I am thinking about buying a 2003 Subaru impreza wrx wagon on marketplace but have a concern and need some experts advice. The owner has had it for 3 years, using it every day to go to and from work about 30 mins away. He bought the car with a bunch of aftermarket parts and an ej207 with a vf48 turbo, a cobb accessport, new exhaust and other such business etc… Anyways, he claims that there is a flashing engine light “sometimes” when he goes on uphills on the highway, he has seen the code as an engine misfire. But he never notices anything. Keep in mind this guy hasn’t really done any maintenance and doesn’t know much about cars. He says that when he bought it, the owner told him it happened to him too and it was a “phantom code” and was probably just the sensor. It has been the same and not changed or gotten any worse in 3 years.
Anyways, point of the story is how weary should I be? The car is $6,800 which seems pretty good considering the number of additions. Car has 250,000 and engine 170,000km. Do I buy this? Or what

I'm living in Ontario, Canada. I am looking for a good battery for the 2019 Subaru Forester. it always stops the engine when the auto start-stop function active in the traffic lights
There are 2 options - Costco Energizer - Group 35-AGMAbsorbent Glass Mat Automotive Battery - MOTOMASTER ELIMINATOR AGM Group Size 35/85 Battery, 640 CCA
I am going to install the new battery by myself, following YouTube videos.
I really appreciate it if anyone could give me advice - Which is a good battery for the 2019 Subaru Forester?

Hello all, I'm in the market for a used car now that I have enough money and I have the opportunity to buy a 96 4.6 mustang or a 01 subaru legacy wagon jdm. Both cars I like and seem very fun and are the same price. Subaru is stock and so is mustang. I'm just not sure which one to chose. I live in Canada so does need to drive in the mountains, which both should be able to too. And the main thing is reliability. I know the boxer engines are good but it's just if they break it may be harder to repair while the mustang may have more parts and easier to work on. Subaru has 120km mustang 150km
Any thoughts between these two cars would be great, thank you!

So here I am stuck in the middle of two annoying situations that are dumping loads of stress on to me. I recently (by recently within the last 9 months) bought a car from Car Max and paid a pretty penny for a used car with low miles (around 6k miles and 1 owner). I'm loving the car and driving it as my daily, about 7-8 months go by and I've now put on about 9k miles and have taken it to a Subaru Dealership to have oil changed and look over the car. All appears well and in working order. I then begin noticing an issue with idle and cold starts where the engine seems to be struggling and shaking more than usual and then the dash lit up like a christmas tree. Take it to the Subaru dealer to run code and its VVT solenoid or cam shaft sprocket. They also find some debris in the oil. Change the oil and parts and its still having issues and is said to need a new engine per Master Tech at Subaru. MaxCare says they won't cover anything while there is still a manufacturer warranty in place. Subaru believes there may have been an issue or modified by the previous owner and when something started to arise they parted it back to stock and sold it. Now I'm stuck with the issue and dealing with Subaru and MaxCare (which doesn't seem to care to the max). subaru WRX
Second stress inducing issue is dealing with my Home Insurance, made a claim with Nationwide about storm damage to my roof causing water damage to the interior of my house. I had 3 independent contractors come out and inspect my roof as well as the interior damage to the room/attic. All three took photos and reported that there was storm damage from winds and an active leak due to said damage. So I file a claim with Nationwide and they send out an independent inspector to assess the damages for the claim. SeekNow is sent out and he comes into the house to photograph the interior damage and then go up on the roof to finish up the inspection. The inspector for SeekNow finishes and then leaves without saying a word. I wait a week and call Nationwide again to follow up as I have heard nothing from Nationwide or from SeekNow. I am told via phone call with my claims adjustor that the SeekNow inspector found no damage to my roof and no signs of storm damage. I was shocked and a bit peeved if I must be honest. I've had 3 different contractors inspect beforehand and all saw damage and shared with me photos of said damage to my home. So how could this inspector from SeekNow be so blind.
Sorry for the dump but I am in need of some advice. I'm a single income adult attempting to navigate these waters but I do not have the resources to pay for an engine to a new car with only 16k total miles nor do I have the money to pay for a new roof and the drywall/painting repair for the house. Nationwide does not seem to be on your side despite the jingle and CarMax/MaxCare does not seem to want to own up to not fully inspecting cars they purchase before off loading it onto the new customer.

