WisSubaru

We're shopping for a new car, but it's to replace the 03' Civic Hybrid with 180K+ miles on it. We may end up replacing the Subie instead. I have a 600-mile round-trip in July. I'd hate to ruin a vacation due to a mechanical problem. Dang. On a daily basis, I don't need a car at all, I can bike the short trip to work and to get around town, until the temperature drops to 10ºF.

Thank you for the examples. Yeah, that sounds like what I have going on. I'll try to put up a sample of my rod knock here. "...potential oil leakage and fire." That would be a BAD day.

2008 Outback Wagon, just shy of 92K. Had cylinder head gasket issue at 60k (still pissed about that). I've been getting a rattle during startup and when accelerating. Had the oil & filter changed at the Subaru dealership. 2 - 2.5 quarts low (yeah, I should check more often). Rattle diagnosed as rod bearing. Mechanic/manager said "It's not a big deal. Just feather the gas." Really? That sounds like terrible advice. I mean, yeah, I'll take it easy on the engine, I'm not a performance-type driver anyway. How long can I get by like this? Am I driving on borrowed time? Car performs well, it just has the rattle. A buddy of mine who knows his way around an engine, though not Subies, said, "If the dealer isn't trying to bend you over for a major repair, maybe it's OK." So, here I am, getting advice from you.