Need advice on a used 3.6R

[Eric E]

I'm new to this forum, but a long time Subaru fan.  Last Subaru was a '96 Outback and then I went over to the Honda darkside in the early 2000s.  I now have my heart set on a 6th or 7th gen Legacy before Subaru decides to discontinue sedans in the North American market altogether.  I'm looking at a 2019 3.6R with about 33k miles on it (but more than 3 years from original sale, so out of the primary warranty).  It's really clean, no cosmetic flaws whatsoever.  CARFAX report shows it regularly serviced at a Subaru dealer.  However, my concerns from the CARFAX report are the following:

1. The dealer replaced the battery at 10k miles and again at 24k miles.  I found the car at a local (non-Subaru) lot.  When I went to go look at it, they couldn't start it because the battery was dead, so I left without seeing it run.  They now tell me that they've replaced the battery.  To me, a new battery every 10K miles is pretty ridiculous.  Should I be concerned here, or is this a known issue that can be addressed.  This car will be a daily driver, and I'm not planning on calling AAA regularly instead of getting to work on time.

2. I notice that in the first or second service they replaced the oil cooler O-ring, and in every subsequent service there was a remark something like "check for engine oil leaks."  Is that check routine, or does it indicate an ongoing problem that I should be scared of?

Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice!  I'm really looking forward to getting back among the Subaru community.

EE

[ammcinnis]

2 hours ago, Eric E said:

The dealer replaced the battery at 10k miles and again at 24k miles ... When I went to go look at it, they couldn't start it because the battery was dead ... They now tell me that they've replaced the battery ... Should I be concerned here, or is this a known issue that can be addressed.

The OE battery (BCI Group 25) is adequate, but marginal, for the car, IMO. Two known drop-in replacements with higher capacity are Group 34 (not 34R!) and Group 24 (not 24F!). That said, even the OE battery can sit for several weeks without going flat ... as long as the car's "dark current" demand is within spec. "Dark current" is the small amount of power the vehicle's electronic systems continue to consume even when they are "asleep."

Have the seller perform a "dark current" test on the car, and let you observe the results. Per the Subaru FSM, dark current should be less than 70 milliamps (70 mA = 0.070 amps), with infrequent short bursts higher. (Most owners who have measured report that ~30 mA is actually a more typical value.) If dark current is above spec, here are some things to look for:

• Interior lights and/or accessories left on.
• A malfunctioning telematics (a.k.a. "StarLink") control module is a known cause of high dark current demand in 2016-2019 Legacys and Outbacks. Some vehicles have this problem, some never do.
• For Legacys with pushbutton start, leaving the fob in or near the vehicle will prevent its systems from going to sleep, with resultant high battery demand. I think the Owners Manual says at least 6 feet; 20 feet is probably safer.

[silverton]

3 hours ago, Eric E said:

1. The dealer replaced the battery at 10k miles and again at 24k miles.  I found the car at a local (non-Subaru) lot.  When I went to go look at it, they couldn't start it because the battery was dead, so I left without seeing it run.  They now tell me that they've replaced the battery.  To me, a new battery every 10K miles is pretty ridiculous.  Should I be concerned here, or is this a known issue that can be addressed.  This car will be a daily driver, and I'm not planning on calling AAA regularly instead of getting to work on time.

2. I notice that in the first or second service they replaced the oil cooler O-ring, and in every subsequent service there was a remark something like "check for engine oil leaks."  Is that check routine, or does it indicate an ongoing problem that I should be scared of?

Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice!  I'm really looking forward to getting back among the Subaru community.

EE

 

You'd be surprised by the number of cars that need to be jumpstarted when they're new too; they can sit for a long time. That being said, a 2019 should have most of the kinks worked out so a bit strange the car will be on its third battery, and needed that oring replaced.

Neither are normal, but it's probably also not something to worry about. Hard to say what the previous owners use case was, frequent short trips and long sits over a winter season will murder a battery. I would recommend having an independent, preferably subaru, shop do a 'pre purchase inspection' before you sign anything just to be on the safe side.

[ncted]

I just got a free battery under this settlement program:

https://www.subarubatterysettlement.com/

I don't think we got good or good enough batteries in our Legacies.

[Eric E]

Thanks for the advice everyone!  I think the best suggestion is to pay a Subaru mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection.  Will be money well spent!

[BoozeRS05]

Fwiw, pending an inspection I say go for it. A legacy 3.6r is high on my list for a next purchase once my Forester is paid off.

[silverton]

My current shop sees an astronomical number of six cylinder cars compared to when I was at the dealer.  At the dealer I thought they were as uncommon as an STi.  That being said, all the six cylinders that do come through, convinced me to buy one. Some have definitely made me cringe, but then you look at the service history and its like the car didn't exist til now

I've yet to see major consistent problems on the six cylinders other than the ones that weren't cared for, IE pretty much every FB out there needs a 'cam carrier reseal'.

[Eric E]

Follow-up on this car.  It was serviced it's whole life at a Subaru dealer in AZ.  I called them, and although they wouldn't provide the service documents to me since I haven't purchased it yet, they were willing to go over them on the phone with me.  Regarding the oil leak, the prev. owner reported an oil leak which was traced to the oil cooler gasket and they replaced it at 24k miles. He said because of that, on subsequent service visits the tech noted that he checked for oil leaks and found nothing.  On the battery, he said that they didn't think the replacement was unusual due to the combination that Arizona heat is hard on batteries in general and the prev. owner did not put a lot of miles on the car, implying that they let it sit for long periods without driving. He did also say that this year and model Legacy is known to be "hard on batteries" and that Subaru has issued a warranty extension for this model on batteries, up to 60k miles.

I'm in the process of arranging a pre-purchase inspection at a local Subaru dealer.  I'll post back if I am able to make a deal on this one!