# Subaru EJ Engines: Reliability Failures Explained

> Subaru's EJ boxer engines face head gasket, piston ringland, and timing belt failures.
- Title: Subaru EJ Engines: Reliability Failures Explained · Jalopnik
- Summary: Subaru's EJ boxer engines face head gasket, piston ringland, and timing belt failures. Subaru EJ engines suffer from head gasket leaks, piston ringland…
- Keywords: subaru, ej20, ej25, ej257, head gasket, piston ringland, timing belt, reliability, cars, culture, Engines, Failures
- Source: Jalopnik — https://jalopnik.com/2278232/subaru-worst-4-cylinder-engine-cars
- Author: Michael Frank
- Published: 2026-10-06T22:25:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: subaru, ej20, ej25, ej257, head gasket, piston ringland, timing belt, reliability, cars, culture
## Subaru EJ Engines
Subaru made EJ boxer engines from early 2000s WRXs to 2021 WRX STI models.
## Head Gasket Failures
EJ25 engines have a bad reputation for head gasket leaks causing overheating and white smoke.
## Piston Ringland Problems
Piston ringland failures cause power loss and excessive oil burn-off in Subaru engines.
## Oil Starvation Risks
High oil consumption and oil pump failures can lead to bearing damage in Subaru engines.
## Timing Belt Vulnerability
Timing belts in Subaru engines can break, causing piston-valve collisions.
## Critical Maintenance Needed
Subaru recommends changing timing belts every 105,000 miles to prevent catastrophic engine failure.
## Key takeaway

Subaru EJ engines suffer from head gasket leaks, piston ringland failures, and timing belt issues causing reliability problems.