Fuel pump at about 139,00.
Timing belt at about 140,000.
Air conditioning belt at 141,000.
New muffler/tail pipe at 142,000.
Oil leaks the whole time.
Engine ticks loudly.
Window seals not tight.
Power windows go down, but I have a tough time
getting them back up.
Gas mileage is not very good... 24mpg.
Coolant boils over in summer.
I had heard such great things about Subaru vehicles, so thought that at $2000 for a 12 year old car with 138,000 miles, it would be perfect. I was a bit rushed in my purchase, and should have shopped around more, as well as taking it to a repair shop and having it checked out before I bought it.
Needless to say, I think I just got a rare bad one. Maybe the original owner drove it into the ground, and didn't take care of it as well as they could have.
In the summer, the coolant overflows and thus needs to be filled each day. In the winter, it needs to be warmed up enough so that it does not pause (not stall) when trying to get across a street.
It has terrible power, and in living close to the mountains, I have a tough time getting up the hills (had to down shift to the lowest gear (automatic) just to try and visit a friend.
I am at the end of my time with this car, as the oil leaks as fast as I put it in. My non-dealer Subaru specialist said he would highly recommend me not fixing the oil leaks, and instead find new transportation. He is not a greedy man and knows he could make a ton of money off of me, but he is honest and knows that this car is just going to run me into the poor house if I let it.
Things I have loved about it...
It always starts regardless of how cold it is.
It is strong and comfortable.
It has lots of room and the dogs love traveling in it.
I am bummed out that my Subaru didn't make it to 250,000 miles.
Ode to my car -- I have a 1992 Subaru 4wd wagon purchased new. It has been well maintained with regular oil changes et al., The oil seals have chronic issues since 59,000 miles.
My Subaru has all the symptoms described in the original post -- the air conditioner faded at 145,000 and required a $1k investment to revive -- it has worked well since repairing it Jan. 08.
I want a new car; however as long as the maintenance doesn't exceed 1/2 the cost of a car payment, so about $1500 per year....
Right now the main issues are: an annoying front end noise, a chronic drip (oil), ticking, and needs a new windshield (4 rock dings ago). It has been a very good, reliable and overall dependable contributing member of the household.
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