Charli Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hello, I am new to this forum and looking for some solid advice! I am looking into buying a Subaru wagon for a cross-country road trip (I am moving from the East Coast to the West Coast). This will be my first Subaru, however, my roommate is a Subaru enthusiast and has advised me to purchase one. I certainly trust his opinion, but would like more input. My search has led me to a 2003 Outback H6 with 236,000 miles....From what I hear, the H6 model does not have the chronic head gasket problems that other models do and 236k is not that high for this car. The car has had 2 owners, clean Carfax with no accident history, and looks incredible clean. Can anyone advise me on any known problems with these cars? Is this a reliable car or will I end up broken down in the mountains of Colorado? What about repairs; is it expensive to fix this car? Are parts easy to find? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. I am going to test drive the car tomorrow morning, fingers crossed this is the one (I have been searching for months)!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 H6 tend to be hard on the front wheel bearings and rotors, otherwise nothing special. All the typical AWD things to watch for, matching tires, turn in a circle etc. At 236K ANY car can have a head gasket issue, You are no longer in to bad design territory but how well was it maintained territory. Actually if i had to pick a place to break down in a Subaru, Colorado would be my 1st choice Look for rust under the body cladding on the rear quarter panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Agree on concern about looking for rust. PA uses a lot of salt in the winter, the last I knew, so unless that has changed, there could be rust. If me, I would take to a private garage you trust, and pay a mechanic to mechanically check out the car. It could be money well spent. With buying a used car, I always figure the brake pads will need to be changed. Check the fluid level and color of the transmission fluid on the dip stick. If fluid is dark, it indicates it has been a while since ATF was changed. How does the car drive?? Do suspension struts provide a solid ride, or does the car "float" on worn out struts?? Just my thoughts....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Better Question, whats the pricepoint being asked of the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertsubaru Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 My rule of thumb when I want to buy a used car is to take it for a long hard test drive on the highway and through town. Drive it a minimum of 20 miles round trip and don't be afraid to really test the car. Then if you do buy it put a few hundred miles on it locally before a long trip driving it hard to really test it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccrinc Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Biggest question with this engine: were the oil changes done faithfully? Also a pressure test for the head gaskets. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charli Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thank you all so much for your quick replies! I will certainly check for rust, as we definitely do have some crappy winters here with a ton of salt being spread on the roads. They are asking $2800 for the car. I figured since it's close to me, I will at least go check it out and test drive it. It's a dealer that sells cars on consignment (thoughts on this?!) He assured me that he does not just accept any car on his lot and that he feels this car is in great shape. I will ask if they have service records to see how the car was taken care of... I definitely want to take it for a good test drive, but during my search I have had several dealers direct me around the block, maybe two, and then back to the lot. Possibly because I am a female? Possibly because they were afraid of how the vehicle would preform during a longer test drive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thats bothered me when I have test driven new cars, you want me to give you 25,000 dollars based on a ten minute drive and I cant return it? On any car you will need to change all the fluids check the brakes and suspension before a long drive like this. Pay a shop you trust to inspect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charli Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Yea, it's definitely crazy to be expected to commit after a few minutes of driving....I figured I would have to get it tuned up before leaving for a long road-trip; I just want to make sure I'm not throwing myself into a money pit. If there aren't any common problems/issues with this car, than I will have to just let the dealer know that I want to take it for a serious test drive, and to a mechanic of my choosing to have it looked at before I buy it and see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Get the vin number off the car and google it. See what comes back, then I would get a car fax to start with. What is your ride now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstevens76 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Here's the think I'm not understanding. The road trip you are thinking of taking is equal to about 1 1/4 months of driving to me (if that). I put the engine back in my car on Memorial day and I have almost 1.5k on it. lol The average person puts 1k miles on per month or more. What you are looking for is a car not much different than you would buy and expect to drive for at least 6 months with nothing more than oil changes.............. Look at it that way. And all of this at those kind of miles, regardless of the engine, comes down