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Subaru Durability to 200k


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Anecdote: My dad just replaced his 1999 GMC Suburban with a 2018 Forester. The Suburban had about 320k miles on it. Over the past couple of years, he had to put upwards of $20k into it to keep it running, and it still broke down a couple of times on long trips. He was getting replacement parts from junkyards, and often had to settle for similar parts from GM trucks. He knew he had some really big repairs coming up, and the fuel economy was sliding every lower towards 10MPG. At that point, it became clear to him that the old 'burb wasn't worth the cost anymore. It probably hadn't been for a few years, especially considering it was starting to rust after moving back to central NY, and the interior bits were all worn out. There is a point for almost all cars where it is time to get rid of them that will vary based on use, maintenance and luck. Entropy is not our friend in this respect.

 

In my admittedly unscientific observations, Subaru does better than most, especially when compared to other mainstream brands. That said, I believe that is largely based on the simplicity of older Subarus. I still see a lot of 1st generation Foresters and Outbacks in my area, but there really isn't that much to go wrong that cannot be fixed pretty easily. With the move to Direct Injection, Direct Injection Turbo, and all the electric safety features, I am unsure how long that will be the case.

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If your dad is in CNY I'd recommend him looking into gertting Krown Oil Undercoatings or applying Fluid Film himself. South Main Auto in Avoca runs a cool YouTube channel in which he talks about Fluid Film. The rust is real up there.

 

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiIym5JiMOc]How To Fluid Film Your Vehicle To Prevent Rust - YouTube[/ame]

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If your dad is in CNY I'd recommend him looking into gertting Krown Oil Undercoatings or applying Fluid Film himself. South Main Auto in Avoca runs a cool YouTube channel in which he talks about Fluid Film. The rust is real up there.

 

 

 

Thanks. He decided to lease the Forester, so it shouldn't be a problem. They put their other car in the garage for the winter. Also, they go south for the worst of it.

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South Main Auto in Avoca runs a cool YouTube channel in which he talks about Fluid Film. The rust is real up there.

 

That SMA Youtube Channel is good isn't it. He'd be my mechanic if I lived anywhere remotely near there. One of the latest ones shows what a dedicated guy he is ... I am always impressed by his willingness to think outside the box.

 

 

SMA and that SavageGeese car review channel are my top two "watchables."

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Agreed, and that's why we kept the Outback for 14 years. However, reliability (i.e. how frequently it breaks) and whether we can trust to take it on a road trip, were the factors that led us to sell it at 175k.

 

It was also why we replaced the BMW at 64k and bought a Legacy.

 

our 2003 Subaru legacy is working on 17 years... I have more issues with service department, than the car lolol

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200K miles is pushing it for any car. Everything just wears out and unreliability creeps in. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

I agree. I however was able to squeak out 402,000 miles out of my 2000 Passat 1.8t (gasser) with proper maintenance. Could have gone further except for an incident with black ice about 4 years ago. That 400K+ was over the course of 15 years. Still had original turbo and clutch (5sp) at the time of death. The only major repair expense was a steering rack at 200K. Other than that it was normal maintenance. I am a big fan of running vehicles as long as I can. Most of my mileage is highway, and with all vehicles, that makes a big difference. Still miss the Passat, but do love the AWD of the Subie.

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200K miles is pushing it for any car. Everything just wears out and unreliability creeps in.

 

Scotty Kilmer would argue with that :lol: And I'm not having a go at Scotty when I say that, because I agree with him. If a car was properly maintained and not "flogged" to an inch of it's life every time the driver got into it, I would be expecting every bit of 200k miles. It goes without saying that there would be parts replaced .... but 200k miles without a catastrophic failure should not be regarded as a rarity. I was in a Toyota cab recently and the owner said he'd done 700,000 kms (not miles) on the original engine so far.

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My daily is a 2007 2.5GT with 282000 miles on the original drivetrain. Goes through 1 qt of oil every 1500 miles. Not a 6th gen, but Subarus can go the distance.

 

With that said I just tore down by brother's EJ255 in his 2007 Forester due to a burnt valve. 95000 miles. Car is totally stock and he drives it like a grandma :spin:

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I'm slightly over 91k miles on my 2015 Legacy. One wheel bearing replaced under warranty around 75k. I'm looking to run this car well past 200k, I see no reason at this point why it wouldn't make it there, still feels new when driving it.
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I'm slightly over 91k miles on my 2015 Legacy. One wheel bearing replaced under warranty around 75k. I'm looking to run this car well past 200k, I see no reason at this point why it wouldn't make it there, still feels new when driving it.
How did warranty pay for a repair at 75k?

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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200,000 miles, the car is basically stuffed.

 

I have a Toyota and have had other cars at 200,000Km but they are no longer reliable daily drivers or you wouldn't go on a long trip in either.

 

Fine as a weekend toy like the MR2 is but lets be honest, they get to the point your sick of throwing money at it. The modern car also now has way to much electronics and wiring in it to be reliable long term.

 

The modern car is now overly complex. Electronic ignition and fuel injection were steps forward in reliability but since then they have been going backwards.

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125K miles (that is 200,000 Kms) and you won't drive them long distances? lol my 2003 Subaru is at 211,000km (131K Miles) and we drive it everywhere. I had a 1989 mercury sable that I drove until it had 314,000Kms on it (198k miles). Keep your car maintained and there is no reason that it won't last

 

my first car was driven until 608,000kms or 380K miles on original engine and transmission.....

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I got in my friend's 2006 Toyota Solara the other day and noticed it had over 230,000 miles on the odometer. I asked him if he planned to keep driving it. He expressed dismay that he would really like a new car, but the Solara had never given him any issues other than wear and tear items, so he really couldn't justify a new car. Indeed, the ride was quiet, comfortable, and issue-free. He did say that he does all the recommended maintenance, including the extra stuff the dealer recommends. I expect many cars of that vintage would probably last that long if they were taken care of the way he does.
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