I was on Ebay looking for a bike to buy, was going to go with Tyrants' Monarch complete but they don't have my size in stock (as well as Leader, and Engine 11). I have looked at Cinelli but ofc they're out of my price range lol
Tyrant in particular will restock in like a year according to a sales associate I have spoken to but I cant imagine a year without a bike
Then I stumbled upon this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/225346952162?itmmeta=01HXZ94QTPGAW9YCZZMZSPVMAP&hash=item3477b99be2:g:yfQAAOSwcYpjvo1y&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwDiRR0nyYP9lMSJEQtMzoLyeXh9Lo3Fy1PSqRS2D907BWmi%2B%2Bvub3ywqL21guB5TvLUrE464JI%2FtwWnQUJlfs%2Fpd2UyAMDzIpqyF6yLkilLGAJes88pwCbEduAt1niRrGZYjxVPFmL73EjT4G8malx4EfCYqxJbCQxO8V1mlgSvU4TxgfLvDpRfQX6nD5jls9DCQkOiZdZeqAiOtDhqv45BzZp6lObT5M6%2F1dDO0BpVTq4hYmPSns%2BJKX7iGC7U%2FmA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7b9kunvYw
Opinions on this? Has anyone have any experience with this one in particular? I've heard scary stories of cheap chinese carbon bursting and some stories of how they serve wonders for the price

Does anybody know of a reputable engine importer on the West Coast that imports Subaru engines? I'm trying to find an ej207 (v7). with turbo and hopefully the ecu.

Hi all, I’m the owner of a 2010 Subaru Outback and I’ve had tons of service done on this car since I bought it in 2017, so theoretically the engine should be just fine. However, at the end of 2022 my catalytic converter needed replacing so I went to the shop and had it done. The mechanic bought a brand new cat from the Subaru dealership, as required by state law, which means that I put over $4k into it at that time.
Well, last week I started to smell exhaust fumes while driving and noticed a louder engine sound. I took it to the shop and they told me that the flex pipes in the 18 month old catalytic converter opened up. They contacted the dealership where the part was purchased and the person at the dealership basically told them “tough shit, you need to buy a new one.”
We got referred to the Subaru corporate “customer advocacy center,” and they’re basically like “yeah we don’t know why a new part failed but the point is that we’re not paying for it because your car is too high in mileage.” For reference, my car’s mileage at the time of the cat replacement at the end of 2022 was at 147k and now it’s like 168k, which doesn’t seem that high to me as someone who drove a 1998 Honda Accord well past the 300k point. And the fact is that catalytic converters aren’t supposed to be bricked after 18 months of being driven to and from my job twice a week.
I also can’t afford a new car on a social work salary but since Subaru refuses to assure me that the part won’t fail in another 18 months and cost me another $4k, I also don’t see a way forward with this car.
Is there any course of action or am I just fucked?

Hi all, I’m the owner of a 2010 Subaru Outback and I’ve had tons of service done on this car since I bought it in 2017, so theoretically the engine should be just fine. However, at the end of 2022 my catalytic converter needed replacing so I went to the shop and had it done. The mechanic bought a brand new cat from the Subaru dealership, as required by state law, which means that I put over $4k into it at that time.
Well, last week I started to smell exhaust fumes while driving and noticed a louder engine sound. I took it to the shop and they told me that the flex pipes in the 18 month old catalytic converter opened up. They contacted the dealership where the part was purchased and the person at the dealership basically told them “tough shit, you need to buy a new one.”
We got referred to the Subaru corporate “customer advocacy center,” and they’re basically like “yeah we don’t know why a new part failed but the point is that we’re not paying for it because your car is too high in mileage.” For reference, my car’s mileage at the time of the cat replacement at the end of 2022 was at 147k and now it’s like 168k, which doesn’t seem that high to me as someone who drove a 1998 Honda Accord well past the 300k point. And the fact is that catalytic converters aren’t supposed to be bricked after 18 months of being driven to and from my job twice a week.
I also can’t afford a new car on a social work salary but since Subaru refuses to assure me that the part won’t fail in another 18 months and cost me another $4k, I don’t know that I see a way forward with the current car.
Is there any course of action or am I just fucked?

