Blown head gaskets.
Weak clutch.
Various leaks.
Faulty alternator.
The repairs on this vehicle have been more costly than it's worth. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER SUBARU AGAIN!!!
No more subaru? May I recommend one detroit's awesomest crap cars!
Chevy Cavalier
Ford escort
Dodge intrepid.
They'd be happy to have your business. :)
I have a 1998 Subaru outback standard and I have a bad problem that several other people, IN MY SMALL TOWN, have also experienced. I bought the car 10,000 miles ago and the first time I tried to drive more than 30 miles continuously the check engine light turned on. This was the good part. When I reached my destination, a large city, I naturally had to down shift to stop for a traffic light. The car was idling VERY strangely and I tried to cross four lanes of traffic to get look at the engine. The car stalled halfway across the four lanes even when I pressed the accelerator TO THE FLOOR. I was almost hit by two different vehicles and had to re-start the engine and wrestle it into the parking lot. My local mechanic has told me that several other vehicles of the same make, year and model have the same problem. Subaru says to replace the transmission switch. This does NOT solve the problem. I am looking for others with this problem to help me get some answers from subaru. Please, email me at mphoke@ctcweb.net if you have a similar problem or a possible solution! Thank you.
Very interesting to read all this. Bought a used 98 Legacy Outback, great for the first year, then spun a main bearing and had to get the engine replaced. I opted for a rebuilt engine from a reputable rebuilding company. Now after just 10000km with the new engine the head gasket has blown and the warranty company says they won't cover it! Was not from overheating, as the Subaru dealer pressure checked the coolant system, checked the rad. and thermostat. They said it is definitely a leaking head gasket, so I am really pushing the warranty company... quite a disaster. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Also if it does get replaced is the engine going to be the same???
I also have a '98 Legacy Outback Limited and I absolutely love the car. Got it in Dec '02 with 53,000 miles and I am still in love with it. This is despite the 3 different oil leaks from crank/cam seals (~$400/each) and the head gasket replacement (~2000). There was also a problem with the ECM (computer) getting wet because it is right under the passenger floorboard which took a while to figure out what was happening which ran me around $1000 total (eventually it was simply dried out and I installed a plastic bag around it, it's been good ever since). Now, I've got a leaking cylinder which will probably be another $1200. With just under 200,000 miles I just cannot justify another costly repair and I'm getting rid of my precious ride. I've loved my Subby (we've been across the US together twice now), but unfortunately she has not loved me back and I'm just not sure what to get next. So, before you buy a Subaru, make sure that you do plenty of research and do NOT buy a '97, '98, or '99 Outback as they ALL have head gasket problems - it was a problem with the development of the new 2.5 liter engine, which I've been told has been addressed since.
We have owned a 1998 Subaru Outback for three years. With nearly 180,000 miles on her--we put on 70,000 of that--all we have done is one CV joint (the boot tore), belts, AC recharge, and radiator fan motors. Dealer checked it out last week, says A-OK. Uses a little oil (always has). I LOVE this car--but of course, that could change tomorrow.
Our 1998 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK 2.5L has 140KM. The clutch has been replaced 3 times. Head gasket blown at under ~130KM. Current dealer recommendation is new clutch and complete new engine. Last clutch replace 4,000M ago.
Who wants to buy a SUBARU???
Damn, I guess I'm not the only person then. I have owned my Subby Legacy Outback manual 2.5 for a couple of years, and so far have put 3 grand into it, and now just last week I threw a rod. I am looking for a motor, and I came across this forum, and I am reading all these bad things. Now I don't know what to do, because every place I have called they are wanting 1500-1700 for a used motor, and that's not including labor. WTF.
Any suggestions??? joeh8386@gmail.com
I'm not sure that the head gasket problem has been fixed. I have a 2002 Outback and it is starting to have problems that my mechanic indicates will likely require tearing the engine apart to fix. The car has 105,000 on it so I can't complain too much. But the days of being wowed by hitting the 100,000 mark are gone and I am disappointed.
I have a 1998 Subaru Outback Legacy with the 2.5L engine. Have had it about a year and these are the things that have gone wrong... but only in the past month or so.
-Coil spring broke and acted like a can opener on my tire.
-Check engine light came on 2 days ago and computer codes say cylinders 1 and 3 are miss firing. Changed spark plugs, changed wires and still skipping.
The second problem is our current issue. Any suggestions??
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