VERDICT · A MEANINGFULLY DIFFERENT, MORE MODERN DESIGN
Subaru 2.0L Turbo (FA20)
is it actually reliable?
The direct-injection turbo four that replaced the EJ-based WRX engine — a genuine architectural departure that sidesteps the older engine's external head gasket leak tendency, with its own, separate considerations.
ENGINE CODEFA20F
DISPLACEMENT2.0L turbo flat-four
FUEL SYSTEMDirect injection
YEARS2015–present
The short version
Unlike the older EJ-based turbo covered elsewhere on this site, this is a genuinely different engine family, and the EJ25's well-known external head gasket leak doesn't carry over. The documented concerns here are more modest: ringland wear has been reported on aggressively tuned examples, echoing (at a smaller scale) the tuning-sensitivity pattern seen on the older EJ257.
Pros and cons
WHAT HOLDS UP
- Does not share the older EJ25's well-documented external head gasket leak tendency
- Direct injection and a more modern architecture than the engine it replaced
- Genuinely strong factory performance with real tuning potential
- Strong specialist and tuning community knowledge given the WRX's enduring popularity
WHAT FAILS
- Ringland wear has been reported on aggressively tuned examples, similar in nature to the older EJ257's sensitivity
- A meaningful share of used examples have been modified, given this car's tuning popularity
- Carbon buildup on intake valves, the usual direct-injection trade-off
- As a comparatively newer engine, long-term high-mileage data is less extensive than the older EJ family
Where problems tend to appear
Not a guarantee, but a pattern seen consistently across owner forums and independent-garage reporting.
Any mileageRingland risk on tuned examples correlates more strongly with tuning and boost history than with mileage alone.
Reliability by tuning history
Tuning status
Overall risk
Verdict
Factory stock or mild tune, documented
Low
Buy with confidence
Moderate tune, documented
Moderate
Get the tuning file and history
Heavily modified, undocumented
Elevated
Have a specialist verify condition
Buying one — what to check
Ask directly whether the car has been tuned, and get the tuning file and any supporting documentation.
Have a specialist perform a compression or leak-down test on heavily modified examples.
Beyond tuning history, there's relatively little else specific to flag on this engine.
Where this engine shows up
Model-specific pages, with notes on how it behaves in that particular car.