NHTSA Complaint #10082338 — 1998 SUBARU OUTBACK

1998 SUBARU OUTBACK SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING AS TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE UP PAST THE USUAL MIDLINE AND COLD AIR INSIDE CAR FROM AIR CONDITIONER SUDDENLY GOT WARMER. I PULLED OVER AND COOLANT WAS OVER FLOWING FROM OVERFLOW RESERVOIR THROUGH THE CAP. I DROVE WITH THE HEATER ON FULL POWER AND MADE IT TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND REMOVE THE THERMOSTAT WHICH HAD SEIZED. REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR CAP ($30) AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL FOUR MONTHS LATER (MARCH 2004) WHEN CAR SHOWED SIGNS OF OVER HEATING AGAIN (RISE IN INSIDE AIR CONDITIONED AIR TEMPERATURE FROM COLD TO WARM). TOOK CAR TO RALLYSPORT ENGINEERING IN COSTA MESA, CA AND MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND SYMPTOMS OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE ALTHOUGH THIS IS WHAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS. HE ADDED STOP LEAK, NEW THERMOSTAT, AND NEW COOLANT ($150 PARTS/LABOR) AND THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE READING WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN IT WAS WHEN USING ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (PRIOR TO NOVEMBER). NOW, JULY 2004, CAR HAS ALMOST OVERHEATED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO SOUTH COAST SUBARU IN COSTA MESA, CA AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS A HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND THAT THEY COULD SMELL THE EXHAUST FUMES THROUGH THE OVERFLOW RESERVOIR. THE ESTIMATE TO FIX THE REPAIR WILL BE $1500 PARTS AND LABOR. *LA