Check engine light came on, of course this being a Subie it disabled literally every system connected to Eyesight (make it make sense). Went to Autozone to run a check and it came out with code:
P0455 - Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (Gross Leak)
Most common case is a gas cap. I order a brand new gas cap from Subaru because I wanted on OEM cap instead of buying some trash from Autozone. Drove it for a day or two but the code did not clear. Disconnected the battery for a few minutes to reset the computer but after a few drives we're back with the check engine. Went back to get a reading from Autozone and it is the same code.
Given that I've already tried with getting a new gas cap and cleaning around where the gas cap goes to make sure it's not any debris, what else is there that could be causing this issue? Online no one says anything other than "Tighten your gas cap", "Buy a new gas cap". It's not that in my case.
My Subaru dealership is way too far for me, and the only way to go there is if I was to get a day or two off, which is not the best case scenario. If it's something simple that I can't think of, please let me know. I have some experience working on cars, so if it's just a simple part that can be changed I can do that myself.
2021 Outback Premium

Check engine light came on, of course this being a Subie it disabled literally every system connected to Eyesight (make it make sense). Went to Autozone to run a check and it came out with code:
P0455 - Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (Gross Leak)
Most common case is a gas cap. I order a brand new gas cap from Subaru because I wanted on OEM cap instead of buying some trash from Autozone. Drove it for a day or two but the code did not clear. Disconnected the battery for a few minutes to reset the computer but after a few drives we're back with the check engine. Went back to get a reading from Autozone and it is the same code.
Given that I've already tried with getting a new gas cap and cleaning around where the gas cap goes to make sure it's not any debris, what else is there that could be causing this issue? Online no one says anything other than "Tighten your gas cap", "Buy a new gas cap". It's not that in my case.
My Subaru dealership is way too far for me, and the only way to go there is if I was to get a day or two off, which is not the best case scenario. If it's something simple that I can't think of, please let me know. I have some experience working on cars, so if it's just a simple part that can be changed I can do that myself.
2021 Outback Premium

Check engine light came on, of course this being a Subie it disabled literally every system connected to Eyesight (make it make sense). Went to Autozone to run a check and it came out with code:
P0455 - Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (Gross Leak)
Most common case is a gas cap. I order a brand new gas cap from Subaru because I wanted on OEM cap instead of buying some trash from Autozone. Drove it for a day or two but the code did not clear. Disconnected the battery for a few minutes to reset the computer but after a few drives we're back with the check engine. Went back to get a reading from Autozone and it is the same code.
Given that I've already tried with getting a new gas cap and cleaning around where the gas cap goes to make sure it's not any debris, what else is there that could be causing this issue? Online no one says anything other than "Tighten your gas cap", "Buy a new gas cap". It's not that in my case.
My Subaru dealership is way too far for me, and the only way to go there is if I was to get a day or two off, which is not the best case scenario. If it's something simple that I can't think of, please let me know. I have some experience working on cars, so if it's just a simple part that can be changed I can do that myself.
2021 Outback Premium

Hello All.
So my story starts from when my wife's '17 Forester was starting to reach 60K miles and needed to do the big 60k maintenance service. We have taken this car into the dealer for it's services since we bought it. The price vs convenience was not bad and they gave us several free oil changes throughout the years so we kept going back. So, back to the 60K maintenance service. The service was quoted to us for $1200. I could see that I could do most of it myself. We just got new tires 2 months ago so that part of checking the tires and rotating them was out. I did the oil/filter, cabin air filter, engine air filter, spark plugs, and checked all the fluids and refilled as needed. Granted I didn't replace the brake fluids but it still looked ok to me. the big things such as the front and rear differential oil change, i haven't done it yet since I've never done it for a Subaru. Reading up on it, not any different from other diff oil changes, which I've done before. CVT fluid replacement, well, everyone says to leave this to Subaru, so I will leave it to them.
been busy so i haven't had a chance to take the car in to do the "leave it to Subaru" parts. I just received a letter from the dealer service dept to give them a call "regarding the continuation of protection for [my] Subaru that [I] serviced with [them]." So based on the in-service date of my vehicle and mileage, which i think is pretty low for a '17 (60K so far) they recommend me to give them a call and obtain a Vehicle Service Contract to protect against financial cost of mechanical and electrical repairs.
I feel like we don't need this as we do maintenance on it on a regular basis and for my car, which we bought new as well (same dealer) they never reached out to give me this 'offer'. my car is even lower mileage for it's year. '12 mazda3 with 72k miles. no issues.
Anyone know what this is about? done this?

