1997 Subaru Outback review from North America
"Runs forever... if you've got money to fix it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Stalled with out warning in traffic from day 1, Three trips back to the dealer fixed it (Bad Ground wire)
replaced all Cam Seals, Timing Belt, tensioner, water pump For $1000
Front brakes 3 times discs and pads! Still had break shimmy!
Front Caliper (Fixed shimmy)
Back brakes and discs once.
Front axles replaced
Transmission pan seal replaced (Still leaks)
Oil pan leaks
dash lights were replaced (3 are currently still out)
Blower adjustment doesn't work
AC blows hot
Wheels corroding
O2 sensor replaced
Throttle position sensor works intermittently resulting in check engine light.
Seat padding caving in and spring is sticking out making driving rather painful.
General comments?
The AWD is great and it handles better than anything in the snow. Tons of cargo space... but that's about it. The car will run forever if you have the money and patience to fix it, but then again won't all cars do that? Steer clear of this year. I hear the newer ones are more reliable as this one is anything, but. I'm getting rid of mine as soon as winter is over.
Recommended reviews
| Nice if I was ever able to afford the repairs to drive it |
|
| Subaru Head Gasket |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 130000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 229000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 15th February, 2008 |