Censoring for "passing gas" word? Isn't that being a bit silly! somebody making fun of the kind of car I mentioned in a post is OK?
Most common internal engine failure
- Thread starter OilUzer
- Start date
- Status
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
Depends really on engine family. Each one essentially has its own "most common" failure mode, almost always where a penny-pincher smacked an engineer's hand.
Subaru EJ- head gaskets
Ford EcoBoost- water pump (undiagnosed failure will ruin the engine from internal coolant leakage).
Both were embarrassments but Subaru fixed their design flaw 10 years ago and offered a 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty. Ford continues to sell their bad design w/o owner protection.
Another example is the Honda 1.5 turbo fuel dilution problem.
Depends really on engine family. Each one essentially has its own "most common" failure mode, almost always where a penny-pincher smacked an engineer's hand.
Subaru EJ- head gaskets
Ford EcoBoost- water pump (undiagnosed failure will ruin the engine from internal coolant leakage).
Both were embarrassments but Subaru fixed their design flaw 10 years ago and offered a 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty. Ford continues to sell their bad design w/o owner protection.
Another example is the Honda 1.5 turbo fuel dilution problem.
The infamous GM AFM issue with the fancy lifters crapping out in the LS AFM engines. This was their variable displacement system. I heard it was sorted out by 2014.
Last edited:
Originally Posted by ondarvr
Subaru changed the head design and gasket, they still leak, but in a different way. Now it's an external leak.
Almost forgot the bad valve spring fiasco on the Crosstrek, then the CVTs
Just curious, but have you ever actually owned a Subie?
If not, then this internet amplified nonsense is a bit offensive to those of us who have and do.
If you've not had the experience, then you really don't have any point to make.
For the record, Subarus are solid cars with class leading AWD.
Those who've owned them understand this.
Subaru changed the head design and gasket, they still leak, but in a different way. Now it's an external leak.
Almost forgot the bad valve spring fiasco on the Crosstrek, then the CVTs
Just curious, but have you ever actually owned a Subie?
If not, then this internet amplified nonsense is a bit offensive to those of us who have and do.
If you've not had the experience, then you really don't have any point to make.
For the record, Subarus are solid cars with class leading AWD.
Those who've owned them understand this.
Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by ondarvr
Subaru changed the head design and gasket, they still leak, but in a different way. Now it's an external leak.
Almost forgot the bad valve spring fiasco on the Crosstrek, then the CVTs
Just curious, but have you ever actually owned a Subie?
If not, then this internet amplified nonsense is a bit offensive to those of us who have and do.
If you've not had the experience, then you really don't have any point to make.
For the record, Subarus are solid cars with class leading AWD.
Those who've owned them understand this.
Is his post inaccurate?
Originally Posted by ondarvr
Subaru changed the head design and gasket, they still leak, but in a different way. Now it's an external leak.
Almost forgot the bad valve spring fiasco on the Crosstrek, then the CVTs
Just curious, but have you ever actually owned a Subie?
If not, then this internet amplified nonsense is a bit offensive to those of us who have and do.
If you've not had the experience, then you really don't have any point to make.
For the record, Subarus are solid cars with class leading AWD.
Those who've owned them understand this.
Is his post inaccurate?
Originally Posted by wdn
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
Depends really on engine family. Each one essentially has its own "most common" failure mode, almost always where a penny-pincher smacked an engineer's hand.
Subaru EJ- head gaskets
Ford EcoBoost- water pump (undiagnosed failure will ruin the engine from internal coolant leakage).
Both were embarrassments but Subaru fixed their design flaw 10 years ago and offered a 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty. Ford continues to sell their bad design w/o owner protection.
Another example is the Honda 1.5 turbo fuel dilution problem.
Ford no longer sells them as the transverse cyclone v6 vehicles are all gone. The sho with the 3.5 EB was discontinued and the explorer and edge both got different engine options at the last redesign.
