower radiator hose popped out (it had a really crappy spring clamp on it). Engine seized. So, no way to resell the car anymore. Nice.

[@StandAloneState]

@@dingdong2103ouch… also your son should stay away from any of your cars moving forward 😂 he’s like a curse

[@SVSky]

@@dingdong2103 Son needs a bicycle.

[@StandAloneState]

@@SVSky He’ll smash that to bits too 😂😂 as long as he’s paying for his rides moving forward

[@dingdong2103]

@@StandAloneState I thnk he learned his lesson, my EQC doesn't have a scratch on it so far (crossing fingers).

[@heavenhelpus479]

In a dry climate, under normal operating conditions, and maintained as per OE, these have been known to hit 400K before reaching negative return status. In fact, most Japanese 4 bangers of this era were pretty durable. With exceptions. (spare me)

[@caleb7674]

The NA EJ25s from this era are notorious for that composite HG, it ceased to be a problem circa 2011 but the reputation endured.

[@martinscocan5221]

yep, my dad has a 2004 Forester 2.0L boxer engine, 5 speed manual in Argentina. No winters, no rust. Had it since new and has done all maintenance, sitting at well over 300K now and zero issues. He's 85 now so taking it to his grave even though Subaru calls every year to sell him the new CVT junk....

[@bikeman1x11]

the 2000-04 2.5 were prone to head gasket issues- subaru fix was tro add their branded stop leak product at coolant changes.

[@Todd66]

Throw enough $ at a car and you would be surprised how long you can keep it going. Subaru of that era consume head gaskets. So you can get 400K out of them unless they rust beyond repair, but you are gonna spend $ you should not have to spend to get there. ( we have a 06 outback with 120k and 1 head gasket replacement already )

[@quintonulm2435]

@@Todd66if the fix was done correctly, with the upgraded MLS design, you shouldn’t have to do them again. Just make sure you check your oil often.

[@johngibson7680]

I had a 2001 Outback with the head case 2.5. As I understand, Subaru used 2.2 blocks, and machined them to 2.5. The gaskets had very thin walls, where they would leak. Had them comp the first gasket replacement. I was on the hook for the next replacement. Everything otherwise was great, and I’m on my third Outback. 200k is pretty decent for a 23 year old ride.

[@gravyd316]

You should have had them put the Felpro gaskets in it, decked the block, and of course shave the heads. It wouldn't have given you any trouble after that..... besides transmission issues and CVs, and wheel bearings. Oh I can't leave out the EVAP issues also. But all those issues are easily fixed.

[@user-du1mz5zx7s]

This a perfect example of a vehicle not kept up with regular maintenance( besides the regular oil/air filter changes)…person just drove,and drove, and drove ..but vehicle’s are more than just oil/air filter changes.. it’s inspecting and addressing the problem asap.. that’s where knowing how to fix your car yourself is golden..

[@rockandmeatroll]

Thanks Wizard for sharing your trade, learnt so much from you, bought some stuff from your Amazon uk affiliate , do a small amount of diy mechanic work, enjoy it when im able to do it, thanks!!

[@blinkblink9757]

I have a 2003. Just passed it's UK MOT yesterday with no advisories. 296000 miles so far. This year I've replaced the oil sump, rear wheel bearing and brake pads. Runs on LPG so does 300miles for £45. It goes anywhere. I love it. Wanna keep it for another 20years.

[@kriskris-vb1ci]

2.0 engine I guess?

[@blinkblink9757]

@@kriskris-vb1ci yup ej20.

[@MODNTUNE]

Not dead at all easy engine out refresh and you’ll get another 100k out of it. I’ve been actually looking for one in this exact condition for the engine because headgasket are a pretty straight forward repair on these once you’ve done it once or twice. It would be a break even job as fas as cost goes vs value of the car but at least you’ll keep another one on the road.

