1 Lucky Texan

Jonathan - your local dealer might match a price from an on-line dealer like fredbeans.com or subarupartsforyou.com or genuinesubaruparts.com etc. Mine did back when I put SS braided brake lines and SPT springs on my WRX. or check ebay sellers like autoanything and mizumoauto (this is who I got the kit from for my WRX) Japanese bearings are preferred; Koyo, Nachi, etc. I suppose Chinese or other sourced bearings could be used but, most folks would accelerate the next TB service due to quality doubts. That means reduced utility and no real savings. May as well pony-up for the quality. GD is a pro, he cannot afford to take the same risks some of us DIYers might. He screws up a customer's car - yelp google angies list reviews go down and it gets splattered across social media. I screw-up my own car , it doesn't affect my career.

well, could be something else - even crank pulley de-laminated , though - also rare. yeah, a/c compressor helps a lot with defrosting - acts like a dehumidifier. maybe something easy threw the belt off. fingers crossed

the older a car gets, the less important it's brand is and the more important its present condition and prior care become. Good for you taking your time.

wow, seems like an extremely rare failure so, I'd get a used comp. from car-part.com or similar. I might consider having a pro a/c guy do the repair - maybe they have a way to check for/flush metal debris from the system?

you might take a look at a used Forester. 2010 could be the sweet spot for you. They are tall-ish so, you'd have a more 'commanding' view like with your pick-up. They are on the lighter Impreza chassis. better fuel economy. Still have some cargo space (though, kinda tall vs low like an Outback or legacy wgn) pretty good in the snow or mud or offroad too. Probably need a stiffer rear sway bar but, easy to install.

Legacy might be better than Outbacks due to lower stance. Very hard to get better than 24-25 from our '03 H6 Outback. Gets 19-20 in the city. 4 cylinder might be a couple more mpg and of course works fine with regular fuel. Newer models also should be more fuel efficient so, depends a lot on what you end-up with. www.cars101.com should have published efficiency numbers for various models but, as I'm sure you know, real-world numbers aren't usually as good. Those Vibes/Matrices seem to really last. See them around sometimes - they also had a 4wd version I think?

didn't some Mazdas have a serious issue with transmissions? not sure models/year ranges but, you might research that. maybe they've all been fixed now. Subarus carry more weight and have more frictional loss due to the AWD gear - not known for stellar fuel mileage. many 6 cylinders need high octane too.

of the 3-4 forums I've monitored since 03, this one and subaruoutback.org are the friendliest and most helpful overall - maybe the legacy and forester forums are good, I just never hang-out there. NASIOC has a higher 'signal/noise' ratio and there's often some cranks/curmudgeons that are intolerant of noobs. But there's a lot of info there..... SM - if you can find a subaru-friendly independent mechanic near Sandusky, they could have a customer that's thinking of selling a car - wouldn't hurt to ask. At least you'd have some confidence it was seen by a competent mechanic occasionally.

details on car. If it's a Gen2 legacy or Outback , can you get your original pump back to inspect for a ruptured o-ring or bad cap? https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/110-gen-2-2000-2004/41182-symptoms-fuel-pump-o-ring-problem.html

It's an automatic and you keep the FWD drive fuse installed? Are all 4 tires identical? Same Brand and Model? In a new thread, ask for a shop recommendation in San Diego - maybe someone can send you to a subaru-friendly mechanic that can test drive it for you. is the car new to you? how many miles? any wrecks or work done? Have you checked the brakes? especially the caliper on the right side - if it is sticking, it might cause the car to pull to that side. I'd be surprised if the rear diff is involved but - you could have more than one problem.

the autos have a front diff - sometimes drained mistakenly as engine oil and maybe not refilled - or confused as auto trans drain and filled with atf, ....etc. The manuals share fluid with front diff and are a 'compromise' design so, they can be a little balky at times., need GL-5, NON-synth is best to avoid clashing.. read of these issues a few times thru the years. Just something to watch for. as mentioned already, ideally, all 4 tires will be IDENTICAL brand/model in addition to size. Running a different tire mixed in can be very hard on the AWD system - it can't distinguish smaller 'rolling radius' from poor traction slippage and that can lead to binding on dry pavement - and the weakest link in the system can suffer.

as Subarus see more owners and 3rd party shops, the odds of someone draining and filling the wrong fluids increases so, you might plan on new fluids. otherwise, what Ido said above, he has a lot of experience with used soobs - I just maintain my 2.

yeah, half the stuff I've rented was in pretty bad shape or was the cheap version. Had to swap a vacuum pump recently because the port I wasn't using was leaking.

you'll do fine generally speaking, there's a lower toothed idler that is often the weak spot - they seize or puke their bearings. 105k miles OR 105 months is the factory schedule. at 8.5 years but under 70K or so miles, my WRX's toothed idler was slightly wobbly, another idler was quite loose. Belts and most other (if OEM) parts are robust. the crank alignment mark for the install is a dash/groove on a timing lug at the rear of the sprocket - NOT the arrow/triangle at the front. That way, the pistons are at half-travel and no valve contact is possible.

due to in-line engine timing, belt system service is probably easier than any transverse engine. spark plugs and valve cover gaskets can be tricky. make sure you get OEM or Aisin/Mitsuboshi parts though - japanese bearings and belt/parts. you want all the rolers and the tensinoner and, at that mileage, probably the water pump.