Subaru Port Elizabeth botched engine overhaul, left me with a blown engine and thousands in damage

Title: Subaru Port Elizabeth botched engine overhaul, left me with a blown engine and thousands in damage

Rating: 1/5 Branch: Subaru Port Elizabeth Date: April 2026

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Do not let Subaru Port Elizabeth touch your engine unless you want to pay for their mistake twice.

I bought a 2016 Subaru Forester from someone in plettenberg bay on 1 April 2026. 6 days later the engine blew up 37km outside Jeffreys Bay. Catastrophic failure. Car dead on the road.

Here’s why:

Subaru PE did a “minor overhaul” in April 2025. I have the invoice. It shows they did NOT replace the connecting rod cap bolts.

The Subaru Assembly Manual page 16 is clear: those bolts MUST be replaced once removed. Their own mechanic at Jeffreys Bay Auto Services confirmed it. The bolts failed, the rod went through the block, and now I have a hole in the engine and +-R70 000 in repairs. Not to mention towing and hiring a vehicle Photos and invoice ready to show anyone.

When I took this to Subaru PE, they hid behind “out of warranty” and refused to take responsibility for work they did wrong. And when I went in to speak to the workshop manager, I was insulted and threatened in the showroom in front of other customers. Completely unprofessional.

I’ve spoken to multiple mechanics and other Subaru shops. Every single one said the same thing: this failure is textbook mechanical fatigue from reusing those bolts. I’ve also been told by a source inside the industry that this isn’t the first time Subaru PE has pulled this move and according to the source they are 3 involved in covering stuff like this

So let me be blunt: Subaru Port Elizabeth cut corners on a major engine job, ignored their own manual, and now they’re pretending it’s not their problem. I’m stuck with the bill.

What I want: Subaru South Africa to investigate, pull the job cards, and hold PE accountable. This isn’t wear and tear. This is a workshop skipping a R200 part and costing me an engine.

If you’re thinking of using Subaru PE for engine work, think again. Get a second opinion before you sign anything.

Evidence available on request. Happy to go to MIOSA and the social media if needed