[@matthewholt2174]

Yeah, I think he means economically dead but agreed, for someone with a bit of mechanical skills its a few weekends worth of work but definetely not a dead car. Total parts cost for CV + Charcoal box + new MLS gaskets + steering linkage is gonna be around 5-600 if you go for a used box and linkage. Also add in a new indicator (lmao) and a bit of rust work and it'll be good as new.

[@johnturpin2583]

Love you Mr. Weezerd! Your knowledge and honesty are what will make you legend!!!

[@marsgal42]

A few years ago I bought a beater '97 Outback to play with. I knew it was mechanically totaled, starting with a shot clutch pack in the transfer case and no history on the head gaskets. I enjoyed the "sure-footed" AWD feel and saw that it was unstoppable in snow. When it failed its smog check a couple of years later I scrapped it. It didn't owe me (anybody else) anything...

[@marcconyard5024]

I hired a 2002 2.5X for two weeks and covered a lot of miles. Possibly the best vehicle I’d ever driven. A year later I hired a Toyota RAV 4 and thought it was horrible compared to the Subaru.

[@alecthompson5856]

I have one of these 1st gens, lowered on BC coilovers & BBS wheels. Handles beautifully. Mine had all the same issues (except leaking head gasket). Honestly don't recommend people to buy the older models unless you work on them yourself. Otherwise you get into this situation where repairs cost more than its worth real quick.

[@donaldlee6760]

Sounds like a DIY minded person can get a great deal on an older model in that case.

[@mechsupernova]

I paid $800 for an old jeep, no AC, bad transfer case bad wheel bearings bad breaks bald tires and bad front drive shaft, I spent maybe $2000 on it and it's my daily driver.

[@alsguitars5127]

Great car for the head gasket in a bottle repair. Coolant stop leak and Oil seal sweller additive in the oil and see if it made any difference and document how long it held together. That would be a fun video follow up, especially since while never advocating for them I’m sure the Wizard knows which are the best short term snake oils out there. Bars leak kept a radiator together for me for years

[@alanbradford3130]

Some "bars leak" and some Cataclean will enable this car to run a while longer. I have done both and had good results in both cases. The car could last long enough to save up a nice down payment for another car.

[@volvo09]

Yeah, I would just limp it along on additives until it's time for another car. It's beat anyways, so why care what you do to it with additives.

[@tommylord]

My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't be surprised if they got another 10-15K miles out of it. Like the Wizard said, you can't possibly hurt it anymore. Additives generaly do no harm anyway. They just can't mechanically 'repair' major problems.

[@SuperDirk1965]

The catalytic converter is bad as well, keeping this car on the road is polluting the air more than necessary.

[@johnfetter]

@@SuperDirk1965 Go sniff a electric car fire and get back with us about polluting the air k.

[@Sam-go3mb]

​@@SuperDirk1965 Go glue yourself to a road mate. We're talking about a guy driving a 2000 car. No-one's got the luxury to worry about some minor shit like that - except for these all these 'climate activists' that seem to be rich kids....funny that...

[@N-light-end-1]

Worked for Subaru back in 04. Outside the shop was always at least a dozen engine shipping containers all the time..... Every month Subarus came in to get new engines due to head gaskets that are soaked in coolant all the time due to the pancake design. A family member bought a 10 sti, went through 2 engines under warranty that had catastrophic failure due to a shattered piston on one, and a rod on the other. Stock no mods.

[@rmp5s]

Jeez...I knew they were bad, but my God...lol

[@HotRod-wv4vm]

my friend had an 04 and had to replace transmission. Transmission went south again so she finally got rid of it.

[@andrewm.upchurch5567]

was gonna say I'd be surprised if it didn't have a bad head gasket! thanks for the great video!

[@mikehonda7934]

When I worked at Japan Star back in 2008 with my bro Dex, We used to ship out a lot of those EJ25 JDM imported engines (DOHC version. Darn oil caps hurt.) Had to drill and tap the EGR port for them before cleaning and shipping them out. Was cheaper than doing the head gaskets and machining to just swap the entire engine, in case the block or head was warped.

