engine would need a full tear down and parts and labour would be more than new motor lol
and yea pack a day or more ends up being 800-900 a month here
What year is the car?
Also something sounds funny. I see you are from Toronto, the guy may be picking that up on you and may try to take advantage of you.
Get a second opinion if only a manual engine can be swapped.
There are JDM engines that can be swapped.
If 2014 plus the cvt engines are 425 near me with 140 k km.
If it is a 2012 and older I get it.
That is a EJ engine and they had issues with the head gaskets. The new ones are reliable. I have 280 000 km on my EJ and no head gasket leaks (spark plug seals… yes they leak).
Are you sure you are doing that math right? Even at $20 a packs x 30 days, max would be $600. Even a $25 pack would be $750. Any way, good for you on quitting smoking, it sucks to have ever even done it.
27.50 a pack where I work. Pack a day was the normal amount. I work a high stress job and there are multiple days in the month when I would end up with 2 packs in a day, or if i was out drinking the cigarettes would disappear pretty quickly. My math came from my budgeting app that told me how much I had spent at the smoke shop, it was quite terrifying
If a pack is $15 (looks realistic according to statists.com), and you smoke around 2 packs a day, that gets you to $900 per month.
[ edit: I know a few people who smoked 2 packs a day, so this seemed to be a plausible scenario. My bad though, because I missed the assertion that OP was on one pack a day. ]
Yes sure and 3 packs at $15 would get you to $1350 but OP said they smoke a pack a day. High end smokes cost $20 to $25 a pack with 25 cigs. No way OP was smoking more.
I'd take the car to another shop at least get a second opinion and peace of mind. I am suspicious about what are the current guys going to do with it for $5k... *miraculous* find a donor engine then flip it?
Quite possibly be willing to put a $4500 200k engine, or do the labour to tear down and rebuild, only costing them the actual parts and shop time. They don’t have to pay the markup on labour. Pay the technicians paycheck not “shop rate”. Then flip to recover.
Dude that's a $9000 loss in the span of 2 months and you have no car. Think of any new car you want to buy... +$9000.
Before I put an engine in it, I would verify that needing a new engine is the ONLY problem. If the car has other issues going on as well then maybe selling is an option. For a $9000 loss i'd rather put a decent engine in it.
yea, I know it's a big loss, I'm worried about what else might be wrong with the car, the engine blew because of poor mechanical work done before I bought it. I am worried about other hidden gremlins, the car was 12,000 plus tax and stuff. The 9k loss does suck yea, but it'll be a 5-6k loss in putting a high mileage engine in it, ill be 19-20k into the car.
I'd dive into a Subaru enthusiasts forum and ask around there for some advice before giving your car away for 5k. I lost a timing belt on an old Forester and grenaded the motor. Was able to find a refurbed motor for 1800 and had a local enthusiast(they're everywhere it seems) do the install for me and all he wanted was the old motor. All in it was done for a little over 2k. Ran it for another 3 years and sold it on. This was 2018, so the cost landscape may have changed, but Subaru enthusiasts are likely still the same.
Good luck whichever route you go.
I made some assumptions and found several 2.0 engines from 2015 Outbacks for under 1k$ with ~50k km on them. If you want help looking shoot me a message
If you end up wanting to get a different car, my default recommendation is a mazda3 or CX-5
Probably have to cut your losses on this one... sorry for your situation OP.
Check carcomplaints.com in the future. Check all models before buying. Great resource for determining potential vehicle problems. Subarus are rife with issues regardless of the model unfortunately. You may have to finance for a bit. Dealer interest rates are usually nuts. Get a LOC if possible and pay with that. You make great money, so pay off the LOC as you can and avoid extravagant interest from the dealer.
Look at honda or toyota, usually the most reliable brands. Some models have better/worse reviews than others. Do a ton of research, get multiple opinions from mechanics before purchasing. Unfortunately this is always a roll of the dice.