Im looking for a new car around the c$15k - its pretty urgent as I just took a new job in the city and need to reliably commute. I previously had an older truck which is impractical and costly for driving to the city regularly.
Mainly looking for reliability, minimal repairs and decent MPG but also would like something that can handle logging roads etc as outside of work we're keen climbers and bikers so spend our weekends up and down rough roads.
Options are at the moment
2015 Subaru crosstreck XV - 150k km - $15k
2013 Ford Escape SE Ecoboost - 90k km - $11k
2017 Nissan Rogue SV - 101k km- $12k *rebuilt tittle due to replaced engine
Im aware that Nissan's and Subarus have the dreaded CVT transmission but the internet also seems to be full of Ford horror stories too (!!) and it goes without saying that I'll be asking A LOT of questions (especially with the Nissan to find out what happened with the engine), looking at history & carfax etc + taking at least one to an independent mechanic.
It would be great to get everyone's advice on what to look for or previous knowledge to help me make a decision.

I think I finally figured out a winner with these engines. I build go karts in my spare time, and am much a repair over replace kind of guy… also a little stubborn too haha! The original fixed jet primer carburetors work great… until they don’t unfortunately.
Powersports engines are always beat the most, and usually the OEM carburetors on these that originally came from a Go-Kart will not idle properly post carburetor rebuild in my experience. If the engine is on a pressure washer, different story, they usually work ok. These specifically develop an air leak that is not fixable at the throttle shaft (carburetor body wallowed out) from the throttle shaft getting constantly beat back and forth.
Decided to try something new, and combined the throttle and choke from a non adjustable aftermarket replacement onto an adjustable aftermarket carburetor, and it sure does work!
Costs just $25 for the two carburetors (or $35 with an OEM Rebuild Kit, which I recommend).
Base carburetor (to be built):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173654357043?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=7Sfo_VzZQfe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=0aygcatgqy6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Take the throttle and choke shaft, swap into the other carburetor (parts carburetor):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/232364201235?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ElkjDOPCSr6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=0aygcatgqy6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
OEM Rebuild Kit (need just the bowl seal, the main jet seal, and the bowl for proper fitment):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234200157131?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yq_BpytjQhC&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=0aygcatgqy6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Finished carburetor pictures (installed on the engine):
https://imgur.com/a/lqaaezU
Just swap the throttle and choke shaft with the dust seals added, drill and press in the breather barb, swap in the new OEM seals and bowl (if desired), tune the carburetor, set the idle speed, and off you go!
I highly suggest and the breather and the OEM seals and bowl. These small engines produce so many hydrocarbons in the crankcase out through the breather that you’d get robbed a little power without a breather on the carburetor. Trust me, it’s runs better with a breather on it, and the OEM seals are for peace of mind.
Wish I discovered this sooner… but alas, it finally runs clean, smooth, and reliably. I’ll make a full guide here sooner or later when I have time.
Cheers!

So Im busy with a bobber project from a 30 year old dirt bike as a donor bike, any suggestions where & what engine I can use other than eBay, I'm from Namibia so ebay is basically hopeless as it takes forever to deliver and I got scammed there once so my trust is out the window.. Reliable online shops will also work

Looking to see if any of the group have replaced this part on their engine - what route they took, how they compared costs, etc.

TL;DR - I have a seized torque converter on my engine that was discovered while Subaru Dealership near me was assessing another issue - loose cam seals, causing an oil leak from the pan (if i have that all correct)
Vehicle is 2019 Outback Touring with 64k miles.
Long version: Cam seals were covered by an extended service warranty (3rd party - Endurance brand) -- however it turns out the torque converter, is not covered (still waiting to hear why not on that one).
OEM part quote from dealer is ~$650. They will use a 3rd party part if i supply it, but of course no warranty on the labopart thereof (which i think i'm on the risk friendly side and willing to save $500 now, as i'll probably only keep the car for 3-5 more years).
Of course i'm going to approve the labor to proceed this week in either case, as I won't want to pay additional labor afterwards, when the dealer is offering to include the labor now (along with the other coverage replacement of cam seals) and only charge for the part.
Curious if there is any insight that can be gathered from the group. Thanks!

