1998 Subaru Outback review from North America
"I would not recommed this car to anyone"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Blown head gasket at 88,000 miles and one warped head related to the incident ($2,000). My mechanic recommeded a whole new engine, but said it'd run OK with what he did. the mileage is still there, but it runs louder than ever and has a slight loss of power. My mechanic told me that it might burn some oil, but so far (2 tanks of gas later) it hasn't lost any oil. This is apparently a very very common problem on Outbacks. My mechanic told me that even the 2001's are blowing up. To my knowledge Subaru is not doing anything to help owners out.
General comments?
Other than the $2,000 head gaskets and the fact that because of the internal engine damage the car will never drive the same it has been a great little car. Great MPG and All Wheel Drive system. This is my third Subaru and will likely be my last. Until this happened I thought I'd be a Subaru guy for life. I guess I'll have to pay up for Toyota reliability from now on. This kind of a problem is really unacceptable.
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| 1998 - Outback Limited Edition 4 cylinder We love the car, but not the cost of repairs! |
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| Stay away from Subaru |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 33000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 88500 miles |
| Previous car | Subaru Loyale |
| Date of Entry | 8th March, 2004 |