[subiebuyer]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking at buying a 2017 outback in Hawaii. The car has less than 100 miles on it, and looks great. However, when popping underneath the car, I noticed that the exhaust pipe and some other areas already look pretty nasty for literally a brand new car. Does this look normal to those of you more knowledgeable about subarus? Obviously, Hawaii is a humid environment, and no undercarriage is going to look pretty after a while, but I would have expected to see more shiny parts this early in the car's life. I just want to make sure I can count on no problems with the exhaust, etc. for a least a decade, as this is probably going to be a buy-and-hold car. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[commiecat]

I'm guessing that's more attributed to salt or something else that would accelerate rusting. I'm in Florida and my '16 looks nothing like that after almost a year and a half.

 

[mikelipke]

Looks pretty normal to me.
It's an exhaust pipe for heavens sake.

 

[mowcowbell]

It may look normal for a car in the rust/snow belt, but it doesn't look like mine. No rust at all on my pipe... it is still gold/silver all the way from the tip to the catalytic convertor.

Mine has been nowhere near salt or salt water and is a year old.

 

[Guest]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking at buying a 2017 outback in Hawaii. The car has less than 100 miles on it, and looks great. However, when popping underneath the car, I noticed that the exhaust pipe and some other areas already look pretty nasty for literally a brand new car. Does this look normal to those of you more knowledgeable about subarus? Obviously, Hawaii is a humid environment, and no undercarriage is going to look pretty after a while, but I would have expected to see more shiny parts this early in the car's life. I just want to make sure I can count on no problems with the exhaust, etc. for a least a decade, as this is probably going to be a buy-and-hold car. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

How does this car compare to the others that came over on the same boat? Do other manufacturers' cars that are out there look like this?

 

[supermike]

I'm more curious about the story behind the differential drain and fill plug. It's already been messed up and rounded within 100 miles?

 

[supermike]

if it looks fishy, pass it on.

 

[Flash7]

Looks like some one drove it on the Beach. I would pass.

 

[SamSpade]

I just checked my 2015 and there is no rust. My half-shafts are black, not rusted like that, also my lower control arms. As others have said that car has been exposed to salt water.

 

[SubbaruOB]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking at buying a 2017 outback in Hawaii. The car has less than 100 miles on it, and looks great. However, when popping underneath the car, I noticed that the exhaust pipe and some other areas already look pretty nasty for literally a brand new car. Does this look normal to those of you more knowledgeable about subarus? Obviously, Hawaii is a humid environment, and no undercarriage is going to look pretty after a while, but I would have expected to see more shiny parts this early in the car's life. I just want to make sure I can count on no problems with the exhaust, etc. for a least a decade, as this is probably going to be a buy-and-hold car. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

Go look at other new and used Subarus on the lot. Make sure it was it flooded.

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[KentuckyOutback]

I've always heard that cars rot in Hawaii. I had a friend that was in the Navy back in the 70s. He lived in Hawaii for 2 years and had purchased a brand new VW bug to get around the island.
He told me that in 2 years, the car rotted away. That by the time his deployment was over, the car wasn't worth hardly anything, and he basically had to give it to the buyer for what he owed on it..
Subaru's aren't well known for some parts being protected from rust.
Some say it's a design flaw, some say it's the way Subaru wants it, that it actually makes the parts last longer. I really don't know.
I do know, it's pretty disconcerting to see a car less than a year old with that much rust on it...

 

[budha]

It does appear someone has been tampering with the rear differential drain and fill plugs. I would be concerned this car has been driven through deep salt water. Then the differential was drained and filled to get the water out of the differential.

This is a new never titled car? How many miles on the speedometer when you first saw it?

I would avoid it unless all the other new cars on the lot looked the same. My 2017 has 11,000 miles on it and does not have corrosion on the exhaust and it has spent several weeks at the beach this year.

 

[mainemantom]

Looks like someone took it on a test drive out on the beach at high tide. 100% pass on this one !

 

[mowcowbell]

Good catch on the differential housing plug. If they had to change out the differential fluid, it must have been in salt water at least 10 inches deep.

I would most definitely PASS on this vehicle!

 

[GeoffD]

Reminds me. I need to spray some Fluid Film lanolin under my car this fall when the snow tires go on to slow down the corrosion. I can't do anything about the exhaust system but I can spray everywhere else.

 

[Guest]

I just read something about King Tides. Is it at all possible this car was flooded with salt water in a parking lot somewhere?

 

[Cullen325]

My '16 that I bought in May of '16 exhaust looks somewhat like that. It's rusted over but not quite like that one. I'll take pics later. Don't think my shafts are rusted though. I'm in Montana, so it has not seen any salt as they use sand/gravel for the roads here in the winter, but we did get a lot of snow. All other outbacks I see here have exhaust that look just like mine. I agree that the differential drain plugs are a bit worrying.

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[SubbaruOB]

Good catch on the differential housing plug. If they had to change out the differential fluid, it must have been in salt water at least 10 inches deep.

I would most definitely PASS on this vehicle!

I thought Outback can drive through the water up to the front Subaru badge.

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[Yoda_One]

Yes but salt water (Ocean Salt) is highly corrosive.

Laughing at oneself and with others is good for the Soul!

 

[mikelipke]

I had a friend that was in the Navy back in the 70s. He lived in Hawaii for 2 years and had purchased a brand new VW bug to get around the island.
He told me that in 2 years, the car rotted away.

Two years?
Your friend may have been guilty of at least some hyperbole.