<prompt> Human: My 2001 Subaru Forester that I love dearly just had the clutch replaced last month. Driving home from the mall on Sunday, I was passing a big new and used car lot and I heard pop! from my motor and lost all power. I coasted the Subaru into a parking spot at the car lot, and called the partner to come get me. While Im waiting, I was approached by a salesman who reminded me that a 2001 car is 16 years old. He showed me a Kia that was similar in shape and size to my Subaru. The price on the windshield was just over 10,000. The husband showed up, diagnosed the Subaru as a busted timing belt, and got into the conversation with the salesman on the Kia. I hemmed and hawed, we did the math, yes I could afford it, but going 10,000 in debt was not what I had planned for a Sunday afternoon. My down payment was going to have to wait for my bank to open on Monday anyway. I got the guys card, took pics of the vin on the Kia, and headed to the husbands car.At the last minute, the credit manager runs out the door and puts a piece of paper in front of me. He says 60 months at 178 and you drive away in this Kia tonight. I said Why would I sign something without having slept on it? Ill be back tomorrow with my down payment. I went home and did the math on his offer and discovered that he didnt calculate my down payment. I was not happy about the offer at all. I read some low reviews on that make and model of Kia. Then I read some shitty history on the VIN search about that particular car. Still, however, I had no car to drive, and I need to commute from the burbs to the city every day.The next morning, before the bank opened, I called my mechanic and asked him What do you think about this model Kia? His response was What happened to your Subaru? I told him that my partner diagnosed the timing belt issue. He said Thats a 500 fix. The valves dont get bent on that motor. Tow it over here. For another 200 hes going to replace the windshield that picked up a crack recently. Plus the tow bill, the whole thing is less than 800. Less than the down-payment I was going to pull out of savings. So now have my old Subaru back, Im not 10,000 in debt, I dont need full coverage insurance because theres no loan on it, and someone else can buy that POS Kia. Dodged that bullet.Dont ever sign anything that big without sleeping on it. EDIT: I will trust my mechanic long before I will trust a strangers advice on the internet, so you can stop telling me how stupid or wrong he is. Edit 2: I also admit that I left some info out of this post, such as my history in the auto insurance industry, which means I know cars and I know insurance. Edit 3: The point is not that I kept the Subaru; the point is that I did not buy the Kia. Read for comprehension, not for response. Assistant: Your mechanic is wrong, the 2001 Forester uses the EJ251 which is an interference engine design. This means the pistons and valves can occupy the same space and will very likely collide in the event your cams stop turning which is what happened when your timing belt snapped.Do a compression test or have your guy do one on the engine before signing up for any major work. Your engine probably wont hold any pressure in at least one cylinder because the valves can no longer seal also the piston would be damaged from the impact.Generally when this happens you should find a replacement engine or car, just dont finance a kia.Human: This guy has been the mechanic on this car for 17 years, put this motor in for me about 8 or 9 years ago. I trust this guy with my bank account, my puppies, and my offspring. You, however, I do not know.  <response>: I really hope you post an update to this when you pick the car up. Trust is not a factor, all this information is factually out there - in the US a 2001 Forester only came with the EJ251, which is an interference motor and would be grenaded by the timing belt snapping.The only way this is a 500 fix is if you mechanic had swapped in a different Subaru motor never intended to go in your car, but even that is a stretch since almost all Subaru motors from that time period are interference. 