to maintenance. If it's been well maintained it's going to last, even a 2.5L will last if it's been well maintained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charli Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Yea, I can definitely see where you are coming from with the mileage, but I am also not going straight from here to there. I am making it a 2 1/2 week road trip -- about 3,600 miles. But that also means that I won't be driving long hours every day since I am stopping along the way, camping, & hiking so it shouldn't be too stressful on the car. I guess it comes down to if they can provide service records and how it drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Well there are things that need to be replaced that you cant hit the seller for. Make sure ALL the idiot lights come on with cranking.. Get the car up to 65 and feel for any mid car vibrations (drive shaft). Mabe have the codes scanned to see if there is anything hiding) OHOHOH there is a boot on the passenger side of the car at the tailgate, pull it back and check for damaged wires. Heated seats may or may not work, its a 2800.00 car not to beat him up on. You can get him for engine/transsion/struts/suspension stuff. Check all the rubber boots on everything. Inspect the steering rack for leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 is there a way you can rent a vehicle and maybe pick up your Outback in a western State? might be less rust and more to choose from. When I take my low miles, well-maintained 03 H6 on road trips, the only thing I worry about nowadays is radiator hoses. they are original. The other thing I worried about in the past, was the cap/o-ring problem on the fuel pump. Otherwise, it is an awesome medium sized highway cruiser. what those other guys all said is spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 1. look for bubbles in the coolant overflow tank - while idling, after a long drive, after some interstate driving. that's indicative of headgasket issues on H6 engines. 2. you could even do a block test on the coolant - but initial headgasket failures can generally pass those tests anyway 3. replace the serpentine belt pulley bearings, as soon as you buy the car. ask the mechanic to do it for you as part of the sale - the bearings are $10 and takes 30 minutes or less to tap out and back in. super easy. they fail very, very often. definitely check for rust, the exhaust can often be an annoying and expensive maintenance item on northeast vehicles. both of my H6's of this generation have already had exhaust work/replacement. buying one out west to avoid the rust would be ideal - but the prices out there can be inordinately high compared to here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 If the car is running well and doesn't have significant rust. (A bit behind the rear wheels is typical for an east coast car) then the $2800 price tag is actually a pretty good deal for the car. As mentioned, a longer more thorough test drive and some time looking over all fluids etc. will give you a pretty good idea if it's been well maintained or not. At $2800 you can't expect perfection, but nor are there any guarantees. Used cars just need some work every once in a while. But those a good motors and these are stout cars. I'd take a neglected subaru over a well maintained Kia any day. Just better design and tougher cars. If/when you do purchase it, just be very diligent during your trip especially since the car will still be "new" to you. Keep an eye on your temperature gauge regularly. Check oil levels when you stop for gas. Check coolant in the mornings when the engine is cold. Those extra checks can tip you off to little issues before they become big issues. But to answer the original question - without seeing this specific car. Would a $2800. 03 Outback with the H6 and 236k on it be a dependable cross country vehicle. YES. Do good research and inspection on it. But if it doesn't give you good reason to doubt it, it's a good option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charli Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 I appreciate all of your help!! I went this morning to test drive the car and they had miraculously sold it in the middle of the night!!! So, my search continues, but all of this advice will be handy as I continue to check out cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY_Dave Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I agree with one comment- buying a rust-belt car and moving to the west coast is going to hurt when you have the only rusty car there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertsubaru Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 (edited) I appreciate all of your help!! I went this morning to test drive the car and they had miraculously sold it in the middle of the night!!! So, my search continues, but all of this advice will be handy as I continue to check out cars. It just might have been a blessing in disguise. Edited June 15, 2015 by desertsubaru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charli Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 It just might have been a blessing in disguise. Totally! I am a go with the flow kinda person! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThosL Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I have a friend who asked me to sell a Ford Taurus junker for him though it has a lot less miles and is newer than mine. A lady called up who obviously had significant problems physically, etc.. So I told her it probably wasn't for her though cheap. Never fall in love with a car you have to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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