Subaru WRX STI & WRX Reliable Or Time Bombs? | My Reliability Experiences
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- My past Subaru Wrx and STI's were they reliable or were they time bombs? I go over my past reliability experiences with the subaru wrx and wrx sti.
#subaru #reliable #wrxsti
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“These were made in a factory. A bomb factory. They’re bombs”
-EJ engineers
Two months ago I sold my 2011 Subaru STI Sedan with 266,000km (~165,000 miles) and it was somehow the most reliable car I ever owned, this is even more suprsing when considering that it was tuned (only about 310WHP), it had over 4 owners and it was originally a lease in Quebec Canada so it definitely had a rough life.
The car was still on the original engine, transmission, turbo and headgaskets. I dont know if I got lucky with mine but I never had to replace anything in that car other than an O2 sensor. I am not saying that these cars are reliable but my STI was bulletproof and it was overall pretty well built. Great cars!
Alright but how much do you actually drive the car,
I drove 60,000 miles in 2 1/2 years.
Thx for great content. Your video help me overcome my fear and I finally made my dream come true. WRX STI 2019.
Great info man, thank you for sharing! I agree that basic maintenance goes a long way. Good to hear the reliability on these cars is still there if you take care of them.
Yessir, I do believe that is key to keeping up with these cars as well as anything performance related. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance lol.
Thanks man 🤛
Truest words ever spoken. Maintenance is the key to success, & drive it properly not like you stole it every time you turn the key. I’ve owned sti for 20 years & never had a problem. I had an 02 bugeye putting down 700hp and never had problems
That’s what I truly believe in the end. That’s an impressive number in that bugeye. I loved mine if only the rust wouldn’t have sadly taken it over .
at 18K miles... my motor just gave up. BUT.... I'm making 400WHP...and...i drive it like i stole it every time because I'm competing on track. I expected it would happen on stock block w/ stock bearings. But i think the motor is salvageable. Caught it super early and its a minor knock. Time for something built!
Heard that on it finally giving out on you man. What are you going with for your built setup?
Good luck man 🤛
@@spdkills83 Not entirely sure just yet. Looking at doing a +2mm or +4mm rod setup on the next motor to help rev higher and also reduce stress on the rotating mass/ bearings. Whatever I end up with it should be much better suited for the type of abuse i give this thing.
Good deal, I’ve been eyeballing a Turn In Concepts setup. That +2 setup would do you well I’m sure. You planning on staying in the 400 whp range or going to go up a little?
I can only say, I had three STIs and a total of six Subarus I havent had an issue (knock on wood). Keep them all stock and scheduled maintenance. So lets hope mine stays like that. 💪 💪 💪
Yessir seems as though keeping up with that maintenance goes a long way.
Thanks man 🤛
exactly right - you have to change the oil, (any turbos eat oil due to the heat, gotta use synthetic and gotta change it every 5k), and don't beat on the car. Otherwise they are fine. And modern Subarus are are the absolute easiest car to change the oil on - absolutely no excuse not to change it.
3 k is a good # but buying a car like an sti, you should be able to drove it with purpose w/o worry bit you can't. Thry cannot be driven the way they're designed fir w/o very much guaranteed failure at a very low mileage. Awesome car in CONCEPT, but that's about it. Fa20 just as bad and worse.
I’m at 117k miles on my 15 wrx and only put in about 6k miles a year. Going on 5 years with my car. I’m currently pushing on 387hp with a 2018 sti trans. Only issue I’ve ever had with my car was fuel injectors going out and ecm
Good to hear on your mileage. Curious did the injectors and ecu go out at the same time or was there a time gap between them?
Thanks for your comment
@@spdkills83 ECM went out after a year of ownership which was replaced by Subaru at no cost. Fuel injectors went out in February, not sure how but the car sat out all winter long with a full tank of 93 and only warmed up the car once a week.
Heard that, does seem odd especially since it wasn’t being used strange occurrence.
Good deal on the ecu being replaced by Subaru though that’s always a good thing.