Also I don't know why everyone is so concerned about that water pump the failure rate is minimal. If you want to point out a poor Ford design look at the 5.4 3 valve especially the early ones.
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
Depends really on engine family. Each one essentially has its own "most common" failure mode, almost always where a penny-pincher smacked an engineer's hand.
Subaru EJ- head gaskets
Ford EcoBoost- water pump (undiagnosed failure will ruin the engine from internal coolant leakage).
Both were embarrassments but Subaru fixed their design flaw 10 years ago and offered a 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty. Ford continues to sell their bad design w/o owner protection.
Another example is the Honda 1.5 turbo fuel dilution problem.
Ford no longer sells them as the transverse cyclone v6 vehicles are all gone. The sho with the 3.5 EB was discontinued and the explorer and edge both got different engine options at the last redesign.
Also I don't know why everyone is so concerned about that water pump the failure rate is minimal. If you want to point out a poor Ford design look at the 5.4 3 valve especially the early ones.
Last edited:
Subaru completely redesigned their engine in 2017 and went to a directed injected engine that is 80% different parts than the previous 2016 model. It is in its 4th model year now. They have not had head gasket issues on the new engine. So yes, its post is inaccurate on that.
Almost forgot the bad valve spring fiasco on the Crosstrek, then the CVTs[/quote]
Just curious, but have you ever actually owned a Subie?
If not, then this internet amplified nonsense is a bit offensive to those of us who have and do.
If you've not had the experience, then you really don't have any point to make.
For the record, Subarus are solid cars with class leading AWD.
Those who've owned them understand this.
[/quote]
Yes, several, had to do the head gaskets twice on one of them, and once on another, sold the others before it became a problem. Typical head gasket job is around $2,800 if done correctly, but one cost me $4,800. Transmission, transfer case, lots of tires, plus a few other costly repairs.
It was a love-hate relationship, they drove great, handled any kind of bad road conditions with ease. But mileage wasn't that good, some went through tires quickly, and the constant threat of head gasket problems.
Just sold the last Subaru and switched to a very low mileage 2016 CRV, last model without a turbo (LX didn't have a turbo for a couple more years, but we wanted a touring).
The last Subaru had a turbo and they tend to self destruct and take the motor with it. I asked the dealer about replacing the turbo as preventative maintenance, said he would need to look up the cost of just replacing a turbo because it was rare. He knew the cost of replacing the turbo and motor together off the top of his head though.
I did a great deal of research before getting the CRV. The problem is car technology is changing so rapidly they don't have time to work out all the bugs before a totally redesigned new model is on the lot.
All manufacturers are having problems.
Just curious, but have you ever actually owned a Subie?
If not, then this internet amplified nonsense is a bit offensive to those of us who have and do.
If you've not had the experience, then you really don't have any point to make.
For the record, Subarus are solid cars with class leading AWD.
Those who've owned them understand this.
[/quote]
Yes, several, had to do the head gaskets twice on one of them, and once on another, sold the others before it became a problem. Typical head gasket job is around $2,800 if done correctly, but one cost me $4,800. Transmission, transfer case, lots of tires, plus a few other costly repairs.
It was a love-hate relationship, they drove great, handled any kind of bad road conditions with ease. But mileage wasn't that good, some went through tires quickly, and the constant threat of head gasket problems.
Just sold the last Subaru and switched to a very low mileage 2016 CRV, last model without a turbo (LX didn't have a turbo for a couple more years, but we wanted a touring).
The last Subaru had a turbo and they tend to self destruct and take the motor with it. I asked the dealer about replacing the turbo as preventative maintenance, said he would need to look up the cost of just replacing a turbo because it was rare. He knew the cost of replacing the turbo and motor together off the top of his head though.
I did a great deal of research before getting the CRV. The problem is car technology is changing so rapidly they don't have time to work out all the bugs before a totally redesigned new model is on the lot.
All manufacturers are having problems.
Triton engines repeatedly blowing spark plugs out of the block was a bizarre and a terrible Ford design but not an engine destroyer, and the topic is common causes of engine failure. The expense to repair them aside.
