This could lead to some maintenance needing to be performed earlier than the guidelines. As with any vehicle, anything you might not be experienced doing should be completed by a trusted mechanic. A Subaru Outback that has mileage eclipsing , is considered high mileage. With proper care and routine maintenance, your Outback might last even longer.
Many consumers report their Outbacks turning well over half a million miles. Consumers report that the Subaru Outback is one of the most reliable vehicles on the market today. With an average lifespan of , miles, this vehicle outlasts many other models in its class. A car with a solid history, the Outback has a high predictability rating from Consumer Reports. This agency rated this model at a 4 out of 5, fairing much better than the average model vehicle.
As with any model vehicle, the Subaru Outback has been known to have some issues within certain model years. Camshaft and crankshaft leaks have been reported in models spanning many years of the Outback. Fortunately, this is a quick and easy replacement. Where I came from, nobody got towed unless they got in a wreck or were pulled over for a DUI or something. She writes that when she called the towing company, she was told she owed a couple hundred dollars for the impound fee.
What she wasn't told was that in the interim until her next payday, when she might be able to pay that fee, she would also be charged a couple hundred dollars a day in storage fees. The tow company told her that it would hold the truck for a few months to give her some time to come up with the mounting storage fees, but then it could sell it at auction.
Should that happen, it would give her any of the proceeds from the sale after deducting its fees, if there was anything left. In the end, she lost her truck and, along with it, her and her husband's only realistic means to get to work on time.
The couple soon lost their jobs. Not long after that, they lost their apartment. Owning an old car on a shoestring budget means learning to wrench whether you want to or not.
YouTube, parts-store clerks, and strangers are the best free help you can find. One of the hardest ironies of all for the working poor is the often unspoken truth that in America, you usually have to already have money to even get an opportunity to make money. And simply moving someplace with better jobs and higher pay isn't really an option when you're broke. Improved public transportation would probably help take some of the pressure off the working poor. It's difficult to imagine the nightmarish perpetual traffic jam New York City would become without its flawed but vital subway system.
But outside of major cities, public transportation is, at best, spotty. And for great swaths of small towns and rural areas, it's completely nonexistent. The problem is often one of distance and population. For example, getting our son to and from school adds up to 80 miles, and we do that four days a week. Effective public transportation is difficult—if not impossible—to create when you're planning usable daily routes in a sprawling place like Montezuma County, which is roughly one quarter the size of New Jersey.
It's also almost impossible to pay for when the entire population of the area numbers less than that of most Brooklyn neighborhoods. Tirado says that she's often been required to take a long and hazardous hike to get to work or to go grocery shopping. She says that people in the West might have a difficult time imagining the population density in the East, but people in the East seem to have no concept of the distances involved out west.
What are you people bitching about? I was like, 'Why? Because they're a few minutes late sometimes? Do you know what a miracle it is that you can just step outside of your house, walk a block, and then just stand there and a bus will pick you up? The car has just over k on it. If the thought process is the chain stretched due to lack of lubrication, you could point to lower octane fuel being A contributing factor but only if, it was also combined with poor maintenance and driving habits.
A mutual friend is selling their Subaru Outback 2. It has the CVT, and the inside and outside look in good condition, and they said the timing belt, head gasket, water pump and radiator were replaced at , at a Subaru dealership. Also, I plan to keep it for probably around years, and drive the usual k miles a year, and get regular maintenance at a dealer once I purchase it.
The thing I would look into besides having a pre purchase inspection is to see if the Torque Convertor has been replaced. I am wondering if this price is fair and what specifics should I ask about the maintenance that has been done or should look into, I am a first time buyer.
Sold by a private owner who list all the special mods to the turbo and such. Says it runs fine and should get a lot more use out of it, as long as the fluids are always topped up.
I guess your best bet is to research what other similar years and mileage are selling for, if its close have a pre purchase inspection performed and take things from there based on that inspection. Based on the almost 7 years old thing make sure the fluids have been changed, they are due again at 60k and make sure someone tests the PH level in the coolant.
Hello Justin, My Forester XRT has 30 mpg plus for the first 50 miles or so after filling an empty gas tank then gradually drops to 20 mpg computer estimates confirmed with measured consumption. Is this likely an oxygen sensor problem, software problem, mass air meter problem or what? No codes appear. There is and never will be an accurate Fuel economy display. I have no idea why its telling you 30 and then 20, buts its most likely neither.
