2005 Subaru WRX overheating

One way to test for a bad water pump is to squeeze the upper radiator hose when the engine is hot and idling. Careful, because the hose will be HOT! If you do not feel much coolant circulating through the hose when you rev the engine, the pump may be bad. The other cause might be a bad thermostat that is not opening properly (remove and inspect the thermostat), or a clogged radiator.

If okay-try checking the radiator if its clogged if not replace the thermostat and see what happens. Could also be air in the system

i repaced the thermostat and refilled the radiator. All seemed fine for about 5 minutes idling in the driveway. It reached normal temp and seemed to hold, so i took it for a drive. All still seemed normal, even on the freeway. after about 5 miles, i decided i needed to push the engine, just to be confident it was fixed and sure enough, it started overheating again. I pulled off and got back home and see coolant everywhere. Still can't tell where its coming from exactly, still looks like spillover from the cap. i'm thinking its probably the water pump, just want to be sure before I order a new one.

Could be something else other than the water pump-Get it block and pressure tested if it passes -think! water pump

BTW did you check the radiator if its clogged-up?

the system didn't seem clogged and the fluid looked clean. It also doesn't seem to be taking in any of the fluid from the reservoir.