from dealership 2010 with only 39K miles a 2010 Subaru Legacy 25I My girl friend put money down we got excited that only had 39K miles is this a good deal and also I do not know about boxer engine's We started to look at Toyota and Hondas how does this compare to these ? will this car be a good car or shall we keep looking for a Toyota or a Honda ?
If there is no proof that the original head gaskets have been replaced, run away. The head gasket problem is caused by time as well as mileage so the low odometer reading does not mean gaskets are OK.
Do not believe anything the dealer tells you, demand proof. As well as seeing receipts for head gasket replacement, check Carfax to see if higher mileage has been reported in the past. Automatic transmissions are a weak point as well but if it really does have only 39K miles it's probably OK. Any indication at all of slippage or rough/erratic shifting means no sale. Check fluid to see if it's burnt or gritty.
Since it's a 12-year-old car presumably it is on a used car lot and the car bought at auction so they really won't know anything about its history. (Is it a BHPH joint?) Used car lots tend to be even worse ripoff artists than new car dealers.
Above all be sure to have your own mechanic do a pre-purchase inspection. If the dealer won't let you do that just get out of there.
research head gasket failures, and maybe have a cylinder compression test done before buying
