Buying an older turbo Subaru, what to look for!
Hey!... Welcome back for this week's #modmonday! Today we will be talking about buying a used turbo Subaru and what to look, listen and inquire about before purchasing. I have purchased three used Subarus to date and have also helped many acquaintances with their purchases.
After buying three of these I have a few insights on what to look for.
Where do you begin with a used Subaru...? There are so many key areas, but for me the first is the Carfax. I prefer my Subaru's to be 1 owner vehicles if I can, this typically means the car was well taken care of. This is also the time to make note of any current mods and if they are properly installed/tuned for. Multiple owner cars have a much higher likelihood of being driven hard and ignored in the maintenance department. Which leads us to our next area, maintenance.
Even with 200k miles on it the Forester had a pretty extensive repair history. Showing the owners definitely gave it a lot of care.
Finding out a vehicle's maintenance/service history can be difficult, sometimes it will be attached to the car's Carfax. Other times it could be a large binder of paper receipts, either way you are able to track it is extremely important. I believe proper maintenance/service from the beginning of the life of the car will help keep a car running into the higher miles with less issues.
The next will be the walk around and look at the tires, do they all match tread and tire brand? Does the car bind up in reverse or when taking sharp turns? Incorrect tires or trans binding means leave this car alone. Mismatched tires/tread can cause plenty of issues within the differentials and transmission.The binding is an obvious sign that the trans has been damaged and could be on it's way out. A very costly problem that you will want to avoid. Cars with meticulous exteriors are usually well taken care of under the hood, but check for repainted panels that may give the appearance of a well cared for vehicle.
Stock…. That is how I prefer my cars to come. It’s not always possible but less dodgy mods is the best place to start.
After those two important areas it is time to inspect the car. If you aren't able to inspect the vehicle yourself, taking it to a shop for a look over is well worth the time and money. When you are looking into higher mileage older Subaru a compression/leak down test is another place where your money is well spent. Purchasing and then replacing an engine within a month of owning it... is not the way to enjoy it.
I bought the Forester knowing that it would be going under the knife soon after purchase. (Headgaskets needed to be replaced.) A surprise engine failure is what you really don’t want…
Headgasket failure on cylinder number one. Be wary of engines that have been overheated many times.. It can cause many other issues.. also be ready to replace just about everything.
On your test drive you will want to pay attention to driveline noises (bad bearings/bushings), poor idle, smoothness on acceleration (vacuum leaks, engine wear and tear), and how the trans shifts whether automatic or manual. Just more key areas to keep in mind for haggling purposes.
The underside and suspension was excellent on the Forester. Very clean for 200k miles, the suspension was tight and looked to a few fresh parts to know that the previous owner cared to keep it going.
When you are spending a good chunk of money for a turbo vehicle doing your research and inspecting it will help you immensely down the road. You can never inspect too much and you will thank yourself down the road for doing this.
Questions, comments, thoughts? Leave them below!