NHTSA Complaint #10662887 — 1997 SUBARU LEGACY

1997 SUBARU LEGACY GT 2.5L ENGINE, APPROX. 92K MILES, ENGINE STARTED OVERHEATING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT REPAIR FACILITIES AND DIAGNOSED AS BLOWN HEAD GASKET AFTER PRESSURE TEST, BLOCK TEST, NO SIGNS OF LEAKING. CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED FAITHFULLY BY ORIGINAL OWNER AT SUBARU DEALERSHIPS SINCE PURCHASE. I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FROM REPAIR FACILITIES WITH THIS MODEL AND ENGINE BUT WHEN QUESTIONED SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AS HEAD GASKET AND COOLING SYSTEM ARE NOT RELATED (?) AND PROBLEM WAS A CRACKED BLOCK OR CYLINDER. ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE HEAD GASKET $2450-. ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE ENGINE $5700-. I HAD ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WHERE THE FUEL FILLER TUBE THAT CONNECTS TO THE GAS TANK FROM WHERE YOU PUR THE GASOLINE IN FROM THE PUMP HAD RUSTED AWAY AND LEAKED FUEL ONTO THE GROUND. I HAD THAT REPLACED AT APPROX. COST OF $400-. AGAIN SUBARU DENIED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. THESE PROBLEMS OCCURRED WITH IN SIX MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. *TR