[@Tsakinnen]

It happens from time to time... Can't save them all wizard...

[@jd9119]

Well he could've. It just wouldn't have made much sense to.

[@jonkillian9434]

Ive had about 10 to 12 Subarus. Highest mileage was 280k but still going. My 05 Outback Xt is at 242k

[@brenrob7403]

ugh that 355 is gorgeous in blue! Nice of you to waive the diagnostic fees

[@kiddprofit2500]

Your a really good teacher!

[@Mike_44]

This was my first ever Subaru and it was awesome. If you can find one in good condition with no rust, even if it has the dreaded head gasket issue, installing MLS gaskets will make this motor a tank and run forever.

[@Obsidian762]

Indeed! My 04' has 183k still going strong. Did the MLS head gaskets around 140k.

[@Mike_44]

@@Obsidian762 Yup.. plus nowadays you can find a very good condition jdm 2.0 for around $700-$800. I honestly thought it was worse. If you got the time and the tools, this car is worth saving.

[@wyomikey65]

I had been using Felpro MLS PermaTorq gaskets. Lately I just buy Subaru OEM MLS gaskets. Same style used on the turbo models, of which didn't suffer as many issues as the NA ej25 SOHC.

[@wyomikey65]

Because they do require engine removal ( I would never do in car) most owners would rather sell than pay the expense. Unfortunately for them ,their loss is a gain for me. I've done almost a dozen of these repairs. I actually search for these projects. Big money makers.

[@Mike_44]

@@wyomikey65 Yup.. I'd not think about it twice of jumping on one that was in good condition with the H/Gs issues. Not difficult at all to fix. Resurface the heads/block, replace all the vacuum lines, spark plugs while you're at it, slap some OEM MLS gaskets, and you got a motor that will last a long time. Best budget SUV imo.

[@IllaWondah]

The worse feeling is telling somebody their car is dead

[@gorkyd7912]

It's OK. I've been told my car was dead before and I drove it another 40k miles with no issues, then sold it.

[@cgdetail]

My company car was an 08 forester and they finally stopped fixing it at 443k miles a few months ago. I do not miss it!

[@asbuster2191]

@4:03 Is that KITT in the background? Thats AWESOME!

[@dostayer3369]

It's 23 years old and with high milage, it had a long and respectable life, I think it's time to lay it to rest, it done its part. If it was a decade old and with half the miles on it them sure, I would be disappointed, but that's not the case here...

[@gorkyd7912]

"High mileage" ... kinda? I usually buy my cars at 200k miles.

[@dostayer3369]

@gorkyd7912 eh, 100k kilometers (a little over 62K miles) is usually where problems start in cars nowadays. A car with over 320K kilometers (a little less than 200K) on its odometer sounds like a purchase I wouldn't do unless I'm desperate or it's a very special car which was meticulously cared for. Also, you don't have a lot of 20+ years old cars driving here, Half of these cars have already ended their lives at this point and are not worth fixing.

[@gorkyd7912]

@@dostayer3369 Personally, from my experience owning WAY too many cars, I think what you're saying is a myth. It's really just based on the warranty period of the car, which is set more by market pressure to sell the cars than by the reality of its dependability. There is not any specific range of miles that problems start happening to cars, though there are some patterns with specific models due to how long certain components take to wear out. I think the truth is closer to this: problems start at just before 0 miles when the car is first assembled, but people sorta ignore those problems if they cost nothing to fix due to the warranty. If the car gets past 0 with no problems because it was designed and assembled correctly, and assuming it gets regular oil changes and maintenance, the next thing it will face is regular wear/tear from usage, and misuse (collisions, floods, fires, rust, etc). All cars wear differently depending on how they're built, used, and maintained. A 100k mile Ferrari, for instance, is probably useless. A 100k mile Tacoma is like brand new. If they're 200k+ miles but they're only 5 years old that means the driver does extremely long highway commutes. So the wear/tear is more like a 75k mile car. If they make it to 200k miles, and they're 15+ years old, that's when I buy them because they're cheap and they're obviously well-maintained if everything's working, and there's no reason they won't run another 100k miles if you continue the same maintenance.

