Shopping used Subarus

[ThosL]

How much of a low risk vehicle could you get for around $2K?

 

I was looking around ebay today and this one popped up:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/321845948174?forcerRptr=true&item=321845948174&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:AAQ:MOTORS:1123

 

Donor vehicle, seller said he drove it 60 miles, over 200K miles.

 

I have been looking through Bargain News, the CT area rag for private sales vehicles, the really great ones get snapped up cheap and flipped.

 

I'm figuring my 99 Outback with blown head gaskets and around 300K miles is not worth sinking $1000 plus into.

[Rooster2]

How much of a low risk vehicle could you get for around $2K?

 

My neighbor bought a 98 Subie Leggie wagon for $2K early this summer. He did okay, but car has needed work. He has done brakes, ball joints, prolly needs a timing belt. The clutch chatters a bit. These are the kind of issues you are going to find on a 2K car.

[ThosL]

Right now my 99 Outback with the EJ22 and nearly 300K miles is manageable for short trips up to 45 minutes without steep hills.  I have tried everything except the expensive major mechanical work, changed out the thermostat which looks light duty but OE, compared with the beefy one the Sub. experts put in, on a recommendation; I will probably put the beefy one back in.  $2K would be quite a stretch for me.  And if I bought one hours away, I would have to take a bus down to it with the paperwork, plates, etc. according to the laws and could have other problems, it is tough to see things getting worse.  

Edited September 1, 2015 by ThosL

[ThosL]

That ebay one sold for $1500, probably high risk with the 2.5 engine, you never know unless you really check it out, there are too many shady operators out there, a neighbor said he bought an engine for his Forester online which blew the head gasket after a while.

[lstevens76]

Backup a lot here.  Mileage = I don't care.

 

Here is what matters when deciding whether to put money into a repair or when purchasing a used car:

 

1.)  Rust.  Since you live on the east coast rust can be a killer.  What is the rust like on the body, frame, struts, etc...

 

2.)  What work has already been done to the car?  Have the struts been replaced, are the struts good?  How is the interior, body, etc....

 

I have a '00 OBS with almost 200k on it that I will probably keep past 400k.  The body is in good shape with little to no rust (definitely no rust in the worrisome areas) and I just put new struts on the front.  

 

My '01 Durango has 201k on it and I will probably keep it until the engine dies (no signs of that happening anytime soon) and then I might just swap or rebuild the engine because again, no rust.

 

When your evaluating a used car, or a repair to your current car, you need to look at the condition of the body/paint, what repairs it needs, what repairs have recently been done, and what repairs are probably coming up soon (such as Timing Belt, strut replacement, brakes, tires, etc...)

 

Anyone buying a 2.5L needs to either know the head gaskets have been done or plan on having them done, enough said.  If your neighbor purchased a 2.5L used without knowing this and didn't do it while it was out of the car (and I would have done it again while it was out of the car anyways) that is there own fault, not the fault of the engine.

 

For $1,500 they probably plan to put an engine in it and drive it.  The problem I see is it is showing rust in the rear quarter panels and without being able to see the strut mounts personally I wouldn't touch one like that.

 

You mention the bargain sites, but you never mention craigslist?  Both of my cars and my previous OBS all came from craigslist.