Risk = rate x cost, so even if the failure rate on Ford water pumps is no worse than industry average, the cost was catastrophic when it happened and took out your engine. Even if caught in time a $1,500 water pump replacementp is tought to take.
Chevy Ecotec 2.4 blowing out the rear main seal due to a $10 PCV blockage another one to add to the list, if we take recent to include within the past 6 years.
Risk = rate x cost, so even if the failure rate on Ford water pumps is no worse than industry average, the cost was catastrophic when it happened and took out your engine. Even if caught in time a $1,500 water pump replacementp is tought to take.
Chevy Ecotec 2.4 blowing out the rear main seal due to a $10 PCV blockage another one to add to the list, if we take recent to include within the past 6 years.
Engines are pretty good these days, I would say the most *common* failure would be due to neglect (overheating, no oil) or just operator error (not reading gauges). A friend is a manager at a quick lube, he says the number of neglected cars that come through with zero oil in them or not much more than a quart is staggering. They always have to make note of it on the receipt and notify the customer so they aren't liable for damage. Some of them are fairly new cars.
Originally Posted by ondarvr
The problem is car technology is changing so rapidly they don't have time to work out all the bugs before a totally redesigned new model is on the lot.
All manufacturers are having problems.
Exactly why I got the 2017 Camry in my sig as DD. Yea, it's basic, and doesn't drive the best for the money. But it's MPI, bulletproof 6-speed. No DI, no turbo, no start/stop, no crazy 10-speed or CVT. Many Camrys with this powertrain have made 300k without issue. I own it outright with just 4,500 miles on it and hope to get at LEAST 10 years out of it. Only putting 6k a year on it right now, so possibly more.
The problem is car technology is changing so rapidly they don't have time to work out all the bugs before a totally redesigned new model is on the lot.
All manufacturers are having problems.
Exactly why I got the 2017 Camry in my sig as DD. Yea, it's basic, and doesn't drive the best for the money. But it's MPI, bulletproof 6-speed. No DI, no turbo, no start/stop, no crazy 10-speed or CVT. Many Camrys with this powertrain have made 300k without issue. I own it outright with just 4,500 miles on it and hope to get at LEAST 10 years out of it. Only putting 6k a year on it right now, so possibly more.
Originally Posted by wdn
Triton engines repeatedly blowing spark plugs out of the block was a bizarre and a terrible Ford design but not an engine destroyer, and the topic is common causes of engine failure. The expense to repair them aside.
Risk = rate x cost, so even if the failure rate on Ford water pumps is no worse than industry average, the cost was catastrophic when it happened and took out your engine. Even if caught in time a $1,500 water pump replacementp is tought to take.
Chevy Ecotec 2.4 blowing out the rear main seal due to a $10 PCV blockage another one to add to the list, if we take recent to include within the past 6 years.
I'm not talking about the 2 valve 5.4's blowing plugs out. I'm talking about a lack of lubrication to the top end of the 5.4 3 valve due to blown tensioner seals. It is catastrophic if not dealt with in time. As the metal shavings from cam/head wear makes their way through the engine. I guess the fact that the noise on start up is ignored for months before total failure could be enough to exclude it from this conversation. I just know that I have seen that cause total engine failure more times than the water pump on the 3/5/3.7's.
Triton engines repeatedly blowing spark plugs out of the block was a bizarre and a terrible Ford design but not an engine destroyer, and the topic is common causes of engine failure. The expense to repair them aside.
Risk = rate x cost, so even if the failure rate on Ford water pumps is no worse than industry average, the cost was catastrophic when it happened and took out your engine. Even if caught in time a $1,500 water pump replacementp is tought to take.
Chevy Ecotec 2.4 blowing out the rear main seal due to a $10 PCV blockage another one to add to the list, if we take recent to include within the past 6 years.
