# '98 Subaru Forester: to replace engine or say goodbye **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 5, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661 "2008-05-05T20:11:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jumpinjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jumpinjoe](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jumpinjoe)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/1 "2008-05-05T20:11:36Z")
Sube has 192K miles and is in fair condition. We blew out a cylinder possibly due to low oil. Blue book is about $3000. Should we look for a rebuilt engine and try to find somone to install it or say goodbye the this old friend? ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/2 "2008-05-05T20:16:05Z")
“Fair condition” + 192k miles = time to say goodbye, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/3 "2008-05-05T20:34:18Z")
I’m inclined to agree. Ten years of age, nearly 200K miles, fair condition…not worth putting thousands of dollars into. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/4 "2008-05-05T23:19:21Z")
I agree, time to say goodbye. You’ll spend more than the car is worth and at that mileage it’s best years are past. Inevitably the reliability will go noplace but down from here. Especially of you’ve also neglected your other fluids… ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 11:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/5 "2008-05-06T11:33:00Z")
My response usually would be to put in a used engine(if reasonable) and motor on for a while if you like the vehicle. However the Subaru 2.5L of this vintage 96-2000 has a known tendency to blow the head gasket. Move on… ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/6 "2008-05-06T12:31:59Z")
I concur with the others, you got your money’s worth. Time to let it go. Consider donating it for a tax write off. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/7 "2008-05-06T21:48:33Z")
Blue books are as good as comic books. I’m usually with the goodbye rule. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-subaru-forester-to-replace-engine-or-say-goodbye/13661/8 "2008-05-07T00:29:38Z")
How much do you want to keep the car? If you like it better than whatever you can buy for the cost of an engine, then keep it (assuming the rest of the car is in good condition). If you are looking for an excuse to get rid of it, this is your excuse. It looks like I’m going to have to put an engine in one of my old cars (I think it just broke a ring), but I would rather spend $7-8K on an engine replacement than drive anything else currently available. It just depends what you want to drive; if you don’t care what you drive, do whatever is cheapest.