Car Model Guide/ Engines/ EJ204

EJ204 2.0 boxer

The naturally aspirated flat four, smooth and thirsty and famously long-lived when it's serviced. Head gaskets are the family's known weakness, so ask what's been done rather than assuming.

Configurationflat-4, naturally aspiratedDisplacement1994 cc
FuelpetrolInjectionport
Shared componentsnone recorded

Cars using this engine

VariantChassisBodyYearsPowerRiskGood buy
2.0SHSUV2008–2013150 PSR3€6,200

Engine and component issues

Head gasket failure (petrol flat four)EJ204 2.0 boxer€1,200–€2,400
Coolant disappearing with no visible leak, a sweet smell after a run, staining at the block joint and eventually overheating. The flat layout puts the head joints on the sides of the engine, and the gaskets there have a long record of weeping between the coolant galleries and the outside of the block. It's a wear item on this family rather than a defect.
Check: Look for dried coolant staining down the sides of the block and check the expansion tank level and colour. A pressure test is cheap and it's the only reliable answer.
CoolingcommonPartly detectableevidence: documented150280k km

Chassis, gearbox and body issues aren't listed here. They depend on which car the engine is fitted to. Open a variant page for the merged list.