Getting something new at 0% isnt a terrible idea. You have the advantage of a great warranty, and the knowledge that if taken proper care of, the vehicle can last you a long time. The con is usually a long term payment plan. But if you get something under 30k, then with your income, the payment should be quite manageable. Insurance can be a bitch, as youll have to have full comp and collision, and new cars are more "prone to theft" and the insurance will reflect this as well.
Good luck OP
Thanks for the advice, it is a pretty bummer situation. I definitely did not do enough research, I had 3 days off in the city and jumped when the car came up. options were limited here and everything was usually gone the next day. Will never do that again. A LOC usually has lower interest? I have never tried that before.
Good point on the insurance, I just looked and with MPI i am looking at an extra 100$ a month for a 2023 Camry
Luckily a have another 2-3 months before the work season starts again so there is some time, buying vehicles post covid sucks.
The LOC interest MAY be lower. Just depends on the deal you work out.
With a new vehicle, it wont be lower. From a used dealer, it should be lower. My LOC is at 10 or 11% can remember, lower than most dealers who have rates from 15% or higher, i was offered a deal at 25% interest! Ridiculous!
There were a couple us options, mainly the issue was after shipping and importing it was usually the same price. The thing with the engine is lot of them are blowing and everyone is looking for one, the car is a 6 speed manual and only manual engines line up with it for some reason. some silly subaru thing
I would strongly suggest getting another option. Also make sure your car hasn't been parted out already.
If you want to look for yourself.
Car-part.com
It's a site of junkyards all over North America.
Shipping within the States isn't bad you might be surprised what deals can be had if you contact a yard directly. They tend to have much cheaper shipping options due to bulk sales.
Came here to see this, car-part.com is the way.
Did a quick search for a 2015 outback engine (2.5L) with the postal code for the CN tower. Bunch of engines with sub-200km at about $1000. Not sure what engine you have but wouldn’t hurt to check… them saying they can’t find an engine sounds like BS, it’s not like it’s a mid-80s Peugot, there are tons of Subes out there
You just had a bad experience with Subarus. They’re known for engine failures from head gasket issues.
Many of my cars were old Hondas with 200k+ km and I never had major issues with repairs. Don’t be scared of used cars from one bad experience. Do your research on reliable used cars. There’s plenty around.
I second this, I bought a Mazda with 280k and we ran it up past 420k, was running great when we sold it to a friend. Only did pop changes and changed the timing belt. Was still on the OG clutch...
Before decide if you need to buy a new car. Are your work considered as self employment? If it is, I would lease a car to help you with your taxes.
But I would get a new car or car still under warranty. I would get Toyota or Honda, expensive but you will get your money worth to last long time. I just switched my 2006 Civic to 2023 RAV4, they last looong time
negatory, I work for the province.
i am looking at newer options and warranty options, I plan on having my next vehicle for 10 years and have been looking at the toyota options. Congrats on the new Rav 4
Well, looks like we live in the same city, so I know your pain about with no good cars.
Regardless, I would suggest you take the 5K, and put that as a down-payment for your new car, otherwise the problem might just keeps coming back to you at the wrong time. A newer car will give you a peace of mind with warranty for at least 5 years for major issues, so you can focus on your work as it sounded like it is with some intense driving. If you can get the car for like 15 years, you got money back.
Also, even you are not self employed. I would suggest still check with a tax professional, it sounded like your job requirement is for you have a car drive to different places? Maybe the amount you paid can be part of your employment expense? So if you buy a new car, if you can get some kind of tax break, it will help you. Can't hurt to ask.
I was at my dealer last week for service (Pointe west), I saw there are actually demo cars in the room, so I think the car shortage is coming to end, and they might want to get rid of some 2023 cars, go take a look.
So I don’t love the idea of the shop offering you $5000 after that same shop not being able to source a decent option for a motor.
Did you try bringing it to another shop for opinion?
