As above..

It's all very well all these high mileage UK cars and wrx's but what about the Jap import sti's?

I quite fancy a 3 door STi version 4 or 5 but a lot of the ads I see mention the dreaded rebuild. Now I know the maf's are mostly to blame so a knocklink to let you know when they go should be a safe bet but I'm concerned about a rebuilt engine as in my experience they never seem to last as long as the factory build.

I've seen lot's of threads on here about sti engines going and no. 3 piston etc..

Lets hear from some happy sti owners with tails of reliability to get me well up for one sign in below..

 

21 months and no problems on my MY03 JDM STi
Most faults on these cars are due to running the wrong type of fuel, bad mods, bad servicing or just bad luck.
If you take the precautions you should be ok, they are as reliable as the next scoob

Tony

 

ITS LIKE ANYTHING THAT YOU BUY,STANDARD THE STI WILL GO FOR EVER as long as you service it !! BUT LIKE MOST OF US WE START ADDING UPRATED
BITS FOR MORE POWER.SO THE ENGINE CAN"T COPE WITH THE EXTRA BOOST.SO WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR ENGINE IS UP TO YOU.

 

Hope I'm not tempting fate but I've now had my sti v6 for 26 months and the only thing that has gone wrong so far is the MAF.

 

I had my version 6 WRX STi JDM classic on a 99 plate from brand new 6 years, only sold it 4 weeks ago, I changed the battery and 2 number plate bulbs in that time,
nuff said about JDM's


now waiting for my06 JDM to arrive which I've ordered.

 

That's cheating Tony

This is just it, from some of the threads I've seen on here even standard cars lunch no. 3 But considering their rareity compared to the wrx there are a far greater percentage of faliures from what I've read. I recall quite a long thread about P1's dying.

How did you know the MAF had gone? From what I've read in the past a lot of lean running faliures were due to maf's dying. Did you have a knocklink?

 

Rock solid.. change the oil every 5k with fully synth. Look after them and they keep you grinning

 

2dr version 4 with mods and not one prob at all!!

 

On my 7th impreza since 1995, 2 uk (the first one being a full prodrive but with grpN box etc.), 4 jdm WRX's and now a UK STi8.

The only problems I have had is having to change a MAF on the MY99 WRX.
I had piston slap on the UK MY98 at 18k miles, fixed under warranty. This car is now upto 140,000miles without a hiccup. I blew a turbo on my 1st WRX, but that was me and the M58 .... the M58 won

 

Ive owned an sti type r (2dr) for 18months now.. gone from 25k on clock to 46k. mods too running about 370-380bhp. no problems so far touch wood....

regular servicing is vital as well as letting the car warm up and down properley...

 

agreed completely, warm up and down are probably the 2 most key things to keeping ur engine sweet

 

Had my sti 4 (my98) for 19 months. Always run on optimax, mobil 1 15w50 every 3k, was at 60k when I bought it, now at 71k, service it myself. Standard apart from 3' cat back H&S exhaust. Only problem I had was a cracked brake disc. If looked after as there are supposed to be, they're solid as a rock.

 

Usual sign of a knackered MAF is uneven idling .... revs rising to 12-1300rpm and then dropping right down almost to stalling, back up to 12-1300rpm again and so on ....

Dosent happen all the time, can be very intermittent .... BUT as soon as it happens, get your MAF checked out!

Dosent always cause a major problem and its only 75 quid to replace but ignore it, hammer your car and it will cause the fuel to lean off and .... BANG!! .... new engine required!

Very common on 99 model cars!

 

fuel is vital too.. always run on optimax and ob

 

or 114ron and 95ron, i find better than any booster

 

The M58........a great place for testing

 

what sort of mix do u use it at??? and how much is it and can any1 order it?

 

Stick to Optimax and OB.

 

Some good news then, no horror stories as yet

I've got a lot of mechanical sympathy with my cars and I service them myself. At the moment I've got an Evo but allways fancied a 3 door type R.

I fancy the adjustable diff idea for some more tail biased fun

 

STI8 - Ive had her 7 months, shes 333bhp and omre reliable (so far) than any other car ive driven. She has done 17000 miles in that time.

My only problems are: Rattle behind stereo, Vibration rattle through steering wheel even after 4 wheel lazer allignment. Metal scrapping noising on high acceleration, Metal rattle noise when driven at top end. Subaru cant work out any of the problems even after having the car for 3 days.

 

Ive had my Sti version 5 for over a year now and only problem been the air flow sensor nackered.

Before you ask how i knew it was the air flow, the car was hesitating in the drive but would all of a sudden splurt a load of power from nowehere. Took it to ASR and found it to be the air flow sensor top ever since then