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Subaru Reliability

83 messages,  Last post on Nov 21, 2009 at 12:55 PM

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#46 of 83 unreliable GT forester by desoto4 Apr 18, 2008 (1:21 am)
Our forester is a '99 GT auto and it is the most problem car we've ever owned.Before we bought it in 2003 we asked around about the forester for beach work and camping and all round good car and the forester was commonly mentioned.But how wrong were they. After one trip on the beach it destroid a g/box seal then starter motor twice then wheel bearings then radiator then steering rack twice and other rattles , and also when we hooked up our new camper trailer for a three our trip the suspension dropped to about 2 inchs from the ground and not much weight.We were told this is common on many of those things. Plus there are many minor interior faults also(rattles,dash problems,electics) Now the brakes are shaking......I give up..piece of junk. I much prefer my old mitsubishi scorpion work hack for every day driving. Replies to this message: ateixeira (Apr 18, 2008 8:27 am) p0926 (Apr 19, 2008 7:31 am)
#47 of 83 Re: unreliable GT forester [desoto4] by ateixeira Apr 18, 2008 (8:27 am)
Replying to: desoto4 (Apr 18, 2008 1:21 am) Sounds like you need a true truck. Get something with skid plates and a low range.   FWIW, I owned a 98 Forester and drove in on sand often. It was fine. Owned it for 9 years. Sold it and got 30% of what I paid for it back.   It was great.   Better luck with your next car. Truck, I should say. Replies to this message: p0926 (Apr 19, 2008 7:31 am)
#48 of 83 Re: unreliable GT forester [ateixeira] by p0926 Apr 19, 2008 (7:31 am)
Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 18, 2008 8:27 am) Plus they bought it used. While you save a lot of money that way, the trade off is there's always the possibility that the previous owner abused it   -Frank
#49 of 83 98 forester with 216k miles by drmom2 Aug 28, 2008 (9:18 am)
I'm looking at a 98 forester with 216k one owner well maintained - am I crazy or do these vehicles have the same milage potential as toyota ect? Please help Replies to this message: ateixeira (Aug 28, 2008 12:48 pm) paisan (Aug 28, 2008 9:34 pm) grahampeters (Aug 29, 2008 11:45 pm) aatherton (Aug 30, 2008 1:17 pm) ateixeira (Sep 02, 2008 9:54 am)
#50 of 83 Re: 98 forester with 216k miles [drmom2] by ateixeira Aug 28, 2008 (12:48 pm)
Replying to: drmom2 (Aug 28, 2008 9:18 am) They do, and I saw one on E-bay with 276k miles, but still.   216k miles is 216k miles. It will all come down to how the car was maintained.   If it's made it this far, though...they must have taken care of it.   Inspect the head and valve cover gaskets, and the front and rear main seals, all for oil leaks. Drive the car with the radio off and the windows open, and do a figure 8. That will reveal is any diffs or axles are bad.   If it's smooth, then wow! That's all I can say. Replies to this message: paisan (Aug 28, 2008 9:34 pm)
#51 of 83 Re: 98 forester with 216k miles [ateixeira] by paisan Aug 28, 2008 (9:34 pm)
Replying to: ateixeira (Aug 28, 2008 12:48 pm) At 216k you are going to have bushings breaking down on it. If the price is right and you are going to use it local, it may be worth it. However a long highway cruiser it will likely not be.   -mike Motorsports and Modifications Host
#52 of 83 Re: 98 forester with 216k miles [drmom2] by grahampeters Aug 29, 2008 (11:45 pm)
Replying to: drmom2 (Aug 28, 2008 9:18 am) G'day   My impression is that service life is similar to a Toyota although frequency of minor niggles does tend to build up as mileage grows. I have found it revealing that so many Subaru drivers keep their cars to 300,000km plus (say 188,000mile) and then buy another.   The comments by others that this might not be a long distance cruiser at this age are pretty accurate but could be modified if the car has been used carefully for long distances rather than hard driven in the past.   Cheers   Graham
#53 of 83 Re: 98 forester with 216k miles [drmom2] by aatherton Aug 30, 2008 (1:17 pm)
Replying to: drmom2 (Aug 28, 2008 9:18 am) It depends on what you mean by your question. If a Forester and Toyota are maintained, then the Forester has the same mileage potential.   But compared to a Toyota, Foresters have a more complex motor and drive train. Double the heads and cams, interference valves that will ruin the motor if the timing belt is not changed on schedule, and a more complex drive drain with more differentials and clutches. And your era Forester also had head gasket problems.   So to maintain a Forester well is going to take more and cost more than maintaining a Toyota well. The question is whether that level of maintenance was done for the 216k one owner Forester. Likely it was, or it would not have made it that far. But are you willing to pick up the continuing responsibility at this late point in its life? Replies to this message: ateixeira (Sep 02, 2008 9:54 am)
#54 of 83 CU's say by kurtamaxxxguy Sep 02, 2008 (6:51 am)
If you read CU you will see their repair listings for most Subarus are good for about the first 5 years, after which engine and driveline problems show up. Most Toyotas do better than that. However, in the newer ('03 and on) Subarus, the issues putting them on CU's charts (bad head gaskets, timing belts, wheel bearings, etc.) have supposedly been fixed.
#55 of 83 Re: 98 forester with 216k miles [aatherton] by ateixeira Sep 02, 2008 (9:54 am)
Replying to: aatherton (Aug 30, 2008 1:17 pm) Those original head gaskets have lasted 216k miles already, so any failure now would be overdue.

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