The Subaru brand has always been well-known for making long-lasting, practical, and safe vehicles. The Subaru has maintained its reputation as a long-lasting vehicle. The Subaru high mileage clubs have clubs for over 50, miles, over , miles, all the way up to over , miles.
Kelley Blue Book named Subaru of America as the most trusted automotive brand for 5years and running. Many are less inclined to keep their vehicles for long periods of time. Other makes and models are exceeding the Subaru Forester and Subaru Outback in the ability to make it past that k mark. So what happened? This change in expected longevity probably has to do with the string of recalls we have seen over the last few years, as well.
According to this market report , as of more people are leasing their cars than ever before. As people continue to weigh their options, both millennials and senior buyers are choosing to lease in increasing numbers. There are a lot of folks in this predicament. And according to a study by Bankrate , an online financial services company, 28 percent of U. Finally, consider that at One reason for this may be that modern cars are simply built better and last longer than before.
Just as likely is the possibility that many Americans—in a time of stagnant wages combined with soaring consumer debt and a high cost of living—can't afford to replace their old beaters.
Or if they can get another vehicle, they're only able to replace it with another beater. It's never been more expensive to buy and operate a new vehicle in the U. There are now a lot of high-mileage cars being driven by people for whom even a minor repair bill could be ruinous. It's a great and horrible irony that in a society where so many working-class people are forced to rely on their vehicles to get to work, the last thing most of us can seem to afford is a working vehicle. My wife bought our white Subaru Impreza Outback Sport wagon new as a birthday gift for herself.
By all measures, it has been a brilliant vehicle. It's been steady and reliable on every surface one could encounter—rain, snow, ice, mud, sand, bare rock, and everything in between—and in temperatures ranging from 20 below zero to degrees Fahrenheit.
And except for a tornado-wrecked hood and a couple dead batteries over the course of its life, the Subie has always started and safely delivered us wherever we needed to be. We even gave it a name, Oliver, because, yes, we watched that one episode of Top Gear just like everyone else. In this case, though, the name fits. Oliver's grille and headlights form a dopey, endearing grin, and he has always loved to play in the snow and mud, just like a big happy dog.
Back when our financial state was better, I daydreamed of turning Oliver into some weird off-road rally car that could somehow also be a daily driver.
But now he's pushing , miles. And thanks to too many lean years of unemployment or underemployment—last summer, my wife and I were both laid off from our respective and not very lucrative jobs on the same day—we can't afford to keep up on his current maintenance, much less fix all the stuff we've put off.
Which hurts, because my wife and I courted each other, went on our honeymoon, attended weddings and funerals, moved multiple times, brought our newborn son home, and had adventures from Florida to California in Oliver.
He's as beloved a part of our family as any pet. Entropy catches up to everything at some point, but I genuinely believe that with some care, Oliver has another , miles in him. Of course, sentimentality is often the first sacrifice when you're broke. We'll probably need another , miles out of Oliver whether we can properly care for him or not. Despite the popular notion that poor people are poor because they're "bad" with money, most poor people I know actually have a grossly underappreciated knack for budgeting the little money they do have down to the penny.
We can stretch a dollar in ways that many middle-class consumers could likely never imagine. This will surely enhance the time of the Subaru cars along with their performance. Drive properly and enjoy your Subaru reaching and performing more than your expected mark of mileage.
Even if you think you are taking good care of your Subaru car, you should always be ready to do a proper analysis of its performance from time to time. There is no fixed criterion of how long the Subaru car will last or how much mileage it will deliver.
Everything depends on how well the Subaru is taken care on its various parameters. For knowing more details about the life expectancy of the Subaru cars, do comment below and write to us.
We would get right back to you with the best possible information about your doubt or concern regarding the matter. Driving Tips. Maintenance Tips. Car Review. Car Comparison. Industry knowledge.
We just found out we have to do the right head gasket. We are on the fence about doing it or getting another Subaru, thinking about Foresters. I am wondering what kind of a lifespan we should expect if we go with it. I commend you on the wanting to disclose the information to a buyer. I would use KBB. The to Forester are great cars, but you might think long and hard about just repairing what you already own, unless there is some sort of a compelling reason to buy a used Forester you are really buying something very similar to which you already own.
