Looking at an 04 Outback with H6

[01 Outback]

I am looking at an 04 Anniversary Edition for my wife. The car looks good in the pictures and has 210 K. Owner says brake rotors are warped but all else is good. $1900. He claims synthetic oil since he has owned it and 3K oil change intervals. My wife has some health and vision issues and is having trouble driving and parking her 90 Cadillac Brougham De Elegance. She loves my 01 Outback and wants her own. I have put over 200K on my Outback and it is the best car I have ever owned. Is there any particular problem areas I need to look for with a 6 cylinder car?

Thanks

[idosubaru]

grsat cars.

 

What you mainly want to avoid is making sure the person selling it is in no way moving on due to any cooling related issue at all. Any recent cooling work is cause to pause and question, if not run.

 

That’s the short answer. Here’s the long version.

 

These can have unprompted failed head gaskets that are very difficult, if not impossible, to check. At initial onset these overheat very randomly and can be spread out for months. This makes it easy for people to inadvertently see a blip/have a concern and change coolant/new tstat, new radiator cap and think it fixed because it seems symptoms are gone. Or they can just be shady and sell them quick or trade them in.

 

Used car lots are where many H6 cars end up. I’ve seen them for sale with headgasket issues and of the H6s that incurred failed headgaskets shortly after purchasing all of them came from used car lots. It’s convenient to get a high repair quote and trade the car in where it goes to auction and then someone flipping cars - a person or used car dealer.

 

It’s a small percent but the price and failure modes make it easier and more costly to get a new-to-you one with issues and not know it.

[idosubaru]

I prefer buying them private sale as it’s easier to know the history and why they’re selling. Find someone moving, growing family, straight shooter etc and it’s generally easy to tell why they’re getting rid of it. I’m looking for a clear and compelling reason, not just what people say or regurgitate to others and themselves to justify the purchase.

 

Change serpentine belt bearings every 60,000 miles. $10 each and takes 30 minutes. Very easy and common failure.

[1 Lucky Texan]

make certain all 4 tires are identical - test the car on dry pavement in tight circle. It should be able to udle thru or maybe just need 1,000 rpm to get around a tight circle with NO grabbing/bucking feeling.

[1 Lucky Texan]

01 - did you buy the car?

[01 Outback]

It was sold before I could get hold of the seller....