I just tuned my 2016 with 17k miles on it. Just intake inlet and down pipe im running on 305whp. I just hope my car will last long. I change oil every 2k miles
No where as reliable as a Toyota or Honda. Time bomb if you mess with it. Leave stock just add spt add ons
My experience with Subaru has been great so far. Use to drive nothing but trucks. Full size all the way down to mini trucks. 7.3 power stroke, 5.9 12 valve, 5.9 V8 dodge gasser, 6.7 power stroke and a Nissan D21 w/ KA24. Switched to Subaru in 2019 I’m honesty never going to back to anything else. 2018 sti (totaled), 2019 WRX S.Grey with Full DCCD STI drivetrain swap, Lifted 98 SF forester with N/A EJ25 5 speed. Both are tanks Capable of taking me to work everyday no matter the weather Colorado throws at me providing smiles per miles. Their AWD system won me over. Not better than my EVO 8 though ;).
I hate to even admit this but I’ve accidentally gon 15k miles without changing the oil in my NA fa20 in my brz, n somehow have still had 0 problems
70 retired lineman diyer with a 2006 Subaru sti spt add ons only. I agree great in northern weather climate. Snow etc. Currently have a po302 I'm troubleshooting
This is an awesome video I've been doing research on finally buying a WRX I've always said that I would never buy a Subaru but most of the people that I've heard complain about them did tuning and power upgrades and whatnot and they usually blow their engines up but it seems like as long as you take your time with the vehicle and whatnot and do the proper maintenance I plan on keeping the engine stock so this gives me more confidence to and reassurance to buy the car thanks
I had a va that went 65k on a 350/350 flex tune (sold now 96k). I have a vb that has 21k so far on a e50 map and 400/450. Not one problem.
What's your thoughts on your 19 clutch? I have an 18 STI I'm sitting at around 345 whp after the spring I have new Cobb turbo entire fuel system running 1050 a bunch of upgrades should be around 400-430 whp, I've heard stock clutch can hold 600 hp should I replace it? It is my daily driver I will never get much over 430. 400ish is my final goal.
if you are not going to beat the heck out of it it may last several thousands of miles before replacement is needed.
If you are hard launching and generally abusive on a clutch then it would probably be a good idea to swap it.
For me when I had the car I had no issues with the stock clutch, but I didn't abuse it either. YMMV.
my head gasket blew the week after I bought it XD
stock?
@@maklagrama232 intake plus previous bad owner
My Family both my Mamaw & Papaw are from Eastern Kentucky the Appalachian mountains I want to say first Great video! It’s nice getting an honest review from a knowledgeable professional owner of these vehicles! Country folks can drive and like their reliable rugged vehicles. That’s why they drive Toyotas and Subaru and Nissans they last and are tough. Thank you 🙏 I got my 23 premium Wrx ordered for Jan 24 to take delivery. You helped me decide along with my country boy cousins from Pike county Kentucky. Thank you im glad that these vehicles are safe to five star safety across the board.
Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it. They are very safe cars and can be reliable given they are used and maintained accordingly.
I hope you enjoy your new Subie, and get many trouble free miles from it.
So I’m guessing that if you heavily modify it, it’s a time bomb.
W/o right tune, an intake cab wreck it at just a few thousand miles. Have to watch out fir pcv, they fail regularly. Coat my father an engine. Thoufh he's ignorant asf on car maintenance.
Great video I have a 2015 stock WRX with 140K on it. I keep up with the maintenance and have no issues with the car.
Thank you, and hopefully it continues to give many more trouble free miles 🤛
@@spdkills83 thanks brother and good luck on your build
What routine do you follow regarding engine and transmission maintenance?
2019 sti, bottom end failure at 60,000kms. I always kept an eye on the oil and changed it on time. All it had was an intake and a pro tune. It is getting a new short block from subaru right now and I gotta pay for it of course.
sorry to hear that, did you buy it new or used? Either way having to go through all of that hassle in the end sucks.
Good luck to you with the new setup.
@@spdkills83 yeah I bought it used with only 15,000kms on it. Knowing these cars tho it doesn't take long to do a lot of damage. I'm thinking maybe the first owner didn't break it in properly and probably used the wrong oil.
@@nigeljoycey5644 It is very possible they could have damaged it early on and now you are left holding the cards.
These cars used are a roll of the dice more than the others for sure.
