What a humble and respectful way of saying “If you blow up multiple engines in a row, chances are, you’re the problem”.

Seeing that 05 makes me want another 😮‍💨

"Bunta Fujiwara approves of this video. My STI is still delivering tofu just fine."

Personally, I’m okay with Donut’s viewerbase not buying older Subarus.

I dont mind the misinformation, makes buying subaru's performance models cheaper for those of us in the know.

When I wanna watch fun car stuff, I watch Donut. When I wanna learn, I watch Mike

Diplomatic Mike "uh blowing up a lot of engines... That isn't normal" 😅

243k miles on my 2004 STI (original engine) with bolt ons a relatively stock power level. The car has not let me down other than normal preventive maintenance and regular oil changes. These cars last with the right owner and care 👍

I’ve driven a lot of high dollar powerful sports cars in my profession. 20 years later, I still choose to drive modified turbo ej’s. The fun factor and engagement of a properly built Subaru is top notch!

I think donut addressed that they did oil pans, pickups, and windage trays on thier engines. They did admit that 2 of those motors died due to shooting a promo where they were running lateral g tests for way way too long starving the bearings of oil since it all was collecting in the passenger side head due to the centrifugal force.

I was at the shop where they bought those things at. They had no intention of doing the right things because they didn’t know any better. Everything you told us in this video is what we told them at the dealership but they didn’t listen to us. Well so they did know better but they ignored us. A majority of the parts they got from their sponsor, “eBay motors”, also isn’t true. They got parts that we sold them from the dealership and showed them as “eBay motors” purchases

this continues to be my favorite automotive channel. I appreciate not being yelled at or screamed at on KZfaq. it's so refreshing to just be talked to like a human.

Mike, you guys at MotoIQ are a wealth of knowledge and the best kind of positive influence that the industry needs. Thanks for all that you guys do

Always nice to hear Mike, someone who actually knows what he is talking about in a slew of morons

Had an 07 STI, never had a problem with it at all and would run it hard occasionally. No ringland failure, no head gasket problems, changed timing belt once in the entire time I owned it. Now I have a wrx swapped 2.5RS Coupe. It's the most solid car I've ever owned and no problems. Everyone thinks they can just buy these cars, slap on parts, and call it a day. There's also people that get new motors or rebuilt motors and just throw it on the track with no break in or they immediately slap on a ton of parts and run it on a tune and complain their motors blow up. It's really just owner negligence... I've also found that shops that specialize in Subaru's will keep your car running healthy a lot longer than taking it to a general performance shop and keep you on the right path.

If everybody do things with half the love and care than Mike puts into these little Subaru motors, the world would be a better place. 🌍

The Subaru reputation problem is down to consistently bad tuning, and tuners who simply do not understand engine’s dynamics and the limitations of the factory long block. If you adhere to those limits any engine in factory form can go quite far.

Next paycheck I'm buying your merch. Honest, straight forward and informative. It's become tiring to hear other channels about Subarus or anything to do with the automotive industry in general. Always pumped to see a new upload. Thanks again!

Now THAT is how proper diplomacy, honesty and humility is done. That was an example of real fucking leadership, which we sorely are missing.

my subaru is amazing. i just didnt pump a bunch of boost into it without a tune. i kept it stock and she is still running strong almost 20 years later and 144k

This is part of the reason I feel so blessed living close to shops like IAG & Andrewtech.

Subaru’s don’t suck, it’s the Owners that ruin second-hand Subies reputation

this guy is sooo sweet , he dont have a bad bone in his body! and extremely knowledgeable and very smart and educated

I've been daily driving a 500whp Subaru for the last 5 years with dozens of track days sprinkled in. It's had its hiccups as any modified car would if used regularly but the engine is just as healthy as it was since day one. *Responsible* ownership and modification is the key.

I have a 2023 VB WRX I bought new and I still get people claiming it’s gonna blow up. It’s all just regurgitated garbage from people who don’t own Subarus.

I would also add that if you run E85 do your oil changes even more frequently. I change mine at about 1000-1500 miles if I ran nothing but E85 and no pump gas

Thanks for the clarification and informing people about Subarus

My 2020 STI's EJ blew up, but I bought that car used. My brand new VB has been solid, and I don't cheap out or forget about maintenance. My baby gets the best because she deserves it.

real engineers / mechanics over shock jock content. love it. Great video Mike. Me and my six Subies appreciate you.

this is how mature and knowledge-filled conversations are carried...I'm afraid the business model of Donut is more geared towards clownery and stupidity for younger crowds

Always appreciate videos like this, thanks for helping spread the proper information out here.

