Dealer says I have a cam carrier leak, wants $1470 to fix this. The check engine light had gone on, then went off by itself, but oil (or temp?) light was on after that. We’ve not seen any oil leakage on driveway, but they say it would burn off, which I expected to hear them say. Last year, spent $1000 to fix the darn electric emergency brake. Do you think this leak is worth fixing (to keep the car), or would I just be wasting money on the car? They say that the oil was about a quart low. How likely is it that the engine has been damaged and will just die soon after this repair? Thanks for any advice.
It appears you have not been checking your oil level as often as you should. Once a week at least, just pick a day to do it such as Saturday before you go anywhere. Also get a second opinion from an independent shop.
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This problem is discussed http://www.subaruforester.org/ and probably in other forums (fora?)
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Whether to fix, ignore, or move on depends on the condition and service history of the individual car -the dollar amount mentioned is small compared to depreciation, taxes, etc. on a new car.
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If you do fix, have them check the other side of the engine for the same problem.
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If the low oil condition caused damage you may be able to get something of a read on this from a used oil analysis (especially if you haven’t yet changed the oil).
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If the leaked oil is being burned in the combustion chamber or otherwise getting through to the exhaust, and is allowed to continue, it may shorten the life of your catalytic converter.
Sell it especially if it has over 100,000 miles. Oil leaks on Subarus are pretty common, but if the car is starting to cost major dollars to repair why keep it when for about $28,000 you can get a new one that has much better features. I really like my 2017 Outback but I doubt its long term reliability so I do not plan on keeping it for more than a few years.