ahreno Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 My truck died and i cashed in a life insurance that was worth about $6k. thinking about getting a subaru again. Found a 05 Outback XT Limited for $7200 with 103k miles. sounds well taken care of and sounds like a winter car type thing. It has everything i've wanted in a subaru (i've owned a 00 outback and have a 08 Impreza Outback sport)... paddle shifters and a turbo. My concerns now are the turbo. Do they typically need to be replaced around 100k miles? Do they just go out or are there warning signs? Should it be replaced out of precaution? is it a simple enough job to do or best for a mechanic? Also, does the turbo model typically need head gasket and timing belt at 100k like other subarus? i think i've read the 05 turbos dont suffer from that? Anything else i should look for in the car? seem like a decent price? https://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/d/2005-subaru-outback-25-xt/6557284222.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRX USA Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 The timing belt is something that I would be very concerned about. It should be changed every 105k miles OR 105 months (8 years, 9 months). Most people focus on the mileage but either overlook or don’t know about the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskie Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 What were they thinking with that shifter ?!? That would raise questions about how it was treated. I'm guessing they're selling to avoid paying for a timing belt. That will cost about $1500 unless you do it yourself; kits including the water pump run about $300. At about 100k you can expect to need to address: - spark plugs (not easy to get to) - wheel bearings - valve cover gasket leaks Around 150k: - shocks - torn axle boots - burnt valves - oil consumption - turbo These aren't Honda/Toyota reliable vehicles but they are better than the German brands. At least they're easy to repair. So consider 103k to be 1/2 to 3/4 consumed. Our outback's turbo is still doing fine at 175k, this might be an anomaly, or it might be that we replaced the uppipe with one which doesn't have a catalytic converter (which can break apart and ruin the turbo). We've also pulled the oil line screens and have been meticulous about oil changes. Due to a very lean stock fueling and valve clearances which are too tight from the factory, it's not uncommon for valves to burn and break apart around 130-150k. This can be hard to detect without measuring clearances until it's so bad it idles rough, the power delivery isn't smooth, or it throws a misfire code. Install a tune (cobb ap etc) to prevent further damage, but to repair existing damage the head needs to come off. Head gaskets aren't so much an issue on these, but valve cover gaskets are. Bring an inspection mirror and look under them to determine if they're leaking. Gaskets are about $12 and it takes a couple hours and small hands and tools to do it. Swearing helps. Spark plugs are a royal PITA. If you do the work yourself, budget a day and several trips to the hardware store to get the right combination of sockets and extensions. It still takes me 3-4 hours to do this, and a shop will charge a couple hundred to do it. I would say $6k is about right for this vehicle. The low mileage brings up but the auto trans and upcoming maintenance brings it back down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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