2000 Outback sedan?

[Stevo F]

Continuing to look for a potential car for our 16 year old to start learning to drive on and I saw an ad for a 2000 Outback sedan for sale locally. Looks very clean in the pics.

 

The owner says timing belt done 25K miles ago, runs well. Potential issues are AT temp light comes on occasionally, sounds like it has an exhaust leak and it will need a new set of tires before too long. It's never had headgaskets done and he says it's never overheated nor is it leaking coolant. He's asking $3,500 which sounds high- wondering what it really would be worth?

 

http://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/cto/5914813870.html

[montana tom]

Looks like a clean car , although I think that 3500 is high  for a car that is needing tires and will need head gaskets within 30,000 or so miles. I would offer 2500 to 3000 for it.  I should also add that in my opinion sedans do not handle the snow & ice as well as the wagon does..... I'm sure there are others who prefer a sedan over a wagon.

[Stevo F]

Thank you. Actually since it's for my son, he doesn't really want a wagon (my middle son has our '98 wagon and calls it a "soccer mom car"). I personally love the wagons (and my daily is a 2014 Impreza sedan).

 

I'm wondering how consistently the headgaskets fail on the EJ251 engine (I know the previous EJ25D's pretty much consistently fail around 150K miles give or take). I haven't personally owned one of the 2000- 2004 EJ251's, although my parent's 2000 Outback only has 55K miles on it so theirs may never fail at that rate).

[montana tom]

They all eventually fail... but leak externally. Slow coolant and oil drips that find their way  onto the exhaust and smell.  You can live with this a long time, as long as you keep the coolant / oil topped up and don't mind the smell. However if he doesn't keep the fluids topped, it will overheat and need head gaskets and... that is also the main cause of rod bearings going out. On this particular car I would confirm the timing belt job included all rollers and that quality japan parts were used.+

[1 Lucky Texan]

any written proof of the timing belt service? Needs to have had the idlers and tensioner replaced or will need to redo - or perhaps AT LEAST accelerate the schedule and do the next service early.

 

you might also consider paying a mechanic for a prepurchase inspection - you might avoid a headache or get some ammunition to bargain the price down. Could be worth $100.