Advice on buying 2008 STI hatchback?
 

I've been out of the Subaru scene after selling my 2003 v-limited JDM STI.
I really like the look of the 2008 on hatchback shape and don't really have the funds for a JDM 2008 on Hatch model as they're around the 20k mark and I have more in the region of 13k so I can afford a uk spec 2.5. And after reading the forum about 2.5 engine failures I'm a bit dubious but I really want one. If the ones I am looking at have done around 20-40k miles will the engine problems be less prone?
Are there any other things I need to look out for and is there any similarities between my old JDM i.e. AVCS heads, nitrided crank and stronger internals etc. or are the 2.5 uk engine really as bad as I've read? And why haven't they been recalled by Subaru, surely that has got to have affected customers trust in them.
I have been driving a Range Rover Sport 3.6 TDV8 and it's time to get back in a Subaru. Any advice from anyone who currently own a 2.5 uk spec STI who haven't had any problems would certainly put my mind at ease:thumb:

I'm a big fan of the hatch but I understand many of the criticisms levelled at it. They can be easily sorted though :)

Anecdotally, it would appear that the stock 2.5 engines are prone to ring land failures but it is quite difficult to get any hard figures. Ultimately if you buy a second hand performance car (some of the hatches are coming up to five years old) you're going to get a big bill sooner or later.

If you're really worried about a big failure you could buy one and then forge it, but you could also have a look at some of the newage 2.0 UK or JDM cars as there are a lot of really nice ones available.

....or buy one that has had it's failure and has been repaired?

Or buy something else and not worry that every time you drive it it might blow up!

I currently own a 2008 hatchback. I bought it with high mileage (approx 70k). Its was totally standard when I bought it about 3 years ago. Its currently modified - including AFP td05-20g, FMIC, 3" exhaust etc and running approx 380 bhp. Its now at jusy over 99k and has been at that power for the last 2 years and 20k miles

Touch wood I have not had any engine issues but know its somewhere near the limit. They are a great daily driver car and as far as I can see they CAN be reliable as long as you keep up the servicing and know the limits of the engine (which goes for any performance car anyway).

If you really want one then go for it. There are a few out there for well under your budget so will have a bit left over if you do want to forge the engine and go for big power.

Hope this helps

I have the 2.5 in my Hawkeye and regularly kick its head in with no problems I think the failures you hear of haven't been looked after properly or tuned too far.

I'd go for one that had been electively forged.

I wouldn't trust a rebuild following a failure unless they'd literally gone to town on it.

*touch wood* my 330s is still fine :) now on 23500 miles from new (Jan 2009)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neoquip/8420796207/http://www.flickr.com/photos/neoquip/8420796207/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/neoquip/, on Flickr
(on my winter alloys BTW ;) )

Hi mate,

I've had my 2008 sti Hatch for 2 years now and normally get a new car every 18 mths however I'm keeping the hatch as its been a great drive and I'd really recommend them having previously owned the Hawkeye etc.....

The engine failures are not a direct link to folk not looking after them or not being serviced or too highly tuned - I've known folk like myself who frequently service and they've had no mods and the engine has gone 'pop'......some at 12k!!

Mines is on 45k and not one bit of problem with it (touch wood) however since I've just recently decided to keep the car for another 2 years its going in for engine forged next month to ensure I have peace of mind for the other few years I own.

shock!!!! you kill me mate

i have had a 330s for near on a year, covered 9k and its not used a drop of oil and has been a fantastic car. dont get me wrong they do suffer from issues and yes there are no real proof points of which go pop. some go that are std and have covered low miles where some are on tweaked mods with high miles and are fine. its with everything you only hear the horror stories and from the haters.

i would go for one as the 2.5 is a great engine for the road and everyday driving. just be prepared that it may go and at some point you may be looking at a basic forged rebuild which is 2.5k

I bought my hatch with 13500 miles on it and at 26500 it suffered ringland failure, so i opted for RCM branded omega pistons to cure it and its been grand since.

This is the statement I keep reading that makes me laugh....

Niot everyone has £2.5K lying around to spend on a potential rebuild.

Even if they have here's the simple maths

Option A buy another car for £13K and in 3 years it will be worth £6K say. Total outlay £7K

Option B buy a hatch STI for £13K and if the engine goes bang throw in £2.5K for a rebuld and when it's 3 years old it's still worth £6K ... total outlay £9.5K!!! Not including out of pocket expenses while the car is rebuilt!!

I am not being deliberately anti hatch here, but surely you'd rather go with option A if it's your daily driver and you are around the £13K mark as otherwise you risk losing nearly another 50% over a more reliable car even if you have the money to throw at it.