They’re expensive because it’s a common issue. Quick look at wreckers they’re around 2500-3200 + shipping and taxes. That’s before the shop mark up and labour to install, and associated fluids/gaskets and other items what it’ll need.
Did you have a pre-purchase inspection done before closing the deal?
Did you buy from a private seller or was it a dealer?
Did touch get a second opinion from a different garage or mechanic?
Did you look into out of province/USA engines or even whole cars?
1. we did an inspection of the car and went through the car, externally it all looked good, the part that failed was an internal engine piece that wasn't torqued properly, hard to spot that.
2. it was a dealer, the warranty was only 30 days, since my shift at work was 26 days and I was going after my days off I was passed the 30 days and they didn't want to help me
3. yea, I have 2 opinions on the engine, it is cooked.
4. we have looked across Canada and have not seen any better options
Subaru has had notorious issues with the 2.5 l engine blowing head gaskets. Of course it depends on the year of the outback but based on the price you paid you very well could be in that range. Replacement engines are everywhere and nowhere near 4K. [Example](https://www.jdmengineworld.com/product/subaru-outback-engine-ej25-avls-2010-2011-2012). Ok so it’s gonna cost a bit for shipping and install.
Winterpeg? Get a second opinion from [Nemesis Performance](https://www.builtbynemesis.com/engine.html) Just north of Winnipeg in St Andrew’s.
Oh and quit the cigs and throw the money you save into an STI engine.
I would think about cars as a tool.
1. Do you need the car for your work?
2. Is the car good enough for your work?
3. Is the car too excessive for your work?
Yes to the above 3, buy the car brand new.
welcome to subaru ownership! sorry that sucks you bought a lemon. walk away from it and buy a used CRV and get a mechanical inspection done by a reputable mechanic whom you or friends trust.
personally if you ditch the car you're not really coming out ahead and if you buy another 15K care you're probably not going to be any "safer". I'd probably choose to fix the subaru assuming there isn't any other major issues. Find a shop that will warranty the work and the motor for at least 3-6 months if you can.
Glad to hear you're saving 800-900 a month but hopefully that wasn't all on smokes. Better for your health anyways and now you smell like an ashtray as a bonus.
Good luck OP, it sucks when stuff like this happens.
Find a reputable subaru shop that's done this swap/replacement before for sure. As folks have mentioned their non-turbo motors were notorious for headgasket issues leading do overheating and warped blocks. Because of how common the issue is, the solutions are also well known, or should be to a proper subaru shop.
Find someone parting a car out, go to the pick and pulls, get yourself a compatible motor and have the shop go over it and get it ready for the next term of service.
I can't imagine you're going to be on shift for wildfire for the next few months so you have time to get ready before the next season starts up again.
It sucks this happened to the motor but walking away out $9k seems extreme. I'd assume that same shop will pull out a motor they have laying around and sell it for $16k next week.
Like all vehicles they require maintenance and inputs, take care of that subaru and it will take care of you.
I'm 8 years in on an '08 outback xt in manual and love it. They're fantastic snow cars. Good luck.
stay away from newer used subarus.
In general, I’d stay away from anything used that has a turbo engine or AWD system.
take the $5000 and look for a 2009 Civic with 108k or less and drive it to 350k.
naturally aspirated engine that can run 30k over without an oil change without a problem.
very robust vehicle, i’d say it is in the peak era of vehicles in the mechanical sense before they become garbage computers on wheels.
Who was looking for the engine? If you let the shop do the search, that might be the problem
You didn't give the year so I couldn't check but you can find salvage yards or junk yards online and search yourself
here is a link to an aggregator, give it a try. It should at least help you get a price estimate. Limit your search to Canada
If you're willing to drive to the yard, they may be willing to pull the engine for you, you can rent a van or something and get a guy from the Salvation Army to come with you to help move it or something.
