Comments: 1-15, 16-20
Transmission began downshifting too quickly at 121,000 miles. Could have been repaired, but parts were not available at a reasonable price and rebuilt transmission had to be found.
All electrical components, including the alternator, had to be replaced around 100,000 miles.
Brakes seem to wear quickly but never completely fail when you really need them.
Heat shields tend to bend easily when unskilled mechanics reach for the oil filter, which will cause an unpleasant noise, but no running problems.
Car is unusually small and may feel like it's blowing in the wind.
It is very difficult to find parts for this car and nearly impossible to find any mechanics with experience working on a Subaru Justy. However, the car is extremely predictable and if there is a problem, it will behave the same way every time until it is fixed and you will know what to expect.
The best diagnostic tool for this car are the warning lights on the dashboard - they have proved accurate 100% of the time, even when mechanics insisted that "the lights don't mean anything, it's just a bad sensor on the warning light itself making it light up".
Maintaining this car can become frustrating, though not prohibitively expensive, due to it's relative rarity. However, it has rock-solid rack & pinion steering that adds a level of precision rarely found in newer cars. Combining that with its abnormally small size, almost any hazard can be avoiding by steering around it without losing control, though it does require some arm muscles.
The bumpers seem to be indestructable, having survived a collision with a small deer, among other things (the deer did not survive).
The car does not have an airbag, which makes it very desirable to short women who feel airbags are too risky.
Perhaps most importantly (at least for a car this age) I have been told the engine is designed to go for 250,000 miles and it seems like that might actually be the case. The engine was checked at 121,000 miles and I was told it's in very good condition.
I drive this car about 500 miles per week, and people are amazed that I get that kind of mileage out of it. It only broke down once in the year and a half that I had it, and that was when it needed a new alternator.
I've had great luck with my engine. Over 300,000 KM and it hasn't been touched. Only regular oil (synthetic) and filter changes. It only uses a litre of oil between 5000 KM oil changes. Not bad considering I drive it full bore most of the time.
Update to my review of my 1989 Subaru Justy, October 18, 2002:
Had a rebuilt transmission put in shorty after writing that review. It died with 200 miles left on it's 4000 mile warranty. The transmission place refused to honor the warranty, because they said my engine would destroy any new transmission put into it. A lawyer who was also a mechanic told me they WERE obligated to give me another transmission, but only one that would last the 200 miles on the warrantly. Furthermore, if I didn't put about $600 into the engine, it would ruin the transmission anyway.
Since the likelihood of finding a decent EVCT transmission was very slim (if you don't know what that it, you don't wanna know), and the engine needed work, AND I inherited a car from my father around the same time, I decided that the end had come for my Justy. That was in late Janaury of 2001.
Now it is August of 2002 and the car I inherited from my father is (a giant, old, ugly '83 BMW 733i) is overheating and leaking oil everywhere it goes, and has to be disposed of (not sold, DISPOSED OF). What do you think I'm trying to get? Another Subuaru, of course! But this time around I'm hoping for a Loyale - that way I can have many of the same features (love that rear wiper blade and cushy interior) as my Justy had, but without the irreplacable experimental ECVT transmission.
I could not recommend a Justy to anyone knowing what I know now about the ECVT transmissions - except to a collectable with multiple cars, for whom money and reliability is not an issue. If it's your only way of getting around, forget it - cars with ECVT transmissions ceased to be sold in the U.S. in 1994, and the only models were the Subaru Justy and one kind of Nissan. They DID serve their purpose in terms of being extrodinarily clean cars - a Justy CAN'T flunk an emissions test. But people didn't like the way ECVT's transmission slow acceloration, and it was discontinued. You just can't get another one, so if the transmission goes your Justy is history.
BUT I STILL MISS IT!!!
I don't get it: I have an ECVT Justy and it is rock solid! It accelerates faster than the manual! For a 3-cylinder 1 liter engine less than 14 seconds 0-100 KPH is fast! And it does it with ease!
It's very economical: on 1 liter 16 KM!
But maybe the European version is a bit different from American.
Yes my Justy too ran like a rocket on three cyl. and drove high speeds across country. But the death of the evct tranny is a hard and horrible thing. Sub will sell you one, but at an obscene price. I LOVE THIS CAR so much I put a second tranny in it--hoping it will end up cheaper than car payments over the life of the auto tran. Subaru should really cut we die hard fans/guinea pig drivers a break on the price of these go-cart (said with love) engines. PS. I have also had an intermittent starting problem since day one--aggravated by heat.
Could anyone tell me what should be the breaker point gap for my three cylinder 1 litre subaru justy... also I seem to get oil leaks and back-blow at only 60k driven engine. Is lack of use causing it.
I didn't own a Justy, but heard from one of my scooby friends who owns one, that this little 3 cylinder engine is so rock solid that you have no way to break it even by abusing. He is still driving this 89 Justy up to now, seems very proud of it...
I own a 54 impreza, but would love a justy too if a could afford to run 2 cars, simply for the rarity of having an AWD supermini.
I just bought a 1989 justy gl Front wheel drive from my boss 2 months ago and already had to replace the clutch for 500 so a justy for 700 technically and as small as it looks outside its very roomy inside. 35 miles to the gallon on gas and picks up really fast. I'm gonna tint the windows and put a stereo system in it so if anyone wants before and after pics just let me know at punkkidd82@gmail.com.
I inherited a 1988 justy dl 3 years ago. It had 120,000 or maybe more miles on it. Lucky the 100,000 doesn't register so it, s hard to say. The one side front wheel bearing was going out. I didn't know what was wrong and still drove over a thousand miles before it had to be fixed. I ended up replacing both sides. Super quick car and extremely dependable. I absolutely loved it. just ridiculous gas mileage. Passes suvs like crazy. I hauled wood and other heavy loads constantly. I hated to part with it, but I just bought a 1988 justy rs factory black with gold stripes. Simply awesome car 4 wheel posi drive. This thing must be super rare, I've never seen another black rs.
I hate to beat a dead thread, but I'm willing to bet that the oil leaks might have something to do with the cat. converter on the exhaust manifold. New SERs have the same thing with the same problem. The cat slowly disintegrates and the pieces get sucked back into the engine and scar the cylinders.
Hi.
I have an 1989 j10 ecvt, the transmission stopped shifting up, does anyone know what the problem might be. I still get drive, ds and reverse, but it just sticks in first gear in both d and ds.
I don't really know very much about ecvt so any information would be great.
Thanks.
I have a 1988 Subaru Justy that I received from my brother. This car is great; I am the second owner and it only has 70,000 original miles on it. I had to replace all the tires, but tire warehouse found them in 2 days. So far so good. This car is pretty small, but once you drive it for a while, you get used to it. I love to fill this car up; the gas mileage is great!!! So far, so good, no complaints.
My Subaru Justy has got a drive problem it just won't go its mabey the transmission or the clutch if anyone knows what my problem is send me an email to nialloconnor3@hotmail.co.uk because I love this car and all, but I really need it fixed
thank you.
I have an 89 Justy GL. It has only 46,000 miles on it. I want to sell it, but the check engine light is on and the Subaru dealer told me it is the line pressure sensor. The part from the dealer is about $350. I an unable to locate the part on the internet. Can anyone help me with additional information on this problem. Please contact at jamartz@alltel.net. Thanks
You can usually find any used Justy part from car-part.com -
They seem to link hundreds of car scrapyards all over the place.