While I'm thinking kfnit.. I'm looking at an 05 forester xt. But it has 196k miles but looks to b in really great shape. Only 6500.. Is it a good deal or no.. Also, its almost 200k how long r the boxer engines known to b good for?!

be aware - the car is close to needing its timing belt changed.

 

probably be a VERY good idea to have an experienced Subaru mechanic drop the pipe and check the play in the turbo shaft.

OK.. The vehicle I'm looking at is in Ohio..idk where a mechanic is..let's say I get it and its lose.. What dies that mean..need a new one? And do u know what the ruff cost of a timing belt change is?

OK.. The vehicle I'm looking at is in Ohio..idk where a mechanic is..let's say I get it and its lose.. What dies that mean..need a new one? And do u know what the ruff cost of a timing belt change is?

 

under $200 for parts - labor is the one that will get you if you dont do things yourself, and that is going to vary depending on local shop rates.

OK thanks.. I don't know if I'd b able to or not..simply cuz I've never worked on a Subaru. I don't mind doing it just that big if a task first..

well - if you tell the owner you want a pre-purchase inspection, if the mech. finds more work than the owner wants to drop the price buy - you keep shopping and kiss you $100 - $150 w'ever you paid the mechanic goodbye. BUT - you might avoid a $3000 repair bill.

 

ask for a shop recommendation near the city in Ohio in a new thread. maybe someone will know of one, or, take it to a dealer for inspection.

 

you can find a lot of help on-line in the form os step-by-step pics and even videos of how to do timing belts. I'm about to try my first one next month after getting a lot of support from folks on the Forums and buying a kit from ebay. But, at 200K miles, you'd probably want to do cam/crank seals, waterpump, re-seal the oil pump, etc. - stuff I'm skipping this time.

 

bottom line - don't pay top-dollar for a car with; blown turbo, blown engine,blown trans or blown AWD. Other stuff can be fixed and you expect a used car to have some 'issues'. For certain, if the struts are original, they're bad at this mileage. Could need brake attention, might have split axle boots, maybe need some bushings here/there, etc.

 

a written pre-purchase inspection gives you some negotiating ammo, and it might help you avoid a big headache.

Edited September 22, 201411 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

That's a god point.hadn't thought of that the car is at a dealer but I've never bought one from a dealer so I didn't know I could have it inspected..I'll look into tat after tomorrow meeting with someone about a loan..thanks!

If it's at a dealership in another State, even negotiating for some kind of limited warranty may not be of any practical value.

 

The good news is, dealerships often only keep the better trade-ins and send the worst to the auction house.

 

bad news is, they usually want a lot more money than a private seller.

 

hope it works out.

It did actually talked with the people in going to lend from decided to wait..simply cuz I'm trying to buy a house and the cones first! I'll post when I do get my Subaru!!