ghoststrykre Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hey everyone, I was about to pull the trigger on a 2005 Legacy GT when I started reading about the mechanical problems these things have. Particularly with the turbo. I really like performance and driving in a spirited fashion, but I also enjoy reliability. I'm considering trading my Mustang because I really need an AWD vehicle. So let's just cut to the chase here and I'll post the link to the vehicle I'm considering. I'd just like a good idea, or bad idea comment with a quick reason. Keep in mind that I Love doing my own maintenance, like oil changes and cleaning stuff, but engine rebuilds might be beyond my skill. Although it sounds like a fun challenge. http://www.rayskillmanford.com/Used-2005-Subaru-Legacy-25-GT-Limited-Greenwood-IN/vd/18537990 So about 130k miles on that thing. This thing would cost me about 200 bucks less a month than I pay now, but I drive 16,000 miles a year and a random engine rebuild every couple years frightens me... Tough call. Thoughts anyone? Thanks for the help everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-lo Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 welcome. here's a great thread to review: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/has-most-miles-their-lgt-and-they-holding-upi-vol-200435.html there are many of us with high mileage cars. I have an 05 5MT GT with 249k on it. most of my repairs have been wear and tear. I've been thru 3 turbos, all I've replaced myself around 100k miles. there are some who are running original turbo with high mileage. if you buy this car, I suggest you get it looked at before hand to verify everything is good on it. have them inspect the turbo and verify all the scheduled maintenance has been done on it. I drive 60+ miles a day and love it. my plans are to keep the car....so much so that I'm actually thinking about parking it and buying an 09 honda fit sport as a commuter car. 258k miles - Stock engine/minor suspension upgrades/original shocks/rear struts replaced at 222k/4 passenger side wheel bearings/3 clutches/1 radiator/3 turbos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoststrykre Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 welcome. here's a great thread to review: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/has-most-miles-their-lgt-and-they-holding-upi-vol-200435.html there are many of us with high mileage cars. I have an 05 5MT GT with 249k on it. most of my repairs have been wear and tear. I've been thru 3 turbos, all I've replaced myself around 100k miles. there are some who are running original turbo with high mileage. if you buy this car, I suggest you get it looked at before hand to verify everything is good on it. have them inspect the turbo and verify all the scheduled maintenance has been done on it. I drive 60+ miles a day and love it. my plans are to keep the car....so much so that I'm actually thinking about parking it and buying an 09 honda fit sport as a commuter car. thanks a bunch for the forum link. it really looks like these cars just wear down very quickly. i mean, i can clearly see that everyone loves their LGT despite the repairs. reading between the lines it looks like each of these cars go about 30,000 to 50,000 miles at a time before any kind of major fix is needed. honestly, that isn't so bad. if i were paying $25,000 for a car, that'd be one thing, but since this is just a $9,900 car that i can likely bring the price down on, it seems like it could be worth the plunge. i like the idea of having a hands on vehicle like this that really requires a watchful eye to keep goin. it's sounds better to me than my saturday mornings washing and waxing my mustang (which mechanically has been rock solid). i'm really tempted to try this out, but one thing is for sure, i'll take this car to a reputable subaru service center to inspect the car before buying. i have you, c-lo, and the posters on this forum to thank for giving me a heads up on what i was considering purchasing. many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee07 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 130k, That's about average/below average for its age. Its 10 years old now, as most were made/bought in 2004. They are reliable, though I've had my engine apart 3 times, I blame the place I took it to 1st, for the issues afterwards. Get a tune, stage 1 or stage 2. Stock it tends to run on the rich side and likes to burn exhaust valves. Get a compression and leak down test done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian2.5GT Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I like the color and it's going to be way better in the weather than your 'stang. It has a lot of miles but appears to be well maintained. The brake calipers look like they have been painted, which shows the prior owns attention to detail; those things get pretty rusty on the LGT. Make sure the timing belt has been done, that can cost you $800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGPKR Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 As with any car it will last and be reliable as long as the maintenance is kept up. But the one issue that I've found with mine is the wheel bearings. I'm at 130k+ miles and I've already replaced all four. But these are a bolt on hub design and aren't that bad to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoststrykre Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 i just talked with the dealer and they spent $2500 in repairs. he said he would provide me with documentation on what was included, but he noted that the big replacement items were the timing belt, and water pump. besides the turbo, the timing belt is another big replacement item i'm reading in these forums. so that's good to hear. thanks again for the info here folks. i'm thinking i might make the trip to take a look. i called a subaru dealership and the service department said they'd charge me $225 for a full 100+ point inspection... yikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoststrykre Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 i called the dealer and they said that they made $2500 in repairs once they traded it in. the repairs included a timing belt and water pump, plus many other things (but those 2 were the big ones). i'm thinking i might go take a look at this sucker. thanks for the info everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-lo Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 i just talked with the dealer and they spent $2500 in repairs. he said he would provide me with documentation on what was included, but he noted that the big replacement items were the timing belt, and water pump. besides the turbo, the timing belt is another big replacement item i'm reading in these forums. so that's good to hear. thanks again for the info here folks. i'm thinking i might make the trip to take a look. i called a subaru dealership and the service department said they'd charge me $225 for a full 100+ point inspection... yikes. DUDE! $225?? thats nuts. first mistake. going to a dealer. can you find a indie shop that works on subies? I'd be more comfortable taking it there vs a stealership. 258k miles - Stock engine/minor suspension upgrades/original shocks/rear struts replaced at 222k/4 passenger side wheel bearings/3 clutches/1 radiator/3 turbos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTris Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 ^ Dealers will say ALL kinds of things to get you to buy the car. Make sure the repairs were in fact, done, and that they weren't just done by the Ford yahoo in the back who likely doesn't know anything about turbocharged Subarus. That said -- Pretty little ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttnio Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Shopping for a car of your liking is fun.Take time shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 If the repairs were performed by a Subaru dealer they would be covered for 1 year/12k miles. That could be a bargaining chip for you, unless the dealer is warrantying the repairs it made. $225 seems like a lot, but it is still cheaper than any major service will be, I would trust a subaru dealer with a good rep as much as any shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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