What a great video! Good job keeping it super informative, professional and entertaining. Thanks!

I'm not saying Subaru makes the strongest engines, but when the same people blow up that many in a row, the cars may not be the problem. People rally relatively stock Subaru engines on a regular basis and they don't automatically blow up. I have a friend with a stock 2007 WRX that she has tracked numerous times and daily driven for years now with no issues. She just has an STI intercooler and she uses good oil with regular maintenance. She is not easy on the car at the track either she is going flat out. I personally own 10 Subarus, all with original engines, never blown up. That said, my only turbo engines are EJ20, but they do have quite high miles and still run perfect. This is all anecdotal, but as you laid out, Subaru engines are not just garbage. It may be a mixed bag, but I think Donut was tipping the scales here, even if unintentionally. Plus, at least Subaru is super easy to work on. You have to drive and work on one to understand what makes them so appealing.

I owned 3 (consolidated to 1 now). 08 WRX, 19 WRX, 18 STI. The 08 got sold at 150,000 miles- no issues. No problems with the 19. The 18 only blew a head gasket because the previous owner didn't tune correctly (I found that out a couple thousand miles in). Subaru covered it under warranty haha. I then took it to a pro-tuner and what a difference.

Speaking for stock cars. My 30 year old sti still turns over first try. I've owned 7 ej20 cars. Never had an engine issue outside of vacuum leaks from old hoses.

If anything it makes the subaru's cheaper for us to grab! Win win

Some random guy walked up to me during my electrician licensing classes today as was like “yeah I don’t like Subarus because they always blow” and I was like “have you even owned one?” - “no, I have a trans am” 🫠 a lot of these people have never even built a motor.

I just tuned and spruced up my 2004 wrx wagon and mike sure made me a lot more knowledagble and safe with my build. I cant wait to do an IAG block and build my car to clone that 550hp sti build :] these cars and videos bring me a lot of joy.

FACTS!!!!!!! Excellent information Mike! I love my "originally owned" 2013 STI Sedan and I plan on keeping her running for a few more decades!

The part that "sucks" about most performance subaru's is that they can't handle much more hp from factory, the engine architecture makes it cost MORE than the average to build, and because of said architecture it has oiling problems most other engines dont have which are made worse by the grip the car can generate from factory. Aside from that subaru's arent that bad, people just get frustrated by how different they are to other platforms. Still a great car though 👍

These older Subarus have character and will run forever if the 2nd hand buyers were maintaining them right.

Is it me, or can you listen to Mike all day long?

Great points by Mike in this video. As a former Subaru owner, there was always a little bit of worry when we started pushing the performance of our cars. The factory engine of my 2011 STI was indeed fragile and I had mine rebuilt once (stretched head bolt resulted in coolant loss) with new forged components. When it was rebuilt, I planned it all out with a reputable builder and since I was going to track it, we went with less overall power but a more linear powerband and increased the oil capacity with a bigger pan and an external oil cooler. I already had a Koyo radiator to keep it cool. The new engine was rock solid on track, in the canyons, and daily driving. Sadly I had to sell the car as I was moving on to other hobbies but I still enjoyed my time with my STI hatchback.

I love and hate donut's approach to subarus. I love it because its going to keep subarus cheap and not give it a bad reputation (we're already recovering from the vape era). I hate it because now i have to deal with 13 yr old keyboard warriors that harass me online because i own a WRX and i keep it relatively stock because its my daily.

A tuner is not an engine builder. Two entirely different

I go to a no filter, tell you how it is tuner shop. The whole shop knows their shit, and will drag you or anyone that comes in thats done stupid modifications or has done lackluster maintainence without blinking an eye. Quite refreshing tbh.

I appreciate the knowledge and depth of any topic Mike talks about. it doesn't matter what it is, I'm always learning something new that I can use in various car applications. Thank you MIKE!

The problem is also people's peeception of power is so skewed in 2024. 330 whp is what my old 05 GTO did stock, so 400 crank hp. That's very good power for the street, but now everyone acts like it's Hellcat or bust as the only way to have fun. My 05 RSX-S makes probably 180 whp at altitude, and it is a riot.

