2009 Subaru Outback Head Gasket repair

First of all don't call a mechanic and tell Him what's wrong with your car because you don't know what's wrong with it. Look for a shop that employs ASE certified mechanics. Look at the shop, does it look relatively clean like someone is taking care of it. Let the mechanic look the car over to find the problem ask for an estimate and ask about warranty. Most mechanics are honest so trust Him to give you a good job at a fair price and don't bounce around from one shop to another that costs You money and waste the mechanics time. I hope this helps you, take care

Thank you for taking the time to answer. Our long-time shop is all of those things. They've had the car today, and I think they've correctly diagnosed the problem. But they won't do the work. I don't know why, since my husband handled that call, but a lot of shops around here can be picky about what they take on -- more than plenty of work to go around. My other favorite close-by shop also hates doing Subaru head gaskets and won't do them anymore. When we moved here, there wasn't a proper Subaru dealership, so it's a really different world when compared to MA, NH, western NC, etc.

I can't imagine why your shop can't handle a valve job on that car, It's just a matter of time. Do this ask your shop if they would try a chemical sealant, there's a new one on the market but I forgot the name of it. If it works it will last years, if it doesn't work you're out a few bucks then find another shop. Good Luck, take care

Compare the repair cost to the value of the car. I doubt "sporty" driving had anything at all to do with the head gasket failure.

Replace the timing belt at the same time. Only the parts cost should be extra, no additional labor at this time.

@Mike, thanks, and tell me about it. We have a dealership that attempted to charge a friend of mine $8,000 for a Subie transmission issue. Austin is not a great place to get a Subaru fixed. We and our extended family (parents, siblings) have had 15 Subarus in total, in several parts of the country, and what goes on in this city is kinda criminal. @F_O_R -- Thank you re: timing belt suggestion! Yeah, husband's driving didn't cause it. I wouldn't mind if he babied the car a little more, though. Pretty sure the cost will exceed the value of the car. But if it gets me 5 more years (helped along with some less aggressive driving), it still might be better than trying to find a cheap used car. We had Hurricane Harvey -- the cheap, used car market is very (and somewhat literally) flooded with water damaged vehicles. There's a whole fraud industry in Texas of getting "clean" titles and selling these flooded out cars, and I've heard stories of even good mechanics missing these issues in pre-sales inspections. It's not a great time to be in that market.

Resale value is only important when it's time to sell. If you plan on keeping the car and getting more service..it shouldn't matter .. but, I think you need to ask what kind of "safety features" you need.... newer vehicles have them and rarely can be added on.. Otherwise, have the car fixed... drive it for another 3 years and sell it.. Good call on the timing belt... My car is a 2010... with almost 90,000 miles...had the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, etc. recently changed... If you have not put new shocks on your car... consider doing it now... made my 2010 drive like a brand new vehicle.