Two head gaskets for a flat 4 and engine certainly has to come out, I can only assume timing parts, spark plugs and every other PITA flat 4 items were replaced as well.

3800 is a bunch but doesnt seem crazy for a subaru........therein lies the issue. Give me a transverse i4 for sub 40k cars, or at least make sure the car doesnt eat head gaskets.

CarShield? Being in the ins. business, I'm just shocked the OP isn't covered ....

$hocked ... I tells ya :D!

My man Ice-T recommends them ...

I do most of my own work (otherwise, why would I be on Pelican :) ) but I have the dealer do warranty work and some stuff I don't feel like and an independent for stuff like alignments and stuff I've gotten too lazy for in my old(er) age.

Both the dealer and the independent know I do my own maintenance and small items so they don't even ask anymore. The first time I took my Cayenne to the dealer (at least the one I use now) they gave me a big long list of maintenance items. I told them I do all that myself. The next time I took it to the dealer there was no list. I thanked my service advisor for that and he said, "no problem, we know our customers"

If it was a complete job it would include fly cutting the heads, new head studs, high end gaskets, complete timing belt/WP/pulley kit. Around $750-$1,000 retail for parts.

I did it to my sister's 2006 with engine in. Pulling would heve been easier overall.

^^^BobK. I wasn’t asking if this was reasonable, but is it? Not sure the hourly rate. It’s certainly not low.

$3,800 is a lot of money

To put all the new parts in for a comprehensive job with pulling the engine and running heads to the machine shop I would think it would be $3,500, maybe more.

However, when I did research for the job there were guys on this board that could do the job in a day. I have to think that job is alloted 16-20 hours and a good wrench can beat it.

Thank you. I will review my invoice.

I thought subaru head gasket problems was a thing of the distant past. My little Legacy wagon is old enough to vote.

Struck up a conversation just last night with a young man who owns a really nice VW super beetle that was in the parking lot of the restaurant where he busses tables. He just had a local indy foreign car shop perform a valve adjustment and change the oil in his VW super beetle. $400. Four Hundred Dollars! I told him that's insane.

This is what I'd expect from any indy that I trusted with my repairs.