newbie-Buying a used wagon

[kentuckybala]

Hello everyone,

 

I am thinking abt buying a used subaru wagon(95-99) ,retails for below $4K.

 

Can you guys suggest for the things that i have to watch out for.This is my first car buy and any newbie tips are also welcome.

 

I have to move around every 6 mo's which is why the wagon is great for luggin around my stuff.

 

I am amazed about the knowledge and support in this forum("Whats this thing in my tranny").nuff Said.

 

I am just looking for a car which drives reliably and wont cost a fortune to maintain.

 

So let me know.

 

Regards,

Keba

[gbhrps]

Look at all of the usual things to check when buying a used vehicle, and then add these to the list. See if there is a sticker or listing in the warranty book for when the timing belt was changed last. It should be done every 60 000 mi. That will tell you how soon the next one is needed. Also check to see if there was ever a head gasket repair done on the engine. See if you can smell coolant from the engine bay after a test drive, indicating either a leak in the system, or a bad head gasket. Watch for overheating, indicating a bad head gasket as well. Bad wheel bearings will show up as a roaring noise that changes pitch when you are up to speed and swerve the car side to side. If no noise, then they are fine. Check the flat metal bar that the licence plate lights and the rear hatch handle attach to. It was poorly finished on these models and rusts rapidly. Its not a big deal to buy ($11 last I heard) but unless you are handy, it can be a bit of a bother to change, but is still a DIYer. Don't be concerned about burned out bulbs in the climate control buttons, they are easily changed and another DIYer. Make sure all 4 tires are the same make and very close to the same wear. One out of size tire will cause expensive repairs to the all wheel drive system. This is one of the downfalls of the Subie system. Can't think of any other things to watch out for, but I'm sure sombody else can add to the list. Good Luck, and welcome to the fraternity!

[JT95]

Search that glove box and center console for any maintenance/repair records. If the car has a paper trail of regular oil changes, that's a plus. Look at the tires and see how much life they have left--figure possible new tires into the equation. Same goes for brakes--take it to a brake shop or two and have them tell you how much brake life is left.

 

Pop the hood and look at seams and inner fender areas to see if the car is "wrinkled" anywhere from a front end collision. Even if repaired smoothly, a hidden problem could arise from that. (I bought my '95 Subie wagon wrecked--front end--but so far I've not had any ill effects.) While you're under the hood check out hoses and see what kind of shape they're in. Inspect the weather stripping and any rubber trim closely around the whole car--this is a quick way to see if any parts or the whole car has been repainted. Even a good paint shop (except for a really precise and doubly expensive one) will get a degree of paint on these when they mask and shoot. I don't know how many cars I've looked at where I could tell it had received some paint--indicating body work--and the seller has clearly told me the car had never been wrecked/damaged.

 

Ditto on the timing belt. If you don't know about it--plan on having it done. Wheel bearings are a job I've heard some share they've had to have serviced--it's a pain in the butt to do yourself and about $300 for a garage to do it for you. Personally, I'd stay away from a used, higher mileage turbo anything unless you know it's been well maintained by a single owner.

 

I still say one of the most important things in a used car is the interior. I'd rather do paint and body or mechanical work any day than have to redo an interior. It's a pain and it's expensive and it's hard to find people to do it well sometimes if you can't do something yourself.

 

Some of the long term Subie owners can probably steer you to specific Subaru flaws/quirks, so I may have just rambled and wasted your time. Spend a lot of time listening as you drive and steer--noises tell you a lot. Opt for the 2.2 engine and unless it already has a problem from a previous owner, they seem to be a damn durable engine.

 

As far as the wagon goes--you'll be glad you got it. Especially if you do move a bunch. They're more useful and, IMHO, look more stylish anyway. We're eventually seeing all the auto makers figuring out that wagons can be cool and make so much more sense than most SUVs--Subaru has kept the wagon cool for years...

[kentuckybala]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the blessings!!

 

I am quite a bit of a DIYer, though Electronics is my primary forte.

However I have spent many evenings working with my dad trying to squeeze the last mile out of his old Lambretta("Lamby",its a scooter ,looks like a longer italian vespa).

 

I have the timing belt and gaskets on my check list already,but i will feel for uneven wear on the teeth of the belt.

 

Im totally new to coolants,so i have no clue what one smells like.Unless the friendly people at the local walmart dont throw me out for trying to sniff coolant(free high's anyone?),Im gonna need some olfactory 101 on coolant.

 

Noises-my pre-buying mechanic has to check,but squeals ,creaks and strange noises I will look for.

 

 

So ,finally,

timing belt,coolant smell,rusting,hoses,tire tread,overheating,noises.

 

keba

[northguy]

Welcome to the board. The info so far is pretty comprehensive. Look for a 2.2 l engine over a 2.5. More reliable.

[JT95]

 

Im totally new to coolants,so i have no clue what one smells like.Unless the friendly people at the local walmart dont throw me out for trying to sniff coolant(free high's anyone?),Im gonna need some olfactory 101 on coolant.

 

Well, sniffing new coolant from a jug is different from sniffing coolant from a heated engine, so that might not help ya any.

[Ranger83]

Hello everyone,

 

I am thinking abt buying a used subaru wagon(95-99) ,retails for below $4K.

 

Can you guys suggest for the things that i have to watch out for.This is my first car buy and any newbie tips are also welcome.

 

I have to move around every 6 mo's which is why the wagon is great for luggin around my stuff.

 

I am amazed about the knowledge and support in this forum("Whats this thing in my tranny").nuff Said.

 

I am just looking for a car which drives reliably and wont cost a fortune to maintain.

 

So let me know.

 

Regards,

Keba

Don't buy an AWD vehicle, then. Subarus cost more to buy and maintain than comparable Japanese mid-sized FWD cars or wagons. They cost much less than most other AWD vehicles, but you'll be dollars ahead with the usual Civic/Sentra/Accord Camry choices.