Thank you so much for giving your expert advice. I have a Impreza 2. It has the head gasket issue, although the leak is small. Also, the car is registered in NC, so the insurance is nominal. If I get a new car, it will be 6 times as much. Should I get all these repairs done and expect to drive the car 80k more miles?
Or should I throw in the towel? Thank you! You are on the right tack and have the proper mind set, keep the car you have, and get as much out of it as you can, the other way is just to expensive. Hi Justin, I think I know the answer, but here goes. Subaru replaced the HG at 92K before sale to 2nd owner , but they are leaking externally again. Not much oil being lost AFAIK, and no coolant mixing yet,but if I am going to keep the car I know it needs to be done as the leak has been growing.
In the recent past brakes all around, exhaust from CC back, front axles, tranny fluid exchange has all been done, along with a few minor suspension parts such as tie rod and wheel bearings. Body is clean, interior nice. Considering all the work that has been done to the car in the past 50K or so, I am thinking this repair will take me to K no problem.
My only concern is the repair is equal to the value of the car. Any reason I should reconsider? You just cant think Repair costs VS value of the car. Current one purchased new , Forrester Km replaced transmission Serviced every Km. I expect this car to go for Km. One of the best cars you can buy. I know I need to have the car inspected, that said, I am looking 4 basic information. I am buying it in Az to take to my daughter in Oregon…. Plz send an email to my personal email asap.
Ty again. Just found your site…. I am always happy to try and answer questions, just not usually ASAP, and also only in reply to a post here as that would take away from the customers that come to the shop locally. That way a question you have that could be similar to another readers the answer is here for them as well.
The HG can fail internally, but most likely they would have been addressed by now. They are not known for ring problems in that era, but anything is possible. Inquire about rear wheel bearings, and of course has the timing belt been done, were the HG done yet etc.
Thinking of buying crosstrek with 80k miles but I am concerned about the milage for the year of the vehicle and if it will need a new transmission soon. I have heard some funny things about the CVT the fluid levels. Buying from dealer and carafe is clean but not sure how well previous owner treated and took car of vehicle. I think what you are trying to say is its difficult to check the fluid level in a CVT, which yes it is.
There is no way to predict the future, on a CVT but there is no widespread issue with the CVT, there are pockets of issues, just like there is with every single make and model out there.
Is there any problems that I can expect coming up in the next miles? What should I be looking for when I talk to the dealer? You really need to have a pre purchase inspection done and not rely on what a salesman tells you or what you can see for your self. But for starters has it had the Timing belt replaced it was due at k and if so was it just the belt or was it done properly with all of the other driven components. Couple things… 1. I feel this is a bit high.
Buying it at k, would you consider this a decent mileage for the age of the car? I understand that is not going to be convenient, but it will save you from a potential headache if the car does not Check Out. I have a Impreza Outback Sport. Other than that, just little things wiper arm, CV boots and I did timing belt at k. I was thinking of purchasing a new vehicle and selling the Subie. My concern was longevity and reliability of the Subaru, thinking it may be at the end of its lifespan.
Glad I found your site, which is making me reconsider. Two questions for you: How much more life do you expect I can get from this car? Also, I am considering adding a tow package and towing a small uhaul trailer for my move, about 1, miles. Do you have any advice on towing with these cars? However I just do not think towing with it is a great idea, so if that is something you want and need to do in the future which is totally understandable I would consider other options. Given some issues with later models I would most likely suggest skipping most models, there are some things like oil consumption that could sneak up on you.
Thanks for the reply. Just wondering what you would say is the concern with towing. Transmission damage? Well as far as damage, the AWD system can suffer from traction loss under load, the cars brakes were never designed to tow a load like that and neither was the suspension. I worry much more about the safety of you and other motorists in a Panic situation that may not go well more then I do a transmission issue.
Loving Subaru and owning one myself I am happy to come across this blog. Right now I own a 99 Subaru Forester with , miles. Recently I took it in to fix the leak, and the mechanic screwed me by just fixing the head gasket, and not the other leak in the rear valve. Beside the leak and some slippage from the tranny I bought lucas tranny fix and hoping that will help should I be worried to take this car on the road for that long? I just was wondering about the forester 99 and its general reliability.
