jowens Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 We are thinking of buying a 1992 Subaru SVX. It has 102,000 miles on it. Is there anything I should know about this car before purchasing it? It is automatic transmission. Thanks, Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 great vehicle, but is not for the faint of heart. i wouldn't get one unless you are really, really wanting an SVX. i'm a huge fan of them and their predecessor the XT6. the engines are very reliable and they are great vehicles. keep in mine though it's nearing 15 years old and reliability at this point is mostly affected by the previous 15 years of ownership, not the original quality of the vehicle (which is rather high). parts are hard to find and parts can be insanely expensive. $700 for a windshield just for starters, others here can post more insane prices. part availability and prices are your enemy here, make your decision based on that. if you're willing to deal with sourcing parts and paying far higher prices for things, then you're good. wheel bearing and auto trans failure are the most common issues. the automatic transmissions have a high failure rate, it isn't surprising to see them already replaced or rebuilt by this time. heat kills them, they need an ATF cooler. so if you get it, have one installed right away. and be sure to test drive and make sure the transmission feels really good and the ATF doesn't smell toasty or look bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roamer Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Great looking car, with a great interior. When I was much younger this was one of my favorite cars, however after my own research at the time and I believe this is the general consensus the following are what you should look out for: 1. The transmission on these 92 models seem to all be susceptible to failure at around 80k, unless a tranny cooler is installed and even then they still go; 2. The rear-end on these models seem to also give away at a high rate; and 3. The rotors seem to warp due to the fact that they can not handle the weight of the car. Notwithstanding the above, if you are able to obtain a great deal why not go for it, personally like the Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra the SVX still looks great IMO to this day. But that's just my opinion:) But do not expect the reliability of a Subaru in a SVX, it is just not there. We are thinking of buying a 1992 Subaru SVX. It has 102,000 miles on it. Is there anything I should know about this car before purchasing it? It is automatic transmission. Thanks, Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 1. The transmission on these 92 models seem to all be susceptible to failure at around 80k, unless a tranny cooler is installed and even then they still go it's not only the 92's. checking the SVX boards would be a nice place to go, all the SVX owners and knowledgeable folks that are here are over there, and there is a ton of information there about the SVX. i'd probably snoop around there for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 The transmissions starting with 1994 seem to last longer than the 92-93 versions. Mine has 173k on it and it just slips a little during the 3-4 shift when cold. I also don't flog the car a lot either. I will say that the wheel bearings do go out fairly often. However, if they're replaced and get they get the correct lubrication (high-temp grease), they don't go out for extended (100k miles) periods of time. Parts can be expensive if you don't know where do look. Your best bet is getting stuff off of people who are parting out cars. And also, the rotors don't warp if you don't drive the car like you stole it. So, the history of the car is pretty important in how the car will probably behave if you buy it (ie, if it was beat, you'll have to fix it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi subbie Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 ive got an 92 svx. goes great. its higher milage 1. well maintained and was fitted with dual auto coolers. best car ive ever driven. my only complaint is the amount of gas it drinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SakoTGrimes Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 The 92 and 93 SVXs used a fine mesh filter located inside the transmission cooler, which is inside the radiator. These must be cleaned/changed before they get clogged and the heat does them in. In 1994 Subaru did away with the filter entirely. My boss's trans went out and it cost her $2500 for a new one at AAMCO. The Subaru dealer wouldn't even touch it. It's a sweet car, but I wouldn't own one unless I had plenty of money for unique and hard to find parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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