I think I finally figured out a winner with these engines. I build go karts in my spare time, and am much a repair over replace kind of guy… also a little stubborn too haha! The original fixed jet primer carburetors work great… until they don’t unfortunately.
Powersports engines are always beat the most, and usually the OEM carburetors on these that originally came from a Go-Kart will not idle properly post carburetor rebuild in my experience. If the engine is on a pressure washer, different story, they usually work ok. These specifically develop an air leak that is not fixable at the throttle shaft (carburetor body wallowed out) from the throttle shaft getting constantly beat back and forth.
Decided to try something new, and combined the throttle and choke from a non adjustable aftermarket replacement onto an adjustable aftermarket carburetor, and it sure does work!
Costs just $25 for the two carburetors (or $35 with an OEM Rebuild Kit, which I recommend).
Base carburetor (to be built):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173654357043?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=7Sfo_VzZQfe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=0aygcatgqy6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Take the throttle and choke shaft, swap into the other carburetor (parts carburetor):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/232364201235?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ElkjDOPCSr6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=0aygcatgqy6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
OEM Rebuild Kit (need just the bowl seal, the main jet seal, and the bowl for proper fitment):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234200157131?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yq_BpytjQhC&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=0aygcatgqy6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Finished carburetor pictures (installed on the engine):
https://imgur.com/a/lqaaezU
Just swap the throttle and choke shaft with the dust seals added, drill and press in the breather barb, swap in the new OEM seals and bowl (if desired), tune the carburetor, set the idle speed, and off you go!
I highly suggest and the breather and the OEM seals and bowl. These small engines produce so many hydrocarbons in the crankcase out through the breather that you’d get robbed a little power without a breather on the carburetor. Trust me, it’s runs better with a breather on it, and the OEM seals are for peace of mind.
Wish I discovered this sooner… but alas, it finally runs clean, smooth, and reliably. I’ll make a full guide here sooner or later when I have time.
Cheers!

2 years ago someone gave me a John Deere lt150 with a pristine body/frame, deck, and a blown up Kohler CV15S. Got a replacement engine for $400 on Ebay, about 4 hours later, and a new carb, I had a nice running mower with bagger attachment. I use the bagger, 100% of the time. My main reason for cutting the lawn at all is that I want the mulch for the massive compost piles we have going and our 6k sq ft garden + our 50 orchard trees. All total, we have about 5 acres of hobby farm. Some is well maintained / smooth, some is not. I mow most of it / what the animals aren't keeping up with or can't be allowed on.
Grew up using Walkers (Dad owned a lawn business) and aside from my little LT150, that's all I know. Of course I'm not spending $25k on a lawn mower and the last used one I saw had over 100 people in line and it was over priced. What's out there / what will I be happy with? I assume a lot of the newer tech (especially zero turn) will be a huge life change over the 8 hours a week I spend on my lt 150. But, I know mostly nothing. My goal is to mow faster. I spend too much time trying to flip the 150 around, or go around trees/obstacles. Also, the bags fill up a bit quick / lots of time back and forth to the compost piles, garden etc.
I'm onboard with the electric idea, but I don't think the baggers are really "there" yet - am I wrong?

For some reason, when I break (to stop at a stop light), my car will randomly go down to .5 RPM and then appear to surge. It is almost as if the car idles off. Is that normal and is it simply my engine doing the breaking in this situation?
Edit: Sorry, I have a 2015 Subaru outback 2.5

In the market for a new car and am considering a used Edge from these model years vs a new Subaru Forester (do to their current APR deal, and good deals on 2024s since they're trying to move them out for the incoming 2025's). I like the look of the Edge, the bigger cargo area and the Sync 4 Infotainment vs the Subaru. They seem like a good buy as there are number around me for $10-15k less than the the original MSRP and under 40,000 miles. How is reliability on these cars? Particularly in the long term. If I'm buying used I need some confidence that it will last to 150,000+ miles. Is the 2.0 ecoboost an engine that will last? I am always skeptical that these small turbocharged engines are not built to handle the power long term (Had a Hyundai Tucson and the transmission went under warranty and the turbo itself shortly after). There are a couple ST models with the 2.7 available. I don't love the gas mileage, or really need the performance, but if the 2.7 is a more reliable engine in the long term I would consider it.
TLDR: Will these cars have a good change of lasting to 150,000+ miles? Is the 2.7 a worthy upgrade in terms of long term reliability vs. the 2.0?