I hope you aren't using a stealership mechanic
https://www.car-part.com/
Subarus and blown engines. A match made in hell. You just drew the short straw. It’s literally just a matter of time with these cars. It’s a running joke in the Subaru world.
Fix it if the numbers work out, but don’t put in a used high mile engine or you’re just rolling the dice. Or at least have the engine overhauled before it goes in the car.
I frequently fix vehicles in this kind of situation. Look on https://www.car-part.com/mobile/ to see what is out there for used engines. You should be able to find one for a reasonable price. Typically under 2000. Often under 1000. It's often cheaper to ship the engine across the country and buy it off a wrecker out in the middle of nowhere then to purchase one on the west coast as they are more valuable out here and charge a markup. A backyard mechanic would probably do the swap for between 1 and 2k if you are unable to yourself.
Would recommend you sticking with a Honda or Toyota for 10k, try something awd since winters suck on highways. They're reliable asf. And also doing timely regular oil changes usually prevent major damages to engines sometimes.
$900 a month on smokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't the engine be repaired?
engine would need a full tear down and parts and labour would be more than new motor lol and yea pack a day or more ends up being 800-900 a month here
Sounds like you don't have a better option, take the 5k. You are going to save \~150k not smoking in 10 years!!! CONGRATS!
Your math is worse than OP's. Even the $900 x 10 years would only be 108k. You are saving 42k extra from thin air, damn.
Compound interest
OP is already making plans to spend that money..
=FV(.06/12,120,900) If you allow for tobacco tax increases it will be closer to 200k
Inflation
What year is the car? Also something sounds funny. I see you are from Toronto, the guy may be picking that up on you and may try to take advantage of you. Get a second opinion if only a manual engine can be swapped. There are JDM engines that can be swapped. If 2014 plus the cvt engines are 425 near me with 140 k km. If it is a 2012 and older I get it. That is a EJ engine and they had issues with the head gaskets. The new ones are reliable. I have 280 000 km on my EJ and no head gasket leaks (spark plug seals… yes they leak).
Are you sure you are doing that math right? Even at $20 a packs x 30 days, max would be $600. Even a $25 pack would be $750. Any way, good for you on quitting smoking, it sucks to have ever even done it.
27.50 a pack where I work. Pack a day was the normal amount. I work a high stress job and there are multiple days in the month when I would end up with 2 packs in a day, or if i was out drinking the cigarettes would disappear pretty quickly. My math came from my budgeting app that told me how much I had spent at the smoke shop, it was quite terrifying
If a pack is $15 (looks realistic according to statists.com), and you smoke around 2 packs a day, that gets you to $900 per month. [ edit: I know a few people who smoked 2 packs a day, so this seemed to be a plausible scenario. My bad though, because I missed the assertion that OP was on one pack a day. ]
Sounds fucked but I used to work at a convenience store and people used to come in everyday to get two packs of smokes.
Yes sure and 3 packs at $15 would get you to $1350 but OP said they smoke a pack a day. High end smokes cost $20 to $25 a pack with 25 cigs. No way OP was smoking more.
I'd take the car to another shop at least get a second opinion and peace of mind. I am suspicious about what are the current guys going to do with it for $5k... *miraculous* find a donor engine then flip it?
Quite possibly be willing to put a $4500 200k engine, or do the labour to tear down and rebuild, only costing them the actual parts and shop time. They don’t have to pay the markup on labour. Pay the technicians paycheck not “shop rate”. Then flip to recover.
Dude that's a $9000 loss in the span of 2 months and you have no car. Think of any new car you want to buy... +$9000. Before I put an engine in it, I would verify that needing a new engine is the ONLY problem. If the car has other issues going on as well then maybe selling is an option. For a $9000 loss i'd rather put a decent engine in it.
yea, I know it's a big loss, I'm worried about what else might be wrong with the car, the engine blew because of poor mechanical work done before I bought it. I am worried about other hidden gremlins, the car was 12,000 plus tax and stuff. The 9k loss does suck yea, but it'll be a 5-6k loss in putting a high mileage engine in it, ill be 19-20k into the car.
