chilyb56

not looking too good

Hi, I'm looking at buying a 98 Leg Outback with 103K. Owner said he had a timing belt break while driving last year, and has the receipt for the repair (I haven't seen it yet, but he said it was an $800 bill). He said there was smoke coming out of the car when it broke down. I took a test drive and everything seemed fine - car had good pickup and drove well. Should I be concerned? Or when a timing belt goes out when running - can everything be fixed properly without excessive engine damage?

I'm looking at a 97 Legacy L (2.2 auto) with 150K that's being sold by a Subaru dealer. Originally asking $4500 as is, but I found out that it needs a new steering pump ($500), has an oil leak (don't know how significant), clouded headlamps, slight brake pulse, clouded headlamps, needs tires and alignment (they assured me that there is no torque bind) Obviously I told them that they are crazy for trying to sell as is with that list, and said I would give consideration provided they at least change the power steering pump and do a timing belt/water pump change and general service ($550) for which they will sell me the car for $5200. Now the brake pulse they said just requires the rotors to be resurfaced when the pads need to be replaced - doesn't sound like a big deal. They quoted me some outrageous price for new headlamp fixtures - is this even necessary? I guess the only real unknown is the significance of the oil leak - might be no big deal - but I really need to find out. Anyway, I'm looking to the wisdom of the board here... should I even consider with the high mileage at this price? I think I could talk them down some, but not sure how far. Any advice on what I should offer and other things to ask about would be appreciated.

can anyone recommend a mechanic in the Philly-Trenton area that does wheel bearing replacements? Thanks!

thanks - any idea on the cost of repair for a wheel bearing?

check that - they think right wheel bearing... is that a big deal?

Hi - I'm going to take a look at a 99 impreza wagon with about 125K on it. The seller says there is some noise coming from the rear differential at higher speeds (that's what I think they mean). Could this just mean that the diff fluids need to be changed - a pretty minor service - or might this indicate a bigger issue? What questions do I need to ask, and is there anything else to look out for with this model and year? I plan to check out the car next Monday. Thanks!

that link goes to this thread! What's the deal with the Brighton? POS?

Thanks all for your help with my previous thread on the 96 outback. This dealer also just got in a 98 legacy wagon with 119K miles. I think it's a base model (2.2L ?) auto. By the way, the car's also for my fiance which is part of the reason I'm looking into autos - personal choice would be a manual, no question. Anyway, anyone have any tips on things to look out for with this particular model and year? I'm most likely going to bring both cars to an independent mechanic to thoroughly check out, but maybe the 98 with lower mileage is a better way to go.

Tahoe is subaru heaven

is it worth even bothering to have a mechanic check it out? I'm not overly concerned about the price right now - I'm sure we can negotiate down from $3K - and it is a dealer after all. I might be inclined to pay a little more knowing that they checked it out and just replaced the timing belt (they are actually asking me to have an outside mechanic check it out - and I also asked if they could provide information if it's had a head gasket repair). 190K miles does sound like a lot, but if it's been driven that much it must have been a good car. HOw many miles can you expect to get out of these OBW's anyway before they totally fall apart? Is 190K going to be much different than 130K if it's all highway miles? Looks like a lower mileage car is going to cost $1500 more at least.

thanks all. I figured it might be a nightmare waiting to happen. I'm actually in the Philadelphia, PA area - I'll have to update my profile info. So I take it looking for a used legacy wagon with the 2.2 motor is a much safter bet. Any suggestions on when "high mileage" is too high even with the 2.2? By the way when I went to kelly blue book online - the private party retail value for a 96 Legacy outback with 190000 miles is ~ $4K. I am suprised that it is so high - is this just due to my location?

Hi - I see there is a wealth of information on this board. I'm looking at picking up a used Legacy wagon, and I've seen from some initial searches that the best bet is going for a 90-96 with the 2.2 liter. I stopped by Subaru dealer yesterday and they have an automatic 96 Legacy outback with 190K miles. I assume this has the 2.5 liter known for head gasket issues. If the head gasket hasn't been changed, or if they don't have service records, should I stay away from this car due to the mileage? They are changing the timing belt right now. Any other major issues to look out for with that mileage... tranny? They're asking $3K - I was actually suprised when I searched autotrader how well these cars hold their value for being 10 years old.