[@americathefree3708]

It sucks the way the economy is today that people have to go through losing a vehicular. You sound like a real caring person and you rock! God bless!

[@hawkinsjd11]

it is a Subie. Head gasket is allows the most viable option.

[@drunk3n_m0nk12]

We bought a 98 Forester from a small car lot before I knew about the head gasket issues they're prone too. Ended up finding out the hard way a few days later when it was pushing coolant out of the expansion tank. It was a clean rust free Florida car with decently low mileage and I was able to do the repair myself so it was worth fixing. I pulled the motor, did a full reseal, and had the heads serviced at a machine shop. It gave us several years and 10's of thousands of miles worth of reliable use afterwards but if we had to pay someone to do the repairs it would have been right on the cusp of being a write off. Thankfully it was only a slightly expensive lesson as opposed to a very expensive one.

[@redcatxb125]

12:24 As soon as you metioned coolant leaks and overheating I screamed "HEAD GASKET!"

[@neoanderson7]

Hold on.. first off, that blue on the 355 spider is unique and very sweet. 2nd, who's KITT is that? 🙂 Man, just looking at the Subaru from the front, its time for a new vehicle. It has served its purpose.

[@rberth9016]

I have a 2005 Legacy, bought it with 310k, now has 335k. Been a good car for me so far. The original owner had the head gaskets done, they must have used the turbo engine gaskets cause it has so many miles. She still runs ok, no CEL, but getting a few rattles. Gonna run the wheels off it😊

[@gorkyd7912]

Hey don't take it for granted just because it's high mileage. Keep maintaining it, fix the little things before they become big things. Miles means nothing.

[@cerealspoon7876]

Had 2 1999 foresters, still own 1, both cheapest on market place. First one had frame issues and started to rust so I swapped it to my next one, fel-pro gaskets failed so I rebuilt the motor again at 270k, just for the automatic to leave a few trimmings in the pan so I manual swapped it. So far no other major issues than torn bushings and wheel bearings and my rear diff is currently leaking. They definitely have major expensive issues but I can’t stop myself from dumping money and turning wrenches on my weekend car

[@kenpringle6568]

9:04 Hey!! First time I've seen/heard of the magic wizard wand😮

[@andrewkiwi1]

They arent hard to do but time consuming. This goes for most subarus. Im in NZ and have done a lot of them too.

[@KrGsMrNKusinagi0]

timing belt on those is 450 dollar job at the dealership.. but another one charged my mom 2500 bucks.. for the same car and they messed up her power steering. I was so pissed

[@GroovesAndLands]

The non-VVT SOHC models are a breeze for any half decent mechanic. Pop the radiator/fans out and you've got all the room in the world to sling a fresh belt on them.

[@w.e.s.]

I got 1 of these identical to that 1 I use it for a work vehicle. I had driven till the wheels have falling off literally welded it back on and still using it. Replaced the timing belt 3 times already it's at 300000 miles everything still works. It's been from Oregon to Alabama and everywhere in between.

[@michaelclark3192]

Unfortunately that was my same experience with my 05 Subaru Forester XT manual in Australia with a blown head gasket. The bill was going to be a minimum of $5500 plus it had over 250,000km on it and while it was in better shape than this one it had some pain issues and dents. But the main reason I gave up on it was the fuel usage commuting 120km each day, I'd have to fill up at least 2x each week. So in the end I bought a very clean 06 Honda Jazz for $3750 which was a third of the cost of fixing the Subaru, plus my fuel cost went from $180 a week to half that. I ended up selling the car as is without regulation for $1800 to someone who ended up fixing it themselves and put it back on the road.

