STi hatch, bad idea???
 

Hi all, been a couple of years since my last impreza, i have previously owned a bug WRX and a blob STi and i am currently contemplating buying a STi hatchback, i have read all the horror stories about the engines but i am after some genuine owners advice, are they that bad? i have seen a few for sale with 50-70k on the clock and from what i have read a lot of the engines went pop really early in the cars life, should i be concerned as i really don't want to have to fork out on rebuilding an engine soon after purchase, or is it just a case of finding a good one with history and looking after it correctly, i would have no plans to modify the car and it would be my weekend car only. Cheers for any input.

Try finding one that's had work done, removing any of that doubt and giving you peace of mind.

What's your budget?

I would be looking at around 13.5k, i also looked at the WRX-S but would probably only end up wishing i had bought an STi.

As above look for one already forged or have a few pound set aside in case it needs a rebuild 13k will get you a decent hatch sti
Alternatively you could buy a jdm model which comes with 2lite engine but these are a lot more expensive to buy

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Imp...EAAOSw3v5YnNDe

This one is 14.5k but might take less, decent spec. Fully forged.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Imp...MAAOSwB09YQLhe

JDM i wonder how much it will sell for.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-0-Subaru...0AAOSwB-1YqhkM

Another forged one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Imp...oAAOSwt5hYd1hT

The 2nd one at 14.5k I would have probably bought if it was up for sale when I bought my one. Great spec, you're spoilt for choice really.

I had the same concerns going from my blob sti to hatch sti. I spent time looking and got a forged one all documented so I knew what parts had be used etc to give me some comfort. It's my daily drive and I love it, fuel consumption seems a lot worst than the blob but guess that's just part of it and if it's weekends only you won't even notice 👍🏻

First one has forged pistons.no mention of forged rods!

Luck of the draw I guess. Some people have problems some have none at all. But I think most problems are due to a bad map or running to much through the engine without the supporting mods. It's not just Subaru's it happens to, mate has a skyline and a piston went on that. But I wouldn't worry too much if you are keeping it standard.

Try and find a JDM hatch, no engine issues.

Have to agree TRY and get a car with NO mods and low mileage ! I looked for months before buying as i was in the same boat as you.
Check with the dealers that the car has had all recalls done in case it was running with a bad map. Every subaru will look after you as long as you look after it.

To true @big-kev. Good servicing decent oil etc will help you along the way definitely aswell. If you do go for a map, use someone with a good reputation. They are great cars when looked after properly.

Has Subaru ever commented about this mass issue?

Love my hatchback and the 2.5 is awesome once properly rebuilt

I never said it was. The fully forged comment was referring to the second one on the list.

As for just having forged pistons that's a good start regarding the issues of ringland failure.

I know we all fear that engine failure but is the 2.5 that bad of an engine ? or is it the usual give it a bad name and ****e sticks ?
Just outa curiosity how may hatch owners have had to get a rebuild ? Are the engines failing due to the owners pushing the car to hard or as mentioned modifications/servicing etc.

I never liked the hatch or the 2.5 just because of the bad rep it had but i wasnt willing to pay 10k plus for a 10 to 12 yr old scooby so took a chance and bought a 2009 sti and i love it !

I'd be looking at something far more special for a weekend only car! A Scoob is fun but not an event! I'd probably put an MX5 in front of an Impreza for a weekend ride!

Only 62 pages and two fingers from IM UK.

https://www.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-...-failures.html

And the engineering reasons the 2.5 is not great.

http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticl...That-Suck.aspx

I can't say whether or not the 2.5 is fragile, as I don't have enough experiences of it....but the comments in that article demonstrate nothing.

He mentions the compression ring being too high, then shows a picture of a piston with seizure marks and the top ring land still intact (and yes, I saw the second land was broken, but the article implied it was the top land that fails). That ringland failure looks like a result of a failure, not the cause of a failure.

He then talks about pump gas, overzealous tuning and 7500 rpm causing failures.......

Well, duh :wonder: no surprise there....

The 2.5 may or may not be fragile, but that article is a crock of sh1t.

(I am not having a go at you Trooper, I just hate these internet "expert" articles that are poorly cobbled together).

I have 3 kids and a Mrs that I still need to cart about and would also do the occasional trip down to Skegness in the car. I just think it would be practical and fun when I wanted, as someone else has stated I didn't want to spend my budget on a 12 year plus old car, I just feel the hatch is a more modern alternative and I do like them to look at, the rear end has grown on me over time!!

Well...
 

TBH to spend 13k on a used Sti hatch is madness unless rebuilt. Having one from new and it failing at 16k no mods and never abused I speak from experience.

I personally think more than 40% of the early 2008-2010 hatches failed ... it was well past 20% (that's one in every five !) by 2010. It was a pandemic.

Lovely cars but really s---e engines ... forged only unless you won't listen.

And then not the 'drop in pistons' half fix - I'd want a complete forged build BUT these are only safe to400/420 bhp. More than that and it's only s matter of time. My expensive forged reputable build @450 lasted another 43k miles until the little ends spun a bearing and minced the whole engine.

Fact is the 2.5 is not a good engine to play with. JDM is the best way to go.

Sorry to rain in your parade. You'd get a nice Evo for that. Lol.

Just out of interest did the '11' plates and later saloons suffer the same issues? I agree upon reading the comments that a rebuilt car would be the way to go.

I've got a hatch and I've got no record of mine having a problem (touch wood) and it's on 72,000.

its how how people treat them I think mate.

I think for the price of them you're as well going for a forged one. They seem to be around the 13-15k mark which is the price bracket mine was in as well.

Did they sort the engines by the '11' plates then? I am only asking as I don't intend to modify, so if the later cars were ok would I be better opting for one of those as I would end up with a newer car for my money?

I agree partly mate;)but i have 3 mates that have had Subaru Hatch's and all three cars required forged rebuilds and not by choice,,,,,and one of them babied his car like mad oil and filter changes every 5 months whether the car needed doing or not and it still let go, their was a design fault in the makeup of that series/model hatch engine whether Subaru admit it or not...SJ.

I do agree that if you can afford a rebuild it's a good way to go. My mate had to have his skyline forged because a piston went after the previous guy basically put mods on it without putting it in for a remap. Was your mates cars standard or was they heavily modified ?

Unless you have had it from new or checked its history documentation details you cannot tell.


I had one customers car in for a forged build & he said its never had any work done other than servicing, when checked properly it had had pistons 2 & 4 replaced at 16,000 miles, then at 31,000 it had had a replacement short engine all under its warranty, this was an early 08 car, which are the worst for failure, that said I have also had a couple of 2012's & a 2013 with failed ringlands at very low miles.

Yeah all were modified,but not to the extent that I would of thought that they would need to worry about it,i.e...exhaust,filter,remap...one had a turbo change as well....at the time he asked me for advice I told him a turbo change"SC42 BILLET"without a forged rebuild on his hatch 2.5 would be dancing with the devil two months later he found out that I was right:brickwall.SJ.

Hmmm!. I can imagine they was glad to find out that 2 and 4 had been replaced in its early life, I would be if that happened to me too be honest. I'd definitely contemplate having forged pistons put in mine to be honest just to be safe.