Picked up an '01 Outback...

[Atomic Robot]

I just traded my 93 Legacy L for a very sweet '01 Outback with 66K miles and want to get it inspected by a dealer- what should they be looking for?

 

I know that there were a couple of recalls on this vehicle as well- how can I tell if the work was done?

 

Thanks!

[p3pppx]

I'm a fairly new '00 outback (w/23k) owner myself, but as far as the recall info. I logged onto mysubaru.com and registered using your VIN and you'll get the current recalls and whether or not it's been performed on your vehicle. I recently (3-4weeks ago) had the anti-corrison coating applied to the rear suspension assembly on recall and it has been updated to reflect it.

 

As far as what to check, you'll get an answer from the more experienced people or browse through the post, there was a recent post asking for recommendations and there was some very good replies about what to expect.

 

http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6834

 

http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7927

[nickb21]

Congrats on the new OB, i'm pretty new too ('02 w/28k).

 

In addition to mysubaru, you can take a look at:

 

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

 

for recall and TSB info.

 

But the dealer should be able to find out what recalls were done by using your VIN to access subaru's records. Thats how they figured out my anti-corrosion stuff wasn't done yet.

[mtsmiths]

... if you ever plan to send your kids to college or retire, that is.

 

Find a good indie, and pass on the dealer except for those can'tget'emanywhereselse parts. the sad fact is that most Subaru dealers are shall we say, ethically challanged ... which is why you'll mostly see them referred to as 'stealerships on this board.

 

Gotta admit, I can't trust my local dealer.

[alias20035]

Originally posted by mtsmiths

... if you ever plan to send your kids to college or retire, that is.

 

Find a good indie, and pass on the dealer except for those can'tget'emanywhereselse parts. the sad fact is that most Subaru dealers are shall we say, ethically challanged ... which is why you'll mostly see them referred to as 'stealerships on this board.

 

Gotta admit, I can't trust my local dealer.

 

I have found more than a few dealerships that are absolutely wonderful to work with.... but many that I come across just don't seem to care about aftersales service anymore, and this is not limited to Subaru dealers.

 

Any Subaru dealer can verify if the recalls have been performed. Subaru has a list of vehicles on which the recall was NOT performed, it just takes a day or so of computer/phone work to confirm.

 

Recalls on the 01 Outback that I know of:

 

front passenger side seatbelt, possible bolt loose or not properly fastened

 

front suspension control arms, some not properly welded

 

rear suspension components not painted properly leading to rust problems down the road, affects all 01 Outbacks, simple wax rust preventative application to correct

 

some 4EAT's do not "park" properly causing roll away vehicles

[Atomic Robot]

Thanks, everyone.

 

Having owned a Legacy for the past 7 years, I have firsthand experience with dealer "service". Vague quotes, repairs that are at best overpriced and at worst unnecessary. I always get a bad feeling from my local dealership.

 

Anyway I'm going to try a different (further away) dealer to give my Outback the once-over and I'll see what kind of vibe I get from them.

 

I've been trying to find a good indy repair shop, but no luck so far. Any good resources to search for Subaru mechanics? Better yet, anybody got a blacklist of shops to avoid?

[Takami826]

You can also get the repair history directly from SoA customer service. I went thru this with my Legacy on a few recalled issues, and I've certainly had my fair share of hassles and getting big time ripped off. After the alternator fiasco, I refused to trust any dealer on giving me accurate information about any recalled issues. The NHTSA link above is where I go and I keep all my records of what has and hasn't been repaired since I got my baseline info from SoA.

 

I recommended a place I recently found that has been wonderful and very fair in pricing. Repairing Subarus is always going to be pricy, but compared to other places I've tried, this place is the best -so far.

[Atomic Robot]

"You can also get the repair history directly from SoA customer service"

 

Still waiting for my paperwork to come through from the purchase, then I'll be on this- to their credit, SOA won't cough up any info unless you can show proof of ownership.

[p3pppx]

Before the purchase of my outback was complete, I had the seller's name/address and the VIN and since a mysubaru site wasn't setup I went ahead and set it up and was able to view the recall information and manuals online in addition to what subaru maintenance had been done.