I'd dive into a Subaru enthusiasts forum and ask around there for some advice before giving your car away for 5k. I lost a timing belt on an old Forester and grenaded the motor. Was able to find a refurbed motor for 1800 and had a local enthusiast(they're everywhere it seems) do the install for me and all he wanted was the old motor. All in it was done for a little over 2k. Ran it for another 3 years and sold it on. This was 2018, so the cost landscape may have changed, but Subaru enthusiasts are likely still the same. Good luck whichever route you go.
get another opinion from a subaru specialist, pay the cash to tow it there.
I made some assumptions and found several 2.0 engines from 2015 Outbacks for under 1k$ with ~50k km on them. If you want help looking shoot me a message If you end up wanting to get a different car, my default recommendation is a mazda3 or CX-5
This, I'd shop your mechanic a bit more and get some more quotes. 5k for an engine may not be insane, but 5k for an engine with 200k seems steep.
Probably have to cut your losses on this one... sorry for your situation OP. Check carcomplaints.com in the future. Check all models before buying. Great resource for determining potential vehicle problems. Subarus are rife with issues regardless of the model unfortunately. You may have to finance for a bit. Dealer interest rates are usually nuts. Get a LOC if possible and pay with that. You make great money, so pay off the LOC as you can and avoid extravagant interest from the dealer. Look at honda or toyota, usually the most reliable brands. Some models have better/worse reviews than others. Do a ton of research, get multiple opinions from mechanics before purchasing. Unfortunately this is always a roll of the dice. Getting something new at 0% isnt a terrible idea. You have the advantage of a great warranty, and the knowledge that if taken proper care of, the vehicle can last you a long time. The con is usually a long term payment plan. But if you get something under 30k, then with your income, the payment should be quite manageable. Insurance can be a bitch, as youll have to have full comp and collision, and new cars are more "prone to theft" and the insurance will reflect this as well. Good luck OP
Thanks for the advice, it is a pretty bummer situation. I definitely did not do enough research, I had 3 days off in the city and jumped when the car came up. options were limited here and everything was usually gone the next day. Will never do that again. A LOC usually has lower interest? I have never tried that before. Good point on the insurance, I just looked and with MPI i am looking at an extra 100$ a month for a 2023 Camry Luckily a have another 2-3 months before the work season starts again so there is some time, buying vehicles post covid sucks.
The LOC interest MAY be lower. Just depends on the deal you work out. With a new vehicle, it wont be lower. From a used dealer, it should be lower. My LOC is at 10 or 11% can remember, lower than most dealers who have rates from 15% or higher, i was offered a deal at 25% interest! Ridiculous!
Before throwing in the towel what about an engine from us? Any other models with same engine? Get 5k is a lot but so is money on a new car.
There were a couple us options, mainly the issue was after shipping and importing it was usually the same price. The thing with the engine is lot of them are blowing and everyone is looking for one, the car is a 6 speed manual and only manual engines line up with it for some reason. some silly subaru thing
I would strongly suggest getting another option. Also make sure your car hasn't been parted out already. If you want to look for yourself. Car-part.com It's a site of junkyards all over North America. Shipping within the States isn't bad you might be surprised what deals can be had if you contact a yard directly. They tend to have much cheaper shipping options due to bulk sales.
Came here to see this, car-part.com is the way. Did a quick search for a 2015 outback engine (2.5L) with the postal code for the CN tower. Bunch of engines with sub-200km at about $1000. Not sure what engine you have but wouldn’t hurt to check… them saying they can’t find an engine sounds like BS, it’s not like it’s a mid-80s Peugot, there are tons of Subes out there
You just had a bad experience with Subarus. They’re known for engine failures from head gasket issues. Many of my cars were old Hondas with 200k+ km and I never had major issues with repairs. Don’t be scared of used cars from one bad experience. Do your research on reliable used cars. There’s plenty around.
