Real Talk, How Reliable is the WRX?

"AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC" (addictedtom3s) 02/23/2016 at 01:35 • Filed to: I hear the Subie-life calling

0

41

Yes, we all joke about ring lands and bros with Monster Energy drink flat billed caps but I’m genuinely curious. So real talk, how reliable is the GV/GR (I don’t understand how Subaru comes up with their chassis codes...) WRX?

As far as I understand it, they still used the EJ255 from the previous generation WRX. Suppose one were to purchase one and leave it stock. Would it be a reliable daily and occasional track/backroad fun-mobile?

Side note, I may or may not be watching too much SmurfinWRX on YouTube for my own good.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 01:57

0

I am keen to know this as well. I need to own one of these one day.

pip bip - choose Corrour > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 02:19

3

absolutely nothing to worry about or fear with them

treat it like a stolen car i.e. drive it hard often , it’ll be fine.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny 02/23/2016 at 02:23

0

As am I. These would be pretty awesome for daily commuting/weekend fun/going to get food with friends car. It just seems most of these get modded into oblivion and the people who keep them stock are rarely vocal online.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/23/2016 at 02:25

0

Now that sounds like something I am looking for. I need something that can take a beating without throwing a hissy fit. Granted, I wouldn’t floor it every single time I go from a stop light or rev the bejeezus out of the car every change I get. I’d just need something robust enough where I can have the occasional weekend fun at a track or back road and I can be sure it’ll start without issues every time I turn the key.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 02:32

1

It all depends on how you drive and how much it is tuned. Ie bigger turbos injectors and such.

Buy a dsm the engine can handle more, i made 28 psi on a completely stock block with just arp headstuds and head gasket

pip bip - choose Corrour > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 02:33

1

make sure you keep up the servicing , about every 7k miles will be fine with quality oil.

the only thing that can let them down is the front stabiliser bar links.

my employer used to be a Subaru dealer upto the start of this month. we saw a few come through.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/23/2016 at 02:57

0

Interesting. This has given me an interesting amount of reassurance. Darn it. By stabilizer bar links I assume you mean sway bar links (all I could find from a quick google)? Those look reasonably priced and DIY-able.

pip bip - choose Corrour > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 03:16

1

stabilizer bar/sway bar same thing.

Arben72 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 03:29

1

Let it warm up, oil changes every 3000 miles, and just keep up with the maintenance. It’ll burn oil, they all do. It’s going to be a little bit more unreliable then a Honda. But really they’re quite great. Synchro grind is kind of common too. If you find one with no issues and take care of it, it’ll treat you the same. I’m at 140k in my Sti, and I drive my Sti 100 miles every day. I’ll soon be making around 400whp on that Sti, on the stock ringlands, and I’m sure she’ll handle it well for another 20k miles or whenever I have time to rebuild her. But if I keep her like the way she is, I’ll be hitting 200k just like many of my friends have in theirs. My Sti is nothing special, a 7 owner special that has been beaten on to the point where I got it for 9k, but after showing it some love it has returned the favor.

Chasaboo > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 03:29

1

Thanks for posting this. I have a weird feeling that if I don’t get a WRX soon and sort of out of my system, my car buying life will be incomplete. I like bone stock cars and keep them that way.

OPPOsaurus WRX > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 06:28

0

I think 2009 and earlier had problems that were fixed for 2010

DipodomysDeserti > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 06:49

1

If you're leaving the engine stock, you won't have to worry about reliability. Most of the problems with ring lands and such are from poor tunes. For a performance car they're pretty reliable. If you're looking at one with miles on it, try to make sure it was owned by someone doing regular maintenance and not abhsing it. Listen for pilot bearing whistle in the trans as that's the other weak spot with them.

chaozbandit > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 07:09

1

GV = sedan

GR = hatchback

Then they jumped to VA for 2015+ for whatever reason. Also don’t know why Legacys make their way through Bx.

smokeymcdrift > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 08:22

0

I am nearing the point where I get rid of my 2013 WRB hatch. Short block was just replaced at 46,000 miles due to a massive rod knock which developed “spontaneously” in cylinders 1 and 2. All this despite doing full synthetic oil changes at 3750 mile intervals. Fun car but I now feel like I am driving a ticking time bomb.

