looking to buy used subaru, what to look for

[revenger 473]

I'm looking to buy a used Subaru ,  forester or outback .   not sure what year as i'm still looking

any thing I should be on the lookout for ,  type of motor , trans ,  common problems things like that

 

  Thanks   

[Sniper 6,372]

I might be selling a 2019 Subaru BRZ Limited in the near future. Will that work?

[124gr9mm 859]

Not sure how far back you're looking, but any 1996 through 2004 (non turbo) Subaru with a 2.5 L four cylinder engine will need a head gasket replacement right around 100,000 miles.

The naturally aspirated EJ25 engine was used across Subaru’s lineup and can be found in the non-turbo Baja, Forester, Impreza, Legacy, and Outback.

 

Not a matter of "if" in those years with that engine, it's just a matter of when.

[dajonga 397]

124gr9mm is right...my beloved '98 outback died an early death from a head gasket leak. 

[father-of-three 243]

On 3/24/2021 at 5:18 PM, 124gr9mm said:

Not sure how far back you're looking, but any 1996 through 2004 (non turbo) Subaru with a 2.5 L four cylinder engine will need a head gasket replacement right around 100,000 miles.

The naturally aspirated EJ25 engine was used across Subaru’s lineup and can be found in the non-turbo Baja, Forester, Impreza, Legacy, and Outback.

 

Not a matter of "if" in those years with that engine, it's just a matter of when.

Yeah... I had a 2000 outback that needed a new head gasket. It made the temperature gage needle move quite a bit!   If the engine has no oil leaks, that's always a good sign too.  I had a subaru legacy with a rear engine leak that would drip on the exhaust system and make it look like the engine was smoking.

My last one was a 2002 outback h6 that lasted 334, 000 miles.  Ironically I never got the air conditioner fixed because I assumed I would only have it for 2 years, as I used to drive 70 miles to work.  My coworkers used to call that car "The toaster oven."  My kids weren't very fond of it in the summer.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

overall, you'll find that subarus for the most part are decent cars. from 2010 till 2014 or so they had oil consumption issues(actually quite a few of our newer cars have that issue). for an AWD vehicle that's not a full blown suv, and is affordable to the normal(read that not spending 60-70k) person, it's hard to beat a subaru.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

i've never been this deep into a subaru engine....interesting vid.

Why Subaru Engines FAIL - YouTube