Again good luck with the new setup and hope it treats you well.
The first mod should be the oil catch to stop the oil from getting in the turbo?
I used rottela in the summer here in canada, but I change it for oem subaru oil for winter. We get as cold as -50°c (-58°F) so I was worried about the rottela being too thick on the cold starts. I have 160,000 km on my 2012 sti, and all I had to replace so far was the steering rack. She burns oil, basically have to top it up every second fill up. Ends up being about 1 litre of oil burned every 2500 km. I have a closed deck engine being built in the shop as we speak, all forged internals. I just installed every cusco chassis brace they have on the market, plus all aftermarket suspension mods. (Control arms, coil overs, ball joints, trailing arms, sway bars, tie rods etc) basically everything is getting ripped out and upgraded. She's going to be putting down 450 whp with a grimmspeed bb500 turbo with 1050 cc injectors, and all the supporting goodies 😉
Owned an 06 sti nothing but problems and burned a quart of oil every 300 miles. Cost me a fortune to keep running , terrible investment for me. Also owned a 16 wrx not as fast but much more reliable. No problems at all.
Thanks for sharing, glad the newer WRX worked out better for you on the reliability front.
Great video thanks, I recommend octane booster with every tank. All it takes is one bad tank of fuel and it could cost an engine. 👍
Thank you I appreciate that. Also, thank you for passing along the tip as well 🤛.
Maybe a dumb question but is it safe to run octane booster on a stock STI and how much do I need to use
I personally have never used an octane booster, but I would assume that using it would be relatively safe for a stock wrx or STI.
I say that simply because it raises octane to help prevent knock/detonation etc,. As for how much to use I would recommend just following what the bottle says is recommended. Good brands appear to be Torco and Lucas from what I’ve read on them.
Again I’ve never used them and the information I have on them is just what I’ve sourced on them in the past.
In the end you could try some and see how it works for you and then make your assessment.
Good luck and thanks for the question
@@romeezus3 yes octane booster is 100% safe I've been using it for the past 10k miles. Its more of a safety thing than adding more power. Although your gain one or two horse powers, your protecting yourself against a bad tank of fuel. Which happens more often than you think. Also, it massively reduces the risk of knock (pre-detonation) under boost or load.
The only down side is I found that my spark plugs get fouled quicker. So you need to change them sooner. I'd personally recommend every 20k miles. However, the fouling may of not been the booster but the adhesives in the bottle. Hope this helps.
@@christopheredwards357 awesome man thanks for the information! What brand octane booster do you use?
Thanks for the great video, gladly subscribed!
forester xt 2.5 2005 with 170k miles and a tune here... nothing wrong besides regular maint and oil in time, 98octane fuel though..
and do not hammer it when engine is cold. 😅
Hello from Australia, 1st subaru I've owned, it's a 22 premium wrx with 23,000km on it 1000 of those km are from me as i bought it with 20000 on it . I have a coolant issue, air in the system. It has a r400 catback which is only 1,500 km old, a short shifter for the 6 speed and that's it. Coolant was flushed and replaced by a dealer. Drove it twice and it pushed coolant out of the radiator cap, also it doesn't overheat. Any idea on what's going on.
Probably a cliche answer, but if it wasn't having the issue before the dealer visit, I would just take it back to them and have them check it and verify system has been purged of air.
If everything checks out by them then could be possibly be something like a slightly damaged radiator cap. Sometimes they can get damaged and not really be able to tell and can leak once everything gets good and warm. Completely random guess though.
I have a 2016 and i have 180k and never had a problem but yes i dont beat the shit out of it and i keep up with the maintance every 2 to 3k miles still runs like a clock. But going to get rid of it soon and get me a mach1. But im going to miss it.
Around 40,000 miles my 2018 STI rack and pinion seals failed. The right headlight SRH sensor also failed which disabled the LED bulb.
Heard that on your issues.
Thanks for sharing your issues hopefully it will help others see what has happened and give them insight on what to watch for.
Why are there so many subaru hatters?
No clue, I guess it comes with the territory 🤷♂️
I change my oil every 10 miles…. These comments.
I have 120k on my 2015 STI. These are require more attention. I noticed i have to watch heat and oil engine more frequently than other cars.