Thanks goodness this was covered under warranty in the end, but it was a tenious situation for sure. Dealer had my car for over a month and it wasn’t until the bitter end that they finally agreed to replace it under warranty. They combed through my services records with a fine tooth comb. Luckily, I had documented every single thing I ever had serviced on the car and kept purchase receipts for all parts that I replaced myself (air filters and the like).

Everyone should own one of these cars at some point, but it is definitely one of those “you gotta pay to play” kind of cars.

My $.02....

Mustafaluigi > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 08:51

1

Own a 2013 with 45K and it has yet to give me an issue. Oil every 5k, rotate tires when winters go on and thats really about it. Did the 30k service myself. If you have any issues, the aftermarket and online community is huge.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 08:52

1

I had a 2004 for a while and it was a great car. I used to drive the hell out of it and it never gave me any problems. I did a little bit of work - intake, full exhaust, and a mild tune. Got me up to around 240~250whp, nothing super crazy. As most people have said, these cars are pretty reliable as long as you A) keep up with basic maintenance and B) don’t go crazy with the mods.

One thing to bear in mind, it’s a timing belt car. I can’t remember the service interval, but at 75~100k its going to need a timing belt. If you’re shopping for a higher mileage used one, see if this service has been done.

Also, spark plugs are a pain in the ass to change. Just sayin’.

Other than that, watch out for 1st/2nd gear grind in some of the earlier cars. It’s not the end of the world, mostly annoying.

RockRam > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 09:03

1

I think these are pretty reliable if left stock. My buddy has a 2012 with some problems but only cuz he meddles with it too much.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 09:15

1

My ‘02 was one of the least reliable cars I’ve ever owned. Super fun, though.

nyko6.0 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 09:20

0

Ringlands, Shit oil system,faulty rod bearings, weak / old transmission, garbage subaru paint, bad stock tune, overheating center diff in the sti, garbage throw out bearing. Take it for what it's worth. It's a love hate relationship for sure.

Eberle-Hills-Cop > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 09:22

0

I’ve had a 2005 Sti since late 2007. Currently at 155k miles. I autocross it, rallycross, daily driver for at least 8 years. One time the crank pulley began to separate (it’s a 2 piece design for some silly reason) and that was the only issue I had until the seals in the turbo went out last fall. 155k on a turbo seems like a pretty good lifespan to me.

I think all the hand wringing and dumb memes about these cars is just on account of people modifying them to heaven and back and thinking tuners on the internet know more about them than the hundreds of engineers that designed and built the damn things.

gawdzillla > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 09:55

0

boost it, just dont over boost it

MonkeePuzzle > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 11:05

1

well... I think they are reliable when well maintained. But as they are often an entry level performance car, I think they get pretty thrashed. And when perusing craigslist and such, it’s truly not uncommon to see talk of full rebuilds or engine replacement prior to the 100,000 mark.

So, the same engine or engine type in a legacy which tends to be owned by a more reasonable family type person and likely taken to the local dealer on the button every 3-5000 miles for work is going to last well into the 300,000 mile range. Whereas I strongly suspect a WRX, typically on its second owner within 2 years, will be ridden hard, put away wet, and see far worse maintenance.

TTercel > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 12:59

0

Rubber bushings wear out quickly. Ringlands crack, stock tune is too aggressive for 91 octane. The 5 speed manual is relatively weak for the torture most of us put it through. The older turbos used to fail as well. This is all coming from a Legacy GT owner.

Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 13:02

0

Just came here to say that SmurfinWRX is the most annoying car guy I’ve found on the YouTubes.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish 02/23/2016 at 13:33

0

What don’t you like about him? I’m genuinely curious, not trying to be dismissive. I personally find his content more diverse than the usual SubaruWRXfan and Thatdudeinblue where they follow the same review schedule with each video. Intro with music, repeated second gear pulls with laughter. Then accompanying talk about the owner and how the car pulls. Not much talk about the technical bits of the car.

I mean he’s no Smoking Tire or Engineering Explained but I enjoy what he puts out. I usually skip his buzzfeed style videos though.

Mr. FiSTer of Team FiST Fetish > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 13:40

1

I think it is the Buzzfeed style videos where he explains video clips. And there was a video where he was explaining the merits of an automatic and he just sounded like a tool (not to say the auto doesn’t have merits).

