blown IC

[CREAMYAM]

2009 wrx sedan with 15000 miles tuned at CFT.
what would be the best solution to this:
tech inspected the exhaust and engine and found oil on the intercooler. tech inspected the intercooler and found it split on the passenger side - appears to be a result of overboost. tech inspected the turbo and found the wastegate bypassed. issue appears to be a result of boost pressure not being properly regulated as designed and overboosting through the intercooler, causing intercooler failure. tech notes the turbocharger assembly may also be damaged, causing the excessive oil blow-by. tech recommends to replace the intercooler assembly and reinstall the wastegate hoses at an estimated cost of 455$. and inspect the turbocharger for further damage. vehicle has an aftermarket turbo-back straight-pipe exhaust and external wastegate.

would an bigger aftermarket intercooler with a new tune be a good idea?

[SD_GR]

A stronger intercooler would not hurt; I have heard of the newer units failing but have never seen one. I would also look into the tune, yes, but only provided the turbo is still OK. You should be able to tell once you swap the IC. A boost gauge would also be a good thing.

[oguitar]

I would also recommend the tech do a leakdown and compression check.

[EvoEatr]

+1 ^ Even one time of a high boost spike can damage the motor, def perform the leakdown and compression before doing anything else...Its a simple enough test and only takes less than an hour for both....

[wrxtreme06]

not answering your question- but i would not go back to CFT. i have never heard any good things about them.

look into taking it to real street performance, jestr, performance race solutions, etc.

[mudferret]

If your OEM plastic IC is trashed, I'd upgrade rather than replace it with the same part, they're proving to be limiting to the amount of boost you can run before popping. A new tune from a different tuner is definitely in order, that's after you determine that your engine/turbo are still healthy of course. I hate to be the guy that always recommends compression and leak down tests, but I'm merely echoing a poster above this time ;-)

I guess there's always the possibility that your EWG was faulty.