Are Subaru Expensive to Repair?
What Subaru brand comes to mind when you think of rally racing, dirt roads, or running in the snow? It probably should.
Subaru has a long and successful history in the automotive world.
The king of the horizontal anti-engine, and the AWD technology leader, these cars and SUVs have a strong following in Japanese car culture.
So, they may be great at driving, but are they easy to work on Or Are Subaru Expensive to Repair? Let’s get down to it.
Are Subaru Expensive to Repair? The short answer is:
Working on Subarus is easy. The short answer is:
Working on a Subaru is moderately easy. Repairs like alternator, radiator, and battery are very easy and straightforward. However, repairs such as spark plugs, head gaskets, and any type of internal engine will be harder and more difficult to repair.
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How Easy is it to Work on and Repair a Subaru?
In general, working on a Subaru is a little easier.
Simple repair and maintenance are more difficult than any other typical Japanese automobile.
However, when it comes to more complex repairs, that’s where the difficulty lies.
With regards to oil changes, the Subarus has a drain plug and an oil filter that are easily accessible.
The same is true for air filters, batteries, headlamp bulbs, and other simple components that may require repeated use.
This makes any basic repair or maintenance job relatively easy. There’s also plenty of room in the front of the engine, which makes it easy to access the drive belt, alternator, and radiator.
With regard to suspension and brakes, any work done in these areas would be straightforward. The design of these components is very simple and therefore should prove to be simple.
Subaru also features simple electrical systems, making basic electrical diagnostics and repair objectively simple for those with some experience in the subject.
However, Subaru has a hard time working in the engine compartment.
This is due to the design of the engine, which is a horizontally opposite engine but is also called a “boxer” or “flat” engine.
This means that, unlike most conventional internal combustion engines, the engine’s cylinders are not in an up and down, or “V”, but side-by-side.
This can be difficult when the engine needs to be worked, as the parts are hard to reach.
Are Subaru Engines Easy to Work On?
Honestly, not at all.
A fair amount of engine work would need to be done to remove the engine.
Although removing Subaru engines is not inherently difficult, it is still an additional task compared to other manufacturers.
For example, if you have to work on the bottom of the engine (i.e: removing the pistons and/or crankshafts), as with most cars, the engine can stay in the car.
Subaru engines, on the other hand, would definitely have to come out and be split in half in this case as well.
In addition, a simple task such as replacing a spark plug or removing a cylinder head would take an extraordinarily long time and effort on a Subaru compared to a receptacle or V-shaped engine.
This is because the engine is very low in the engine bay, and when there is enough room in front or behind the engine, there is apparently no one around.
It is also worth noting that Subaru engines have more moving parts than other engines.
This makes them more complex in design, making them more difficult to understand.
For example, the Honda Civic R18 engine has only one camshaft, but the Subaru WRX STI EJ257 engine has four. A fair comparison, as they are both four-cylinder engines.
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Is Subaru Easy to Maintain?
Restoration work on Subaru should be a little easier.
Engine oil changes, differential oil changes, and other simple maintenance tasks should be no more difficult than any other manufacturer’s.
Generally easy access to the battery, headlamp bulb, and other frequently changed components.
These vehicles also use metric fasteners with typical hexagon heads, so you should have a toolkit sold at a general store near you.
As long as you have a good understanding of how the brakes and suspension work properly, you should be able to perform these tasks without any hassle.
However, engines on older Subaru models had timing belts.
Per Subaru’s recommendations, the timing belt is old and will need to be replaced at some point.
When changing the timing belt, the camshaft and crankshaft have to be lined up and synchronized with each other.
Failure to do so may result in poor engine performance, or worse, engine damage. If you have no clue what you’re doing, it’s best to leave it to a professional.
It is worth mentioning that Subaru has had some problems with the head gasket and piston ring failure in the past, especially with the 2.5L engine.
Be careful what you buy, as these issues are very demanding on keeping your submarine on the road and require only basic care.
Basic care is essential, but will not always prevent the head gasket or piston from failing. These problems are caused by a design flaw, not a lack of maintenance.
Is it easy to restore a Subaru?
As far as restoration is concerned, Subarus is easy to restore.
As a mass manufacturer, parts are easy to find and can often be found on the Internet or at a local scrapyard.
It would be much easier to replace parts, all. Therefore, if your Subaru requires mechanical maintenance, it should be most practical with a basic understanding of mechanical knowledge and a modest stock of tools.
As mentioned earlier, engines can be quite complex and demanding when it comes to repairs.
On the bright side, there is a lot of service information available on these engines and a lot of internet material about failures and fixes.
In general, there is a lot of service information available on the Internet for Subaru. This will be a saving grace for all those who are trying to recover.
However, it should be noted that Subaru uses a unified body design, not a body-on-frame design.
While the pickup truck’s body on frame design means that the entire body can come off the frame during rehabilitation, the Subaru’s body cannot.
It does a different job than just replacing parts on the car body.
To work on the body, you need to cut, weld, and use body filler, among other things. Background knowledge will be required.
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Are Subaru Expensive to Repair?
Working as a brand for Subaru, by and large, doesn’t have to be expensive. Compared to other brands, Subaru is a mass-produced vehicle intended to be marketed to daily commuters.
This means that the average Subaru will not be more expensive than its counterpart.
There are some models that will cost significantly more than others.
A good example would be the Subaru WRX STI.
The STI has more expensive engine parts, transmission parts, and brakes, to name a few.
Beware of increasing the cost of ownership and maintenance of an STI compared to another Subaru model.
This is because the STI is a performance-driven vehicle, and thus, brings more cost-effective components.
Are Subaru WRX Easy to Work On?

The WRX and WRX STI are basically sporty empresses, the WRX STI is even sportier than the WRX.
This makes them more complex than a base model Impreza, which includes all the WRX and WRX STIs, DOHC engines, bigger brakes, and more bells and whistles overall.
While the WRX/WRX STI still isn’t too difficult to work with, you’ll probably find it more difficult to service and repair than on Subaru models.
This is partly due to a larger, more complex engine consisting of four camshafts, a turbo, an intercooler, and more “go fast” bits inserted into the engine bay, allowing manual operation. There is less space.
Are Subaru Foresters Easy to Work On?

Working on forests is relatively easy.
Being a compact crossover SUV, there is more room for repairs under and under the hood.
Although some models come with a turbocharged engine, most do not, which naturally makes the desirable (non-turbocharged) model more basic in design.
Is Subaru Imprezas Easy to Work On?

The Impreza is much simpler than their WRX/WRX STI cousins.
This is because they do not come with all the complex components required for advanced models.
He’s a basic passenger and working to save the boxer engine and standard all-wheel-drive would be almost as easy as working a Toyota or a Honda.
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What’s the Easiest Subaru to Work On?
The easiest model for Subaru would be Jungle.
The Forester has the most room for repair and is less complex in design than the WRX / WRX STI.
Overall, the submarines are very similar, so the differences between the models are not difficult.
Conclusion
Here’s a complete guide that shows you the prices of the best-selling Subaru models as well as their maintenance costs.
As you can see, Subaru is relatively expensive to maintain. However, they are extremely reliable and durable, so you won’t have to spend a lot of money in the long run.
We hope you find our informational article of Are Subaru Expensive to Repair? Check out more article about best tires, how to & more.
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