Hi fellow owners. BIG problems. First time poster from long island. I bought a 99 Forester last year. Loved it. Car had 100k miles (previous owners used to visit family in midwest canada often).
I only used it locally for past 9 months. Suddenly, some funny "diesel" like noises. Take it for complete fluid change. Next day on highway, it ka-putts. Tow it home, a few days later, slowly get it going to a garage about a mile away - very noisey and wheezey. I don't know anything about cars but inside the handbook is a sub dealer work detail recommending fix leaky head caskets (??).
As I pull in, mechanic friend says, "it's dead". Checks it out anyway and a few days later gives me these options:
Subaru engine 6.8k
re-manu engine 6k
junkyard engine 1.8k (plus labor, 30 day gtd)
Now, I only payed 9k for this forester. Book now is what 7k? (write it off?) what would you do? Body and everthing else works fine and I like driving it around town (very hilly). I don't drive it hard, only local stuff, no commute. Would you risk the junkyard model? My mechanic offered to buy it from me for a few grand.
This hurts.
