1989 Subaru Leone GL review from Kenya
"Fantastic, reliable workhorse"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The Circular Velocity (CV) joints.
The Timing Belt.
The Drive shaft.
The rear shock absorber springs.
General comments?
The CV joints are the most problematic. I have only replaced them once and subsequently relied on servicing them or repolacing them with second hand original ones due to the high cost of original parts and avoidance of buying non genuine parts imported from Taiwan, Malaysia & Singapore.
I have only replaced the timing belt once before. No problem after that except oil leakage (touch wood).
The drive shafts have been recurrent problems especially the DJ or the cup that connects to the engine. New ones are out of range and more expensive that the legacy's.
The rear shock absorber spring is weak, but is a new problem.
Recommended reviews
| Reliable and simple car, but not for bad roads |
|
| Excellent car - the best for Russian roads and climate |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 48000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 190000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Subaru GL |
| Date of Entry | 26th June, 2004 |