Just a thought. Hello justin, my husband and I are looking at a subarus wax Wagon with k on it. It runs smooth. What is your thought on buying the car? Do you think the miles are to high and the engine will go? I have a suburu forester With k miles never had any major issues replaced the alternator at k. I would love this car to see k miles or beyond!! The miles are a little on the high side for a Turbo car, the integrity of the Turbo and shortblock start to come into Question at that kind of mileage.
I guess buying the car at a low price might make sense but just know repairs could be in the future. Dear Justin, Firstly, thanks for the great info on your site. My daughter is going to school near Erie, PA the snowbelt and I am concerned that she have reliable, relatively trouble free transportation. Trolling on autotrader.
What do you think about the model, year and,of course, the mileage? She needs this car to last for at least two years and probably would log another , mi. Thanks, Ann. But having said that its always about the car not the idea of that car. The only way you will know if its okay for your daughter is to have a pre purchase inspection done by someone who really knows Subaru so you can avoid any potential pitfalls.
My biggest concerns are Rust on a car of that vintage given your guys climate, and the potential for Head gaskets if they have never been done as the would be prone to internal failures and typically pre k. I sure hope that helps and wish you the best luck in finding your Daughter a good car for here to use.
I had never heard about the gasket issue; however, I had until yesterday a Outback. Unfortunately, when it blew it totally blew. All the seals were leaking and the head gaskets went.
It was not fixable at , miles. I think it is a total crap shoot as to how long a car will last. I would buy another Subaru, however. So in a it would most likely leak oil and coolant externally and only fail internally if it over heated as a result of something else such as low fluid levels.
I am confused by the not fixable statement? Did it throw a rod? Has a Subaru shop looked at it or just a generalist? Hi PJ, Just for your information we owned a Subaru Outback Ltd and we drove it until it had , miles and it was still running very well at that time. Driving better than a friends new Chevy Cavalier I noticed at the time.
I did have an engine light issue after about , miles that kept suggesting our catalytic converter needed replacement although we took it in multiple times and were told things were working fine with the converter so we never did replace that.
The sensor starts reporting once levels reach a certain percentage. We are both currently driving newer Subarus. Myself I am back in another Subaru Outback Ltd and have racked up 98, miles already. I love it for my work and the snow I must drive through months a year. My hubby just purchased a Subaru Forrester with the eyesight feature San is happy with it save for sluggish gear shifting he feels.
It starts, runs and drives like brand new. My father bought the car brand new, and I know for a fact that it has had nothing but basic maintenance done to it. The biggest repair it has had was a new catalytic converter, installed at k. This car is absolutely phenomenal. We have had a lot of snow this year, and this car still powers through it like a champ. I like the Tribeca, its not for everyone but you should always buy what you like and always have a prepurchas inspection performed.
What a great resource, thank you! I am looking at a Subaru Forester with k miles. The gaskets were done two summers ago, along with some other repairs. Other than that, it was given a clean bill of health. It looks new! Thank you much. Many people are experiencing oil burn on there brand new Subaru Outback. It means bad compression, bad compression — oil is being burned and thats how it disappears.
I have bought a brand new outback with manual transmission and by now I drove 11, miles and never! Never experienced that problem. But after reading this thread it makes me worried that subaru will accept and allow something like this to happen. Again it is not okay. Its a serious problem for a brand new car. And should be addressed right the way.
What should I do? Is it just a sabotage to stop people on buying new Subaru cars or what? I honestly do not think it is okay for a brand new car to consume quarter of oil every miles. You will agree with me. Is it just a sabotage to stop people from buying new Subaru cars or what? So I realize you are upset but here is where things seems to get confusing for many.
So the statement about it being related to compression is inaccurate. The oil being burned is because more oil is entering the combustion chamber than normal, the reasons this can be occurring is vast and with out a diagnoses which would include removing the engine and tearing it down and taking measurements against specs no one knows the cause, no one. What I have tried to convey and no one listens to, is the industry standard is about 1 quart every miles as being an acceptable amount of consumption.
