Belt or chain: which Subaru engine have you got?
Many older Subarus have an EJ engine, which runs a cambelt (the toothed belt that keeps the valves in step with the pistons). Wikipedia says all DOHC EJ engines, and SOHC ones from 1998 on, are interference engines: if the belt breaks, the valves will likely be damaged.
The newer FB engine, announced in 2010 and first offered in the Forester, swapped the belt for a timing chain. A chain has no routine replacement interval.
So the engine code matters more than the model name. If yours is an EJ and there's no record of the belt being changed, treat it as unknown and have it checked, because a worn belt gives no warning before it goes. The cambelt page covers what goes with the job.
Just bought an imported Subaru? Start here
Pin down the engine
Give the mechanic the VIN and ask whether it's an EJ with a belt or a later engine with a chain.
Hunt for the cambelt record
Japanese imports often arrive without a traceable history. A receipt or a sticker under the bonnet is worth more than a seller's word.
Check for recalls
Subaru of New Zealand says recalls on Subarus brought in by other importers are the importer's job. It also urges owners of affected Japanese-market cars to get the Takata Beta airbag recall done. NZTA's recall site lists current recalls.
Book a thorough first service
Fluids, filters, brakes, the gearbox fluid and the tyres, so you know where the car stands from day one.
What a boxer engine and all-wheel drive change
Wikipedia notes Subaru uses the boxer layout in most of its combustion-engined cars above 1,500 cc. The engine lies flat with its cylinders out to each side, so some jobs that are quick on other engines take longer, and that's normal.
All-wheel drive cares about tyres. Keep all four the same make, size and wear, and rotate them when the schedule says, because mismatched tyres make the drive system work against itself. If yours is an automatic, it may be Subaru's Lineartronic CVT (a belt-type automatic with no fixed gears); ask when its fluid is due.
Subaru's warranty and service plan
Subaru of New Zealand's warranty runs three years or 100,000 km from first registration. Its 2026 booklet says the warranty covers new Subarus it imported, and lists a car bought at auction, and work done by anyone other than an Authorised Subaru Centre, among the things it doesn't cover.
Its service plan is only for New Zealand-new Subarus, with every service at an Authorised Subaru Centre. If neither applies to your car, the MTA's view is that a qualified independent mechanic following Subaru's guidelines should be low risk.
Easy wins between services
You can
- Check the oil level regularly on a cold engine; note how much you add.
- Check all four tyre pressures and look for uneven wear.
- Keep the cambelt receipt somewhere you'll find it again.
Leave to the mechanic
- Cambelt, water pump and tensioner replacement.
- CVT fluid changes and gearbox diagnosis.
- Recall checks against the VIN.
Where we'd start with a Subaru
We'd find out which engine it has before anything else. On an EJ with no belt record, we'd get the cambelt done before worrying about anything cosmetic. On an import, we'd check the VIN for open recalls, then go to a mechanic who works on Subarus every week and ask for a written quote.