[@RustyRations]

I think that I'll be retiring my car soon , it's a 23 year old s80 T6 . It sat for 10 years before I bought it 7 years ago with 121,000 miles on it for $750 and now has 172,000 on it . It runs great and is very reliable and never left me stranded but it has oil leaking from everywhere (different types , it also has a lot of small issues and the car is only worth about $800 , so does it make more sense to buy a newer car or fix this one even though the repairs would probably cost more than the car's worth ?

[@raydemos1181]

I can fix all those problems with my eyes closed car wizard, 8 hour job , the problem in buying another one is you do not know what you are getting plus putting the money out for the car, they should fix it and then they know it is fixed for good

[@Blippity_Bloop64]

I was wondering about this. Let's say the owner spent even five grand on this bucket. If that keeps the car going for another few years, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

[@areannahvulpes4594]

I feel for the owners on this one especially David, I've had to write off my own '98 Forester after a collision. Would offer a known good engine but to get it to you would again cost more than the car's worth. 230k on mine and she was utterly dependable.

[@scottagnew7820]

You are honest. That is great and very difficult to find.

[@digitalrailroader]

This poor Forester has a 1 way ticket to Subaru Heaven; it’s provided 23 years of faithful service but unfortunately it’s not worth repairing something this old where parts are getting harder to find, especially with emissions parts.

[@snackler6102]

@@Dankcatvacs Prices are still on their way up though, I own a mitsubishi

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

The way modern cars are so expen$ive and having whole decades car payments.... maybe fixing it won't be so bad

[@snackler6102]

@@adventureoflinkmk2 wait till the market crashes again and good luck + blessings

[@stevecareless6969]

The 2000 forester came with a 2.0 litre engine here in Australia, the ej 20 is a much better engine than the ej 25, if your ej 25 hasn't got a blown head gasket it will. 👍

[@tpcoachfix]

I had a 2000 Subaru Outback. I had to pull the engine out to do the head gaskets, timing belt. I did a valve job on the heads. I had that same code for the catalytic convertor and the same problem with the gas nozzle went I went to put gas in the tank.

[@Monikaify]

Man this was a sad one boys. I have an 02 Forester in that exact color, mine's a fair bit nicer, happens to be the S trim so it came with the leather seats, heated fronts, and that lovely huge moon roof. Picked her up for a grand back in early 2018 before I even had my license and upon seeing her for the first time in a Sheetz parking lot, I absolutely fell in love with her. There's just something about how those early Forsters look that makes me so darn happy. I'm not a big fan of the 03-04's with their mad looking headlights, but the 00-02's just look so calm with that adorable smile they have on the front. She's got about 230k miles on her and hasn't ever given me any issues, besides her rear crash bar getting a bit too rusted to pass PA inspection, but that was only like 4 bolts to drop it and replace with a new one. If she ever got to a point where she needed that much engine work done, (which realistically she will, being an 02 Subaru means it's only a matter of time) I wouldn't even hesitate to drop the $5000+ to get her feeling better again. She's such a fun car to drive aswell, even though she's not the fastest thing around, I've sat on the PA Turnpike doing 110 for 30+ miles without a single complaint, just humming away at 4k rpm, solid as a rock. Even now that I have a 2011 Ford Flex Limited with the twin turbo EcoBoost, I don't enjoy that as much as I enjoy my baby forester. Truly great cars. Maybe I'm a bit odd for talking about an old forester with so much passion, or maybe it's because she's my first car and everyone feels that way about their firsts, but I'd happily buy another Forester like that again if I had the chance.

[@AP-uo5fm]

Exactly where it drips coolent at tells you the story. It's C. Those are really good car's though. If you are a Mechanic you could do you're own gaskets, otherwise it's a gonner. By far, best thing in the snow you will ever encounter!

