Considering buying an old Legacy

[MM]

Hello,

I am considering buying an old Legacy (I am looking at a few cars ranging
from 1998 to 2000). I've been doing some research on edmunds.com and found
about some nasty problems with head gasket and even brakes which quite a few
people seems to had experienced. So, I was wondering if there is a way to
find out if a paticular car had a fix for these or if it is going to develop
them soon, or perhaps the problem is already there and that's why the car is
being sold?


Thanks,
/MM

 

[Clifford Heath]

I am considering buying an old Legacy (I am looking at a few cars ranging
from 1998 to 2000). I've been doing some research on edmunds.com and found
about some nasty problems with head gasket and even brakes which quite a few
people seems to had experienced. So, I was wondering if there is a way to
find out if a paticular car had a fix for these or if it is going to develop
them soon, or perhaps the problem is already there and that's why the car is
being sold?

The EJ25 motor used in those years is a problem - especially if the
service agents were less than scrupulous in bleeding the air from
the coolant. This bit us at 130,000km, and cost $3K to repair. I
doubt that any of these motors achieve much more than that before
needing a rebuild with the newer gasket, and it it's been done right,
you should have no further problems - make sure it gets bled right.
Don't buy one that hasn't had the gasket replaced.

Clifford Heath.

 

[MM]

Thanks Clifford. Does it apply to the 2.2 L engine as well? At least one of
the cars I am looking at seems to have a 2.2 L...

Thanks,
/MM

 

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

Thanks Clifford. Does it apply to the 2.2 L engine as well? At least one of
the cars I am looking at seems to have a 2.2 L...

Thanks,
/MM

People generally say no, but I have a 2.2L with a BHG. Someone gave it to
me and said it overheats, but he didn't know why. OK, I found out why!

However, most Subaru mechanics and Service managers say, "WHAT?!?! A BHG
on a 2.2?! How did you do that?!?!"

 

[Catherine Jefferson]

Hello,

I am considering buying an old Legacy (I am looking at a few cars ranging
from 1998 to 2000). I've been doing some research on edmunds.com and found
about some nasty problems with head gasket and even brakes which quite a few
people seems to had experienced. So, I was wondering if there is a way to
find out if a paticular car had a fix for these or if it is going to develop
them soon, or perhaps the problem is already there and that's why the car is
being sold?

The head gasket issues affect, not the standard Legacy, but the Legacy
Outback between 1997 and 1999, as I recall. I know that they affected
the first generation 2.5 liter DOHC engines, and those engines were put
in the 1997-1999 Legacy Outbacks and the 1998-1999 (mid year) Foresters
as well. You want to avoid any car with the first-generation 2.5L engine.

Other than that, however, these are good cars. If you are looking at a
Subaru Legacy with the 2.2L engine, those were superb and had no head
gasket issues at all. (I drove a car with that engine for many years,
and never had a problem with it. The car was totaled in an accident a
couple of years ago at 150K miles, and the insurance adjuster told me
that the engine looked less than half that age.)

If you aren't sure which engine is in a particular car, get a Subaru
dealer (different dealer, if you're looking at cars at one) or a good
independent Subaru mechanic to take a look and tell you what the car has
in it.

 

[MM]

The head gasket issues affect, not the standard Legacy, but the Legacy
Outback between 1997 and 1999, as I recall. I know that they affected the
first generation 2.5 liter DOHC engines, and those engines were put in the
1997-1999 Legacy Outbacks and the 1998-1999 (mid year) Foresters as well.
You want to avoid any car with the first-generation 2.5L engine.

This contradics somewhat to what I am finding on edmunds.com. From the
people's reviews there it seems that 2000 is also affected and there seems
to be no difference between sedans and wagons as soon as the engine is
2.5l...

Also, another problem people seem to mention a lot is barely adequate breaks
with break pedal feeling like a spounge... Is it the same for 1998 through
to 2000, or was there a change to the worse or better in the course of those
years?

Thanks,
/MM

 

[scarano1]

This contradics somewhat to what I am finding on edmunds.com. From the
people's reviews there it seems that 2000 is also affected and there seems
to be no difference between sedans and wagons as soon as the engine is
2.5l...

If I recall correctly, there were two different head gasket issues in
the EJ25 engine. The early version had an internal failure mode where
coolant would leak into the cylinders and burn off. Symptom for that
was temperature spiking and loss of fluid, but no puddles. The next
version of EJ25 had the external head gasket failure (puddles and
burning antifreeze smell when it leaks onto the exhaust pipe) and
prompted the subaru TSB that recommended their version of "stop-leak"
radiator additive. Somewhere after that, they got the gaskets
straightened out.

My personal experience:

'98 Outback wagon with EJ25. Currently at 145K miles on it and haven't
had any gasket issues. The only work I've done was a clutch at about
100K, the timing belt / water pump combo at around 100K and a recall
alternator swap also around 100K.

'03 Outback wagon with EJ25. Currently at 95K and it just had the
external head gasket failure on the passenger's side. If you shop
around, you can get it repaired at a reasonable rate. I ended up with
the gasket repair (and head milled), timing belt, tensioner and water
pump replacement for $1200 about two weeks ago.

Both cars have had the same maintenance (coolant system burping,
etc.), similar climates and driving styles. I can't say I've treated
either car differently but one gasket failed and the other didn't.