What should I look for on a used outback?

"texasfordfan" (texasfordfan)
04/02/2014 at 13:28 • Filed to: None

I have a budget for a new car of about $10,000. The outback is my favorite choice right now. On craigslist I found two 2005 outbacks around my budget. One is an XT, one is a 2.5i. Both have a stick shift. What should I look out for on the cars?

DISCUSSION (12)

48 Spoons > texasfordfan
04/02/2014 at 13:36

If its around 100k miles, make sure the head gasket has been changed or adjust the price down like $1500 as its a fairly expensive job on subarus.

texasfordfan > 48 Spoons
04/02/2014 at 13:37

Good to know. Thanks.

Merkin Muffley > texasfordfan
04/02/2014 at 13:41

other than the obvious things like crash damage, rust, and leaks, a big indicator is the condition of the little things- electric rearview mirrors, seat heaters, speakers, cruise, the piston thingies that hold the tailgate up, interior trim pieces. Check every possible permutation of the hvac controls. While subarus are known for reliability, little annoying things can go wrong. A quality interior is often a good overall indicator of how well the car was maintained.

Merkin Muffley > 48 Spoons
04/02/2014 at 13:42

I thought the head gasket issue had been sorted by then.

48 Spoons > Merkin Muffley
04/02/2014 at 13:45

I want to say it persisted till around 08-09, not totally sure though.

Mattbob > Merkin Muffley
04/02/2014 at 13:52

I second crash damage. If there is evidence of a crash, walk away. It's not worth it man.

Boxer_4 > 48 Spoons
04/02/2014 at 14:15

Sorted by 2005-2006 with the EJ253 engine. However, head gasket issues do pop up on the newer engine occasionally. The EJ255 in the XT never had the issue to the degree that the N/As did, but it can still happen.

texasfordfan > Boxer_4
04/02/2014 at 15:04

Do you know anything about the XT engine turbo? I have read somewhere that the turbo will blow out unless you take very good care of it, and I don't know how well the previous owner of the XT I am looking at took care of the car.

Boxer_4 > texasfordfan
04/02/2014 at 21:25

From what I've seen, the main reason for turbo failure due to neglect in the 2005-2006 EJ255 is the clogging of the filtered banjo bolt in the oil feed line, which can starve the turbo of oil. The filter is there to prevent oil coked up by the turbo from entering the oil passages of the turbo, however, the coked up oil can eventually block the filter. All turbo engines coke up oil to a degree, some worse than others. Someone on subaruoutback.org has a better explanation of it:

"The turbo heats the oil up and literally cooks it...the banjo (and passages) plug from oil "coking". It is a well known issue, usually caused by not allowing the car to cool after driving (shutting down hot) and running lower grade oils."

Basically, make sure the previous owner was doing oil changes at regular intervals (the closer to 3,750 mile intervals the better), and was using quality oil (Mobile, Castrol, etc, or Subaru's oil from dealership oil changes should all be good). Try to learn what his driving habits were, if he drove the car hard, and if he typically let it cool down at all before shutting down. The cool down period in a turbo car is important, because when the car shuts off, the oil isn't flowing. Any oil that is left in the turbo can and will cook, which reduces the longevity of the oil, and eventually, the turbo. In reality, it doesn't take long for a turbo car to cool, usually just a couple of seconds for downtown driving, but 30 seconds is recommended for any hard driving, or long highway trips. With that in mind, as long as the previous owner wasn't racing to his parking spot, then immediately shutting down the car, you should be fine.

I would have any Subaru, either turbo or non-turbo, looked over by a mechanic that specializes in Subarus, just for peace of mind. Also, ask for detailed service records and look over them closely.

As for preventing turbo failure, have the banjo bolt checked and replaced, use quality oil and a good oil change interval, and allow the engine to cool down before shutting it off, and you should not have a problem.

texasfordfan > Boxer_4
04/02/2014 at 22:18

Thanks. I will probably end up getting the non turbo because I think I could get a better deal, and I don't think it requires premium fuel. I was planning on having a mechanic look it over.

Hopefully I still like the outback after I drive it. I haven't ever driven one before, so I don't know if I will like driving it.

B Reel > texasfordfan
04/03/2014 at 00:44

buy my 2002 Outback 3.0 VDC wagon, far better than the EJ crap I have parked around it.

texasfordfan > B Reel
04/03/2014 at 00:50

I do like the VDC. I haven't found any good VDCs in the Austin area yet.