I'm not talking about the 2 valve 5.4's blowing plugs out. I'm talking about a lack of lubrication to the top end of the 5.4 3 valve due to blown tensioner seals. It is catastrophic if not dealt with in time. As the metal shavings from cam/head wear makes their way through the engine. I guess the fact that the noise on start up is ignored for months before total failure could be enough to exclude it from this conversation. I just know that I have seen that cause total engine failure more times than the water pump on the 3/5/3.7's.
I've had three of the 5.4 tritons that were in the style of blown plugs. Only my current one blew plugs, and it's blown 2.
The repair kit for all eight cylinders was $250 and it's an amazingly simple repair. It actually does take longer to round up the tools than do the repair.
Compared to the newer engines it's simple and cheap to work on. I keep it for this reason. I don't put many miles on it, it goes months without being started.
The repair kit for all eight cylinders was $250 and it's an amazingly simple repair. It actually does take longer to round up the tools than do the repair.
Compared to the newer engines it's simple and cheap to work on. I keep it for this reason. I don't put many miles on it, it goes months without being started.
from what I read -its timming chain failures. with todays complex engines we would be better off with timming belts and I never thought I would say this. its chronic with gm and ford especially
Sorry you had such bad experience with your Subarus.
We've had four of them and have yet to have any problems not easily and cheaply fixed.
Not a head gasket failure in the bunch and no tranny problems at all.
The new design engine and the CVT the '17 has even cured the excessive fuel consumption that the earlier cars all had.
If we'd have had the bad service from our Subarus that you experienced, we'd not currently have a couple in the extended family fleet.
We've had four of them and have yet to have any problems not easily and cheaply fixed.
Not a head gasket failure in the bunch and no tranny problems at all.
The new design engine and the CVT the '17 has even cured the excessive fuel consumption that the earlier cars all had.
If we'd have had the bad service from our Subarus that you experienced, we'd not currently have a couple in the extended family fleet.
Last edited:
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
Engines are pretty good these days, I would say the most *common* failure would be due to neglect (overheating, no oil) or just operator error (not reading gauges). A friend is a manager at a quick lube, he says the number of neglected cars that come through with zero oil in them or not much more than a quart is staggering. They always have to make note of it on the receipt and notify the customer so they aren't liable for damage. Some of them are fairly new cars.
This is true I'd bet ^^^^^^^^
In July of 2017 saw a number of vehicles on the side of the road on interstate 95 that clearly either had overheated or the motor was shot from no oil in them.... And many of these vehicles were not old either.
Engines are pretty good these days, I would say the most *common* failure would be due to neglect (overheating, no oil) or just operator error (not reading gauges). A friend is a manager at a quick lube, he says the number of neglected cars that come through with zero oil in them or not much more than a quart is staggering. They always have to make note of it on the receipt and notify the customer so they aren't liable for damage. Some of them are fairly new cars.
This is true I'd bet ^^^^^^^^
In July of 2017 saw a number of vehicles on the side of the road on interstate 95 that clearly either had overheated or the motor was shot from no oil in them.... And many of these vehicles were not old either.
Nice thread ! First off it depends on what you mean by failure. Is it a problem that causes it to stop with no real damage and is an easy quick fix? Or is it a problem that causes destruction, that may require replacement?
It does seem to vary with engine type and manufacture name plate, as well as the year. Like the huge sludging problems in the 2002 area, though some may still have that. Mercedes and BMW had a rash of troubles some from timing chains and others bearings.
And like mentioned the subaru troubles. Porsche has had some problems too. I kind of agree with super20dan that timing chains seem to be a bad idea on OHC engines, they worked better on the good old push rod stuff in the past.
It does seem to vary with engine type and manufacture name plate, as well as the year. Like the huge sludging problems in the 2002 area, though some may still have that. Mercedes and BMW had a rash of troubles some from timing chains and others bearings.
And like mentioned the subaru troubles. Porsche has had some problems too. I kind of agree with super20dan that timing chains seem to be a bad idea on OHC engines, they worked better on the good old push rod stuff in the past.
- Status
Similar threads
