My girlfriend is looking to buy a 2002 Subaru Legacy with 129xxx miles

"71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors" (adamprotter)
09/02/2016 at 17:12 • Filed to: None

What questions should we ask the seller?

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DISCUSSION (18)

PS9 > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:17

Gonna be difficult to find any car with x's in it's odo like that, unless Scoobys just have that already. Can you talk her into a car with a normal odo? That will make your search way easier.

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > PS9
09/02/2016 at 17:19

I mean we’re looking at an specific car and I want to know what we should look out for.

CB > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:19

Head gaskets and look for rust.

vicali > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:19

Timing belt at 102K?

How are the headgaskets? -does it overheat or use/lose coolant?

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/…

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:19

Ask if the head gaskets have been done. If not, I’d be weary. If they have and there is proof, then It’s probably a good car.

vicali > CB
09/02/2016 at 17:20

it’s already got that, look at the rear fender seam..

HammerheadFistpunch > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:20

timing belt, head gasket and water pump. When were they last done.

Seat Safety Switch > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:20

Things I’ve found frequently broken on third gens include:

Power windows - make sure all four work

Is the antenna stuck?

Torque bind - drive it in a tight circle in a parking lot. If it feels “hitchy” like a 4x4 truck does when you drive it on dry pavement, the centre diff or at least the duty solenoid in the automatic transmission is pooched. At this point the car is worthless.

Check the FWD/AWD fuse. If it’s in “FWD” mode (I think that’s fuse present on this car - check the manual), walk away.

If the driver has ever driven it with mismatched tires, that means the centre diff has seen a lot of strain it shouldn’t have, and it is probably accelerated on its path to failure and torque bind. Check all four tires to make sure they have similar wear levels and are the same make, model and size. I would walk away from a car with mismatched tires.

Automatic transmissions with low-quality aftermarket front axles vibrate a lot when you drive.

Check inner tie rod boots for tears and leaks; for whatever reason, probably the design of the front u-frame, foreign object damage seems more common on these than the 2nd gen Legacy or Imprezas.

Head gaskets on this generation aren’t a huge deal. If they are leaking, you will need to keep on top of topping up oil and coolant. Some (very few) EJ25 SOHCs with bad head gaskets eventually contaminate the coolant and oil, at which point you must do the head gaskets or you will lose the engine.

Open the oil cap at idle. If you feel a repeated gush of air out of the filler neck, it has at the very least a bad PCV valve and you should negotiate accordingly. Bad blow-by, especially bad blow-by for a long time, is not good for any engine, but it is usually the source of excessive oil consumption in these engines. The PCV valve is not hard to replace, and the valve cover vent hoses are not hard to remove and clean. In my experience having a clogged PCV valve may indicate that the previous owner(s) really liked to stretch out their oil changes, which usually also tells me that the blow-by won’t go entirely away when you fix the PCV valve, because they damaged the rings.

Rear suspension bushing replacement really sucks! Buy a second gen.

Check the inside of the rear doors for rust. The third gen rusts bad in that little dogleg between the rear wheelwell and the back door for some reason, and in particularly nasty places like New England will probably already be Swiss Cheese. Once that happens the strut tower isn’t far behind, and then you’re either breaking out the welder or buying a new shell. Check the inside of the bottom of the rear door for bubbling when you have it open.

Here’s a helpful thread: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthr…

MonkeePuzzle > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:24

timing belt, should have been done at ~100,000, and costs you about $1000, so if it hasn’t had that done its only a $650 car

leaks. all subies leak, just know where it is leaking and assess if it’s bad news.

other than that, you already know about rust, just check for general maintenance and actually get under it with a flashlight.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:26

Was it ever driven on a donut spare?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:30

Has the timing belt and head gasket been changed? That is a big one.

There was a recall for rust on the subframes of some subies of this generation. Not sure if it applied to the Legacy (it did, I checked, see below) but if so, ask if it had been dealt with. If not, the dealership will check it for rust and either rust-proof it or replace it for free in certain provinces / states. To that end, referring to the subframe recall, do not buy it unless u can get a mechanic to get it on a lift to check the condition of the rear subframe before purchase, if it is Swiss cheese, stay away as dealers won’t always replace it for free under the recall (they are only obligated to rust proof them) and it’s like $2k CAD to fix unless u can do it yourself. My old Impreza fell under the same recall, so I know.

Check the recall list and see if any of the important ones have ever been done:

http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/…

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:31

Head gasket replacement if it is a 2.5, timing belt, take a good look at the rust on the rear quarters (they tend to spread pretty quickly), make sure all 4 tires match, what heatshields are left and how bad do they rattle?

I had a 2001 Outback before I got my Mini (it is now my sisters car and has 97k mi). The head gaskets were a big issue on the early EJ25s (the Outback had its fail before 30k mi though the design was updated around 2004 and is less prone to failure though can still be an issue. I would make sure the timing belt has been done somewhat recently. This being a NE car like mine I imagine all the heatshields are falling off. Mine only has one left and that is rattling now. Other than that just keep on top of maintenance and they will run forever.

Steve in Manhattan > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 17:32

Piston slap, but have a pre-purchase inspection by your mechanic before you fork over any money. Best $100 bucks you’ll ever spend.

jkm7680 > Seat Safety Switch
09/02/2016 at 17:35

^ This man knows what he’s talking about.

Captain of the Enterprise > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 18:17

Ask about the timing belt and head gaskets

Monkey B > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 18:52

I have an 02 Outback with 230k and the head gaskets have never been done, according to the detailed service records. So it’s not a given they all go, it’s just common. Timing belt, if there is no record than negotiate the price accordingly. The local Subaru dealer charges $500 for timing belt service so I assume it’s similar in your area. If it’s not documented and you buy it, drop it off and get it done right away. I know a girl that bought an 09 with 109k on it 6 months ago and I told her to get it done...she didn’t and it slipped last week so now it needs a new engine. Other than those issues there are really no other specifics other than your typical items you would normally look for in a used car.

If you do purchase and have never owned a Subaru, it’s not uncommon for them to burn some oil, so you’ll want to check it more frequently than you may be accustomed to.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 19:02

I’d do the following:

Check the condition of the fluids

Ask for the receipt that shows the timing belt was changed @ 100,000 miles. No receipt means that you have to assume you need to get it done

Ask when the transmission and differential fluid (should be done every 65,000 miles/100,000km) was changed and the receipts for that. No receipts? Then assume that you have to get it done.

Ask if the headgaskets were replaced and if they have a receipt/warranty for that work.

Drive it and see if you can find any odd sounds/clunks. Test the HVAC system and everything else.

For $1650, you’re not gonna get perfection. Even if they have no receipts, it still might be a good deal... it’s just that you’ll have to spend some money getting the critical service items done to help increase the chances the car will be reliable.

PS9 > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors
09/02/2016 at 23:18

I was joking. X’s in the odo is probably better than exes who stalk the car, kill the buyer, steal it, and build a shrine around it because it is the only reminder of their beloved left.

(still joking)