Legacy Reliability & Durability?

[Otto]

Subaru Legacy Owners and/or Mechanics--
I am looking at the possibility of a new car purchase and am
looking Subaru's direction. Esp interested in the wagon, but I have
some questions:
1. Which is the better engine--4 or 2 cyl?
2. Which has the most problems and what might they be: for example,
is the Legacy 4 still having head gasket problems & coolant leaks, or
has the company cleaned that up in newer models? Does the company
still require Subaru certified coolant for warranty?
3. How long could I expect the engine to last? I am currently
driving a Camry wagon with 227K and still going strong. Can Subaru
match Toyota for reliability & durability? Does the 2.5i go the
distance?
4. Any opinions about body integrity?
Thanks for your comments. I am new to your user group and any
experienced owners' opinions will be most helpful.

 

[Otto]

Subaru Legacy Owners and/or Mechanics--
I am looking at the possibility of a new car purchase and am
looking Subaru's direction. Esp interested in the wagon, but I have
some questions:
1. Which is the better engine--4 or 2 cyl? Sorry, meant 4 or 6 cyl.
2. Which has the most problems and what might they be: for example,
is the Legacy 4 still having head gasket problems & coolant leaks, or
has the company cleaned that up in newer models? Does the company
still require Subaru certified coolant for warranty?
3. How long could I expect the engine to last? I am currently
driving a Camry wagon with 227K and still going strong. Can Subaru
match Toyota for reliability & durability? Does the 2.5i go the
distance?
4. Any opinions about body integrity?
Thanks for your comments. I am new to your user group and any
experienced owners' opinions will be most helpful.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Subaru Legacy Owners and/or Mechanics--
I am looking at the possibility of a new car purchase and am
looking Subaru's direction. Esp interested in the wagon, but I have
some questions:
1. Which is the better engine--4 or 2 cyl?
2. Which has the most problems and what might they be: for example,
is the Legacy 4 still having head gasket problems & coolant leaks, or
has the company cleaned that up in newer models? Does the company
still require Subaru certified coolant for warranty?
3. How long could I expect the engine to last? I am currently
driving a Camry wagon with 227K and still going strong. Can Subaru
match Toyota for reliability & durability? Does the 2.5i go the
distance?
4. Any opinions about body integrity?
Thanks for your comments. I am new to your user group and any
experienced owners' opinions will be most helpful.

I doubt folks would defend Subarus as being MORE or even AS reliable as
Toyotas. Even if they had exactly the same engineering and build quality
- the presence of the AWD system alone means more complexity and use in
rougher environments.

still, it is possible to get excellent, long service from them;

http://www.subaruhighmileageclub.com/


Carl

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

It ain't no damn toyota particularly given my recent experience!

I'd be interested to hear about the new ones whether they have solved
the head gasket issue or not. I may have won a 2008 outback since
I pledged my local NPR station, ya know. Okay, the odds of winning
are very tiny, but still.

You realize plenty of folks have had Toyotas throw rods and clog with
sludge right?

still, its a shame you had such a bad experience and anyone would be
bitter. Folks thought I was crazy for buying an '81 Civic wagon after my
'78 Civic sedan swallowed piston number 2!

So, if you win the Outback are ya gonna keep it?

;^)


Carl

 

[Todd H.]

I doubt folks would defend Subarus as being MORE or even AS reliable
as Toyotas. Even if they had exactly the same engineering and build
quality - the presence of the AWD system alone means more complexity
and use in rougher environments.

still, it is possible to get excellent, long service from them;

http://www.subaruhighmileageclub.com/

It ain't no damn toyota particularly given my recent experience!

I'd be interested to hear about the new ones whether they have solved
the head gasket issue or not. I may have won a 2008 outback since
I pledged my local NPR station, ya know. Okay, the odds of winning
are very tiny, but still.

 

[Bob H]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Otto" <(e-mail address removed)>
Newsgroups: alt.autos.subaru
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 4:12 PM
Subject: Legacy Reliability & Durability?

Subaru Legacy Owners and/or Mechanics--
I am looking at the possibility of a new car purchase and am
looking Subaru's direction. Esp interested in the wagon, but I have
some questions:
1. Which is the better engine--4 or 2 cyl?

The four is AOK and better mileage.

2. Which has the most problems and what might they be: for example,
is the Legacy 4 still having head gasket problems & coolant leaks, or
has the company cleaned that up in newer models? Does the company
still require Subaru certified coolant for warranty?

I just traded an-05 Legacy, no such problems. Yes, but the coolant is cheap
enough, and it doesn't require a whole bunch of it. I changed it myself
with the help of a guidebook.

3. How long could I expect the engine to last? I am currently
driving a Camry wagon with 227K and still going strong. Can Subaru
match Toyota for reliability & durability? Does the 2.5i go the
distance?

The engines are pretty much bulletproof with proper maintenance. Downside
is expense of timing belt changes. Difficulty changing spark plugs. The new
Camry I just traded the Legacy in for has a timing chain :")

4. Any opinions about body integrity?

Each Camry I drove (three 07s) all seemed better screwed together. Not that
they really were though. The Legacy had several predictable rattles which I
never bothered going back to the dealer to have fixed. Each Camry, and the
one I bot, are not so plagued. The Legacy was fine and did not worsen over
the course of the miles. Legacy is a great car and the wagon is a great
value.

Thanks for your comments. I am new to your user group and any
experienced owners' opinions will be most helpful.

Good luck with your choice. Post back when you've chosen.

 

[Porgy Tirebiter]

Subaru Legacy Owners and/or Mechanics--
I am looking at the possibility of a new car purchase and am
looking Subaru's direction. Esp interested in the wagon, but I have
some questions:
1. Which is the better engine--4 or 2 cyl?
2. Which has the most problems and what might they be: for example,
is the Legacy 4 still having head gasket problems & coolant leaks, or
has the company cleaned that up in newer models? Does the company
still require Subaru certified coolant for warranty?