Mate I can fully appreciate your side of the coin. Yet what makes me and many others on here chuckle with the anti hatch haters or 2.5 haters is you all say that it WILL go pop etc yet there are plenty out there from 06 onwards that are still going strong so in my book its not WILL it is IF it goes pop

Ahem

It's not when, but it is if and that thread at the top of this forum is enough to send me elsewhere..... after all you still need the £2.5K there just in case which is what everyone keeps saying. If you ain't got it, you ain't got it no matter what the probability!

might not be your cup of tea,,, but try and have a go in a e39 M5,you can probably pick up a 2000+ facelift with 100k at half your budget with practically no depreciation value down the road, very,very fast and very refined. I went from a blobeye sti to one of these and LOVE IT :thumb:

i think he has done beemers knowin rick :lol1: he has been a big ford man:luxhello:

That looks mint in white

Still very much like my hatch & couldn't see myself parting with it, even after the engine trouble it gave.
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...58238905_n.jpg

Alright Nick how's things pal:thumb:Yes I am a bit of a ford man but I like my series 1s but more for storing in a garage and never driving lol. And I've had BMW and had issues with electrical faults galore so they have put me off for life and I even had a Range Rover Sport which was a stunning drive but sufferered air suspension issues so I don't have much luck with cars and I really like Subarus and I've still got the bug and like the Hatch and I've decided I'm going to spend around another 3k and raise my budget to 16k and I'm currently looking at a 330s with low miles and full history and had a qoute to spend a further 3k to forge it after the wedding of course. Really appreciate everyone's advice:thumb:

It is a worry. I had my Hatch 4 years, treated it like a baby and passed it on with 13,000 miles on the clock. No issues whilst with me but it popped the engine some months after the new guy took delivery.

It had PPP fitted but other than that it had five Subaru services in the book, used no oil and i genuinely feel it couldn't have been looked after any better. It's a myth that they only pop if they have been abused or heavily modified. With the exception of the engine worries, i found the Hatch to be a great car and enjoyed all four years of ownership.

Hi I was just wondering what are the sort of costs involved in having the engine forged?

Ive had 3 qoutes from scooby clinic, API, and Roger Clark
You can drive in and drive out with forged pistons for around the £2.5k mark but I am spending well over £5k after my wedding in November to have mine forged plus other stuff done for upto 450bhp
I've not had any issues with my 330s and had it nearly a month and I love it,
I've just had the full geometry set up done today by scoobyclinic and it is a million times more responsive into the twistys:thumb:

The problem though Steve is that there are way too many that have had problems for this not to be recognised as a major issue. This is a major problem and quite an expensive one if it comes to fruition.

MY11 Saloon engines are also starting to join the list of engines failing so even though the dealers would have you believe it's all been sorted (I know that is going around as I was told it not too many weeks ago by a dealer) it really is quite a worrying situation for potential buyers.

We all thought the P1 engine issues were bad but this is on a much larger scale.

My friend bought a MY08 a few weeks ago.... I advised him against i (as in buying a 2.5 full stop, not the actual car he bought which is very nice). Guess what.... post buying we find out it's had it's pistons and rods done under IM warranty.

I personally know more people who have had problems, than those who haven't..... and I'm on about people that a doing some real world mileages in a number of years.

If a standard engine (on a number of instances) can't piss 150k miles without failure (on the whole) there is something completely wrong on a very very basic and fundamental level in this day and age.

Utilising a 2ltr block and using it to home 2.5ltrs tells you a story straight away and that's without even considering crap pistons, head clamping issues and mapping problems.

You can't polish a turd...... but you can stick diamonds on it.

It's a real shame.

Scoobyclinic looks really good, does anyone know any worth while places to take my 2008 hatchback in Hertfordshire? I want to get a ring land fracture test done and the geometry set up sounds worth while. I'm just not sure of any good garages around here.

go up to ScoobyClinic, they'll put you right at a price you'd be happy with.

As this is a car modifiers forum I'm amazed you're all wetting yourselves about rebuilding an engine!
The OP has a Range Rover. I love these cars but they go wrong the whole time. Nobody cares as they like them! I've had three and I'll have another when I move the X5 on.
The Hatch is great. We've fixed plenty and they stay fixed. Lighten up..

Alan you really are "special"!

Why thank you Shaun! I'm flattered, it also explains why you tried to add me on Facebook..

As usual, I'm always here ready to dispense a bit of common sense advice.
:thumb:

You can have my 09 sti hatch for £10500!

Alan you have a vested interest in these cars popping and therefore have a slightly biased view. It is a Subaru forum and Shaun has summed the situation up well. It's nothing short of a disgrace that owners are almost forced to spend thousands to have a car that won't blow up.

Subaru have put a big old nail in there coffin with this and have even gone as far as to give it a couple of knocks with a lump hammer. The BRZ wont save them and that was there only real hope for the future.