There is a mechanical defect The engine is not broken in yet The way you use this car will result in higher oil use than the guy sitting next to you, in much the same way that fuel use varies. You own a Subaru and I write about Subaru Repair so here we are talking about Subaru, but here is the other point no one listens to, this is not just a Subaru thing.
In our Quest to make the Dirty little internal combustion engine cleaner and more efficient it has now become less reliable, I finally read an article about this in response to the number of problems in new cars being on the rise in a recent survey. So again you and I are here talking about Subaru but please use caution, as in your quest to find the perfect new car you may end up with something worse. I cant advise you to get rid of a car because it uses some oil, I would not give that advise to someone with a 20 year old car I would say keep up on it, I cannot give that advice to someone with a new car that uses some oil I will say keep up on it with the caveat in hopes a situation presents itself.
Hello, I am thinking about purchasing a outback 2. Would this be a good purchase? What should I look out for upon inspection of this car. Any input would help thanks! If you want to know what you need to look at however, you need to raise the car up, remove the splash pan and look at the underside of the engine for signs of fluids, now you need to also be a detective, because if the engine was cleaned there may not be any obvious signs of leakage and only a skilled Subaru tech will be able to really figure out if there is a leak pending because he or she knows just where to look and what they are looking for.
And that is just to look for a possible external fluid leak from the HG, there are many more systems on the car that need to be inspected. No stains on the interior, but little rust on the outside… what do you think of this? What are things that I should consider before going through with this?
So generally speaking a Subaru Impreza with k still has a lot of life left. We own a Subaru Forester that is overheating. It has , miles on it. My husband wants to get rid of it and get a Forester. Since they are newly redesigned, do you think they are going to be a good, reliable choice?
I believe that no car produced currently will be trouble free, there are many news stories including recent surveys show on average problems per cars. The new fuel economy standards coupled with stricter emissions laws are the causes for this.
I am looking into buying a subaru impreza 2. I was just wondering if the 2. The head gaskets cant be seen, and I am not sure how the untrained eye identifies new vs old? It really takes a while for a tech to get good at looking for signs of replacement or cover up. Other than HG, generally speaking the Impreza is pretty solid, but its always about that car not the general expectation the car should be solid.
Why not pay for a professional pre purchase inspection? I am looking at a legacy wagon being sold by a mechanic. He has put in a used engine, new timing belt, brakes, water pump, and new tires. Should I have hesitation? Interior and paint look good. We have been looking at the Outback, Imprezia Hatchback and the Forrester from to We need cargo space, would love better mpg and cheaper to insure, the Outback is all of that but the CVT is worrisome to my husband.
Kind of on the fence about the Forrester, I like the style but I thought it would have more cargo space than the Outback. Any suggestion on which model would be best? We live in Ohio, smack in the middle of Cleveland and Columbus so we have a great number of dealerships to choose from. I read the previous comments and see you keep telling people to have someone inspect the car that knows a Subaru, if it is a certified Subaru is it safer to assume that it is the better choice to buy?
I always suggest what you enjoy the most, what fits you best as its going to be you that needs to enjoy it for years to come. I ended up moving to the Subaru line. The used car manager was eventually fired as the reputation for selling junk caught up and he moved on. This is a cycle at every Dealership, always has been always will be.
I just bought a Tribeca with 80K miles. So far I love the car. My questions is, does the Tribeca have the head gasket problems the 2.
Also, does this vehicle have a timing chaing or belt? Your 3. The only 6 cylinders Subaru ever made that used a belt was the 2. Its got k miles, but recently developed an oil leak. Turns out that leak is from bad crank shaft seals according to our mechanic. So my question, if you would not mind me asking, is it worth fixing? Will the Outback last to k miles, or more? I recently purchased a 2. It appears to have a clean service record per carfax with 32 service records with oil changes and basic maintenance.
Just before sale they replaced the water pump, Timing belt, thermostat, and rear wheel bearing. I was told the head gasket problem was fixed by Is this true? I just need to get more miles out of it to get the kid through college! Hi im looking in buying Subaru Forester. Replacing a timing belt and waterpump on a Subaru is not any more or any less difficult than most Japanese imports. The owner has meticulous records and changes the oil frequently.
