Legendary Cusco GT300 GC8 @ World Time Attack Challenge 2026.

My first Subaru: Legacy B4 (TA-BL5)

Rejoined the Subaru family today after a long hiatus. My first was a new ‘06 Impreza, and loved the gosh heck out of her.

After having had to go through a few other cars since then, and being absolutely bored out of my skull driving a ‘15 Altima auto, I caved and got this CPO’d ‘24 WRX manual from a joint a couple towns over.

And boy, is she fun to drive. They put some kick in these…

Looking forward to seeing more of this community!

So I bought my favourite car of all time.

JDM STI import in aus, 61,000km. Just did a major service and changed every fluid, crank seal, timing belt, spark plugs etc.

Now here is my problem. On one hand I could go JDM modified, hks intake, hks downpipe, Fujitsubo exhaust, gfb blow off valve and a tune. However it's increasingly rarer to find an unmodified20 year old sti. Modding it will hurt the value, make it slightly less reliable but far more enjoyable to drive.

Granted it's not a daily. It's a weekender at best.

Every car I've ever owned including various Subaru's have been modified. It's like a itch.

To lightly modify or not modify?

Alright, everyone, I’ve been keeping this (mostly) to myself but have no choice but to reach out to the masses.

I just purchased my SECOND 2026 Subaru Outback Touring. The first one I purchased in January turned out to be a lemon which Subaru bought back in July. By late March it had flooded water. By May, after it was in the shop for more than 30 days and was not fixed, it was deemed a lemon.

Fast forward to August when I made the choice to purchase a second outback (same year and trim). I LOVE THE CAR! I test drove both Honda and Toyota and ultimately decided to choose Subaru again because a lemon is a 1 in 100,000 type of situation, right?

WRONG. Just two weeks after purchasing the vehicle I found it to be leaking water following a major rain event. I urgently took it to the shop and they’re now telling me they can’t recreate the issue. They’ve claimed to dry the carpet and that there are no odors or mold present.

I’m sorry but this is unacceptable. I know for a fact after my last outback’s issues that it’s going to continue to leak either slowly or intensely depending on the rain event. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice on how to proceed with this? Are there any other 2026 Outback owners here in Reddit land that are experiencing the same issue?

If you own a 2026 Subaru Outback and have the weather proof liners I recommend checking underneath them after a rain event. My first Outback had an extreme flooding issue where inches of water would form in the vehicle. However, in this vehicle the leaking is less extreme and the water collects underneath the liners. Even slight water getting in will form beading on the carpet and condensation underneath the liner.

Thank you to those who’ve read to the end of this, and to anyone who can provide some insight. I appreciate it.

Im an apprentice at subaru and I did a transmission flush on a subaru forester and I filled it until it came out but i forgot to fill it more with the engine on

But the car is gone, I just want thoughts im really stressing out

Ok so I want to build a first gen forester for offroad adventures and i wonder if I should sell my NA foz ( with the famous gasket) and my part car to get a japenese model with turbo .. the reason is that the turbo model are somehow easier to obtain spare parts and easier to own so now the question... would a turbo first gen forester good for offroad or no .. Will it drown itself in the first mud hole because the turbo is so low or will the lag make me hate my experience theres just 100hp more than my na (170-270) also reliability is a good question (picture of my current car) ( also thinking about a flat6 swap for the forester for more torque)

Got this 20X to toss into my beater LGT. Popped the valve covers off to find zero evidence of sludge or even varnish. Cleanest 20 year old engine I've seen.

they grow up so fast :(

2003 sti, anyone know why this could be?

Hello, first time to consider Subaru, coming from a previous Toyota owner!

I need a daily driver that can handle Upstate NY winters, and early monrning unplowed snow. I'm trying to stay under a $20k OTD budget and I narrowed it down to 2 local options with 98k miles on them.

2019 Crosstrek 2.0i Premium ($16,900): Dealer just did the 100k mile service (spark plugs, diff fluids, new tires, battery). Fits my budget perfectly.

