Having decided that my 2000 classic with 108k and a whiney g/box was getting a bit tired, I found and bought a 2006 STi Spec D at Redline in Knaresborough. 33k miles, FDSH etc etc
Picked it up on Friday, and managed 74 miles before it suffered (I'm pretty sure) a head gasket failure.
Redline seem to be being pretty reasonalble, and yesterday a courtesy car arrived by beavertail, and the car was carted off to what used to be Robinson's in Rochdale...(Subaru main dealer)
I'm obviously going to talk to then once they've had a chance to look at it , but ....
My inclination is to try to get my money back and look for another, but if this is a recognised problem, i might be better staying with the one which has been fixed.. I stopped as sson as there was any sign of trouble, so I doubt there is any other carnage inside..
and Spec d's are not that easy to find!
Provided the Main dealers are happy with the repair, and will warranty it, and I can negotiate an extended warranry with Redline would you guysstick with this car or drop it?

Cheers (a rather disappointed) Mark
I would obviously get them to change cam belt and plugs whilst the engine's out!!

 

I'd try and contact the last owner before keeping the car and ask what else might be a problem - it could well have been offloaded due to other issues.
I can recall a few headgaskets being reported, but thought that if the 2.5 engine was to play up then it was due to ring land failures.
However, there are plenty of 2.5 STis out there still going strong, so its not a 100% failure rate.

Nick

 

Thanks for reply..
It seems that the previous owner was known to the dealer, and has just died!!
May be complete invention, but not a can of worms i wish to open!!

Mark C
Rang M Kars this morning, and very harrassed service manager knew nothing about it "I wondered what this one was doing here" (!!)
Not looking good!!

 

Reject it IMHO. Do you really want the engine pulled out of a low mileage 3 year old car, and wonder how well it was put back together? I'd wonder about how flat the heads were and whether they'd get resurfaced etc. Mine didn't and the failures happened again and again (although it was a hybrid 2.0 heads, 2.5 block engine).

The previous owner may or may not have died, but I know from when my EJ257 had head gasket trouble that it would not show up until you used high boost. Perhaps the car was previously modified and the owner turned the boost back down to sell it.

I'm a suspicious ****ard, but shopping for cars presently makes you that way!

 

Good news!!
M Kars have had a good look at my Scoobie, and its doesn't seem to be head gasket
There is a mod on the pipe into the expansion tank which drops to the bottom of the tank and allows coolant into the tank, but won't allow it back into the cooling system.. a sort of one way valve effect...
Symptoms fit, and they've given it the once over and declared it a nice example.
...so it looks as if Redline were right to get me to stay my hand whilst the fault was diagnosed...
Doing a Subaru dealer net search tommorrow to see what else has been done to it..
If it takes back the coolant overnight and they can't make it boil tommorrow, should get it back!!


Fingers crossed and thanks for your support.

PS The courtesy Diesel Mondeo is awesome!!
I might make them an offer
(oh no!,I've a better idea...I'll kill myself!!)
In truth I could be a poor rep given one by his company, and taxed for the privelege... it can always be worse...

Mark C

I take your point JB, and I think caveat emptor is always a good philosophy, but the Main dealer has nothing to gain by minimising theproblem, and they seem pretty straight...
If you thgink car dealers are bad, try buying a horse (but that's another story!!)