He installed a new radiator recently as well but had the AC go out last week and the car needs a new steering rack boot and a alignment. Does anything stick out to you that would make you not purchase it? Is it a good buy for a college student? Hey, Justin.
I know I should still get a pre-purchase inspection but wonder how to find someone good in this area southern Utah. I would ask other Subaru owners in your area where they go for service. This could be done either online through one of many Subaru owners Forums or locally by striking up a conversation with someone at a gas station, store etc. Good Morning! I was wondering about your opinion on the Tribeca. My Honda van is slowly sucking my bank account dry it has , miles on it There is a local deal with a Tribeca with 89, miles on it available.
They are asking 16, Thanks for your input. I really like the Tribeca with the 3. Any car you consider needs to be inspected before you buy it however. Justin, A few months ago I visited a dealership to buy a new Subaru. I had decided on the Impreza Hatchback.
The salesman kept showing me used cars and then finally when I got him to show me a new car he talked me out of it. Subaru — handles well in north Idaho, they are dependable, under warranty and hold their value — all appeal to this single mom trying to make a wise purchase, but knows nothing about buying a new car.
I read that the CVT is very costly after warranty and if by chance something goes wrong with it prior to the end of the warranty then it has to be sent off to be worked on. Here is the truth, a salesman makes almost no money selling you a new car. This is what the internet did to the new car sales division of a franchised Auto Dealership.
Instead the Salesmen who is paid on commission makes much more money when he sells you a used car they stole form someone else on trade. I would say that based on what you have posted that car is worth considering. I still caution you need to have a prepurchase inspection performed however. I think the price for a that has had the HG repairs done is fair provided the car checks out.
This can sometimes be tough to do with a private party sale but I think it is really important. Hi Justin I am close to buying a Subaru Forester and has thousand miles. Single owner and he has changed the engine at thousand miles. Will it run for another thousand miles if i get it repaired and take care of it regularly. I love the car. No frills but as I petite it has perfect view from all sides.
Look forward to your reply. I would like to think so but without seeing the car its tough to say. I am also not sure what repairs it needs? I have a Outback Base, 5-speed manual with , miles.
All maintenance have been done accordingly including a recent timing belt, water pump, tensioner, idlers and seals at , I am the only driver and very gentle with the car.
And I love this car for its simplicity and reliablity. I am anticipating next big ticket item may be the clutch. In general I understand clutches last about K miles. Clutches are all over the map in terms of longevity, we have customers replace them at , and others at 30, The average is around , but again its going to be different for each driver based on use.
Prices are best left to who is performing the service. I am looking into getting a new car as I travel an hour to school everyday. I would start by telling you that the Impreza was one of the best cars Subaru ever built, so you will be hard pressed to replace it.
Next any Used Subaru you consider needs to be inspected prior to you buying it, that way you know where you stand with it and have a general idea of what to expect. Make sure this inspection is done by a Subaru shop as well. Does it have a bad gasket? How many more miles it could have? It is from a dealership, its 1 owner certified but its sold as is-no warranty.
Hi Justin My Subaru forrester has done , km I bought it brand new and it has been great My mechanic said from , it will start costing me money And I should consider getting rid of it I have had it serviced every 10, km since purchased What do you think?
Thanks Jennie. Hi Justin- I am thinking about purchasing a suburu outback with miles. Hi there — I just bought a Outback with K. My son totalled his Honda Civic and he was communting to college everyday and we made the mistake of being in a hurry and not having a pre-purchase inspection.
Anything we should have checked or be looking out for at this point? It needs to have a complete inspection done by someone familiar with Subaru prior to really trusting it to take care of your son in his commute. The common things for that model would be wheel bearings, and a possible oil leak from the head gaskets. I would def talk them down. I am leaning toward the subaru so I can just pay it off and call it a day! Do you think it would still be worth it to buy the if it was in great shape?
Usually good advice is to buy the latest model with the lowest miles you can find when looking for used. There is an enormous difference in fuel economy between the and models I would be hard pressed to not suggest you strongly consider the , but really you should drive both and for longer then 10 minutes and buy which ever suits you the best.