Well So I saw the Question and its just so difficult to really accurately comment on the reliability of a Forester. I am planning to buy Subaru Ascent. Can you give view what kind of car it is. I am only concerned about its 4 cylander engine. Do you feel Subaru ascent engine is reliable and can go above K above. I would love to be able to tell you that the first iteration of the Subaru Ascent is going to be great and trouble free, but I cannot.
I can tell you its a brand new platform, all new Drivetrain and technology. If you can deal with trips to the Dealer service department, by all means buy it. Hi, I am considering buying a outback xt limited with , miles on it. I had it inspected and there are a few things that came back as needing repairs.
It was also noted that there was rust around the AC compressor and a small oil leak somewhere. I also would need to buy new tires for the car.
I am hoping it was a Subaru shop that looked at it? I would also be curious to know the service history and specifically the oil changes, the Turbo and if the union screws at the Turbo were ever serviced.
All in all it seems like a decent deal, but I think you need to know that a used Turbo model carries a little bit of risk surrounding a potential Turbo failure and if not caught in time it can damage the engine, this does not have to happen on all Turbo Subaru models such as the Xt or GT, but it does occur on the Turbo models that have not have enough love.
In my search, I have found a 3. Is this something worth considering and are there specific things I should be worried about? A Outback 3. I can only tell you that the idea in principle is sound, but the car may not be.
Only a prepurchase inspection performed locally by someone familiar with Subaru is going to really answer this question for you. I am planning to buy Subaru B9 Tribeca. It has , Miles.
The best suggestion I can make is you must have a pre purchase inspection performed. The Air bag thing really straight forward and no big deal to be resolved.
They last about as long as a WRX does in terms of drivetrain wear. Head gaskets and timing belt have been replaced. Overall, looks like a car has been maintained. My spouse is on his second Subaru. The mileage he has reached, despite regular maintenance, scarcely made it past , before all manner of problem occurred.
My spouse had his Outback into the dealer for some sensor repairs as recently as , miles. Nobody ever said ONE WORD about the head gasket so it did not come to my attention until after it failed that this is a long-known issue. Apparently the head gasket was a flawed design between Our major service just three years ago included: Belts, radiator hoses, belt tensors, radiator fan, thermostat, water pump, crank seals, etc.
Would that not have been a good time to appreciate whether the head gasket needed to be replaced? Apparently not for the subject never came up. Last year around this time, I began noticing small oil spots on the driveway. We were new to the area where we live and out of the driving range of our old mechanic.
We took it to an independent shop with great Yelp reviews. There my husband was told that the valve cover was the source of the leak. The shop owner said he had had success by applying a silicone rim to the area that could hold up to a year.
He said the repair the car needed would be expensive but did not educate my spouse about the source of the problem tracking back to a failing head gasket! So the area was caulked with silicone and my spouse was told to have the job repeated if he saw any more leaks. We saw some mild spotting in the driveway appear about March of this year. Before we could get the car back in, it required some coolant. A week later it went into its first and only overheat situation.
The radiator plastic! Naturally, the silent campaign to fix the head gasket had expired by about three years so we were SOL with Subaru America. At , miles the head gasket had to be done along with the motor mounts and the transmission mount.
Not 24 hours out, and the car, which up to that point sounded and drove more solidly than it had in years, lost power on the freeway and the engine would not turn over.
We coasted over to the side and had a two truck bring the car two hours back to the shop. Shop speculated that at the time of the radiator and head gasket failure the overheating must have caused the compound to lose its grip on the bolt, causing the timing belt to shred. In addition to some presumable valve tap at startup, we heard a bit of a high pitch whine upon acceleration. The car seemed to be working too hard to accelerate RPMs going too high.
Upon arriving back at the shop, which by then had closed for the day, we smelled a burning odor. This will be week number five the car has been in the shop and the third time the mechanic will have to investigate a problem that occurred immediately after picking the car up from repair. And there is NO indication the pulley or the belt tensioner were replaced along with the newly installed valves and belt! OR does it sound more like we have major unaddressed engine damage caused by one or both catastrophic failures?
I am dreading Monday when the shop employees arrive to find our car still sitting outside their door. My own personal sense is that the belt tensioner should have been replaced, not just the broken belt and the bent valves.
My spouse and I are deep in the hole for this and have no money for a down-payment on a new car, which is WHY we were trying to repair the one we already had given that we have heard from many sources, not just here, that these cars should be capable of reaching , miles.