*The coolant is first cousin to a modern "Barr's Stop Leak". Its crap! It is
designed to TRY to plug minute leaks in the headgasket. Rather than REDESIGN
the crappy headgasket or go back to a thicker wall they use this shit.*

*Nothing has changed.The 2.5L engine is STILL a turd. It STILL blows
headgaskets.Past experiances (Documented here and elsewhere) say you will
NOT get 100,000 miles out of it before it fails. Subaru simply refuses to
re-design this rotton engine.Toyota/Honda/Nissan continue to beat Subaru
HANDS DOWN in reliability.The 2.5L engine WILL fail even if you do the
required service, at the designated intervals. MANY Subaru victims as well
as mechanics will testify this.*

3. How long could I expect the engine to last? I am currently
driving a Camry wagon with 227K and still going strong. Can Subaru
match Toyota for reliability & durability? Does the 2.5i go the
distance?

*Most of them are grenading around 85,000 miles. Blown head gaskets are the
main reason. Oil leaks from front,rear engine seals are a common problem.A
cooling system designed by idiots is a common problem.A common problem is a
alternator that cant support the full load in the summertime.The AWD
drivetrain is COSTLY and a fuel waster, especially if you dont have a real
need for it.Underhood items are HARD to get to. You will NOT be doing much
of this at home unless you REALLY want to get into turning wrenches.*

4. Any opinions about body integrity?

*SUCKS!* simply sucks. From windows that rattle and whistle, tail light
assemblies that fill with water and windshields that mystery crack for no
reason top the list. Add cheap-ass paint that will chip by looking at it,
drains that clog in sunroofs and flood the interior during rainy seasons,add
this to rust spots that appear after a few seasons in the roof. You will
find rust ALL over the car. Metal is so thin that small rocks will ding the
hood and other cars will dent the doors.*

*Bottom line* If you ***MUST*** have all wheel drive this really narrows
down the choices. If your looking for a car that will give you 100,000
trouble free miles, hold it's value and be trouble free (excludes regular
maintenance) SUBARU IS NOT FOR YOU.
Toyota is one of the most reliable on the road. Honda is as well.Nissan has
improved dramatically.Even Hyundai has cleaned up its track record!
STAY AWAY, FAR AWAY from DAEWOO, the low end of Kia, and god forbid (if you
can find one) a Chery.
Subaru of America is NOT your friend. They will renig on verbal agreements,
even on written ones. Every interaction will be a fight. Parts are
EXPEN$IVE. God help you if you need an engine part,interior part or trim.
They will rip you off. Parts support is *POOR*.Fuel mileage is rotton for a
car this size.Toyota and Honda do much better than Subaru here too.

Thanks for your comments. I am new to your user group and any
experienced owners' opinions will be most helpful.

*Some owners get REALLY upset that I post negative comments about
Subaru.Personally speaking I am NOT brand loyal to any car company, but
rather judge them by their own track records. Each manufacture will have a
"Lemon" from time to time.No car company has a perfect track record. Subaru
has the WORST track record company wide (The early Subaru's were bulletproof
and a lot of the 2.2's and smaller are still running today).It's really hard
to believe this is a JAPANESE car company. I expect this from a Korean car
company (like Daewoo)*.

This is *MY* opinion and others will vary. I urge you to do a LOT of
research on this before you sign for a car, no matter where you buy it. You
will be paying for it for a while and you deserve to be happy with it.No one
I know of likes to have to take their car to the dealer for service when it
should be running.

 

[Bob H]

TOP POST:
Further comments:

Even though the car was basically trouble-free for me during the ~50k miles
I owned//drove it, I traded it because
a. it hadn't reached 50k mi yet, and I didn't see better trade prospects
later
b. although it was trouble free operationally, I was getting paranoid about
possible mechnical troubles with it
b. I really wanted a timing chain engine, vs belted engine
d. the fuel mileage while acceptable, really wasn't as high as should have
been for a car this size and weight
e. the comfort level was starting to test me
f. adding the 'conditioner' at each coolant change seemed weird; its a
stopleak type product it seems
g. a new problem surfaced with the turbo: possible banjobolt screen
clogging: causing possible turbocharger and/or engine grenading, something
much discussed in a LegacyGT group on the 'net; something which some
dealerships were quite swamped with; something that lowered my confidence
h. the automatic trans was balky in lower speed kickdowns; something I could
compensate for but was something that could have caused problems for
unfamiliar drivers

If you're going to look at a normally/aspirated engine model, be reminded
you will only get a four-speed automatic.

 

[Todd H.]

*Nothing has changed.The 2.5L engine is STILL a turd. It STILL blows
headgaskets.Past experiances (Documented here and elsewhere) say you will
NOT get 100,000 miles out of it before it fails.

Now that's not fair.

I got 107,000 miles out of mine before it failed last week. ;-)

 

[Todd H.]

So, if you win the Outback are ya gonna keep it?
;^)

Yeah, probably. Until about 60k.

 

[Ralph E Lindberg]

Now that's not fair.

I got 107,000 miles out of mine before it failed last week. ;-)

150,000+ on mine, still running

--

 

[David Ryeburn]

Now that's not fair.

I got 107,000 miles out of mine before it failed last week. ;-)

My 1997 Legacy Outback needed head gasket repair in August, 2006 with
296,000 km (about 184,000 mi) on it. It's running well now at nearly
307,000 km. So include about 1 cent per km for head gasket repair costs
when you consider operating costs. This is quite small compared to
gasoline costs in Canada, or even in the USA.

David