What I've seen over at the local comm college automotive shop with Subarus is the head gasket issues and the timing belt. They are an interference engine. Don't know how many have been seen in the automotive shop, usually owned by college staff members, that the timing belt went and the engine was blown. Of all the good things I've ever read about them, I personally wouldn't buy one, new or used.
Its almost like you have to drop the engine, to do anything beyond an oil change.
That being said, a relative bought one that had been traded in at the Subaru dealership in Louisburg WVa, and it had 40 K on it and needed something. His son was service manager at the time, and told his dad he could buy it for $1200. It was a Subie BRAT, and this was back in the early 90s of so....Kay had been injured in the Army after 16 yrs of service and got a Medical Discharge, he highly disabled. He drove that BRAT all over the place in Southern WVa, it seeing alot more dirt roads and fields than any paved road. He used it to herd cattle on hillside pastures, in all sorts of weather. He could have had his son take it to work and have the maintenance done for free but he never bothered. He figured that it was a $1200 car, so he just drove it like he stole it.
When he had it to where it was registering 170K, he had never done anything to the engine but change air filters here and there...when it needed oil he just added, which wasn't often. Hadn't changed the oil in 130,000 miles. It was chuggin still and he was up in Beckley at the VA and went over to the bank while there.. he comes out and some guy has his head in the open window.. Kay walks over and asks what the hell is he doing?
Guy says he's been looking for one of these, and can't find one. Would Kay consider selling it? Kay tells him everything is always for sale if the price is right. Guy says he just got out of the Army, is needing a car as he's borrowing dad's truck all the time. But he only has a budget of $1250 to spend on it, but he could do that in cash, now.. as his money is right in the bank Kay had just come out of.
Since he was a vet, Kay figured what the hell. Sure I'll sell it for that. They go into the bank, guy takes out the cash, Kay signs over the title, calls his wife on the bank phone to come up to the VA to pick him up, and asks the new owner to give him a ride over to the VA, which he does.
Wife gets up there an hour later, and asks did something happen to the BRAT, because she didn't see it... Kay tells her YUP it got sold.
What do you mean it got sold? A young guy fresh out of the army needed a car, and had $1250.00 cash, so I sold it to him for what I paid for it, 130,000 miles ago...time to tell Chuck I need him to be on the look out for another at the dealership getting traded in..
Kay's driven nothing but Subarus since he had that one...He's got a couple Outbacks in his back yard, that have shot engines....but each one has like 350K plus on them....and Kay is not one who changes his oil much. Little buzzards just keep on running for him...
