Should I get a 2004-2013 Subaru? I'm not exactly sure which model but I have found a 2004 Subaru Forester 2.5, a 2009 Outback 3.0, and a 2012 Outback 3.6. Any problems with these cars?
Your best bet is the 2009-2013 Forester 2.5. The 4 speed auto's are decent and the car itself is much better. No matter what you buy, have a mechanci check it out to make sure it is in good shape, especially a Subaru. Do strict maintenance intervals and take care of it. Stay away from the 6 cylinder Boxer engines they are old outdated designs and fall apart. Out of the ones you listed, I would go with the Forester. Scotty has a video on the 2007 Forester, as well as a 2017 Outback.
pre 2014 suabru automatic made by jatco even if its not a cvt still bad. subaru is an acquired taste if u like the sound of the boxer engine especially in modded wrx sti otherwise for long life, old/bad engine design paired with still a cvt for newer ones
@jebrim bump
Its a 4 speed auto yes it is made by JATCO/Nissan but it isn't "bad" like you put it. The older 90s Altimas and Maximas had it and the transmissions were decent enough. We all know that the best Subaru is the one with a manual but the 4 speed autos seem more reliable than a CVT.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Subaru/Forester/2012/
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Subaru/Forester/2013/
As you can see here the transmission complaints were very minimal. The engine is a bigger concern. It is well noted though that the 4 speed is a Jatco design. The thing is a 4 speed transmission is so simple literally anyone could do it correctly.
A 2004 model is likely to have head gasket problems unless already repaired, and that involves pulling out the engine ($$$). Stay away from all six-cylinder Subarus if you value your wallet.
I sincerely miss my old AMC Rebel!!!
I still have one. 🙂
do you need the AWD? If not then it'll just end up costing you.
Costing in repairs I assume?
and maintenance
I have a 2004 Subaru Forester XS 2.5 that I bought used 3 years ago and it had 89,400 miles on it. I also purchased a 4-year warranty from Cars Protection Plus and the first thing I did was change all the fluids (motor oil, transmission, and front/rear differentials) with fresh Valvoline synthetic products along with new filters for the engine (air, oil, and fuel) and the spin on transmission filter. Also, I had new NGK iridium spark plugs and NGK wires installed by an independent Subaru shop (The Subie Guy Midlothian, VA) and I had them check the vehicle out and found that the head gaskets are leaking oil, but not coolant. The head gasket oil leak is very common and the mechanic said that it wasn't that bad and to just maintain it and keep an eye out for coolant mixing in with the motor oil. I also had the ball joints replaced because the rubber was bad, but they would pass a VA state inspection. I put new tires on it and had a 4-wheel alignment done.
Under the warranty (which has miraculously paid for itself) the rack and pinion, radiator and fans, alternator, and the entire A/C system has been replaced which would have cost a lot if I didn't have the warranty.
Now it has 120,000 miles on it and it drives and runs fine and has been dependable transportation. The check engine light has come on and it's an EVAP code and I replaced the fuel cap (OEM) and cleared the code, but the code has come back on so I'm taking it to The Subie Guy next month to see what's actually causing the code that's activating the CEL. I'm getting 25 - 28 mpg so hopefully, it's nothing serious and the warranty will cover whatever it is. So that's what I can say about this particular Subaru which was a one-owner vehicle that was originally purchased and titled in NJ and it had a clean Carfax report. The dealer said that the timing belt was new (I got the dealer to put that in writing).
Foresters from that era could last if maintained properly.
I intend to properly maintain it and drive it until it's ready for the crusher!
I'll post an update about the CEL / EVAP code after I have the Subie guy http://www.thesubieguy.com check it out. This seems to be a reputable repair shop for Subaru vehicles in my area.
With any of those, if you inspect it closely and it checks out they could be fine. I wouldn’t consider any of those to be particularly high quality cars, but they are easy and cheap to work on (head gaskets notwithstanding).
pre 2014 automatics are made by jatco/nissan. subarus are only useful if you need awd.
old and bad engine design paired with a weak transmission.
if you need to get one try to buy a newer >2014 with manual as u save half the problems
Update.
Well, The Subie Guy wasn't able to locate the EVAP problem on my Forester after working on it for half a day and since it's not really affecting the running of the vehicle or affecting my gas mileage I decided to purchase a Thinkcar code scanner like the one that Scotty recommends so that I can check for any new codes periodically.
The good news is that my head gaskets aren't leaking and the oil leak is coming from a bad o-ring on the oil cooler and I'm going to replace that during the next oil change.
The Subie Guy only charged me $114 after working on my Subaru for 4 hours and located my oil leak for me. He also told me that my Subaru was in great shape after doing an overall inspection for me. I appreciate dealing with an honest repair shop that doesn't try to rip off their customers!
And The Subie Guy was also able to recommend a shop to do a timing belt/water pump/serpentine belt/DSG transmission service on my 2006 VW Jetta TDI which is only going to cost me $867.00 as opposed to $2,100.00 that the VW stealership quoted me.