Not sure where…
you all are getting the head gasket stuff from. I have owned 79,84,96,02,03,05 models. I am not kind to my Subies. I have towed trailers with all but one the 84.The 79 was the only manual gearbox of the bunch,disappeared as a ball of rust,but the mechanicals were still good at 125K. All of them had over,or close to 100,000 miles,and not one,repeat not one has had,any kind of engine,or transmission failure. I changed the oil every 3000 miles,coolant flushes,every other year,and scheduled Subaru maintenance when required. The only re-occuring problem I have had with all of them except the 05 so far, was brake rotor warping. The engines have been the least of my problems.
Happy Paddling billinpa
ohhh-kay then
– Last Updated: Feb-27-07 12:38 PM EST –
If it's principle then you should have said so, I thought you were buying one.
I don't get into all the conjecture regarding this issue because it is thick. I know mine runs well, is tight and has no signs of HG failure. I've also driven toyotas, alfas, vws, saabs, nissans, etc., etc., etc., with wide ranging reliability, some true to reputation and some not. If you want to discuss principles then we can pick any manufacurer out of a bag who could or should have solved a myriad of mechanical issues. Short of a new car warranty you're never going to get someone to guarantee you you'll never have a hg fail. My mechanic who services these regularly looked at mine and said given the miles it was unlikely.
I have to agree with billinpa below based on my experience.
Info
Bill you can find references to it in news group posts, or google Subaru head gasket.
I wrote Subaru and inquired on the issue. I received a response back acknowledging they’ve had a problem, but that they believed it was taken care of via the addition of an additive to their coolant. Somewhere else in this thread, you’ll also find a reference to it. No one is saying they’re all failing. There not, but a significant number have.
I drove one a couple weeks back and liked it. Asked the salesman if he knew anything about it. He said they had a lot of failures pre 2003, but he’s not aware of anything in recent years.
The problem occurred in higher mileage vehicles, so I think it’s fair to say the verdict’s not in yet.
Glad you haven’t had any issues, and hope you don’t in future.
There is an additive…
Don’t know what it is but a mechanic put it in my Jeep when a HG leaked… It worked and I drove it another 80k…
BTW I’ve had gasket problems on two cars and only after putting a fuel system cleaner in the fuel both times… I will NEVER use any additives again…
link re: hg issue
– Last Updated: Feb-27-07 5:46 PM EST –
http://www.subaruheadgasket.com/index.htm
(anyone know where I can find a totaled '04 baja turbo?) ;)
You can rotate them, and it would be
a good idea to do so before the fronts outwear the rears. Also, the tires tend to wear crossways differently, front versus rear, and rotating averages this out somewhat.
The key to long wear isn’t Michelins. Different Michelins, on a Honda, have very different wear rates. Our first tires on the Outback were mediocre Michelins, yet they lasted about 75k until I got sick of them. The next tires were Michelin X1s, guaranteed for very high mileage by Michelin. Well, they lasted about 80k. The latest tires are Goodyear tripletread, high rated in CU, and I expect they will last about 80k also.
That’s very average tire wear…
– Last Updated: Feb-27-07 10:17 PM EST –
... in my experience. The guys I work with usually get about 80,000 miles on the tires of their full-size Chevy pickups. The old S-10 pickup I drove for work never got less than 90,000 miles on a set of tires (I went through two and a half sets on that truck before the boss decided that truck should be traded). I just replaced the tires on my current company pickup, a Ford Ranger, with 105,000 miles on them. My best record to date: I have 110,000 miles on the tires that came with my Chevy Blazer, and the tread depth is still nearly 1/4 of an inch.
Now that I think about it, though, cars with front-wheel drive are a lot tougher on tires than those with rear-wheel drive, so maybe you are correct, and it's also true that you say your Subaru's tires "could have gone longer", and you and I can't compare what "time to replace" means. Still, I gotta say I'm happy to have 1/4-inch of tread after 110,000 miles.
