Your 2019 WRX is running the FA20DIT turbocharged boxer-four — a solid chain-driven engine that dodges the old EJ25's infamous head gasket problems entirely. The low ride height (~5.1" clearance) is the first obstacle you'll face and shapes every tool decision here: low-profile lifting gear is non-negotiable before anything else touches this list. At $500 for a beginner, this build covers safe lifting, oil changes, brake work, basic diagnostics, and the WRX-specific specialty bits to do it all correctly.
Timing chain means no belt service intervals to worry about. Runs a cartridge-style oil filter inside a plastic housing requiring a specific 65mm cap wrench — pliers on that housing will crack it. The horizontally-opposed boxer layout puts spark plugs on the sides of the block rather than the top; flex extensions and patience are required for access. Change oil every 6,000 miles with full-synthetic 5W-30 — the turbo demands it.
Brand: Pittsburgh (Harbor Freight) | Category: Lifting | Store: Harbor Freight | Priority: CRITICAL
The WRX's 5.1" ride height eliminates standard jacks from consideration. This Pittsburgh low-profile has a 3.5" minimum lift height that slides cleanly under the WRX's factory side jack points without contacting the rocker panels. Lifts to 19.5" — more than enough for proper jack stand placement on the frame rails. It's steel so it's heavy (~60 lbs), but it's also $140 less than the Arcan aluminum equivalent and does the job identically safely. Buy this before anything else on this list.
Alternative: Future upgrade: Arcan ALJ3T 3-Ton Aluminum Low-Profile Jack, ~$220. Same 3.5" min height, 35 lbs lighter. Worth it when budget allows.
Brand: ICON (Harbor Freight) | Category: Lifting | Store: Harbor Freight | Priority: CRITICAL
Floor jacks fail — hydraulics leak, seals blow, jacks get bumped. Jack stands do not. These ICON 6-ton stands are Harbor Freight's premium line and are legitimately well-built: wide tripod base for stability on concrete, reliable ratcheting pawl with a positive lock, and a saddle that grips frame rails without walking. The 6-ton rating is overkill for a 3,200 lb WRX, but the wider stance geometry of 6-ton designs is more stable than 3-ton stands on a slightly uneven garage floor. Never get under the car on the jack alone.
Alternative: Budget alt: Pittsburgh 6-Ton Jack Stands at HF, ~$35/pair. Post-2020 recall production is fine.
Brand: Maxxhaul or equivalent | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Use these every single time you jack the car, no exceptions. Place them diagonally opposite from the wheel you are lifting — if lifting the rear, chock both fronts. Sloped driveways and garages kill people every year when a car rolls off a jack. These are $10 insurance against a $50,000 lawsuit or worse. They live next to the floor jack permanently.
Brand: 3M or Pyramex | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Penetrating oil mist, brake dust, a snapping spring clip, brake fluid splash — there are fifty ways to damage your vision in a garage. ANSI Z87.1+ rated only. Keep one on the workbench, one in the tool bag, one as a spare. They fog and scratch with use which is why you get three for $8. Put them on before you go under the car, not after you already started.
Brand: Kidde | Category: Safety | Store: Home Depot or Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Turbocharged cars running boost through rubber fuel lines, combined with brake cleaner spray and electrical work, carry real fire risk. A 1A10BC rating handles fuel, electrical, and ordinary combustible fires — the three types you are most likely to encounter in a home garage. Mount it on the wall within arm's reach of your work area. If you cannot grab it in two seconds from where you are working, it is in the wrong place.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon or Tekton Direct | Priority: HIGH
The WRX is pure metric — you will not need SAE for anything on this car. This Tekton set covers 5-22mm across both 1/4" and 3/8" drives, includes both ratchets and an extension bar set. The 6-point socket profile grips flats rather than corners — essential inside the FA20DIT's cramped engine bay where a rounded fastener means an unplanned shop visit. Tekton's heat-treated chrome vanadium steel and lifetime no-questions-asked warranty make this the best sub-$60 socket investment on the market right now.
Alternative: Budget alt: Husky 1/4" and 3/8" Drive Mechanics Tool Set at Home Depot, ~$40. Includes SAE you won't use on the WRX, but metric coverage is adequate.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
WRX lug nuts are 19mm torqued to 89 ft-lbs. Your 3/8" ratchet can physically accept a 19mm socket but it is not the right tool for lug nut break-out force — you want 1/2" drive here. This single socket pairs with your breaker bar for removal and your torque wrench for final tightening. Deep profile clears the WRX wheel studs without binding. Buy this alongside the socket set — these two items together cover every wheel-off job you will do.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Lifting | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Lug nuts at 89 ft-lbs, oil drain plugs, crank bolts — any high break-out torque application needs a breaker bar, not a ratchet. Ratchets are designed for driving fasteners, not cracking them loose, and they strip or snap under the load needed to free a stuck lug nut. Eighteen inches gives you enough lever arm without needing a cheater pipe. The flex head finds the right angle in tight spots. You will use this tool every single tire rotation.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Torque | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
WRX lug nuts at 89 ft-lbs, drain plug at 33 ft-lbs, brake caliper bracket bolts at 59 ft-lbs — these are spec-critical fasteners on a safety-dependent car. Over-torquing strips alloy threads; under-torquing means components loosen at speed. This Tekton click-type is accurate to ±4% from the factory and the dual-range scale reads clearly without a magnifying glass. Store it wound back to minimum setting after every use — leaving it at high tension collapses the spring and kills calibration.
