Hello all, does anyone know of any particular issues to look out for with 2001/2005 LL Bean outback.

most of the threads 'stickied' (with the little pushpin symbol) at https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/gen-2-2000-2004.110/

are the common issues.

Of course, ANY 18 year-old car could have ANY problem you can imagine - easily 2-3 or more as well. shop carefully.

also, in a new thread, ask for a shop recommendation near Spokane, have a conversation with a soob-friendly mechanic about doing a prepurchase inspection on any vehicle you are interested in buying. He might also have a customer ready to sell.

Edited January 10, 20215 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

It's a 20 year old car. It's going to have issues. Just make your peace with that if you are determined to have one. 

The EZ30 isn't a bad engine but many suffer from poor maintenance at this point.

They leak from the chain covers (outer and inner), and somewhere between 175k and 225k they typically lose a HG - at which point you just dump them overboard and pickup a JDM replacement. 

Personally I would suggest you AVOID anything that's 20 years old and has "all the options" - especially old sun/moon roof's. They are plastic, prone to breaking and leaking, and basically none of the parts are available anymore. All the electric options and gizmos will slowly die off and it's expensive and sometimes nigh impossible to repair. 

GD

Pretty much the same as any other car then.Thanks guys,just wondered if there was anything that stood out.Stay safe.

 

if you do your own inspection, read-up about 'torque bind'

Hi Bass;    In Spokane try Hopkins automotive       Address: 3018 N Nevada St, Spokane, WA 99207    Very good independent Subaru shop.  (509) 483-3943

Just looked at a 2002 h6 LL bean yesterday,outwardly ticked all the boxes but check engine light on. Ran a scan and result was O2 sensors,.How serious could that be and what are the locations and ease of replacement.

H6 is super smooth running engine. Premium Fuel though.....

often, codes do not really point to a part mentioned in their definition and can sometimes be fixed with attention to details like; wiring/connectors, vacuum hoses, proper sparkplugs, etc. This is where good diagnosis is helpful.

Other than coils, plugs and valve cover gaskets - most everything else on that car is easy to get to.Of course, age and rust can be tricky to deal with.