[@zoefaith120]

Thank you subbbie. You did good for your years. Dr. Wizard have to let you go for the best of you. Good bye old friend.

[@Raivoy]

Sometimes the catalytic converter inefficent code just means that the engine burns oil or the intake sensors send bad data.

[@Coral-reef.]

"Heartbreaking diagnostic" 😂😂😂😂 thats a good one mrs wizard

[@jmorris023]

I wanted one of these back in the day, the higher-end version was a nice looking car. But alas, I was terrified of the HG issue.

[@rturner4205]

I actually bought one that was Top of the line for this gen with a stick. 211k miles and ofc had to replace the head gaskets, But I work for a dealer, so I got it done at a discount.

[@jmorris023]

@@rturner4205 It's totally out of style now, but Subaru made an option of forest green with gold wheels that looked amazing back then. That's the one I wanted.

[@rturner4205]

I have mine in Monotone White, with the gold Accented wheels. There are black fender flares that were a dealer installed option on mine as well.

[@felixbaum48]

Would an an ebay catalytic converter for $125 plus some Bar's for $15 and a CV boot repair kit for $30 get this beater Forester back on the road for another year?

[@bikeman1x11]

definitely can be kept going if the owner is handy or knows someone- Id love to have the wizard work on car but i wouldnt pay him 5-8K for a car worth 2k or less in that shape

[@felixbaum48]

@@bikeman1x11 I had a subaru in college and it was like playing soccer with a team of zombies. Even though things started sort of breaking and falling off we could still have fun in the backwoods with it. And that's what a complete beater Subaru like this is for.

[@AnonymousDisparity]

Well, you can get an EJ either rebuilt complete LB (usually re-enforced) for a few grand. And I've seen an engine taken out of a subi in about 10 mins. Then you drive around until you find a nice WRX roller and do the heart swap ;)

[@RDEnduro]

Its got the old 16bit ecu, when i had my 2002 wrx i just downloaded the ecu file onto my laptop, turned the CEL off forever, and reflashed it. $15 for cable and the software was free at the time all over the Subaru forums.

[@GroovesAndLands]

I have a 2001 Outback with EJ25 - can you point me in the right direction so I can tweak/modify the ECU file? I'm qualified, but don't know where to start in terms of gaining connectivity...

[@domosautomotive1929]

This gives me 3+ more reasons to love my 1968 VW......no water pump, timing belt, charcoal canister or head gaskets.

[@shredder_mang3211]

Pretty sure even if it’s air cooled it still has a head gasket you need to keep air out somehow to maintain compresión

[@domosautomotive1929]

@@shredder_mang3211 Nope....air cooled VW engines do not have head gaskets.

[@justincase1575]

@@shredder_mang3211No head gaskets. They are a precision fit to the head and when torqued properly never leak! I’ve built dozens of air cooled type 1-2-and 3 Volkswagen engines.

[@matthewladd3427]

The 04 you showed was actually an XT one too which is a 2.5 turbo. A non turbo one you can pick up for like 3k. I got my mother in law a nice 07 WRB non turbo forester for 3.5k

[@Shredmo]

Had a Forester like that. 2005 FXTP manual. Miss that car. Thing was a rocket for its time.

[@michaelclark3192]

I also had an 06 FXT manual but it met the same fate as this one, wasn't worth fixing the head gaskets when I bought a whole Honda Jazz(fit) for a third of the price of doing the job. Also my fuel costs at the time were halved doing this.

[@Shredmo]

Honda's Fit. I like those cars. Have a 2019 in the stable.