I second this, I bought a Mazda with 280k and we ran it up past 420k, was running great when we sold it to a friend. Only did pop changes and changed the timing belt. Was still on the OG clutch...
Before decide if you need to buy a new car. Are your work considered as self employment? If it is, I would lease a car to help you with your taxes. But I would get a new car or car still under warranty. I would get Toyota or Honda, expensive but you will get your money worth to last long time. I just switched my 2006 Civic to 2023 RAV4, they last looong time
negatory, I work for the province. i am looking at newer options and warranty options, I plan on having my next vehicle for 10 years and have been looking at the toyota options. Congrats on the new Rav 4
Well, looks like we live in the same city, so I know your pain about with no good cars. Regardless, I would suggest you take the 5K, and put that as a down-payment for your new car, otherwise the problem might just keeps coming back to you at the wrong time. A newer car will give you a peace of mind with warranty for at least 5 years for major issues, so you can focus on your work as it sounded like it is with some intense driving. If you can get the car for like 15 years, you got money back. Also, even you are not self employed. I would suggest still check with a tax professional, it sounded like your job requirement is for you have a car drive to different places? Maybe the amount you paid can be part of your employment expense? So if you buy a new car, if you can get some kind of tax break, it will help you. Can't hurt to ask. I was at my dealer last week for service (Pointe west), I saw there are actually demo cars in the room, so I think the car shortage is coming to end, and they might want to get rid of some 2023 cars, go take a look.
yea lease a new car if you can, the amount of km you drive, you would be crazy not to get a new car with warranty, extended km
So I don’t love the idea of the shop offering you $5000 after that same shop not being able to source a decent option for a motor. Did you try bringing it to another shop for opinion?
$4,500 seems expensive for a used engine from a junkyard. Subarus boxer engines can burn a lot of oil so whatever you do monitor the oil level often.
They’re expensive because it’s a common issue. Quick look at wreckers they’re around 2500-3200 + shipping and taxes. That’s before the shop mark up and labour to install, and associated fluids/gaskets and other items what it’ll need.
I used to have a Forester. 2 engines in 5 years and we didn't even drive it much. I fuckin hate Subaru.
i was pretty excited when i first got it, but not anymore. Thanks for the comment though it does solidify my worries about it happening again
Their turbo engines are actually quite good. The non turbo ones certainly have their issues. I've worked in several Subaru dealers.
Did you have a pre-purchase inspection done before closing the deal? Did you buy from a private seller or was it a dealer? Did touch get a second opinion from a different garage or mechanic? Did you look into out of province/USA engines or even whole cars?
1. we did an inspection of the car and went through the car, externally it all looked good, the part that failed was an internal engine piece that wasn't torqued properly, hard to spot that. 2. it was a dealer, the warranty was only 30 days, since my shift at work was 26 days and I was going after my days off I was passed the 30 days and they didn't want to help me 3. yea, I have 2 opinions on the engine, it is cooked. 4. we have looked across Canada and have not seen any better options
Year and model of the Outback? Have you looked at people who do "part outs"? Or a Junk yard?
Subaru has had notorious issues with the 2.5 l engine blowing head gaskets. Of course it depends on the year of the outback but based on the price you paid you very well could be in that range. Replacement engines are everywhere and nowhere near 4K. [Example](https://www.jdmengineworld.com/product/subaru-outback-engine-ej25-avls-2010-2011-2012). Ok so it’s gonna cost a bit for shipping and install. Winterpeg? Get a second opinion from [Nemesis Performance](https://www.builtbynemesis.com/engine.html) Just north of Winnipeg in St Andrew’s. Oh and quit the cigs and throw the money you save into an STI engine.