I generally stick with RCR, Smoking Tire, and EVO. I feel like I learned something after watching those.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Arben72 02/23/2016 at 15:29

0

I didn’t know you drove an STi. Always thought you drove a 944. I don’t know why. Really cool though. It’s refreshing to hear someone with high miles on their Subaru without needing to spend a bunch to rebuild the engine or transmission. Which chassis do you have?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Eberle-Hills-Cop 02/23/2016 at 15:33

0

That was my suspicion as well. Usually the loudest folks are the ones with problems even if they’re in the smallest camp. Now the problem comes with trying to find a stock/untuned WRX...

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > DipodomysDeserti 02/23/2016 at 15:34

0

That seems to be the consensus on Oppo. Ideally I’d just keep the engine stock and do proper suspension mods.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > OPPOsaurus WRX 02/23/2016 at 15:36

0

Really? I thought they used the same engine as the previous gen. What were the problems? Those were the years I was looking at.

Eberle-Hills-Cop > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 15:38

1

Oof. Good luck, i hope you’re patient.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Chasaboo 02/23/2016 at 15:39

1

No problem. I’m feeling the same way. I was almost set on saving for an s2000 but then that strange siren call of the WRX just got reawakened.

For the WRX/STi I agree with you about keeping it stock. In my opinion it’s not worth the time or money to mod them. They take an outrageous amount of cash just to make any noticable power and then they’ll just cost more when they break because of those mods.

OPPOsaurus WRX > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 15:47

1

i think 2010 also got like a 35 hp bump as well. I’m not sure what the differences are but I think that is also when the WRX went from a trim line to a sub model.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 16:20

1

I’ve got an 2007 STi that I bought new. It is bone stock and I’ve had no major problems with it. Around 40,000 miles I did the spark plugs and it needed the secondary air injection valve replaced. Outside of that, change the oil at the recommended intervals (4,000 miles) and use good oil like Mobil 1 or similar and you’ll have no problems. Mine is low miles (60,xxx) since it’s a secondary vehicle.

bryan40oop > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 17:39

1

If you don’t mod it incorrectly they’re pretty reliable. Like everything else. People push more boost at these without replacing parts not designed to handle the power & break. Thus they get a bad rap. It’s why I got a STi. They can handle much more power, which made me feel more comfortable.

Arben72 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/23/2016 at 21:40

0

Gd saabaru and a gd Sti.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Arben72 02/23/2016 at 22:01

1

Your STi is the bee’s knees. I can feel the itch growing after seeing your cars.

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/25/2016 at 00:57

0

I had a 2013 WRX since May 2013 and it’s worked well the entire time with no problems, and I’ve had a 2016 STi for 5 months and it’s been excellent. Any questions about them?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors 02/25/2016 at 01:07

0

I was hoping you would chime in on this.

How is the comfort of the 2013 (ride-wise and seating-wise)? Also, how is the interior quality? Is it any better than the previous generation WRX? Oh, and is the 5-speed being weaker as big of a deal as a lot of online owners make it out to be?

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/25/2016 at 01:53

0

Ride is good. I’m pretty young (20) so rough rides don’t bother me, but I can say that the ride is actually pretty nice in the WRX. I did a 250 mile drive through canyons and the end of the day, by back and ass were find and I wanted to keep going. I took a road trip in it with my 50ish yo mother and she was fine (we did like 490 miles one day and were a little sore but good to go the next day).

Interior quality is an interesting matter. A lot of the plastics feel pretty cheap, but they’re all passable and get the job done. Don’t expect Porsche lever feel, but all the stuff in there feels like it is held together pretty well. Don’t know how it compares to the previous gen though.

I’ve never really had much trouble with the trans, mine didn’t like being slammed into 2nd so as long as I don’t try and shift like I’m in a Fast&Furious movie it’s fine. I’d recommend putting in a short shifter though, the stock one has a lot of play and has a bit of a “ruler in a bucket of sand” feel to it.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors 02/25/2016 at 02:15

0

Awesome. I’m around your age (23) so hopefully that means the ride should be fine.

Interesting about the plastics. I personally don’t mind plastics so much as long as they don’t feel hollow and cheap. Sounds like it shouldn’t be so bad based on your description.

Guess I’m off to craigslist now. Thanks!