[@kittbluevenom2384]

4:16 I definitely see K.I.T.T. in the background 👀

[@jamescrugnale2763]

My 2003 Volvo has been having a P0420 on and off for years now and as it stands now I’m able to pass state inspection (I live in NY) but I’m still able to get the light off for long enough to pass emissions. I’ve heard you can take a spark plug anti fouler and drill it out and make a spacer for the rear 02 sensor and it can basically solve that code for years to come

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Yep, I've heard of that as well

[@AtomicFallout757]

Yes, I am all too familiar with this. I bought an '06 Outback recently knowing the head gaskets were bad (just leaking oil); 161K on the clock. So, I started tearing the engine down (in the car since I don't have a means of pulling an engine) and got the job done. Halfway through the job my local machine shop discovered the heads were cracked which cost me almost exactly $1000 for a remanned set of heads, but that plus a set of quality Fel-Pro MLS head gaskets and the car is running strong again. Along with a timing belt, tensioner and many other parts, the car will now easily go another 161K. Fortunately in my area these cars are worth a decent bit, so despite the costs I will still be able to turn a profit. Unless you're willing to put more into your Subaru than it's worth, generally DIY is the only way to come out ahead on these head gasket jobs, as shown in this video.

[@garymallard4699]

You just need an Engine hoist..a few hundred bucks or cheaper if you find a used one ... simple to do with that hoist....get one that folds up and it takes less space...i use mine for anything i have to lift in my shop that is heavy or awkward by myself....( in mid 60's now and smarter )... if you plan to do your own repairs that require engine or transmission removal ( do what you can without removal but sometimes it is faster and easier to remove them than fight and curse )... investing in tools that you need/use is going to payback in your repair work and all my tools have paid back quickly ( because i use them even if rarely they get used and that saves me $$ )...i buy Only what i Need and shop for deals before i need them too...knowing i will soon require it... you also need some floor jacks and jackstands / wood blocks etc to raise your car or support transmissions etc when you pull an engine out...depends what kind of vehicle of course..but i use all those so many times doing stuff...i collect wood when possible for Free...as well as save wood pieces from projects...

[@GothRocker7]

Good bye 2000 Subaru Forester, 23 years of service and even in this rough condition your still running, sad and unfortunate it’s not worth repairing something this old, but the older cars I feel are more reliable compared to the insane tech on all these new ones. It is sad Subaru had head gasket issues with these engines because other than that dam issue that creeps up, they really are solid engines and vehicles. Rest In Peace Forester, hopefully some of your parts will live on in another Forester.

[@garychlastawa8277]

Had a 2008 Forester, yep the head gaskets went on it around 190k. I spent 3k having them replaced, then a year later I was rear ended at a red light buy a guy in a lifted pickup who reached for something on the floor and hit the wrong pedal. insurance totaled the car. Really liked that car.

[@andreydunin6712]

This is so fucking educational. Thank you Wizard!

[@dcomputers]

Most older cars are in that situation, sometimes minor repair would do that.

[@hotpuppy1]

If it doesn't have to pass emissions testing, pop the hose off the charcoal canister so it can be filled with gas, put 'head gasket' repair goo in the radiator like Cadillac used on Northstars and keep driving it until it blows up or the cats get so clogged it won't run. Not worth much at the salvage yard anyway. If worried about the CV boot, get a cheap aftermarket shaft and slam it in. There are worse cars running around.

[@wanderer7779]

I mean you could probably get rid of the cats and run it (Not from US so no clue how things work there but in my country until the next inspection I'd be fine 😅)

[@timin770]

Bought a 2001 Forester for $1. Friend of mine simply needed if off the property due to HOA complaints. The problem was overheating due to leaky head gasket. The head gasket was letting a small amount of coolant drip to the outside, not into the oil or combustion chambers. I only had to add a cup of coolant per week. The bigger problem was that air bubbles were entering the cooling system and clustering around the thermostat. As a temp fix I drilled 3 tiny holes in the flange of the thermostat so that the air bubbles could vacate the thermostat housing. No more overheating. I drove the car like that for about 3 years. Took several 1000-mile out-of-state trips in it. Other engine problems began at about 300,000 miles, so I swapped in a later model engine from another Subaru, of course after upgraded head gaskets, main seals, etc etc etc. Still running smooth