Yes I agree they do need more watching. Generally I check my oil at every fill up just out of habit lol. Good to see you are at 120k hopefully it continues to treat you well.
Compared to toyota and honda definitely ej257 time bombs especially if modified. 70 retired automotive diyer. 1st and laxt sti pos
They're picky, finicky, fragile, and only good if you can do your own work, including full teardown. 1 wrong move tune or even basic driver error and bye bye.
My sti has been tuned a year ago I’m been pushing it I dayli the car … still pushing strong no check engine lights …
Good to hear, hopefully it continues to treat you well 🤛.
What year?
I have a 14 Wrx with just an intake for the sound and a proper pro tune to make the car run correctly. Runs perfect. Has been a great car.
Glad it is treating you well. Hope you continue to enjoy it 💪
I’m glad I learned at early age to always maintain my cars. If you take care of your car, it will take care of you.😎
Design flaws can't be maintained away
Man I everyone you see has it’s 3rd or 4th motors. Mine had ringland failure. I loved the car other than that
"Other than that' lol. Yeah, except what moves the car, it was good.
Mine has 190 000 km , 2015 Subaru sti
How was it? Is it tuned? Whats the modification if you have? Hows many miles do you change the fluids like oil coolant etc?
What state are you from man? You sound like you’re from my neck of the woods. I’ll say I’m about 20 minutes north of Nashville TN
Good deal, I'm in WV from the head of a holler pretty much haha.
@@spdkills83 liked the video man, I’m looking at buying my wife a car. As you know it can get icy out here lol. Not looking for something with too much power but I was thinking an all wheel drive was the way to go( not trying to buy something that some kid has “raw dawged “ though) do you have an instagram?
I don't have an IG. They can be great cars, just as you said finding one that hasn't been ragged out is the key. The WRX falls into that same motto sadly. So many of them are beat on then put up wet.
Maintenance goes a long way. Do you run the Diesel Rotella T4? 10-40 or 15-40
I personally use the 15-40 in pretty much everything I own
@spdkills83 Same well just about. I know the Diesel oil still contains zinc which adds protection to the metal moving components. And it seems to last longer. I might try the 15w40 in my wrx only had the car a few months and it's an 08. Wanna try to make it last as long as I can.
Subaru is dogwater
Quick question if you don’t mind. What’s a VeeeeeHICKLE?
Just a word I came up with. Took like 39 years to get it right lol.
@@spdkills83 just messing around lol
@@ryanh7722 Yea man lol NP, I spit straight corn bread from time to time lol.
Theres a 2020 wrx that was just posted less than 10 miles from my house. It has 59k miles and is only 22k, should I buy?
Does Subaru cover warranty if there are engine mods?
It's all case by case and dealer dependent on how strict they want to be. With that said Subaru themselves are not very mod tolerant when it comes to warranty claims. If warranty is a big concern it is better to just leave the mods alone until warranty is over.
Your front and rear Subaru emblem, is it white or silver? It looks great
Thank you I appreciate it. The emblems are painted with Ice Silver Metallic and gloss black.
I would never buy a Subaru again. No thanks. Maintenance is maintenance as a bmw owner I know but Subaru is a complete hit or miss.
I went from a wrx to a bmw and that was the worst financial decision/mistake ever
Time bomb
I'm getting a 2018 wrx sti with 48k, picking up on Saturday 10th, it's got a lot of stone chips on bonnet and I'm concerned it's been driven hard, what do I need to look out for when I go see it for signs it's had a hard life, do you think it's worth buying with those miles? It's a 1 owner from new and full dealership history
Thanks for the question. As for the chips Subaru paint is pretty poor and extremely thin. If the owner didn’t put a protective film on it then it will chip easily.
As far as things to look out for would be if it’s modded or not. If you know what you’re looking at under the hood you can tell if bolts or clamps have been wrenched on. Air oil separators are common, but people do those as a reliability mod so if it has one of those and no other mods that is a none issue.
Nothing will blatantly stand out if it’s been wrenched on and out back to stock however, just have to scan over it. One thing to watch is if you start it cold and it smokes (blue smoke or extremely thick white smoke) and does it for awhile, run immediately.
