nsnguyen

I found what looks like a great deal on a 99 Legacy Outback with AT and the all weather package- $5700. This is well below the book value, but I've been hearing scary things about the EJ25's in these cars. The one thing that gives me pause is that the car has 145K miles, since the owner (she is the first owner) has a 60 mile daily commute each way. So I know they're highway miles, and that's part of the reason why I'm not running away.

The car looks like it's in fantastic shape, but with that many miles, should I still be looking, or should I walk away? I know that the thing I should do immediately is change the timing belt (it has never been changed), and check for bubbles in the overflow reservoir which is indicative of a head gasket problem. Anything else? The owner's husband says that he's had all the services done and has the receipts to prove it. But if this was the case, then the timing belt should have been replaced some time ago, no?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

-n.

eastbaysubaru

iTrader: (9)

Did he specifically say the timing belt hasn't been changed? It's part of the 120K mile service, so if they had that done then it would've been changed. I wouldn't be too wary of that car, aside from the fact that it's an Outback. I'd try to find a GT.

-Brian

fibuz

These engines are strong engines, and will run far past 145k as long as they are maintained.

The only thing you have to be concerned about with the 2.5 are the headgaskets.

Check the coolant, make sure the levels aren't changing drastically, make sure theres no oil in the coolant, no anti-freeze smells, etc etc.

Thats probably the most major problem you'll see with the 2.5 engine.

Good luck.

fibuz

nsnguyen

THanks for the help... i'll review the receipts, there's a chance that the owner simply doesn't realize that the timing belt has been changed. Regarding the 2.5GT, those are very nice cars but it's hard to find nice subarus at a good price in my area. The Outbacks are more likely to be owned by gentle drivers, and my current car is an Evo so I don't need a performance fix. I just want something comfortable, reliable, and cheap to own and maintain. If this car is nice, it should hold value pretty well if I maintain it the way it should be maintained.

eastbaysubaru

iTrader: (9)

Well...it's much easier to understand your purchase considering you've already got an Evo for cryin' out loud Now it all falls into place. Good luck. Let us know if you end up getting the Outback.

-Brian

nsnguyen

Done- for $5000

http://osunick.dyndns.org/tom/outback