k-squared Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 hello, my 2000 subaru outback is starting to fall apart and i'm wondering if it's time to get rid of it. i purchased it with 13k miles on it and it now has a little over 140k. first, the weather stripping around the front doors keeps falling off. i've been able to fix that problem with a little glue, but it's annoying. i've also had intermittent problems with the sun roof and moon roof leaking, but i think that i've finally solved that problem. my current issues are the driver's window doesn't always work. the others work just fine. also, the interior liner on the hatch keeps falling off, and i'm not sure what to do to keep it secure short of supergluing it. the pins/plastic screws just don't seem to hold it for very long. finally, water is somehow getting into the rear driver's side lighting fixture, and it is also leaking onto the hatch liner and into the cargo area. can these things be easily fixed? we were hoping to run the car until it died, hopefully after we hit 200k, but all of these "cosmetic" problems are getting to be a real pain. it's quite annoying to open the hatch and have the liner fall on your head, and if i keep it off, i see the rear lights in the rearview mirror and it's quite distracting. i also need to be able to roll down the driver's side window on occassion, and to be able to put it back up. if these problems can be easily fixed, is it necessary to go to a dealer, or can my friendly neighborhood mechanic handle them for me? the car seems too young to be falling apart already. thanks in advance for any and all advice. kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aboone1970 Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 these all seem like minor issues that can be repaired for a small amount of $$. The window sounds like the biggest and possibly the most expensive issue. Taking the interior door panel off that door and having a look would be my first step. It is really easy to take the door panel off. There are a couple of screws near the handle (only one if I remember) and then you can pop the bottom of panel away from the door. Last, lift the panel upward to unhook it from the top of the door. You could just have a loose wire or something like that. It's odd that it works sometimes and not others? When it does work, does it seem like the motor is stuggling to move the window up and down? I recently replaced a door and fixed a window issue on my 2000 legacy and everything was pretty straight forward inside the door. I would check the "Pick-A-Part" type of places if you need parts and don't care if they are used. I got a perfect door and working window with glass for $250. It took about an hour to remove the old door and have the new one installed and have window and door lock working. My window issue was on a different door and it was just a loose nut that would sometimes catch on another part and would keep the window from rolling down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Once you have the door panel off to repair the window, there is actually a TSB (tech service bulletin) for repairing the sagging weatherstripping. I think they have a set of clips. Do a search on here for leaking sunroof and leaking lights. These issues have been covered a few times. The SEARCH function is your friend. All in all, the issues presented seem to be minor issues that should be worthwhile fixing and 200K+ seems plausible. Go to NHTSA.gov and check out the service bulletins (about15) and recalls( about 4). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 sounds all minor. that engine and trans have a fine shot of making lots more miles. if you post pictures of the bad areas may be able to help more. replacing the window motor will be the tricky part. i'd get a used 2000 window motor ($25-$75) and have your friendly neighborhood mechanic replace yours. price one at Subaru, but i'm guessing they're through the roof on their prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 The window problem may be due to the motor but I would first suspect the switch as the source of the trouble and then the wires to the motor running through the door jamb before picking on the motor. Checking the voltage at the motor while switching it on will confirm that. Cleaning the switch contacts with some spray cleaner may fix this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 It is all minor stuff and if you have a local mechanic you can develop a good relationship with you can keep the car a few years more. If you have more money than time you may want to consider trading up to a couple of years old car and letting this one go to a young person who enjoys tinkering with it. I keep my cars maintained but I let them go when they start to feel like more hassle when they are worth. It was 17 years for my last one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melisslissliss Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I have a 2000 legacy/outback that has the exact same issue with the driver's side window. Not that this helps with your solution, just thought you'd like to know that someone else has the same problem. But, this thread helps me. So thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceyWV Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I'd like to add I beat mine to hell and have encountered none of the problems listed. (knock on wood) I would glady however take all of them instead of having an exploded engine block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-squared Posted October 6, 2006 Author Share Posted October 6, 2006 I'd like to add I beat mine to hell and have encountered none of the problems listed. (knock on wood) I would glady however take all of them instead of having an exploded engine block. Thanks all!! I had the car at the garage today for an oil change, tires rotated, etc. and left a list of other things for them to look at, including the window switch and the leaky light. I called to see how things went and if they encountered any major issues, and the mechanic said "we had to replace the motor." funny, funny guy! they are ordering a switch for the window and told me what the problem was with the tail light (which i don't remember off hand) but said i should probably take it to a body shop to have it sealed properly. i think that they did attempt to seal it. i'll have to get the skinny on it when i pick the car up. i was also having some hesitation during acceleration. they said that the air filter was really dirty and replaced it, so we'll see if that fixes it. i'm hoping it's not a more serious problem. i'm now looking for some new tires......i currently have Goodyear Assurance Triple Treds (they replaced the Potenzas, which replaced the stock tire (Firenzas?)). they've got about 40k-45k miles on them and the tread still looks good, but i've been having problems with hydroplaning the last few months (lots of rain here in PA lately), and i'll definitely need more tread with winter coming. i'm looking at getting the Assurances again or maybe Yokohamas. any suggestions? i've gone through some of the posts and seen BFG Traction T/A mentioned as well as a couple of Michelin tires. Would like to keep the price around $100 per tire. I drive about 20-25k miles a year. thanks! kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceyWV Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Oh wow. Your replacing your tripple treads at 50K? I expected them to last longer with a 720 treadwear rating. I'm using the same tires, but only got roughly 20K on them so far, no visible loss in tread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon38iowa Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Thanks all!! I had the car at the garage today for an oil change, tires rotated, etc. and left a list of other things for them to look at, including the window switch and the leaky light. I called to see how things went and if they encountered any major issues, and the mechanic said "we had to replace the motor." funny, funny guy! they are ordering a switch for the window and told me what the problem was with the tail light (which i don't remember off hand) but said i should probably take it to a body shop to have it sealed properly. i think that they did attempt to seal it. i'll have to get the skinny on it when i pick the car up. i was also having some hesitation during acceleration. they said that the air filter was really dirty and replaced it, so we'll see if that fixes it. i'm hoping it's not a more serious problem. i'm now looking for some new tires......i currently have Goodyear Assurance Triple Treds (they replaced the Potenzas, which replaced the stock tire (Firenzas?)). they've got about 40k-45k miles on them and the tread still looks good, but i've been having problems with hydroplaning the last few months (lots of rain here in PA lately), and i'll definitely need more tread with winter coming. i'm looking at getting the Assurances again or maybe Yokohamas. any suggestions? i've gone through some of the posts and seen BFG Traction T/A mentioned as well as a couple of Michelin tires. Would like to keep the price around $100 per tire. I drive about 20-25k miles a year. thanks! kathy Hi: A month back I replaced my tires (cooper) with four new Uniroyal Tiger Paws. Very pleased so far, moreover they seem to have great wet traction, and the nice soft ride I was looking for. They cost about $100.00 a piece. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-squared Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Oh wow.Your replacing your tripple treads at 50K? I expected them to last longer with a 720 treadwear rating. I'm using the same tires, but only got roughly 20K on them so far, no visible loss in tread. i also expected them to last a little longer....they seemed to go down hill fast once i got about 40k on them. the treads don't *look* too bad (haven't measured them) but they are not gripping the road as well as they were and hydroplane quite easily now. kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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