Subaru Outback Overheating- intermittently

Asked by GuruHGQ4V Aug 15, 2019 at 11:04 PM about the 2008 Subaru Outback 2.5 i Limited

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Recently purchased a 2008 Subaru Outback
with the 2.5. I no sooner got it home & it
started overheating. I drained the coolant,
replaced the thermostat, radiator cap with no
such luck. Its totally intermittent. For instance
I drove it around town for a good 30 minutes
& freeway speeds for another 20 or so and
no issues. I let it cool down completely &
tried it again. By the time I got it home it
started ping'n almost into the red. Totally at a
loss. Assuming it may be a head gasket
given the 2.5 reputation. I drained the oil
though & saw no indication coolant. And no
external leaks from what I can see. At about
2500 rpm I do hear a rattle. I thought it was
just something loose in the exhaust system &
it's resonating at that rpm. It doesn’t rattle
below or above that rpm though. Thoughts?

1 Answer
3,310

GuruSW818 answered 5 years ago

Most probably you've an HG issue, and will require dropping and checking with a machine shop BOTH heads, as well t-belt and pulleys on the way back in. Figure $1.6k as a fair price. But BEFORE you go crazy be sure to back-flush the rear heater hoses, and insure you've burped all air from the cooling system, as an air bubble stuck near the sensor will cause the gauge to ping. So purge completely (usually just a couple of highway runs, adding coolant after each session) until you're convinced it's full. There's also a low possibility that your rad is clogged, or its fans inoperative...but unlikely. Be prepared for that overhaul.... If you can return this hurt puppy I would...or at least get a $1.5k concession. Good luck. Ern TSG/Boston

Mark helpful

Your Answer:

Related Questions

  • Subaru Outback Overheating- intermittently 1 Answer

    Recently purchased a 2008 Subaru Outback with the 2.5. I no sooner got it home & it started overheating. I drained the coolant, replaced the thermostat, radiator cap with no such luck. Its totally...

    2008 Subaru Outback 2.5 i Limited

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • 2012 Subaru Outback overheating 1 Answer

    My 2012 Subaru Outback will randomly overheat. I’ve driven it for 2 hours with no problems other times it overheated after 10 minutes. I replaced the thermostat and temp sensor. My mechanic had i...

    2012 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • 2000 Subaru Outback Overheating 17 Answers

    I have had a constant issue with my Subaru over heating. I have replaced the radiator, water pump, head gaskets, thermostat and thermostat housing, cooling fans and the fuses.. Among many other th...

    2000 Subaru Outback Base Wagon

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • Overheating Subaru Legacy Outback 1998 2 Answers

    So I’ve owned this outback for about a year now and it was running fine. About 8 months ago I had my head gasket repaired and it was all good. I check engine and fluids regularly. One day I went to...

    Subaru Outback

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

  • Overheating subaru 14 Answers

    I have a 1996 Subaru outback that kept overheating. They checked the radiator and it's perfectly fine. I had the thermostat changed today and it is still over heating. What else could be wrong wit...

    Subaru Outback

    -

    Maintenance & Repair

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2008 Subaru Outback

Write a car review

Review another car

Shortcuts

Search Subaru Outback Questions

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Mark Weiner
    Reputation
    33,540
  • #2
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    28,700
  • #3
    Keith Cahalan
    Reputation
    3,390
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Forester
1,078 Great Deals out of 37,126 listings starting at $925
Used Toyota RAV4
2,030 Great Deals out of 35,043 listings starting at $2,495
Used Honda CR-V
2,067 Great Deals out of 39,323 listings starting at $800
Used Toyota 4Runner
973 Great Deals out of 10,618 listings starting at $3,000
Used Subaru Legacy
306 Great Deals out of 7,507 listings starting at $1,999
Used Honda Pilot
1,109 Great Deals out of 31,327 listings starting at $2,299
Used Toyota Highlander
1,480 Great Deals out of 15,970 listings starting at $1,250
Used Toyota Tacoma
2,180 Great Deals out of 56,114 listings starting at $3,499
Used Subaru Impreza
351 Great Deals out of 9,760 listings starting at $1,995
Used Toyota Camry
2,288 Great Deals out of 45,626 listings starting at $975

Used Cars for Sale

2025 Subaru Outback For Sale
24 Great Deals out of 18,237 listings starting at $26,536
2024 Subaru Outback For Sale
167 Great Deals out of 2,568 listings starting at $21,890
2023 Subaru Outback For Sale
90 Great Deals out of 1,051 listings starting at $19,900
2022 Subaru Outback For Sale
170 Great Deals out of 2,186 listings starting at $15,999
2021 Subaru Outback For Sale
90 Great Deals out of 1,016 listings starting at $13,999

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.