What to know before buying a Subaru

[HawkeyeScott]

Helping a friend start his shopping for a used Subaru. He's interested in an Outback or Forester. Wants AWD and somewhat higher clearance than a typical car. We get some snow and ice and live very close to a whole lot more, some of which he may encounter.

I've heard rumors of head gasket issues and the burning of oil. I don't know much about these cars and he knows even less. He's a good dude and doesn't have a ton of money, so I'd like to help him find something reliable that doesn't have a lot of extra, unusually expensive maintenance in its future.

Any guidance on what years to avoid, engines to steer clear of, other general maintenance themes, etc, would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Kira]

No expert here.

I did own a 1995 (only new car I ever bought) and my engine (2.2l) was a "ground up" redesign.
Mine ran like a watch.
Before that the engines were 1.7l (if I have that right).
The 2.5l engine was said to have been tweaked out of the 2.2's design and was more prone to leaks (again, if I have that right).

I don't really love Subbies. My friends in No. NY State (within eyesight of Vermont-where the Subaru is the state's "Gosh-darn" official car) bought a neighbor's 2001 Forester w/83K and hated it. I know foreign (meaning incorrect) coolant caused that car to leak.

Other than that it was an OK appliance.

Remember, their AWD system REQUIRES MATCHED TIRES. Also remember to install a fuse into the "AWD" block under the hood to disengage the AWD when you don't need it.

Is El Oeste (where you live) anywhere near Vermont? There are scads of places where entrepreneurs buy Subbies at auction and place 'em for sale on fields and people's lawns. I kid you not.

I believe Subbies have a limited lifespan then people dump 'em. Kira

 

[Trav]

Look for the Outback with the EJ engine or the 3.6 H6 these had less problems. An older Legacy with the EJ22 is the best engine to have, they were bulletproof and the cars love snow, these are sought after for their durability and long life. Find a nice clean one and your golden.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

price range?

 

[Nate1979]

Really depends on what years they are looking. 2009/2010 were great years for the Forester. 2011+ got the new FB engine. Better mileage but had some early oil burning issues.

 

[HawkeyeScott]

Good question on price. Guessing $12k-$18k when it gets down to it. He takes care of his cars, fwiw. His current ride is an older Altima with 260k, complete with a Philips head gear shifter. (He needs a newer car.)

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Really depends on what years they are looking. 2009/2010 were great years for the Forester. 2011+ got the new FB engine. Better mileage but had some early oil burning issues.


We love our 2009 Forester

 

[Wampahoofus]

2.5s are what you'll find most of, unless you get old enough to get into a 2.2. A 2.5 will eventually need head gaskets (check the coolant bottle and radiator). They also like to eat catalysts, probably an effect of eating coolant from head gasket failure and their tendency to burn oil. Subie took longer than most to figure out body rot, judging by the condition of them up here.

Other than that they pretty much seem to just go. Not exciting or fun, but a car that'll get you there. I don't know a thing about the sixes though.

If 'lack of unusual expensive maintenance/repairs' is your primary criteria, you should probably look elsewhere (I haven't seen a Focus or Corolla eat a head gasket lately). But if you can suck it up for what I mentioned above plus timing belt maintenance, you should be ok.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

So many crossovers with AWD and better ground clearance out there, no need for a poor-mpg not-very-reliable Subaru. Matrix AWD, C/HRV, Rav4, CX3/5, SX4, Renegade, even a Compass/Patriot AWD (while it's not as good as Honda and Toyota, the low price of entry makes it worth considering, so his budget could allow for very low miles or even brand new). There's even the Juke, if he likes Nissan.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
So many crossovers with AWD and better ground clearance out there, no need for a poor-mpg not-very-reliable Subaru. Matrix AWD, C/HRV, Rav4, CX3/5, SX4, Renegade, even a Compass/Patriot AWD (while it's not as good as Honda and Toyota, the low price of entry makes it worth considering, so his budget could allow for very low miles or even brand new). There's even the Juke, if he likes Nissan.



Yep - Subarus must not be reliable. They must have a very bad reputation....after all they have had month over month sales increases for the past five years. People MUST be telling others how bad and unreliable they are.


What's next? Should we knock Jiffy Lubes, Car Dealers, or what? I know...how about Chinese tires...you put those on your car and surely you will put yourself and others at risk on our roads.


I just LOVE the BITOGisms on this board.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Look for the Outback with the EJ engine or the 3.6 H6 these had less problems. An older Legacy with the EJ22 is the best engine to have, they were bulletproof and the cars love snow, these are sought after for their durability and long life. Find a nice clean one and your golden.


Trav, could you give some years to look for? Which ones had had the EJ or H6 engine? Which Legacys ran the EJ22?

 

[pbm]

"No expert here.
Remember, their AWD system REQUIRES MATCHED TIRES. Also remember to install a fuse into the "AWD" block under the hood to disengage the AWD when you don't need it."

I didn't know you could override the AWD system?...sounds like a good way to save gas in the summer....

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: pbm

"No expert here.
Remember, their AWD system REQUIRES MATCHED TIRES. Also remember to install a fuse into the "AWD" block under the hood to disengage the AWD when you don't need it."

I didn't know you could override the AWD system?...sounds like a good way to save gas in the summer....


The system is designed to be AWD all the time. There is no need to override it. Some older models required pulling the fuse if you put the spare on. The tires do need to be matched.

