Faults:

Head gasket blew at 94K.

Coolant level falling rapidly.

Check engine light came on multiple times.

General Comments:

I had a 2000 subaru outback with a 2.5 liter engine. It died earlier this month at 94K miles.

Basically on a road trip, it overheated and the engine failed. Had it towed to the nearest Subaru dealer and was told that this was caused by an internal coolant leak of the head gasket, so it is not covered by the warranty of the external head gasket leak that Subaru has issued for all those who got the special coolant/sealer for the recall. The dealer and Subaru of America basically said this was my fault for not monitoring the temperature gauge and that I was responsible for the damage. That meant paying $7000 for an engine rebuild, with additional repairs needed to replace the melted radiator. I ended up selling it to a salvage yard and am now looking for another car.

I've looked online and found many others with this problem, so it seems to me that this is a defect in the engine. We had done all the recommended servicing, and even had topped off the coolant just 3 days prior to the engine failure.

I am sad to lose the car I loved, but am also angry that Subaru won't stand behind their product and customers.

I just want you all to know so that you watch your temperature gauge like a hawk!

Faults:

I've only had the car for a few months (bought it used) and have driven it about 2000 miles. Here's the rundown:

It hesitates to upshift from 2nd into 3rd gear (automatic trans) on gradual acceleration. Must go up to 27-32 mph to get the thing to shift - would be better if it shifted at about 23 mph. On moderate to fast acceration this is not a problem.

Brake rotors are warped and need to be replaced - get a shudder through the steering wheel when I touch the brakes at highway speeds. Will replace them myself next summer.

Car pulls to the left all the time - rotated the tires back and forth to no avail. Apparently needs an alignment, which will probably be pricey with the AWD.

Bucket seats feel like slabs of granite after 30 minutes or so - bought seat cushions, which help somewhat, but not as comfortable as a decent bucket seat.

The Subaru dealer sold it to me with one odd-ball tire (one slightly different tire can ruin the AWD system) and wouldn't fix that or any of the mechanical things the car needed. I definitely won't be buying another car from "Armando's" in Canfield, Ohio.

I like the looks of the car and it's size meets my needs nicely, but wonder about quality and reliability. Also, there is no in-depth repair manual available for us do-it-yourselfers - maybe not enough are sold for Haynes or Chilton's to write one.