Alternative: Budget alt: Pittsburgh 1/2" click torque wrench at HF, ~$18 with coupon. Functional out of the box, calibration drifts faster with use.
Brand: Wera | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Subaru interior trim, underbody plastic panels, battery terminals, and sensor connectors are loaded with Phillips and slotted fasteners. Wera's Kraftform handle distributes grip across your palm and transfers torque without hand fatigue. The laser-etched tip bites into worn screw heads where cheap screwdrivers cam out and destroy the fastener. Covers PH1, PH2, PH3 plus common slotted sizes. Buy German screwdrivers once and own them for 20 years.
Alternative: Budget alt: Wiha Cushion Grip 6-Piece Screwdriver Set, ~$28. Excellent German alternative with slightly firmer handle feel.
Brand: Launch | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The WRX has four independent electronic systems that all throw codes: engine, transmission, ABS, and SRS airbag. A $20 Amazon dongle only reads engine codes. The CRP123E covers all four systems, streams live data so you can monitor boost pressure, coolant temp, and fuel trim in real time, and resets codes without a subscription fee. On a turbocharged car where a boost solenoid code can put you in limp mode on the highway, knowing exactly what system is complaining before you start pulling things apart is worth the price difference over a basic reader.
Alternative: Budget alt: BlueDriver Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner, ~$100 — better phone app integration but costs twice as much and requires your phone mounted and connected every use.
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon or Home Depot | Priority: MEDIUM
Inside the FA20DIT engine bay there are countless spots where you can fit a wrench on a fastener but cannot swing it more than a few degrees. GearWrench's 120XP ratcheting box end moves in just 3 degrees of arc — it works where 72-tooth ratchets fail. The 8-17mm range covers virtually every nut on the FA20DIT top end: coilover top mounts, valve cover bolts, intercooler clamp hardware, and sensor brackets. This set turns hour-long knuckle-busting frustrations into 10-minute jobs.
Alternative: Budget alt: Tekton 7-piece metric ratcheting combination wrench set, ~$28. Same concept, slightly less refined ratchet mechanism.
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
One tool that replaces a drawer full of pliers. Push-button adjustment snaps to 27 jaw positions instantly without letting go of the grip — hose clamps, sensor connectors, fuel line fittings, stuck oil caps, radiator hose ends. The angled jaw profile grips without slipping; you can put real torque on a fitting without the jaw walking off. The 7" size is the perfect balance of jaw capacity and engine bay maneuverability. Every mechanic who buys one stops touching their Channellocks permanently.
Alternative: Budget alt: Channellock 440 Tongue-and-Groove Pliers, ~$14. Functional but substantially inferior in jaw grip, adjustment speed, and precision.
Brand: ABN | Category: Subaru Specialty | Store: Amazon | Priority: LOW
The FA20DIT uses a cartridge-style oil filter inside a plastic housing cap — not a spin-on canister. Using pliers on this cap WILL crack the housing, converting a $12 wrench purchase into a $45 replacement filter housing assembly. The correct cap wrench engages the flutes cleanly under load without slipping. Confirm 65mm fits your specific application via the listing's vehicle fitment guide before ordering — some FA20DIT listings cite 64.5mm, and a 3-4 piece cap wrench kit covers both.
Brand: Hopkins FloTool | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon or AutoZone | Priority: LOW
The FA20DIT holds 5.1 quarts with filter. The 16-qt pan gives you buffer for the drain plug spitting sideways before you can aim it — and it will. The integrated pour spout makes decanting into a recycling jug clean and spill-free. AutoZone accepts used oil for free recycling. Do not dump used oil in the trash, down a drain, or on the ground — it is a federal violation and permanently contaminates groundwater.
Brand: PB Blaster | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon or AutoZone | Priority: LOW
Any WRX in a salt-belt state will have rust on underbody fasteners within a few winters. Spray the oil drain plug, exhaust hanger bolts, sway bar end links, and heat shield fasteners the night before you work on them. PB Blaster wicks into rusted threads and breaks the bond — it is a genuine penetrant. WD-40 is a water displacer that barely touches seized fasteners. These are not the same product and are not interchangeable for this purpose.