[@hunterbigelow9327]

Looking at the underside of the car, I kept thinking, "there's so little rust!", like it's such a solid body it's hard to see it go. I had an 04 forester that was so rusted out underneath I could only jack it by the diff in the rear and the control arm mounts in the front. Eventually the rear strut towers gave out but that car was still running albeit only at 190k. of the issues I saw, the most tedious in my mind is actually that cv boot, I've always been told to run an OEM axle on Subarus as a rule. I used OEM remans on mine and they were fine but a pain to change. That motor though? Totally fine unless it overheated enough to warp stuff. If it never overheated, then yeah that'd be a super easy and cheap job for someone with tools and an engine hoist lol. Apart from some stuck bolts, it only took me roughly 2 hours to get the engine out of my rust bucket solo just from youtube videos. Multi-Layered Six Star Head gaskets/machining the heads/timing/misc. only cost me like 2 grand and I did a huge amount of stuff at once :3

[@DrRick-dq4bb]

That 23 year old Subaru Forester needs to become a refrigerator or washing machine.

[@Smarterthanyou-mthrfkr]

Or a tannerite experiment😂

[@markkrispin6944]

Or a huge paperweight.

[@darrellsaunders4267]

Or a dog house....

[@timudell3080]

I mean it's made it this far as a toaster....

[@Smarterthanyou-mthrfkr]

@Juan_van_Eeden Afrikaner?

[@thebigguy8306]

Thank you Wizard and Mrs. Wizard. Interesting topic. IMHO you got 23 years out of the vehicle - pretty good. Water leak, suspect Subaru head gasket issues. Wow, worked at an Audi/Porsche/Landrover shop, among other European cars serviced, many 20yo 300k miles, and never saw a Cat converter go out.

[@Crispychicken4u]

I didn’t even start the video and thought head gasket!

[@Czechbound]

RIP. It lead a good, long life.

[@ageofsagittarius]

Given the water pump leak, I'm surprised the timing belt didn't throw and grenade the engine.

[@oldgeezer-cf2pr]

Seems to me those facebook prices are often "down payment" with the balance asking another 3x or something like that.

[@alanpecherer5705]

You did the client a great service waiving the diagnostic charge. I don't know what more you should be expected to do; you gave them an option or two to milk a few hundred more miles out of the thing while they shop for a replacement. But I think the most important thing you did both for yourself & for the customer was to lay out that familiar (rotten) course of action where you get into it piecemeal and find more and more and "as long as it's out we should...." things that ramp the final bill up to a point where it's silly to begin. You detected that condition right at the start and thus you provided a great value. I have a 2000 Toyota Avalon which is probably going to enter a similar form of eldercare/hospice any time now. In the meantime, with only 85K, it still starts every time and is comfortable to ride around town in.

[@charlie_nolan]

I miss my 200 Subaru Forester rust bucket. Similar situation- it needed brakes and my local mechanic said it was too far rusted. Engine never had any issues though

[@OCDaddyZsolt]

Spotted KITT in the background, it is a beautiful piece of automotive history. I was lucky enough to put my hands on one Trans Am recently here, in Hungary (Trans Ams are not very common over here) and actually literally just released a video with it today morning (kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKTKnXaBhs2BqKM) and a few more earlier.

[@scottimusgarrett15]

BRUTAL lack of maintenance. Man, what a pile. Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Wizard! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@jackgreehan]

My 2001 Highlander is on its way out too unfortunately. Finally wearing out after all these years

[@user-zo3fv9ex8h]

Twenty years ago running a subaru shop we fixed such stuff in one day having replacement heads (if block was plane). Typical repair time keeping original heads was some three days. EJ25 (both DOHC and SOHC) is a nightmare for owners but was a goldmine for the shop :)