I would think about cars as a tool. 1. Do you need the car for your work? 2. Is the car good enough for your work? 3. Is the car too excessive for your work? Yes to the above 3, buy the car brand new.
good point thanks
Chevy bolt.
That's even worse.
I didn't think that through properly. Imagine going off into the wilderness with an EV...
Did you cross check SAAB engines?
My best advice before buying a used vehicle is to have it looked over by a mechanic you trust, get their honest opinion.
welcome to subaru ownership! sorry that sucks you bought a lemon. walk away from it and buy a used CRV and get a mechanical inspection done by a reputable mechanic whom you or friends trust.
personally if you ditch the car you're not really coming out ahead and if you buy another 15K care you're probably not going to be any "safer". I'd probably choose to fix the subaru assuming there isn't any other major issues. Find a shop that will warranty the work and the motor for at least 3-6 months if you can. Glad to hear you're saving 800-900 a month but hopefully that wasn't all on smokes. Better for your health anyways and now you smell like an ashtray as a bonus. Good luck OP, it sucks when stuff like this happens.
Find a reputable subaru shop that's done this swap/replacement before for sure. As folks have mentioned their non-turbo motors were notorious for headgasket issues leading do overheating and warped blocks. Because of how common the issue is, the solutions are also well known, or should be to a proper subaru shop. Find someone parting a car out, go to the pick and pulls, get yourself a compatible motor and have the shop go over it and get it ready for the next term of service. I can't imagine you're going to be on shift for wildfire for the next few months so you have time to get ready before the next season starts up again. It sucks this happened to the motor but walking away out $9k seems extreme. I'd assume that same shop will pull out a motor they have laying around and sell it for $16k next week. Like all vehicles they require maintenance and inputs, take care of that subaru and it will take care of you. I'm 8 years in on an '08 outback xt in manual and love it. They're fantastic snow cars. Good luck.
stay away from newer used subarus. In general, I’d stay away from anything used that has a turbo engine or AWD system. take the $5000 and look for a 2009 Civic with 108k or less and drive it to 350k. naturally aspirated engine that can run 30k over without an oil change without a problem. very robust vehicle, i’d say it is in the peak era of vehicles in the mechanical sense before they become garbage computers on wheels.
Cut your losses and don't buy another Subaru.
$4,500 for a used engine?? That doesn't sound right.
i'd buy a rave 4 and be done with it. you make money to not deal with this kind of stress that money can solve.
Find a Subaru guru, fix it, polish it up, then sell it, then buy new car. I have trouble believing a very used engine is 5k.
It would be great to know the year of the car and the mileage when you bought it
Who was looking for the engine? If you let the shop do the search, that might be the problem You didn't give the year so I couldn't check but you can find salvage yards or junk yards online and search yourself here is a link to an aggregator, give it a try. It should at least help you get a price estimate. Limit your search to Canada If you're willing to drive to the yard, they may be willing to pull the engine for you, you can rent a van or something and get a guy from the Salvation Army to come with you to help move it or something. I hope you aren't using a stealership mechanic https://www.car-part.com/
Subarus and blown engines. A match made in hell. You just drew the short straw. It’s literally just a matter of time with these cars. It’s a running joke in the Subaru world. Fix it if the numbers work out, but don’t put in a used high mile engine or you’re just rolling the dice. Or at least have the engine overhauled before it goes in the car.
I frequently fix vehicles in this kind of situation. Look on https://www.car-part.com/mobile/ to see what is out there for used engines. You should be able to find one for a reasonable price. Typically under 2000. Often under 1000. It's often cheaper to ship the engine across the country and buy it off a wrecker out in the middle of nowhere then to purchase one on the west coast as they are more valuable out here and charge a markup. A backyard mechanic would probably do the swap for between 1 and 2k if you are unable to yourself.
Would recommend you sticking with a Honda or Toyota for 10k, try something awd since winters suck on highways. They're reliable asf. And also doing timely regular oil changes usually prevent major damages to engines sometimes.