Needless to say, we are questioning how Subaru has the reliability reputation they do when, for my husband, this is Subaru Number 2 that became a Money Pit after K despite performing all recommended maintenance and then some. I really hate reading posts like this, I really do. There is a lot going on here, I will try to address what I can. What I can tell you in reading your very long and troubling post is that its just been serviced by all the wrong people, maybe not at each service but for at least the majority of what you have written about.
There are 3 idlers as well that all have bolts that connect them to the engine, so which one is the issue? The tensioner mounting bolt, the geared idler that mounts to the Waterpump, the flanged idler or the double bearing idler that bolts to the engine?
When we replace head gaskets we remove and inspect as per the repair procedure. Why do we do it this way? Then we give you the option to make any other repairs we see that need to be done, we have an adult conversation and you get to decide. If we did your HG and on your drive home it all fell apart, well unless you specially told us not to do something we thought nessisary, we would be paying for the valve job.
As much as I hate talking about this stuff, a few weeks back we did a HG repair to an older Impreza and a short period of time after it developed a rod knock, and because we were just there and did not suggest the lower end, we rebuilt his engine.. He was not obliged to pay a thing. Next if a bolt hole is stripped out that will need to be remedied as well as would have the timing belt, and tensioner. If the shop did a valve job and left the original timing belt and tensioner to chance?
I am truly baffled by that comment and hope its a misunderstanding. Your Subaru ownership experience will be a reflection of who you choose to and allow to service your Subaru. If your having a lot of trouble, perhaps the shop your using is just not the best choice? What to do from here is tough, this is an awful situation. The shop apparently repaired the stripped bolts, following the replacement timing belt and valves, with the help of a welder.
Like you, I am baffled. While it is true that we originally told the shop that our radiator fan, radiator hoses, thermostat, belts, tensioner and water pump had been replaced less than three years before the radiator and HG blew, we would not have declined any recommended parts replacement if it had been indicated that the heat damage may have rendered the parts installed with our major service a moot point.
When asked for clarification on the paperwork where damage to a pulley and tensioner is noted, we were told that it was a mistake on their part and that it was supposed to refer only to the damaged bolts.
How do we know if the bolt stripped out and caused the belt shred, which is what the shop thinks happened, vs. We are lost in terms of who to trust because we are relative newcomers to where we live. The car was maintained after it went out of dealer warranty by the same shop — over 15 years as customers! That first year after the move, we had an alternator, power steering pump, rack-and-pinon boot? This is the shop where we went to have a small oil leak diagnosed in May of last year. We found ourselves paying for a new rack-and-pinion boot, axle and power steering pump while remaining in the dark about our small oil leak possibly tied into a failing head gasket.
In any event, that is how we ended up at shop 3 for the current work selected on the strength of the Yelp reviews. A rack-and-pinion leak was never mentioned at the time of the HG repair nor did we smell any odors while waiting 30 minutes on the side of a freeway, after our belt shredded three weeks prior, for a tow truck. Given the fact that the power steering pump and the rack-and-pinion boot is only a year old, we presume if it was leaking it would have been diagnosed at that time.
A sit-down with the shop owner is a good suggestion. We hope to convince the owner to keep his shop open late enough so that my spouse, who has tied up my car now for over a month, can get there after work to discuss this in person. This is my first Subaru. I love the Crosstrek for its size and capability of hauling more than an average sedan.
I have test-driven a couple and do like the vehicle. It is a 1-owner vehicle with clean carfax. I do not do much long-distance traveling that would pack on the miles. I also do not see a lot of conversation on your site about Crosstreks. Is that a good thing, or indicate no one buys them? I am probably late with any advice. The one thing to really try and understand about the Crosstrek is you could buy one that might use oil in between oil changes.
Mostly recall stuff. The Crosstreks are a little harder on CV axles and wheel bearings as compared to the Impreza which uses the same platform other than that they are pretty solid cars. I put my son in a when he turned 16 last year. My daughter needs a cheap reliable car to drive maybe 10 miles each way to work.
We ar looking at a Impreza with miles. Same owner for last ten years and he had it serviced locally. He said I could tslk to the mechanic. Current owner just bought a new Forrester. I am probably late with any real help but the Impreza is a very solid choice if the car passes the inspection.
Hi Justin, I have been reading a lot of your post and have learned quite a bit. I have two Subarus, a and a Outback limited both bought within the last few years. The has not had any issues and currently has about miles but I anticipate I will have to due a gasket change eventually which I will because the car is in awesome condition and I have only had to do the air conditioning.