Donut is still an okay channel but went hard down hill when they go bought out

I’ve had 3 Subarus new- a ‘79, a ‘99, and an ‘05. I still have the ‘05, a legacy GT wagon, I drive daily now. Just under 100k miles on it, I’ve not had a single problem with it. Or my other 2 when I had them. But it stands to reason if you start modifying a car heavily and beating on it, it will be less reliable at the very least. That’s any car though.

I would love to work for this guy! Been working with Subarus and i love how he really goes into detail with everything.

140k km in my GD STI and 4 track days with the original motor, its been as reliable as my Honda. Of course im on top of maintenance. I have an EJ207 STI not EJ257. Something with these cars is they are VERY particular. Like some points mentioned in this video. Not everything can be approached the traditional way. Only engine mods are a baffle and 11mm blueprinted oil pump. Besides intake, exhaust etc.

Seems like a nice opportunity for a colab video here. I would love for the MotoIQ dudes to go in diagnose, fix and explain why these things failed so hard. Also, this could have been a better video if it was done "reaction" style, with clips from the Donut fails, then specifically comment on that problem and the appropriate fix. Instead there was a lot of, "I don't remember but..."

Donuts built their channel by delivering entertainment and fun. Knowledge, on the other hand is not their strength. If you want to learn mechanical and tuning integers then Moto IQ is your one stop shop. I’ve had two WRX’s and they are fantastic. Don’t let these people drive you away from a great car which will not only deliver great driving experience but will also be very reliable for many years.

Glad to hear some of my choices endorsed for my low budget build. I ported my own 11mm pump and run 20w-50 VR1. Cooling system is a big struggle, but I'm really only beating on it in winter ice racing where it can get hot when I'm busy leading a whole race holding 3rd gear in boost 😎

Donut Media is to car culture what "The big bang theory" is to nerd humour.

I put 172,000 miles on my 2002 WRX before blowing up the stock engine. It is lowered on coilovers and I drove it like I stole it every single time I was behind the wheel. Had times when it ran low on oil and nothing happened. When I was removing the engine I found that the stock turbo inlet pipe clamp was not even tightened. Unmetered air was coming in and I believe it ran lean. I never touched it so have no idea how it got loose. Strong engines. I actually stopped watching Donut after the EJ engine fiasco.

"Blowing up a lot of engines isn't normal." Well said.

Them not matching turbos to the engines is very indicative of them not researching what works well with that engine. I wouldn’t be surprised if that lack of detail wasn’t taken with other parts of their engines as well….

Its way too expensive in everything you say Mike, thats why I loose any hope to own a track-able car again. I had a B15 SpecV in college/uni days, then a bseries swapped ej, then no more fun cars for me. Love your content, the same for Donut. Keep it on!

Maybe donut media video will make Subarus cheaper lol

I destroyed my head gasket in my turbo ej16 impreza this guy made me to regret everything i did to my poor engine i thank him a lot for every knowledge he gives us

Mighty car mods proved that subaru can be super fun. Levorg sti and super gramps are still incredible.

shoutout to Prime Motoring in New Jersey. Best Subaru shop in the country. and shoutout to JRTuned best Subaru tuner!

I'm over and beyond the horsepower wars - I like balance. I love my Subaru.

Thank you Mike for sharing your valuable knowledge with us!

that was the most polite 18 minuite burn I've ever seen

Shhhh, they're keeping the market cheap

Sounds a lot like what I hear about rotaries: reliable, if you know what you're doing and willing to pay up. Plus with the rally pedigree and all I can hardly blame people used to hondas, toyotas etc for expecting something less finicky. That's just what I gather from an outside perspective, Mike def knows a hell of a lot more than me. Still a cool engine in my book.

Same thing happened to rotary community. Dummies break them then blame the engine instead of their mistakes.

I'm not a huge Subie fan. Have worked on many. They have amazing AWD, and safety ratings

You tell’em Mike.

Absolutely Love my 07 Hawkeye

The problem with subarus is the people who buy them lol. "Why did my 20 year old car explode when i added 20 pounds of boost?!" You can tell this guy knows what hes doing just by the front mount intercoolers. These were legit rally cars that kind of morphed into street cars because of homologation.

Been daily driving my 05 STI for 3 years now. I also race during the summer. Have a boost leak right now but have only had to replace my thermostat which was a $40 fix. These cars are reliable. It was a shame when Donut came out with all those videos and took no accountability with their mistakes. Its thanks to guys like Mike here at Moto IQ that I've been able to build a fun and reliable car.

Hi Mike.

