Oppo, help me buy a Subie

"RPM esq." (rpm3)
04/22/2014 at 20:16 • Filed to: None

I'm looking at a '98 Subaru Legacy Outback today, for use as a winter/trailhead/dog beater, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers as to what to look for. I know to beware of oil and coolant leaks due to the head gasket issue; anything else I should be looking for? Thanks in advance, and have an offroad Subie for your troubles.

EDIT: sold out from under me. The winter beater search continues.

DISCUSSION (14)

Nibby > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 20:18

I sent this to a friend of mine who knows his stuff about these Outbacks.

RPM esq. > Nibby
04/22/2014 at 20:19

Thanks!

Merkin Muffley > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 20:22

the HVAC head units like to break. The aluminum wheels develop slow leaks if you look at them wrong. The idle tensioner pulley likes to go out of adjustment. It is easy to crack the radiator hose nipple by tightening the hose clamp a little too much.

Arben72 > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 20:23

Wheel bearings, rust. That's about it. Also timing belt, make sure it was done.

Takuro Spirit > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 20:38

What they said. Although I never had an HVAC head go out, replacing the bulbs is a PITA though.

Headgaskets on the 2.5L (yes they made the Outback with the 2.2L but good luck finding one) leak INTERNAL. So check the inside of the overflow bottle. If its filthy and dark like oil's been in it, ask for proof of HG replacement.

Otherwise take it for a LOOOONG test drive. If it starts pushing bubbles into the overflow at ANY point, its the HG. I never saw bubbles in mine but the coolant would get pushed into the bottle and eventually overflow it. So if the level gets high... HG. Of course.

Wheel bearings need special tools to replace, so make sure they're not noisy.

If it's an automatic, make some slow turns at full lock and listen for any clunking, or jerking from the trans.

Rust in the rear wheel arches is common, just expect that. They son't really rust anywhere else EXCEPT the windshield frame, if its been replaced poorly.

If the CEL is on, it's probably either a $20 knock sensor, or a $300+ catalytic converter. DO test.

Other than those MINOR issues... if it all checks out GO FOR IT. Lots of help can be found here and on SL-I.net. Don't even THINK of going on NASIOC. Unless you buy an Impreza instead.

commander warsstar is smitten with subaru legacy outbacks (and redheads) > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 20:40

As others have mentioned, the head gaskets, timing belt and wheel bearing are the biggest issues. Also look for rust in the rear door frames and fenders. I believe '98 and '99s have an potential issue with the speedometer and odometer not working all the time. Basically it's just bad connections in the curcuit board and it's fixable if you have some skill with a soldering iron. I have this issue on mine but haven't gotten around to fixing it since I have a gps.

Just to give you an idea how obsessed I am with these, I currently own two. The first one turned out to have the head gasket issue, and in spite of that I went looking for a second one.

If you have any questions let me know! I may post more if something occurred to me.

commander warsstar is smitten with subaru legacy outbacks (and redheads) > commander warsstar is smitten with subaru legacy outbacks (and redheads)
04/22/2014 at 20:48

Side note: removing the thermostat can let you keep driving on bad head gaskets. You won't have heat except when stopped, but you can drive it with no worries. At least that was true of mine.

commander warsstar is smitten with subaru legacy outbacks (and redheads) > Takuro Spirit
04/22/2014 at 20:50

subaruoutback.com isn't bad either.

Btw, I just replaced my rear brake pads and rotors and now when I turn right, there's a grinding/scraping noise coming from the back. That's probably just a bent dust shield and not bearings, right?

Takuro Spirit > commander warsstar is smitten with subaru legacy outbacks (and redheads)
04/22/2014 at 20:53

Probably. Mine had turned to dust long ago. BUT.... a wheel bearing with play will allow the rotor to contact the dust shield when stressed, such as in a turn. Bend it back a bit and hope it goes away.

(p.s. subaruoutback.org always seemed full of newer Outback owners and the older models were ignored/rarely talked about)

commander warsstar is smitten with subaru legacy outbacks (and redheads) > Takuro Spirit
04/22/2014 at 20:57

Okay. I'll do that this weekend. To me it seems like the dust shield is the most likely since the noise only appeared after I worked on the brakes.

There's a fair amount of good stuff on there, but yes it does seem geared more towards newer.

Pearson Hurst > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 20:59

I owned a 98 Legacy Outback for less than a year. I had the HG blow as well as wheel bearing issues and a variety of others, ranging from minor to fairly major. Mine had 300k on the clock though, and was free, so I have no real right to bitch, but I equate it on par with my crappy old Jaaag and crappy old Bronco II as far as reliability, which is to say absolutely terrible. I suspect my experience wasn't typical though.

RallyWrench > RPM esq.
04/22/2014 at 21:00

I work on German cars for a living, and drive an '01 Outback 2.5 daily because it doesn't break. If it does need anything, it's stupid easy to work on. I beat the shit out of it on road & off, and it never misses a beat. My whole town is being torn up for a sewer project, so it sees dirt & terrible broken roads daily. As a mountain bike/trailbuilding support car it's great, with enough ground clearance to clear most inclines with a 2-bike rack on the back without dragging ass. I pretty much treat it like a beater truck. I don't even remember the last time I washed it. No point with all the construction in town. Without anything on the roof racks, it does almost 26mpg.

Yes, my heads leak oil like a sieve. I'll get to that when I have a free weekend, which won't be any time soon, because it runs great. I just keep a pan under it. They don't have much torque down low off idle, so you do need to keep the revs up if loaded down & climbing. That said, there's no point in exceeding about 4500rpm, they just make more noise. With enough punishment, the front strut mounts collapse and steering rack bushings are fairly weak. Rear shocks are a notorious Outback weak spot, causing the "saggy ass" stance. They're underbraked as standard, so make sure the system's in good shape. Check for difficult shifting, weak synchros are pretty obvious. Clutches should last a long time but may be oil saturated, causing poor engagement characteristics. That said, I shift mine up & down without the clutch, rev matching for fun all the time. Check for water damage to the taillights, they tend to let loads of water in. Over all, very good cars, and they're great for DIY wrenchers.

RallyWrench > RallyWrench
04/22/2014 at 21:10

Oh, and aftermarket axles almost never work properly in Subarus. Vibration, noise, etc. You're better off sourcing decent factory ones from a junkyard. Oh, also, Primitive Racing makes some sexy rally bits for them. http://www.writerguy.com/primitive/

RallyWrench > Takuro Spirit
04/22/2014 at 21:12

You've really got to dig with some specific search terms to find anything useful for pre-05 cars there.