Replaced head gasket in 2019 and had to replace it again less than 2 years later. Is this common for this make and model?
It’s been known to happen but it doesn’t appear to be common. 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca Faulty Head Gasket: 1 Complaints
Any time I hear “Head Gasket” and “Subaru” I think Jenny and Forest. They just go well together, but in a sad way.
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Not common at all. Usually the replacement head gaskets are more durable than the originals. Were your mechanics familiar with Subarus?
With their six-cylinder engine, head gasket failure is almost unheard of.
I had a 2002 six-cylinder Outback, and never had any problems relating to head gaskets–or anything else for that matter–during the 10 years that I owned it. My 2011 six-cylinder Outback has been similarly problem-free.
I have to wonder about the head gaskets that your mechanic used, and I also have to wonder if he torqued the heads correctly.
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I had a boat that I had to replace head gaskets often, it had a defect in the top of cylinder wall that caused premature failure. It was 20 years old when it started, a boat is easier than a car!
If the job is properly done they should not fail. So who did the work?
from what I read before, under one of “voluntary service campaigns” Subaru was paying dealers before for “cheapo-replacement”, where surfaces were not properly prepared and warpage was not checked/corrected, resulting in relatively quick re-occurrence
still, 6-cyliners were always considered to be problem-free, so the fact it failed the first time is quite strange
what is the prior car history in regards to mileage, overheating, etc… ?