People talking shit about AR-15s because you have to clean them is quite similar to people talking shit about Subarus because Bubba can't tune them.

Mike hits another home run. I just learned that my purchase of the IAG 11mm oil pump over the 12mm for my build was the right choice

Thank you for this video. All the information on pathways to build a reliable motor were awesome. I have tried to modify the inexpensive way or Low car as it would be called but stopped going once I saw these potential pitfalls. This info will surely help me finish what I started. Thank you

Ls swapped Subarus are awesome!

Seems like you have to build the engine to not suck

Very admirable of Mike to offer his knowledge and expertise on Subarus to aid Donut in the future. Good solid parts, proper oiling, fueling and tuning are the hallmarks for a solid EJ build. Everything I know about my car came from the community. Subie Family for life!

I agree with you Mike it's not a bad engine, with a proper ECU tuning by a reputable tuner who knows what he's doing, clearly understands the logic of the ECU, its interaction with the engine, along with a good maintenance, quality fluids and good quality parts they can last.

People still watch Donut?

Subarus are so heavy it's insane. Their engines also suck for reliability. Honda wins in every category including AWD as I can swap a CRV transmission with a 6spd LSD into my EP3 easily.

197k on my 06 obxt and its going strong. Too bad emissions regulations where i live limit the fun i can have with my car

I previously had a 2011 WRX (I bought it brand new from local dealer) and it was great until it was rear ended on the freeway by a distracted driver - they didn't realize traffic came to a stop and couldn't slow down in time. It was declared a total loss but my passengers and I all came out alive with relatively minor injuries - even some of our paintball stuff in what was left of the trunk were still good lol. Fast forward to today, I currently have a 2015 WRX that I put over 124k miles on. It has had no issues aside from maintenance stuff or hiccups I created from modifying it (like neglecting to upgrade hose clamps for the chargepipe so it popped off whenever I went WOT lol). I have tracked the WRX many times with no issues. I would not hesitate to do a cross country road trip in it. They're great cars, just have to have the right owners.

Donut is the worst

All we need is to pretend Honda and Nissan don't exist and then Subarus are a pretty great enthusiast option

Once again Mr Kojima laying down some facts and at the same time offering to help.. Great way of communicating the message..

Thank you MotoIQ for the very informative video, can't wait to see the collab video with Donut Media. Maybe a in-depth video with regards difference between the Subaru 5 speed and the STi. Greeting from the Land of the Unexpected, Papua New Guinea. 🇵🇬

Donut and MotoIQ collab incoming?? I owned a '98 STi(Ver. 5). Had a mechanic check it over when I bought it. Loved the car but it was low for Canadian winters. Power was good, definitely gave the driver confidence. One day just cruising home from the GFs at 80KPH the bottom end let go. Never again, Subaru! Fool me once... ! You flat out stated in the first 60 sec they have little headroom for power gains over stock, shows you know what you are talking about and not trying to pander to your viewer base.

I noticed they reused oil system parts during the rebuilds. Subarus are notorious for puking material into the oil/coolant heat exchanger, AVCS, turbo, and control solenoids when there is a bearing failure. You put any of that on another motor and the contamination gets puked into the new engine.

I think they are great cars and i love the AWD system, i just wish they didn't use 4-cylinder boxers, i'd prefer inline-4, V6, or maybe even an H6

I have a friend that blew up their 2011 STI 3 times. But it happened because their tuner didn’t know what they were doing, and they didn’t have the right parts installed. Subarus can be awesome, you just have to be careful.

9:03 | "I'm not sure who the tuner was, I'm not speaking badly of them, but, ya know, blowin' up a lot of motors isn't normal!" -Mike

I had 1500 miles on my 2018 WRX and it inexplicably died on me on the freeway. Dealer “fixed” it. Died again a week later. Sold for a Civic FK8 and never looking back

I've owned 3 performance Subaru's, my first was a 17 wrx that handled 24psi on the stock block like it was nothing, second and third are GR/GV STIs that are also fine, only problem was my hatch blew a turbo and possibly took out the engine (awaiting teardown) but as long as you know what you're doing and aren't overworking parts you'll be fine

I actually bought my 07 STI because of Donut's videos. I acknowledge their videos lean more into entertainment and I don't take some of the dramatization in their content too seriously. I think anyone who is discouraged buying a Subaru due to those videos probably shouldn't be buying one anyway. Great video, thanks for the weak point break down.

An episode or 3 with Moto IQ and Donut would be a dream come true!