Buying Advice

[Catherine Jefferson]

This is difficult to say. (Not the model, the HGs...). The car has 335,000
miles on it, but you'd never know by looking at it. I got it from the
second owner, who only had it for 2 weeks. He was going to fix it and run
it, but found his cancer had returned, so he gave it to me for $100.

<snip>

Okay, this explains. Your car has a *huge* number of miles on it,
enough that head gasket problems or other problems can happen with any
engine. The "head gasket" issues I was talking about on the
first-generation 2.5L DOHC engines were happening at or even before
100,000 miles, significantly sooner than should have been the case.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

<snip>

Okay, this explains. Your car has a *huge* number of miles on it,
enough that head gasket problems or other problems can happen with any
engine. The "head gasket" issues I was talking about on the
first-generation 2.5L DOHC engines were happening at or even before
100,000 miles, significantly sooner than should have been the case.

Engine, transmission and exhaust all replaced, along with the radiator. I
guess they weren't expecting a BHG on a 'low mileage' engine...

 

[Joe J.]

There should be, however. You should avoid any Subaru model with a
first-generation 2.5L DOHC engine; they have humongous head gasket issues
due to bad design. That means avoid the 1997-1999 Outbacks and 1997-1999
(early model year) Foresters. If you have a good lead on a 1999 Forester,
get your favorite independent Subaru specialist mechanic to run the VIN
number and verify that it's a late year model with the second-generation
2.5L SOHC engine. I have one of those Foresters; they're good cars.

In addition, the 2.2 L engines you find in the Legacies and Outback Sports
for 1997-1999 are wonderful engines that keep going like the Eveready
bunny. ;-) I had one of those, a 1998 Outback Sport, which is now no
longer on the road only because a guy driving a '73 Chevy Impala plowed
into it. <sigh>

Just to chime in...my wife's 97 Outback Legacy, 2.5L has run perfect for the
first 92,000 miles of its life. That includes a recent trip from WI to NV,
about 2,200 miles. Hope it stays that way although we sure don't need the
AWD here in Vegas.

 

[Catherine Jefferson]

Just to chime in...my wife's 97 Outback Legacy, 2.5L has run perfect for the
first 92,000 miles of its life. That includes a recent trip from WI to NV,
about 2,200 miles. Hope it stays that way although we sure don't need the
AWD here in Vegas.

My mother's 98 Outback with the same engine is also doing fine, although
it's probably still under 40K miles. ;-) As for not needing AWD in
Vegas, you *obviously* haven't checked out the jeep trails and offroad
stuff near to it. There's a lot to do in the area that absolutely
requires AWD.