 

[SF0059]

My wife drove a 2006 Forester for a few years. We drove it to 160k miles and traded it in before I had to start replacing wheel bearings that were grumbling. It was good (not as life-changing as everyone says) in the snow and it had good utility. Beyond that, I truly hated it. My mother-in-law bought it new and always had it serviced at the dealership. So here we go:

Pros:
Useful utility
Good in snow

Cons:
Burned oil
Head gaskets
Leaked oil
Rotted exhaust
Replaced AC condenser, coils and control unit ($1900 repair that only the dealer was willing to fix. Indy mechs said %#@$ no.)
Intake manifold
Leaking sunroof
Electrical gremlins (electric windows, locks, battery would randomly drain dead, 3 alternators, and for some reason I could never figure out it would burn a headlight at least once every 2-3 months... and no, I didn't touch the glass).

I'm probably forgetting something. That said, we got 160k out of it and probably could have driven it further if I had the patience to live underneath it on jack stands. I will probably never own one again... but my mother-in-law has 2 brand new Outback Limited 3.6Hs, one in FL and another in NJ. I don't know how they breed that kind of loyalty... it is like voodoo magic.

 

[Bandito440]

I was fond of my 2013 Forester. It did burn some oil, which was worse with the early FB motors that were equipped with manual transmissions. Head gasket issues are a thing of the past.

So, get a 2014+ Forester or Outback with the CVT. Any of the three motors available in those vehicles are good and reliable.

 

[Andrew1972]

I'd peek at a very recent one as the Mpg improved drastically.

My parents have two including a 2001 forester with 200k(spare now) and their current a 2016 Outback. Neither burn a drop of oil and th older one had never had head gaskets touched. The 2001 really had just had few repairs like starter and alternator and wheel bearings.

Subaru is wildly popular around here even for folks who could easily drop cash into a much more expensive car. None have complained of any problems folks tout here. The outback and Crosstrek seem popular with some friends who earn lots of money (787 pilot, va hospital admin, surgeon, etc). Subaru does something right to appeal and they would dump instantly if problems were there.

 

[Huie83]

I've owned a few, they are great cars if taken care of properly. Both mine were older, 2005 Impreza and my current DD is a 99 Outback. Both needed head gaskets for external oil leakage around 100K miles. Besides that they age great, nothing drives like a Subaru, very planted/solid feeling. I could drive a much newer car but I like my old beater.

I'd say unless he wants to wrench a bit, the newer the better for your friend. Subaru's quality in the past few years has only gotten better. If he is going used make sure it has the service records. Subaru's are tough but if neglected they will have issues later in life. I'd Stay away from 05-2010'ish years. I know 3-4 people that HAD Subaru's of that vintage (including me) that had lots of issues with them. Oil burning, head gaskets, clutch issues, all sorts of weird issues. Bad years for Subaru IMO.

 

[JTK]

Scott, keep in mind all the EJ equipped engine Subarus will require T-belt changes at some point. A major expense IMO if you can't do it yourself.

The newer timing chain equipped FB series engines have only been out for 4-5yrs. Time will tell if they have HG issues, oil leaks, etc. Obviously there were sporadic oil consumption issues with them.

As much as I like Subarus, I'd avoid a well used, older model unless it was a 2.2 that was locked in a temperature controlled, oxygen free time capsule.

FWIW, I have an older brother who for years bought well used Subarus with bad HGs and fixed them himself. Too much for me.

 

[meep]

The HG issues are overblown I think - my family has had 5 of them and none developed HG problems, with 3/5 of them owned to 100k and beyond. some of these were mine, some not.

1990 loyale 1.8L. simple appliance. it was pretty underpowered and we sold it young. It's only issue was keeping the rear aligned, a problem with the lifted 4x4 (true 4x4 part time) models

1997 legacy 2.2L. run hard and put away wet. stiff chassis, unbeatable in the snow, and dead reliable. sold around 110k when something bigger was needed

2001 OB 2.5. engine ground up around 30,000 after dealer-botched oil change. Dealer bought the car, and my brother bought an 02 I think. The 02 is still running today with well over 200k on it. It's traversed the country countless times, has been rolled in a late-night moose-avoiding swerve down an embankment, returned to 4 wheels by rope and a pickup truck. After rolling? a few dings. No glass damage. it consumes a little oil.

He gave that to his sister and now drives another OB. IDK the mileage. Probably 50k by now.

none of these ever had coolant/HG problems.

The '97 did experience varied oil consumption depending on the type of oil, and type of miles driven. It only got changes every 10k since it went +25k/year.

I know of 3 co-workers with outbacks and an STI here. No HG problems. The STI did have some erratic oil consumption.

-m

-m

 

[cptbarkey]

Originally Posted By: meep
The HG issues are overblown I think - my family has had 5 of them and none developed HG problems, with 3/5 of them owned to 100k and beyond. some of these were mine, some not.

1990 loyale 1.8L. simple appliance. it was pretty underpowered and we sold it young. It's only issue was keeping the rear aligned, a problem with the lifted 4x4 (true 4x4 part time) models

1997 legacy 2.2L. run hard and put away wet. stiff chassis, unbeatable in the snow, and dead reliable. sold around 110k when something bigger was needed

2001 OB 2.5. engine ground up around 30,000 after dealer-botched oil change. Dealer bought the car, and my brother bought an 02 I think. The 02 is still running today with well over 200k on it. It's traversed the country countless times, has been rolled in a late-night moose-avoiding swerve down an embankment, returned to 4 wheels by rope and a pickup truck. After rolling? a few dings. No glass damage. it consumes a little oil.

He gave that to his sister and now drives another OB. IDK the mileage. Probably 50k by now.

none of these ever had coolant/HG problems.

The '97 did experience varied oil consumption depending on the type of oil, and type of miles driven. It only got changes every 10k since it went +25k/year.

I know of 3 co-workers with outbacks and an STI here. No HG problems. The STI did have some erratic oil consumption.

-m

-m


it is not overblown, it is well documented, you happened to know of some lucky examples.