Why I Chose a Rebuilt Subaru Legacy Engine: A Mechanic's Honest Review After My EJ25 Failed

What made me choose a rebuilt Subaru Legacy Engine after my EJ25 gave out?. When my EJ25 in the Subaru Legacy finally threw in the towel after years of loyal service—complete with those telltale knocking sounds and oil leaks that no amount of patching could fix—I knew it was time to face the music. As a mechanic who's torn apart more Subarus than I can count, I dove straight into evaluating options like a used Subaru Legacy engine or even a remanufactured Subaru Legacy engine, but the rebuilt Subaru Legacy engine stood out for its balance of reliability and cost. The EJ25, that iconic flat-four boxer engine Subaru used from the late '90s through the early 2000s, is notorious for head gasket failures and bearing wear if not meticulously maintained, and mine had hit the wall at 180,000 miles. I remembered a similar case last year with a customer's Legacy where a quick swap to a reconditioned Subaru Legacy engine saved them thousands, so I started hunting for something that promised longevity without the premium price tag of buy new engines outright.