Originally Posted by CR94
It's not a myth. More like 7 years, assuming the current generation proves ok. One of my friends had a 2000 Forester, which manifested the typical head-gasket problem somewhere beyond 100k miles. He solved that issue by buying a new one, 2012 or so.
The old pushrod Subarus had head gasket issues too, among other serious engine flaws, circa 1973-76. Mine (listed below), being a '72, didn't. My parents' , which was a '74, had troubles only after my mother sold it to a family friend.
Considering that the "official" replacement head gasket that you get from a Subaru dealer is still the same as the revised MLS gasket that came out somewhere around 2006, I'm going to stand by my statement of "at least 10 years, maybe more." The only real problem was that the original engineers did not require MLS gaskets in the first place. If the beancounters hadn't tried to save a couple bucks, there likely would have NEVER been a "Subaru head gasket issue" as we historically know it. Yes, the boxer design has its challenges. But when the proper technologies are used, it is a non-issue.