Typically a used STI will have an aftermarket exhaust. If this one has an OEM exhaust and a full history of oil changes etc and one owner it sounds like it may be a decent ride. You could ask dealer to give you the contact info of the person who owned it and ask them some questions. Sometimes they will do that.
I think it’s worth it if you do your due diligence and just check everything out. You can also take it to a shop and have it checked out prior to your purchase if you choose. The 09’ STI I bought was used with 9k miles on it. I drove it for 5 years and put another 90k + on it by the time I moved it out. It was also stock with full history when I purchased it.
Good luck and hope it turns out well for you 🤛
@@spdkills83 thanks so much for getting back to me, I'll check the paperwork but dealer saying full history and 1 owner, will ask for details and thanks for reassuring re. Paint as someone else has told me the same thing. I'll reply and let you know if I go ahead. Love the content by the way you've got a UK follower ! 👌🏽👍🏽
Thank you for that I appreciate it. Hopefully it turns out to be a good car for you in the end 🤛.
Thanks again
@@spdkills83 hey, here's an update, I went to get the WRX, I test drove it, I loved it, like... absolutely adored it, but... they had an RS3 in the showroom that got my attention which I've always wanted... it was in budget, lower miles, that's what I'm getting 👌🏽, so excited!
Awesome, personally like the RS3’s myself. Good to hear it will work out this way for you. Enjoy it 🤛
Is a 2019 premium 115k for less than 25k a good deal?
That price seems a bit high to me personally, but this market it may make sense.
If it were me and it was only 4 model years old with that many miles I wouldn't pay more 20K for it. KBB lists fair purchase price between 20K and 23.5K for that year and mileage.
Good luck on your search.
Too much
My son just sold his 4Runner and bought a 2021 WRX. He starts college this year and hoping it last him through school.
Hope it treats you all well and lasts like you need it to.
WTF, how can a teenager afford the insurance on such a car. In the UK such cars would be uninsurable to such inexperienced youngsters.
Should have kept the 4 runner made in japan way more reliable
If kids real, hopefully he prays and he listens.
Where did you get the Subaru emblem ?
The Subaru emblems on the car were painted from a guy in IG. He no longer does them though.
When it come to stock to stock which one is more reliable the wrx or sti
what do you mean about high gears and low rpm on the highway? is that a bad thing?
Flooring it at lower rpm’s. You should downshift before you get on it
Lspi, it will qrwck engine.
Is the maintenance expensive on these cars ?
In my opinion they aren't really any more expensive than any other car on the road. I've never really set down and calculated everything, During my ownership's nothing has jumped out at me that was outrageous from a cost perspective.
@@spdkills83 ok cool that's good to know any years we should stay away from or are they all fine ?
All years are pretty much the same. 2008-2009's had more issues than others.
The 2019-2021's tend to be more reliable from a tuning standpoint for power.
Other than those slight differences they have been basically the same since 2004.@@ArkArmy90
@@spdkills83 good deal I'm looking for any gen to get started coming from Honda
Less expensive than an engine, but will need an engine anyway lol.
Why buy a car I can’t beat on?
You can beat it on it. But no matter what car is you treat it like a racecar it's going to break like a race car. The harder you beat on the car, the sooner you have to do your regular maintenance. It's common sense.
Good question. One these subi nuts fail to ever answer.
@@TheJines123beat on a 2014 focus st and words couldn't possible express the shit it's been through for the 5 years I had it, for 245+k Miles, and it ran pretty well still upon selling it fir wrx that needed a new engine at 28k
@remissiveslave So because you have a bad experience because you don't know how to take care of your car, it gives you the right to trash everyone else's cars in TH-cam comment sections??? I've asked you this before and you don't respond. How exactly did yours "blow up"?
Great review bro ! But why are you keep shifting left and right makes me dizzy man😵💫
RINGLANDS FAILURE. that’s what I keep hearing! I want one so bad but don’t want to get myself a ticking time bomb.
Had rid bearing failure, which is caused by bad oiling. Don't buy, I highly suggest you stay clear or Subarus. The NA variants are OK, but the wrx, it will break your heart and bank.