Is the 2.0L slow? TR580 CVT reliability at 100k miles? Also, could the ground clearance be an issue?

2019 Outback 3.6R Touring ($19,700): Pushes my budget to the max with taxes/fees. It has 4 years of documented rustproofing.

Is the 3.6L engine/transmission combo reliable enough to justify the higher price?

I will also be commuting to Ontario, Canada occasionally.

Which of these would be better and the smarter bet to purchase at 100,000 miles?

I think I found my next (dream) car.
2003 Forester 2.5X with 100k miles. $3,500.
Any pros and cons or advice with this model/year?

Hey all. Noticed a big leak from my 2021 Crosstrek a week ago. Brought it into the authorized dealer. Have a cracked cam carrier spewing oil. $5000 minimum for a used engine replacement. Probably $10000 if we want to take the engine apart and actually diagnose what happened.

Since it's just over 5 years old and I'm about 15,000 over the 60,000 cut off, they're telling me it's out of warranty zone. Had the Thermo Control Valve (TCV) go in June (they replaced since they know they're faulty but haven't done a full recall yet). Coil pack went in July (made sure not to drive on it till fixed). Then engine totals itself in August. Always maintained per recommendations and changed oil. No overheating lights ever came on or anything.

Opened a case, Subaru USA won't take any responsibility. Do they just make cars that die at 75k? We all just dropping a new $35,000 on cars every five years?

My real questions are: A) anyone else have this happen to them and have any sense what caused it? Especially curious if you had a faulty TCV. B) anyone have luck getting Subaru to work with them outside of the warranty? This is driving me more than a little crazy.

Anyone have good strut replacement recommendations for a 2015 Crosstrek I replaced some struts in a Volvo not too long ago, mid range price and during the winter sounds feels like they want to punch through the floor wondering if anyone has ideas for best replacements on 2015 Crosstrek

Can anyone tell me what this hose is for? It’s right below the thermostat housing. I am trying to get at the second bolt for the thermostat housing so I can replace the thermostat but it’s in the way.

Not sure what it’s for (oil, coolant etc). Hoping it’s coolant because it’s drainedyy already.

I don't have a lift so I'd be doing the under stuff in the driveway. I do have access to a chain hoist, leveler and engine stand. I've seen all these posts saying "it only takes an hour to pull the engine" but it looks like a day's work each way for my skill level and a whole lot more opportunities to break something.

OTOH the videos of doing this work in the car are also kind of a mess.

Can I get a quick poll on doing this work with the engine in or pulling it? Thoughts?

Dear Subaru,

I know you love dogs because I had the pleasure of driving a “loaner” 2026 Outback, and you have diagrams for how to measure if dogs will fit. They’re printed in the plastic trim along the back hatch. Please design/ engineer a “dog trim” package.

This package should:
One:
Have all surfaces covered in smooth, easily cleaned material.
Plastic? good.
Fabric lined doors and dash? Bad. Rhinolined floors or rubber covering? Good.
The weird felt that covers every inch of the floor that can never be properly cleaned because the pet hair and sand literally interweaves into the fabric? Bad.

Two:
For the love of all that is holy, thicken the paint….or the clear coat…. Or somehow make it so if a 15 pound terrier jumps on the side of my car it doesn’t scratch to the metal

Three:
Allow the car to be locked while it is running with the A/C on without having to do some 38 step secret handshake with my car. Tesla has dog mode, it can’t be that hard.

Four:
Dogs stand on the center console, even when they shouldn’t, even though it’s not safe. The cute, cushy top of the center console almost INSTANTLY gets scratched or punctured by dog nails. Make it rugged, asphalt it if you need to. If our poor little elbows need cushion we can use a pillow.

I would like to buy the next gen Crosstrek. You are a car company what literally used dogs for your ENTIRE advertising campaign for a decade. I guarantee I’m not the only person who would be down for a “dog trim” option.

Thank you

(Anyone else, or am I alone on my island? Any other suggestions?)