Because of the great experience I had with that vehicle, I picked up a similar It had K miles when I bought it and I did do the head gaskets which I expected to do.
Unfortunately lots of other issues keep happening. The most current issue is that the car is periodically overheating. My daughter drives this car and she says when it happens she just put the heater on and that seems to solve the issue. Seems odd to me that this is happening when we just did the head gasket just over a year ago. My daughter says it mainly happens when the car has sat in the sun a long time and then she drives it on the freeway.
We have what we believe to be a reputable mechanic, however I have had several mechanics try and pull one on me which has left me with some trust issues. I used to do most of my own repairs when I was younger so I have more than an average understanding of some mechanics. I am getting to old to be doing any major stuff but have enjoyed problem solving and fixing smaller issues.
So I guess what I was hoping from you is maybe a list of possible concerns that would fit the situation. The gasket repair was only warrantied for a year so that is past so I would be pretty upset if that was the issue. Any other ideas I should consider? Thank you in advance for your time and thanks for having such a great place to come for reviews and info. Wow that sounds awful. Its difficult to say whats causing the overeating as there are so many things it could be.
It just needs to evaluated locally and you just need to find a good shop, thats my best advice for you. Well my Subaru Outback Sport has , miles on it and has been diagnosed with leaky head gaskets. As the only kind of major repair on the car to this point has been rear struts I decided to get it fixed as I was going in to have the timing belt replaced and figure it will still be cheaper than buying a new car.
Just curious. It all depends on the repair, if its getting Subaru gaskets it will most likely get dome again before 60k, if it is getting the Six Star gasket we use I would expect something more like you are hoping for. So a WRX Bugeye as we call them at k gives me some concern. Your on the right track with having a pre purchase inspection performed. Make sure its done by someone familiar with Subaru and at that mileage pay attention to the possibility of internal head gasket issues, and maybe have them also inspect the turbo for play.
Im looking at a Subaru Forester. The vehicle looks like it is impeccable shape. It would be a first car for my 16 year old. They are asking 3, It has ,00 miles on. One thing I will stress is a car with higher miles like that make sure you get to know it and that includes checking the oil lots and often to see if it uses any in between oil changes. Thank you for getting back to me. We live in PA. I had a mechanic check it out.
He said everything looks good but that it will need the timing belt replaced sooner rather than later. But why do we have k kms timing belt change intervals, and in the US k miles? Same car, same belt, we have slightly hotter conditions but you have way colder temps.
The k belt thing in the was an emissions mandate started in the state of California. It has been widely adopted by manufacturers, why make two belts? Prior to the Law change it was every 60k here in the US for the Timing belt. My Mom has Forester. It has had regular maintenance. I have done the timing belt once with all the tensioners and water pump. It now has k on it and will need another timing belt change soon, with all the associted parts.
It recently has started with a slight leak in the camshaft seal. The Forester is pretty solid, so I would try and get as many miles out of that platform as you can.
Looking at the outback limited, my question is, should I get a 3. This car will hopefully be our last car into retirement for years to come. Your thoughts please. I really prefer the 3. If its the 2. Just an update, I found a Outback Limited 3. Still has that new car smell!
Hello Justin, I have a Subaru Forester. How often would you recommend getting the oil changed and what type of oil?
I have heard different things. One of the major factors that define how long do Subarus last are its tires. Properly taken care tires to help in enhancing the performance of Subaru and thereby helping in knowing how many miles can a Subaru last. Therefore, you should take enough care to replace the tires after regular intervals as well as according to the different seasons. Never compromise with the quality of the tires as they might end up reducing the life and performance of Subaru cars.
No matter how good or excited you feel while driving Subaru cars, you should keep in mind that you have to drive them in the best possible manner so as to be sure with their enhanced lifespan. Driving properly and keep a check on the same will help you to be sure of how long do Subarus last as it will complement with the quality of the drive.
Follow all the rules and regulations of driving while trying your hand on the car. This will surely enhance the time of the Subaru cars along with their performance.
Drive properly and enjoy your Subaru reaching and performing more than your expected mark of mileage. Even if you think you are taking good care of your Subaru car, you should always be ready to do a proper analysis of its performance from time to time. There is no fixed criterion of how long the Subaru car will last or how much mileage it will deliver.
Everything depends on how well the Subaru is taken care on its various parameters.
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