What maintenance issues should I look out for. Just skeptical to purchase a vehicle with that high of miles and expect to put another 90, miles in the next 5 years. How many miles should I expect outbacks to last?
Hey there Justin, I cant tell you how helpful your expertise has been in my search for my first car. Looks like a pretty GD impressive machine and it seems like it has been well maintained, and its being sold by an authorized Toyota dealership not a independent dealer. Any wisdom you could send me on this car? How do these tend to hold up?
I love my 3. The key here is to have it inspected by a Subaru shop prior to buying it. Love the honesty of your answers. The black and white opinions you find online is utterly astounding.
Exploder that is like a beloved family member fighting off their second round of terminal cancer — I keep fighting for her to live, but she just wants to die. However, in the almost two years I drove the thing I became addicted. I am now looking at purchasing my second Outback, but am hesitant. At one point she was put up in an auction.
Her body is fit, though — let me tell you! Dark black skin with curves like an angel; and those dual moon-roofs give her that sexy librarian look, you know? The 4th owner did the same thing. My concern is with the turbo and the head gaskets as per usual. The current owner just buys and flips cars and has no idea. The report indicates nothing that would allude to so much as a timing belt replacement, which also tells me that the HGs may not have been inspected.
But could an inspection come up negative and then 6 months down the road she could have another episode? Is this a car I can bring home to meet the parents? They use a MLS gasket from the factory and they do hold up well to the lower compression found in he turbo engines. I of course changed the oil every miles, and inspected the oil feed line filters, also known as union screws every 60k.
If you have purchased the car, I would have the feed line filter the turbo inspected and or replaced, as well as someone removing the down pipe and inspecting the turbo shaft play. If there is no record of the timing belt being done, thats a priority as well. I have as a company provided vehicle a Outback 3. I change the oil every 5k miles and opt for a major service every 50k miles. I tow on occasion a trailer with quads or a Rzr and quad at the limits of the Outback without a problem, and that includes some steep grades to Flagstaff.
This car has never had one mechanical issue and does not use more than 1 quart in between changes, which it has done since new and is within Subarus specs. I will be fitting my 5th the pair of tires soon and do not rotate in between changes. I always experience even wear and use the car off road probably more than average.
There is no cupping or uneven wear. I will be getting my Outback early next year and hope that it serves me as well as this one. It now has , miles on it. My husband and I had new struts and clutch installed during those 5 years. My husband passed away about 8 months ago and during that time I did accidentally let the oil go down. You have to add a couple quarts in between oil changes. I do have the choice of selling our Prius and the Outback and hoping for a Outback — but the Prius has never had a problem and has , miles.
What would make you give up on spending large repairs for a car this age — and risk more of the same with another? My thought process was with the two cars Prius and Outback I might be able to make it 6 years or so and then buy a 3 year old Subaru with low miles a few years before I retire. I drive miles round trip everyday and drive the Prius for gas mileage and the Outback for snow road days.
I truly do wish I could ask my husband for advice. Assuming its a manual transmission replacing the bearings in the transmission is somewhat common, and very straight forward for a shop like ours.
So if its at a Subaru shop it should be a no brainer for them to make those repairs. The best advice I have is make sure your relationship with the shop is good and that they are very comfortable with the cars you own. At some point the Toyota is going to need some work as well, so I would also plan for that in the future.
If you want to down size to one car I think I would look at a Outback if at all possible. A will get much better fuel economy and have really shown to be good cars. Just make sure what ever you do if you buy a used car that you have it inspected by someone who really knows Subaru before you make any purchase.
My concern, as with all the rest is it has k miles on the clock. We are recent college grads without a lot of cash and want to purchase an AWD drive car, at least I do ha , and I saw recently a Subaru for sale by a private party. It is a model with a V6 engine and he has put about grand into it, and even replaced the bottom rack because it was a northeast car for a few years and got some rust. I am a first time car buyer and want something that will be reliable and last for a few years while we get situated in our new home in the mountains of Utah.
Ill be traveling up to the resorts for work from the valley so some good highway driving will be done.
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