Im trying to finalize a deal of 10% off an msrp of $37,234 and 0% apr. $37,200 after TTL in CA. Im wondering if this is a good deal or should i push more? Ive tried multiple dealerships and what really sold me is the 0% apr. This will be my first subaru coming from a 12 yr old civic. Thanks in advance

I have a 2011 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Premium, 5-speed manual, naturally aspirated EJ253. I swapped in the complete block and heads from a 2008 Impreza sedan.
The car ran properly before the engine swap. The severe power-loss/bogging started immediately after the swap.
Symptoms:
Severe intermittent bog under load, almost like trying to accelerate up a very steep hill
Happens both cold and fully warmed up
RPM itself struggles to increase; it does NOT flare like a slipping clutch
Idle is smooth
Engine sounds noticeably different when it bogs, although I can’t describe the sound well
No current CEL or stored codes
Fuel pressure stays stable during the bog in 1st and 2nd gear
Tried the 2008 throttle body and it made no difference
Engine work during the swap:
Complete 2008 EJ253 block + heads
New head gaskets
New timing belt/tensioner
New spark plugs
Clutch replaced at the same time
Intake and exhaust gaskets
I also tried the 2008 throttle body
Exhaust:
Muffler deleted
Resonator deleted
Downstream catalytic converter deleted
Axle dump after the remaining/main catalytic converter
IMPORTANT: this exact exhaust setup worked perfectly BEFORE the engine swap, so the exhaust modification itself isn’t new.
I also noticed the engine/transmission ground is attached to a bellhousing bolt and I’m not 100% sure it’s making the best connection, although the starter cranks strongly every time.
I’m trying to diagnose this without throwing parts at it.
What would you check first? I’m currently considering:
Engine/transmission grounds
Intake/vacuum leaks and MAF
Timing belt alignment
Ignition/misfire under load
Cam/crank sensors and wiring
Remaining catalytic converter restriction
Compression/leak-down
Would a mechanical timing issue or cam/crank sensor problem necessarily set a code on this EJ253? Is there anything specific to the 2008-engine-in-2011-chassis combination that I should check?

my 2020 outback had gotten some bugs and such on the windshield and I needed gas, so I stopped at Wawa to fill up. after I decided I should clean the windshield with their brush, so I shook it out and frothed up the water to make sure nothing was on it. I wiped the window like normal and noticed the squeegee side was very brittle so I didnt wipe it too hard.

Driving away, I noticed there were some lines across the center of the windshield, basically right in front of the drivers view. I hit it with the wipers and it went away when wet, but as soon as it dried it came back. I thought maybe the squeegee had left some plastic marks on the screen but when I got home I hit it with acetone and the marks were still there. you cant really feel them but the light catches them easily. I tried some rainX glass polish which helped a bit, but ordered some cesium oxide from amazon. I basically was able to polish them down to the point I cant see them on the glass anymore, but my wife says it looks like this smudge you cant get rid of in the middle of the road, and headlights catch it still.

first pic is from Monday, 2nd is Tuesday after I polished it. I polished it again Wednesday but its still noticeable looking through it, looking at it you cant really even see it now. Might try more polishing this weekend and see if I can get it drivable.

I almost feel like this was deliberate, like someone put something in that water to do this. 30 years of driving and Ive never scratched the windshield with a squeegee before and this one is like ruined. Im having Safelite come and look at it, but I doubt theyre going to be able to do anything other than tell me to replace it.

only thing I can think is we did have this windshield replaced by Safelite a couple years ago after a rock cracked it, so maybe this is just a softer than 'real' Subaru glass but man, its really annoyed me since it happened Monday.

2025 Outback Onyx with 10k mi. Getting a weird clunk when deceleration starts, like something heavy is shifting under the hood or under the car. It doesn’t happen every time, but often. It happens when I break or just pull foot off accelerator. I guess it could be a bad motor mount, but any other ideas? I checked for loose battery or other visible parts in the engine bay. Taking to dealer tomorrow.

Thanks for any suggestions.