2016 SUBARU LEGACY

Typical onset: 50,000-120,000 mi

Symptoms: burning through 1+ quart every 1,000-1,500 miles, blue smoke from exhaust on cold start or acceleration, fouled spark plugs causing misfires, check engine light with P0301-P0304 codes

Fix: Subaru issued extended warranty (TSB 02-157-18R) but many fall outside coverage. Proper fix requires short block replacement or complete engine rebuild with updated pistons and rings. 18-24 labor hours for short block swap.

Estimated cost: $4,500-7,500

Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi

Symptoms: transmission fluid leaking from front of vehicle, sudden loss of drive power, overheating transmission warnings, metal shavings in CVT fluid pan

Fix: Cooler lines corrode and rupture internally, contaminating CVT fluid and damaging valve body. Requires new cooler assembly, lines, valve body, and complete fluid flush. Sometimes full CVT replacement if debris circulated too long. 8-12 hours labor for cooler/valve body, 14-18 for full CVT.

Estimated cost: $2,800-5,200

Typical onset: 70,000-130,000 mi

Symptoms: vibration or shudder between 20-50 mph under light acceleration, hesitation when merging or climbing hills, rough engagement from stop, whining or grinding noise from transmission

Fix: Valve body wear or torque converter issues cause this. Fluid replacement with Subaru High Torque CVT fluid (not generic) sometimes helps temporarily. Real fix is valve body replacement or torque converter work. 6-10 labor hours.

Estimated cost: $1,800-3,500

Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi

Symptoms: external coolant weeping from cylinder head mating surfaces, slow coolant loss without visible leaks underneath, sweet smell from engine bay, white residue near head gasket area

Fix: Not the catastrophic failures of older EJ engines, but EZ36 can still seep externally. Both heads need to be pulled, surfaces cleaned, new MLS gaskets installed. Timing chains must come off. 16-20 labor hours for both sides.

Estimated cost: $3,200-4,800

Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi

Symptoms: clunking or vibration from underneath at highway speeds, noise increases with acceleration, vibration felt through seat at 60-70 mph, rubber boot torn or bearing play visible on inspection

Fix: The two-piece driveshaft's center carrier bearing wears out. Covered under NHTSA recall 15V-568 for some VINs, but many fall outside range. Requires driveshaft removal and carrier bearing replacement or full driveshaft assembly. 2-3 labor hours.

Estimated cost: $450-850

Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi

Symptoms: clicking or clunking when turning wheel at low speeds, noise from steering column area during parking maneuvers, slight binding or notchy feel in steering, noise more pronounced in cold weather

Fix: Steering column universal joint wears and needs lubrication or replacement. Recall 17V-074 covers some units for intermediate shaft replacement. DIY grease injection sometimes temporary fix. Full shaft replacement is 1.5-2.5 hours.

Estimated cost: $350-650

Symptoms: random no-start conditions, engine stalls while driving without warning, fuel pump not priming on ignition, P0230 or P0231 fuel pump circuit codes

Fix: Control module in fuel pump assembly fails, leaving you stranded. Requires fuel tank drop and pump assembly replacement. Subaru issued TSB for programming update but hardware failure still occurs. 3-4 labor hours.

Estimated cost: $800-1,400