Subaru gurus

Bullet

Bullet

Registered User
Location
West Jordan, Utah
My Accord was totaled last week and I'm thinking about replacing it with a 2005 to 2009 Subaru Outback. I am aware of the head gasket issues these cars have but having a hard time determing if there are better years than others. Any insight would be appreciated. I'm a little limited on budget so the cars I'm looking at are under $8000 so they have 100k or better on the clock.
 
We have 10k miles on our 07 since purchase last year. At this point I really (almost that creepy Subaru love type of thing but not quite) like the car. The 2.5 H4's up to 2010 had the head gasket issues whereas the H6 models did not. I think it's safe to say the upgrades MLS gaskets solve the problem.

Some things to look for are green paint on the front CV shafts. These are OEM shafts and can be re-booted. The Cardone reman shafts for these are junk.. I'm dealing with that right now. Look where the heads meets the block especially underneath the engine. If there's oil that's a good sign the head gaskets are going out. Leaking valve cover gaskets are also common at higher mileage. There is a LOT of exhaust piping under the engine so even a drip of oil will make the car stink. Check the antifreeze, radiator and look around under the hood around the battery. You don't want it to look like a toxic waste dump (like mine did). It's important to change the antifreeze at the proper interval on these @ 30k miles.

Spend some time in the passenger seat. I would have sold the car if I wasn't able to 'fix' the seat like I did. Check to see if the airbag recall was performed. If not there's a grenade under the passenger side dash :ugh:

I'll try to update my thread soon. I've found some interesting things along the way.
 
I found a 2005 that a Subaru dealer mechanic bought for his wife to drive. It came to the dealer with a blown engine. He put in a rebuild engine in and has about 30k on it. He has done a bunch of other work on it as well. I'm picking it up for $6800. It's a limited with no sunroof. Hopefully it turns out to be a good one. The car has 140k.
 
Oh. One more thing. I'll be able to park at REI and Baxkcountry now. Rot Box, after reading what you went trough on yours I really wanted to find one that has had the head gaskets addressed.
 
We just traded in our 09 Outback limited with 87k miles. The head gasket was going out. We had replaced CV joints, radiator, wheel bearings,etc. I've never had a vehicle with that low of miles need so many repairs. Other than driving in the snow it didn't handle that well. I'll likely never own another Subaru. I'd look for an older Rav 4 or Nissan Rogue.
 
Sorry to hear you had such bad luck. I love Toyotas. My sons Matrix (my old car) is pushing 240000 and still running strong and our Sienna has 140000. Sienna is hard on brakes and tires. I hope the new Subaru holds up. It's had a lot of the known issues addressed. New wheel bearings, brakes, and the engine was rebuilt about 30k ago.
 
Bringing an old topic up.

I have a '97 Legacy 2.5GT that I am looking to give my daughter who turns 16 in May. The engine only has 145k and runs steong, juat needed new plugs and wires..but the suspension seems worn out.

I just had a 3rd party shop(not dealer) estimate around $6k to replace most suspension components. They claim new rear lateral arms, all new struts and new lower control arms up front(maybe just bushings and ball joints?) either way this car is not worth anything near that....so does anyone have experience with these things and are they manageable for a mildly auto repair inclined person?
 
Pike2350 said:
Bringing an old topic up.

I have a '97 Legacy 2.5GT that I am looking to give my daughter who turns 16 in May. The engine only has 145k and runs steong, juat needed new plugs and wires..but the suspension seems worn out.

I just had a 3rd party shop(not dealer) estimate around $6k to replace most suspension components. They claim new rear lateral arms, all new struts and new lower control arms up front(maybe just bushings and ball joints?) either way this car is not worth anything near that....so does anyone have experience with these things and are they manageable for a mildly auto repair inclined person?
Click to expand...
If it were me, I'd order a pile of parts from RockAuto, put them on, pay for an alignment, and be done for probably $800. (*price quote taken from thin air, without actually checking any prices)
 
I Lean said:
If it were me, I'd order a pile of parts from RockAuto, put them on, pay for an alignment, and be done for probably $800. (*price quote taken from thin air, without actually checking any prices)
Click to expand...
And for bonus points, drag your daughter under there with you. Even basic wrenching is a skill that could save her thousands over her life.

@Rot Box might know more about the specifics of that job.
 
Man I just don’t know. I think your options for bushings are oem (not cheap) or poly. I’ve ran poly bushings in a pinch and once they stopped squeaking they were actually quite nice. They installed easily and firmed up the ride a bit too. I wouldn’t pay more than a couple hundred for a poly kit..

Pressing the old bushings out is a pain without the right tools. I’d plan for a weekend (I’m slow..) with some help.
 
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