ryankenn Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm finally abandoning my failed attempt at owning a NA made vehicle, and I just wanted to get a reliable sedan with a 4 cyl engine and auto tranny. I found a Silver 2002 GT at a decent price at a dealer willing to take my truck in trade, and after taking it for a test drive I have a few questions. The trunk on this particular car had some mold growing in it, on the top of the carpet, right at the latch. When I went to close it after seeing this, I noticed the latch didn't actually work. I'm fairly confident the trunk had pop spilled as I saw some, and this combined with the unlatched trunk lid caused it. I would like to hear if anyone else noticed any moisture problems in their trunks, or if over time the latch would not work as well as it was when new. Second, this is the first boxer type engine I've ever really seen or heard. ( other than WRX's BLATTTTing around my area ). To me, on startup it seemed somewhat rough, almost diesel ish'. During my testdrive however it was rock solid at idol and almost silent, so I'm sure it was just something while being outside the car I wasn't familiar with. Any other items I should look closely at for these cars as far as common problems? Every option seemed to work fine, even the heated cloth seats, something I havn't seen before. I'm used to leather only. Finally, whats the maintenance like on the AWD portion of the drivetrain? Is it a fickle thing, or is it routine like most until something goes wrong? Thanks, I did search around abit for clues, but I thought it couldn't hurt to post this anyways. Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timpappas Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 What kind of mileage is on this car? Is it being sold from a Subaru Dealer? Subaru's are made in Lafayette, IN. Granted, most of the parts are from Japan, but they are Assembled in NA. If you are looking reliability wise, you cannot beat a Subaru. If you have concerns about the mold I would bring it up to the dealer and have them shampoo the trunk. Your best bet would be to take it to a car wash and blast it with water and see if it is leaking. This will give you the peace of mind when purchasing. I have seen subaru's with damage to the weatherstripping around the windows that have leak problems. But as these cars have the sashless windows, we must keep the weatherstripping in good shape to avoid this problem. I am currently selling a '97 2.5GT. Sometimes upon startup it sounds a bit harsh, but it idles like a dream. Some Subaru's develop a valve slap. Most likely, because it goes away, it is just upon startup, and once the oil gets circulating to the top of the engine, you will be fine. Maintenance is fairly simple, just follow the guidelines in the owner's manual. Regular fluid maintenance, timing belt/water pump/oil seals @ 105k. Any other advice just ask. People around here are very knowledgable. You may try USMB.net also. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaskanwill Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I have a 2000 Legacy sedan that I've had since 2002 and I've never had any trunk problems. The noise you hear on startup is piston slap - something that can be fixed under warranty (but the warranty on that car has probably expired, right?) by replacing skirts on two of the pistons. You should tell the used car dealer that if they want the sale, they should fix those problems for you. There is some debate as to whether piston slap reduces the life of the engine - mine has always had it on cold startup. You can read more about that problem on Edmunds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryankenn Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 The car has 91000kms ( right around 59000 miles ) which according to the Blue Book is right at average mileage for the year. I'm getting it from a Subaru dealer, and was going to have them fix the trunk and shampoo the trunk for sure. As far as the piston slap I'll have to bring it up, but most dealerships would rather tank a car than take apart the engine to promote a used car sale, as I tried that a while back when I was looking at Contour SVT's and one had a rear seal leak. The standard warranty is probably over, but the dealer does offer additional comprehensive which I will most likely buy to cover any problems in the first year. Is Edmunds another forums for Subaru's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaskanwill Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Yeah, go to Edmunds.com, then click Forums, then Subaru, then dive in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisted Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 sell ur truck > drive up to MN > cme buy my 02 > no problems and a nice car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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