Subaru Outback Overheating- intermittently

Asked by GuruHGQ4V Aug 15, 2019 at 11:04 PM about the 2008 Subaru Outback 2.5 i Limited

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Recently purchased a 2008 Subaru Outback
with the 2.5. I no sooner got it home & it
started overheating. I drained the coolant,
replaced the thermostat, radiator cap with no
such luck. Its totally intermittent. For instance
I drove it around town for a good 30 minutes
& freeway speeds for another 20 or so and
no issues. I let it cool down completely &
tried it again. By the time I got it home it
started ping'n almost into the red. Totally at a
loss. Assuming it may be a head gasket
given the 2.5 reputation. I drained the oil
though & saw no indication coolant. And no
external leaks from what I can see. At about
2500 rpm I do hear a rattle. I thought it was
just something loose in the exhaust system &
it's resonating at that rpm. It doesn’t rattle
below or above that rpm though. Thoughts?

1 Answer
3,260

GuruSW818 answered 4 years ago

Most probably you've an HG issue, and will require dropping and checking with a machine shop BOTH heads, as well t-belt and pulleys on the way back in. Figure $1.6k as a fair price. But BEFORE you go crazy be sure to back-flush the rear heater hoses, and insure you've burped all air from the cooling system, as an air bubble stuck near the sensor will cause the gauge to ping. So purge completely (usually just a couple of highway runs, adding coolant after each session) until you're convinced it's full. There's also a low possibility that your rad is clogged, or its fans inoperative...but unlikely. Be prepared for that overhaul.... If you can return this hurt puppy I would...or at least get a $1.5k concession. Good luck. Ern TSG/Boston

Mark helpful

Your Answer:

Related Questions

  • Subaru Outback Overheating- intermittently 1 Answer

    Recently purchased a 2008 Subaru Outback with the 2.5. I no sooner got it home & it started overheating. I drained the coolant, replaced the thermostat, radiator cap with no such luck. Its totally...

    2008 Subaru Outback 2.5 i Limited

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • 2012 Subaru Outback overheating 1 Answer

    My 2012 Subaru Outback will randomly overheat. I’ve driven it for 2 hours with no problems other times it overheated after 10 minutes. I replaced the thermostat and temp sensor. My mechanic had i...

    2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • 2000 Subaru Outback Overheating 17 Answers

    I have had a constant issue with my Subaru over heating. I have replaced the radiator, water pump, head gaskets, thermostat and thermostat housing, cooling fans and the fuses.. Among many other th...

    2000 Subaru Outback Base Wagon

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • Overheating Subaru Legacy Outback 1998 2 Answers

    So I’ve owned this outback for about a year now and it was running fine. About 8 months ago I had my head gasket repaired and it was all good. I check engine and fluids regularly. One day I went to...

    Subaru Outback

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • Overheating subaru 14 Answers

    I have a 1996 Subaru outback that kept overheating. They checked the radiator and it's perfectly fine. I had the thermostat changed today and it is still over heating. What else could be wrong wit...

    Subaru Outback

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

Shortcuts

Search Subaru Outback Questions

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Mark Weiner
    Reputation
    33,210
  • #2
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    28,310
  • #3
    Keith Cahalan
    Reputation
    3,300
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Forester
39 Great Deals out of 1,355 listings starting at $3,995
Used Toyota RAV4
122 Great Deals out of 3,074 listings starting at $3,900
Used Honda CR-V
182 Great Deals out of 5,035 listings starting at $440
Used Toyota 4Runner
27 Great Deals out of 530 listings starting at $7,990
Used Subaru Legacy
13 Great Deals out of 207 listings starting at $3,000
Used Subaru Impreza
25 Great Deals out of 667 listings starting at $4,299
Used Toyota Highlander
36 Great Deals out of 807 listings starting at $8,495
Used Toyota Tacoma
30 Great Deals out of 723 listings starting at $9,975
Used Toyota Camry
52 Great Deals out of 1,161 listings starting at $4,594
Used Honda Pilot
41 Great Deals out of 810 listings starting at $737
Used Ford F-150
336 Great Deals out of 13,399 listings starting at $3,000

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.