I am looking at a 03 Subaru Baja Classic I found at a local dealer, its in great shape, I have all the dealer service records from when it was new. Has soft Tanau Cover, leather seats, power windows/locks/seats/moonroof, and all the other gadgets the Bajas came with.

 

Now heres the issues, first, it has 160k miles. It was a company car, but he took care of it, every 30k miles, like clockwork, the car was in the dealer getting the 30k service that was due.

 

Asking price is 5900. Should I do it? Was going to see if I could talk them down to 5200. No warranty available.

What's blue book value on it?

 

If it was regularly maintained, that's the key. You do the routine maintenance on subarus and they last a long time.

 

I would like to know what was included in the maintenance. Something that typically gets overlooked is changing the AT fluid. Make sure that was done. Beyond that, make sure fluids were changed, water pump replaced at some point, timing belt done, etc.

Water pump was replaced at 100k with the timing belt. Regular service means, if it was suggested in the owners manual for it to be done at a certain milage, it was. Difs were serviced every 30k miles, tranny serviced every 30k miles, cooling system every 30k miles, etc. I do have the service records from the dealer, and I could type them out, but that would take freaking forever, its 5 pages long.

My 2cents, if the price is right for you and maintence records are important get it, as was already said it should go along way for you. Bajas are cool but BRATS rule:grin:.....................G

Dealers asking price is 5900

 

KBB Private Party

Excellent $8,710

Good $8,085

Fair $7,260

 

KBB Retail

$10,860

 

NADA

Base Price................... $7,425 $8,550 $9,450 $11,475

Mileage - 160,000 miles -$1,650 -$1,650 -$1,650 -$1,650

TOTAL PRIC..................$5,775 $6,900 $7,800 $9,825

 

Its a good deal, and I doubt I will come across something this good again. The dealer, a Saturn dealer, will probly wholesale it off later this week because of the miles.

ask about the head gaskets. review the service history to see if there ever been any low coolant, over heating, new t-stat, etc.

 

you don't want to buy it and then find bad HGs.

2 reports on overheating about 30k miles ago, New thermostat, no evidence of headgasket seapage internally according to the report by the tech, spark plugs were clean.

They wouldn't leak internally, they would leak externally. Definitely check!!

Im currently waiting on the Saturn Dealer to call me back. They are going to run one of those 250 point checks. Probly wont check anything that is really Subaru related, being they arent a Subaru dealer, but we will see. I think the AC wasnt working, but it was hard to tell since it was 17* out when I test drove it.

By 2003, the 2.5 HG issues were taken care of. If all the service records are verifiable, and most of the miles are highway, that's a great deal. Or at least it would be a great deal in the Pacific Northwest.

My local Suby dealer I go to, said the HG issues were fixed by 2004, and somewhat fixed for 2003 depending on production time. They do see some of the 03's come in for HG's, and even some of the later models, but not nearly as many..

 

I may be buying it. Waiting to hear back on a Auction that I was bidding on, ebay. I might end up getting both. I will need a fall back car for when my tribeca goes back for lease.