How long will a subaru wagon last?

I drive a 97 Outback Legacy (2.5L) with 240,000 miles, and still running good. I had to put some $$ into it though-timing belt, and water pump.

2 things to remember about Subaru's:
Its very hard to get speeding tickets with 'em
Replace the timing belt PROACTIVELY at 50K intervals

I had three Subarus in a row, a 86 GL Wagon, a 90 Legacy Wagon, and finally a 96 Outback Wagon, all 4WD, the GL and the Legacy were fine, and gave lots of reliable service, unfortunately the Outback was a lemon due to the previously mentioned cooling issues with the 2.5 litre boxer. I hadn't even had it a year (bought it new) when it started overheating. Neither the Subaru dealer, nor factory tech would give me any satisfaction so I traded it in and swore to never buy another Soob :-(

Avoid the 96 2.5L Outback.

The specs on my Outback: 98 w/ 130k miles. Had 3 water pumps go within a one year period, with the last one leading to overheating and blown head gaskets and thats about it for anything major. One mechanic told me that the camshafts leak oil, but other than that a good car. I feel very much more confident about mine now that i see others with such high mileage......guess i'll have to take that longer road trip after all.

2.2L 4cyl was bomber. The 6cyl from the late 90s to mid 00s was shit. Auto trannies on the 4cyls in the 90s (the 4EAT Hitachi tranny) had some torque bind issues in tight radius turns...like turning into a parking spot...where the thing would buck, felt like you were destroying it but apparently didn't do any damage...mine did it off and on for 6 years.

I had a 91 legacy wagon I drove to 200k mi with no issues aside from bad AC compressors (after the 2nd one went out, I drove it 4 years with no AC, lived in AK most of that time, so no prob). Sold it and it was still going a few years later. And I drove it HARD, 4 of those years in Fairbanks with insane winters and as a testament to how burly they were, probably a full 1/4 or more of the cars on the road in Fairbanks were Subys...and lots of old ones at that.

Another issue was with the...I believe 99 and 2000 Outback auto trannies (web search will give you info) where something about the metal in the housing was wacked and caused lots of failures. It was right when they changed generation...I want to say '99 was the change and the probs continued into 2000 before Suby corrected the design.

My 91 was the best car I've owned, out of about a dozen cars, hands down and I didn't get it until it already had 130k on the clock.

thanks for all the replies! I'll try and find a mid 90's 2.2 then.

Mike Lane wrote:2 things to remember about Subaru's... Replace the timing belt PROACTIVELY at 50K intervals

Not sure about that one and never heard it. The repair places and Subaru say 80k per belt... Now, on a very old one if the tensioners and cams are going bad you can be harder on the belt and break it sooner, but I've always gone OVER not under on the bests for my last 3 Subs (never a 2.5L) and never broke a belt.
As for consequences, check and see if your engine is an interference engine... if it is, then breaking the belt has WAY more consequence than if not. Depends upon the year and particular model.

Keenan Waeschle wrote:thanks for all the replies! I'll try and find a mid 90's 2.2 then.

The first "real" Outback came out in 96, before that, if you're looking for mid-90's Subaru wagons you're limited to the Legacy - I'd sell you mine but it's long gone, lots of happy memories from that one.

Is it worth it to buy a late nineties model if the head gasket and timing belt have already been replaced? Were the 2.2L engine Subarus only made in the early nineties or are there later models?

1995 Impreza Outback SE with a 1.8L engine. 186k. Replaced a number of parts due to abuse and general wear and tear, but it still gets 27mpg on the freeway and it can haul 4 of us, a dog, and climbing/biking gear up some decent 4WD roads. Drives fine, occasionally have some oil burning.

Lotta worries. How 'bout a 4 cylinder Toyota with R22 engine? Just saying.

If the timing belt on a Subaru breaks, it will just strand you, not destroy the engine.

2.2L Subarus were available through the late 90's. Just don't get the Legacy Outback. The Imprezas and regular Legacys did not share the problem-ridden 2.5L engine.

I would not purchase a Subaru with the 2.5L engine EVEN IF the head gaskets have been replaced, for one simple reason.

In the one that I owned, I had the head gaskets replaced for the price of almost $2K, and the damn thing STILL OVERHEATED after the head gaskets were replaced! At this point I had probably spent a total of $4K on the cooling system in that car alone, I had literally replaced EVERY PART of the cooling system, going through multiple radiators, thermostats, and water pumps, AND replaced the head gaskets. The only thing I had not replaced was the heads themselves.

I WOULD NOT BUY A SUBARU BETWEEN THE YEARS 1996 and 2001 WITH THE 2.5L ENGINE REGARDLESS OF THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE.

Be warned.

I've had a half dozen subarus and a couple of loyale wagons. Check out the condition of the head gasket (leaking) and the CV joints. They can be very long lasting but they are all piece of sh*&^

Kevin Friesen wrote:If the timing belt on a Subaru breaks, it will just strand you, not destroy the engine.

not true. it depends on the year. From '99 and up 2.2L motors are all interference motors. so yes if the timing belt were to break it will most likely bend a valve and you will be stuck.

JEVanHorn wrote: not true. it depends on the year. From '99 and up 2.2L motors are all interference motors. so yes if the timing belt were to break it will most likely bend a valve and you will be stuck.

Thanks for the inportant clarification. My Subaru 2000 Legacy Wagon doesn't have an interface engine.

Kevin Friesen wrote: Thanks for the inportant clarification. My Subaru 2000 Legacy Wagon doesn't have an interface engine.

And my 1997 does.

add me to the list (a long list) of folks who had a '98 legacy blow a gasket at abround 120K miles (and leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter). also, ton of electrical problems, transmission problems, wheel bearing problems.... ugh, worst car i ever owned.

on the flip side i had an '86 (i think) GL wagon with the 4 low, awesome car. it refused to die, until a dear headbutting it at 85 mph killed her.. RIP suzie....

Mike Lane wrote:2 things to remember about Subaru's: Its very hard to get speeding tickets with 'em Replace the timing belt PROACTIVELY at 50K intervals

Tell that to the cop who hides on the road between Canon City and Shelf who had absolutely NO problem ticketing my Subaru-driving ass....

slim wrote:on the flip side i had an '86 (i think) GL wagon with the 4 low, awesome car. it refused to die, until a dear headbutting it at 85 mph killed her.. RIP suzie....

The 4 low on the old subies is amazing. It will go through snow/mud better than just about any car with more modern all wheel drive systems.