Today,a faithfull companion…
gave it’s life. A 1989 Subaru Justy gave it’s life to save my nephew. He skidded on black ice,and crashed into a trash truck,this morning on his way to school. He walked away with some cuts & bruises,and some glass in his hair. The car is destroyed. It had 169853 miles on the clock. No engine/transmission issues,and has never been towed, until this morning.It was my Mom’s car until last year when she gave up driving. It took the hit front left side, and the nephew still could open the door. I am impressed how it took the hit,and all doors still open. Not bad for a car Subaru termed as a “throwaway car”. Sad because it was still a fun car to drive ,had this funky transmission,and got 34 mpg. 18 years,and excellent service,RIP
Happy Paddling billinpa
A noble end…
Better than just dying on the side of the road and being towed to the crusher… RIP
yeesh!
I’m glad your nephew is ok!
Still…? NM
Can’t beat a…
two door Honda civic for hauling your boats. And it gets 43 mpg on the HWY
http://crazyrecluse.smugmug.com/gallery/1530810#80872960
Of course maybe not hauling all these boats and gear. But yeah I have to admit Sub will prob be my next purchase so I can haul more stuff!
Subaru OB handling
g2d mentioned not pushing the OB like he could a Honda. I have owned a string of Suby since 1980 (Bill and I are apparently brothers separated at birth) and I have to say that the way an OB handles is…different. Not bad mind you, but the ride is a bit “jiggly” and it was my experience that the cars did not track like they were on rails.
A month ago I traded for a Suby B9 Tribeca. I wanted a Toyota Highlander, but all the dealers would only offer me peanuts on my OB. The Rav4 was nice, but I wanted a seat with a longer cushion and more support. The remaining 2006s were discounted $3000, and my dealer offered me $3500 MORE than either Toyota dealer did.
What a difference! The Tribeca tracks through lumpy corners far better than the OBs I owned did. Only drawbacks so far are the roofrack spread (30" compared to 38" on the OB) and the drop in mileage (20-21 commuting). No info on boat hauling yet. But what the hey, I had been driving 4 cylinder cars since 1971 (VWs, Saabs, Subys) and by golly, I deserved a six.
Jim
agreed
but I think it does well for it’s ground clearance. I think if you took a competitor’s car, say an accord wagon, and jacked it up you would feel even more roll.
Mine does some ominous things when dropping the throttle in a long turn (kinda like my old SAAB!).
could be,
if you bought your car because an asshole was driving it in the ad.
You aren’t referring to Crocodile
Dundee as an “A-hole” are you? (Brent doesn’t let me use that kind of language.)
Seakak1:
Yeah, dropping the throttle in a turn is exactly where my OB showed oddness in handling. I agree that raising the suspension has to create some trade-offs in handling, and I had 4 outbacks so it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me.
Interesting though, the Tribeca is based on an up-sized OB platform (4 in wider, 1 in longer) and it even has the same size gas tank. Yet the handling is so much more stable. I wonder if the stability control has something to do with it…
Jim
nah
It was a lame attempt at humor at the expense of the original poster.
JSaults
I’m guessing the width or wider track may help stability. (I love dropping the throttle in the snow and letting the rear hang out a bit but you have to be ready for it!)
So how do you like the tribeca?
What’s the capacity like compared to the OB? Do you have the third row seating?
Seakak1:
– Last Updated: Mar-09-07 8:16 PM EST –
So far, about a month into ownership I am quite happy with the Trib. As I noted, handling is sweet for a 4200# vehicle.
Love having steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Love the commanding view. Love, love the seats - longer cushion (1.5 inches) than my OB which makes for a cushy ride. Seatbacks are quite firm and flat - exactly what my back needs.
Love the QUIETNESS. Dang, I feel like i'm in a Mercedes (but a high quality one).
Mileage is about what I expected. With what I drive it will cost me about $500 a year more in gas, but I can easily economize elsewhere (I easily waste $1.37 a day in frivilous stuff). Tripmeter is currently sitting at 20.7MPG for my commuting run.
I didn't like Yakimas rack solution - towers, pads and clips, so I fabricated feet to bolt into the Trib's four factory crossbar bosses. To the adaptors I mounted a set of discontinued Yak RailRiders obtained from a shop in Morgantown WV. Works OK, but as soon as I completed the setup I envisioned a simpler more "organic" way to mount the RR's.
I'm looking forward to staring at my boats through the sunroof......
Jim
PS: Forgot to add that I have a 5-passenger. Didn't need the third row.