bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

is that from your 1980's collection?

mmarshall

Subie head gasket problems actually persisted into the late 2000s.....about 7-8 years ago. Not on all engines, though....mainly the on-turbo 4's, particularly the N/A 2.5L.

Aron9000

Hey I'm just trying to offer reasonable advice to the OP. If I were seriously considering a used Subaru, I'd be on their forum researching which model years and engine combos had that head gasket problem and made sure I didn't buy a model or year or engine that is prone to that problem.

I think that's a big problem with people buying used cars, they never do research on forums like this to weed out cars that have expensive problems down the road. They'll just buy any old Toyota or Honda or Subaru and assume its all good because of the badge on the front. Every car maker puts out some lemons that you need to avoid at all costs, or there are just certain things that break at a certain age/miles that cost a fortune to fix. Best that you do your research on the front end, especially if your budget is tight and you can't afford to do a $3,000 repair on a $5,000 car you just bought 6 months ago.

wasjr

Just saw this thread, and while on the surface I would agree with the Subaru, you really have to consider what you can find in the marketplace. My BIL just bought an 05 Altima with 107k mi for $3,500. It came from a friend's mother who was getting a new car. Car had been well maintained and looked spotless. I believe it would be hard to find a Subaru in like (or close) condition. With the age of the vehicles the OP is considering, I believe he needs to get the best of the bunch he can find in the marketplace.

Jewcano

iTrader: (4)

100% fact. My roommate has an 00' Impreza 2.5RS. Guess what service he just had done at the dealership. 130k on the clock give or take and his temps were going up, one of the head gaskets failed. They replaced both and did a whole slew of other services while the engine was disassembled.

mmarshall

Obviously, it's hard to predict just when the head-gaskets will go....depends on a number of factors. I've heard of them starting to act up as early as 30K miles, and as late as 175K. Other than that, though (and some occasional rear wheel bearing problems) Subies tend to be better than average in reliability.....and, IMO, have one of the best car-based AWD systems in the industry.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

130K mi. and a head gasket needs replacing. i see nothing unreasonable about this.

comotiger

You can't miss with the Subaru. I just donated my 1995 Subaru Legacy to NPR after 21 years and 210K of wonderful service. Sure, there were some oil leaks and some rust on the rear quarter panel by the fender. Any used car will need some TLC, but if it is regularly serviced, the Subaru will just keep going and going... Good luck!

Aron9000

Your wallet might see something unreasonable about this, because its a major PITA engine out job on a Subaru to do them. When the headgaskets go, you have the potential of overheating the engine and doing all kinds of fun stuff like potentially warping the heads, etc

I don't know of any Toyotas or Hondas that are notorious for puking their headgaskets to the tune of several thousand dollars in repairs. Also the Subie flat four has a timing belt, so to the OP make sure that service has been done on time.

Jewcano

iTrader: (4)

Aron9000 pretty much hit it. His total bill was around $2250 give or take as well. Someone with his financial status who doesn't have $$$ to throw around like that, that is a big hit.

mmarshall

I agree that HGs are a known issue with many N/A Subie flat-fours, but that doesn't mean that Toyotas and Hondas don't have their issues, too. Toyota/Lexus 3.0L V6s were notorious for sludge/gel buildup and engine damage or failure if the oil wasn't changed quite often, and some Hondas and Acuras have had serious automatic-transmission issues.