One turbocharger failure is bad enough, but three in a row tells you there is something else going on. SureTrack community member kcautorepair had a Subaru Legacy in their shop with a broken turbo that they ended up replacing three times. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member ericsautomotive and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
The following Community Fix summarizes the interaction between members of the community that led to the solution.
Vehicle
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 2.5L
Title
Repeated turbocharger failure, replaced catalytic converter.
Complaint
Customer complains about turbocharger failing.
Diagnostic Steps Performed/Parts Replaced
Customer brought vehicle in for turbocharger failure. Found broken shaft. Replaced with OEM replacement. This one failed as well, initially thought the first replacement was a defective turbo and it was replaced with a warranty turbo. However we are now replacing it with the third turbo in 1500 miles. No debris in the screens, lines are all clear. The turbo is burning out on the exhaust side. Catalytic converter was checked for restriction. All diagnostics have been exhausted.
Best Answer from Community Member ericsautomotive
Had this happen to me once on a WRX. Catalytic converter was restricted. You might want to check again.
Cause
As a last resort, even though catalytic converter indicated no sign whatsoever of restriction, it was replaced. No further issue with turbocharger failure.
Correction
Replaced catalytic converter and turbocharger. No more failures.