BagRidersJohn Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Hey Legacy friends, I'm currently shopping for a new car for my wife as her beloved 4th gen Limited 2.5i was t-boned on Monday (she was uninjured thankfully) and insurance is deeming it a total loss. As you may have guessed, I'm looking into 5th gens for her. The initial appraisal of the wrecked 4th gen is $6000 (yay!) and they only want $650 to buy it back (double yay!). I rebuilt the motor barely a month ago and the rest of the vehicle is absolutely mint (including the leather interior) so I'm definitely going to buy the car back if not just to part it out, maybe put the engine in something else or just sell it; TBD. So I'm here to ask, is there anything to look out for on these early model year 5th gens? I've been scouring the forums but not finding any regular complaints unlike the 4th gens which have a pretty well-known list of regular failures/things to watch out for. According to Wikipedia, the EJ253 is used in all Legacy/Outbacks in North America from 2005-2011. I think it was 2007 that the secondary air injection pump was added for emissions which plumbs to both cylinder heads, so I assume that is present on the 5th gens and therefore the bulkhead harness has those plugs. Now, if I were to theoretically find a 2009-11 5th gen with a bad motor, could I drop in the engine from the '06, disable the codes for the air injection system, and be set? Anyone with knowledge/experience that could chime in would be much, much appreciated. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input! Best, John PS- I'm also a Legacy driver! I daily an '07 specB, here's a recent shot of it right after I cleared the headlights and blacked out the chrome grill bits. Currently in winter mode My 2007 specB (full undercarriage & drivetrain refinish, every nut and bolt replaced, full engine rebuild/restore, glass-out respray, air ride, wide body, and more! All done by me, at home!) Instagram: @bagriders_john for more Subarus (and also my wife and cat) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 The engines are not a direct replacement, there are differences in the oil pans and intakes, as well as the mounts, which are on the trans and front if the engine for the 5th gen. I can't say for sure about the air pump. Afaik the only issues with 5th gens are in the cvt and oil burning, both of which should have tsbs to cover them. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 The biggest thing to look out for on the 2010-2011 Legacy is the "shimmy" which only affected some cars. As long as it drives smooth on the highway between 55 and 70 mph, the car is free from the issue. There is a whole thread here on the "shimmy" and the TSB that supposedly corrected it. Many guys just corrected it with upgraded bushings, suspension and sway bars. The only other kinda issue is the CVT transmission and how it's been cared for. Early cars had a known torque converter seal issue that Subaru has addressed and was warranting. Some higher mileage CVT's have failed and been replaced. New is about $7000 installed from Subaru, so you'll want to go used if you have an issue. I don't believe that any of the 5th Gen Legacys had secondary air pumps. The turbos did not for sure. And what FL said above about the engine mounting system. Sorry to hear about the Leggy, but glad your wife is okay. If you can, stick with 2012 or new model, Subaru changed a bunch of stuff between late 2011 and 2013 and the changes make the car handle and ride better than the earlier 5th Gens. GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 as much as I like my 2014, get a 2015 or newer one... the safety cell has been improved and the interior is improved as well.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BagRidersJohn Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 The engines are not a direct replacement, there are differences in the oil pans and intakes, as well as the mounts, which are on the trans and front if the engine for the 5th gen. I can't say for sure about the air pump. Afaik the only issues with 5th gens are in the cvt and oil burning, both of which should have tsbs to cover them. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk Very helpful, just a bit of a bummer Thank you! The biggest thing to look out for on the 2010-2011 Legacy is the "shimmy" which only affected some cars. As long as it drives smooth on the highway between 55 and 70 mph, the car is free from the issue. There is a whole thread here on the "shimmy" and the TSB that supposedly corrected it. Many guys just corrected it with upgraded bushings, suspension and sway bars. The only other kinda issue is the CVT transmission and how it's been cared for. Early cars had a known torque converter seal issue that Subaru has addressed and was warranting. Some higher mileage CVT's have failed and been replaced. New is about $7000 installed from Subaru, so you'll want to go used if you have an issue. I don't believe that any of the 5th Gen Legacys had secondary air pumps. The turbos did not for sure. And what FL said above about the engine mounting system. Sorry to hear about the Leggy, but glad your wife is okay. If you can, stick with 2012 or new model, Subaru changed a bunch of stuff between late 2011 and 2013 and the changes make the car handle and ride better than the earlier 5th Gens. Great info, thank you! I'll be sure to look for that "shimmy" when we test drive. We're weighing our options and obviously just want to get her into a safe and reliable car that will hold its value. We only paid $4500 @ 100k for the 4th gen, and probably put about $1000 into it since then (not counting the engine rebuild) which was all wear & tear items, so we definitely did well there with the insurance payout. as much as I like my 2014, get a 2015 or newer one... the safety cell has been improved and the interior is improved as well.. Thank you! I'll be sure to check out a 2015+ this weekend! --- Thanks again for all the helpful input guys/gals! Hope Thanksgiving was great for everyone! My 2007 specB (full undercarriage & drivetrain refinish, every nut and bolt replaced, full engine rebuild/restore, glass-out respray, air ride, wide body, and more! All done by me, at home!) Instagram: @bagriders_john for more Subarus (and also my wife and cat) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 When it comes to a cvt equipped vehicle newer is always better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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