[CToutback11]

2001 Subaru Outback
204,359 mi
Link to pictures: Subaru pictures by AlpineCI - Photobucket

The Good: Here's the story. I got this car with about 148k mi on it for cheap at an auction. It had a clean title, looked decent, and for the price I had to just pick it up. I did oil changes w/ filter every 3k mi with conventional 10w-30 HM oil (Quaker State). I replaced a few things a little into my ownership, including:

1) Fuel Filter
2) Spark Plugs + wires
3) Knock Sensor
4) Pads and Rotors (4 corners)
5) Replaced headlights and fogs
6) Rewired fogs to work with parking lights (thanks subaruoutback.org )

I also had an automatic starter professionally installed which was worth its weight in gold in the winter time (New England temps). The car does not have any check engine lights on or anything that would throw anyone overlooking the car. It runs and drives at the moment with no problem with the transmission. Anyways, I drove it for about a year and a half and decided I wanted to get another car after I ran into a few problems .


The Bad: I was driving it home from a fishing trip one day with a full load in the car. I had 4 big boys riding with me and the trunk was full. The car took it like a champ heading down to the shore. On the way back, I was tired and asked my buddy to drive the rest of the way. I passed out in the passenger seat only to be woken up by.. "Hey, is this normal for your car to get hot like this?" I look over at the temperature gauge to see that it was higher than normal. If you refer to the pic below (not my car) on the oil temp gauge, the needle was between the next line up and the Hot line.

I said umm NO..and told him to pull over and shut the car off. We were going up a big, long hill and he decided it would be a good idea to turn the A/C on and strain the engine a little more. Anyways, we pop the hood and let the car sit for like 15 min and try to start it back up to see if the temp subsided. The needle shot right back up there again so we shut the car off again and weight another 20 min. I was only like .1 miles from my house at the bottom of a hill so I was just like screw it, start it up, put it in drive, and drive until you get to the hill so we could coast down. Started up, started driving, the temp started coming back down again. WEIRD .

Anyways, I check my oil, everything looked normal as far as color and viscosity was concerned. However, I was low on coolant. I topped it off and drove it for another month or so. However, I noticed now that every so often if I was really pushing the car like going up a big hill, the needle was rise from its normal operating temp (needle right in the center of the gauge) to the next line up and just stay there. I brought it to a dealer to have it get checked out. Apparently, they found a "laundry list" of problems that they wanted to fix immediately, including a new radiator. I was told the guy to take it easy and that I wasn't replacing the radiator just yet. Here is the list he gave me.

• Drive belts noisy
• Right wear wheel bearing has a lot of play, unsafe
• right front ball joint failed
• left front axle boot torn
• transmission harness oring leaking
• left steering rack boot torn
• separator plate leaking
• headgaskets leaking
• front seals leaking
• radiator and hoses need replacing
• rear sway bar end links worn
• front sway bar end links and bushings worn

I cringe now even writing that list out on here..the same way I cringed after I looked at the sheet from the dealer



Long story short, I bought another Outback wagon with lower miles on it and am looking to make up some for the hit I took getting another one by selling this one. How much do you think I could ask for this? I know telling anyone this would immediately turn them away from the sale unless they either were a mechanic or handyman or had another junk outback they could swap parts onto it. I never beat on the car and treated it like anyone should treat a car with ~200,000mi on it, with a nice light foot on the gas pedal.



I'm not necessarily in a rush to sell this, but its sitting on the side of my lawn and its def. an eyesore. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[rasterman]

A mechanic could put $2000 worth of parts & labor into it and have a car he could then sell for $2500. That doesn't leave a lot of margin for you to recapture. Seeing that it's a CT car, the amount of rust on it would make or break such a deal.

On the other hand, if you are willing to part it out yourself, you might get $1000 out of it.

 

[lowwill]

Still runs okay for in town runs? Hows that heating issue going? Where in CT? Im in Hamden

 

[CToutback11]

A mechanic could put $2000 worth of parts & labor into it and have a car he could then sell for $2500. That doesn't leave a lot of margin for you to recapture. Seeing that it's a CT car, the amount of rust on it would make or break such a deal.

On the other hand, if you are willing to part it out yourself, you might get $1000 out of it.

Rust is to be expected from old cars in New England tho. The interior is mint. I would hate for me to just "give" it away. I know there's not much to be made on it, but...idk.

Still runs okay for in town runs? Hows that heating issue going? Where in CT? Im in Hamden

It runs fine around town. Even on the highway its fine. It only starts to raise up a little if you are putting heavy load on the engine for extended periods of time. I mean, you could go up a hill at 25, and then you could go up that same hill at 40 with the engine screaming, ya know what I'm saying.

PS. I'm in Waterbury.

I mean, I looked on KBB, configured my car with any options, and came up with around $3,000 for the worst condition car. Granted, I have other issues that aren't addressed such as the wheel bearing, and engine temps rising issue. The car never overheated, just gets warmer than normal. I was thinking to get like $1,500 OBO for the car. I've seen cars in this area go for 3x that amount with higher mileage. I know I can't compare apples to apples because mine has issues but..still.

 

[rasterman]

Rust is to be expected from old cars in New England tho. The interior is mint. I would hate for me to just "give" it away. I know there's not much to be made on it, but...idk.

...

I mean, I looked on KBB, configured my car with any options, and came up with around $3,000 for the worst condition car. Granted, I have other issues that aren't addressed such as the wheel bearing, and engine temps rising issue. The car never overheated, just gets warmer than normal. I was thinking to get like $1,500 OBO for the car. I've seen cars in this area go for 3x that amount with higher mileage. I know I can't compare apples to apples because mine has issues but..still.

Rust is to be expected, I agree. But picture #7 shows advanced rust in a spot that is expensive and difficult to repair, and it's also a structural part. Can also be taken as an indicator of advanced rust on the subframe under the car.

With a known diagnosis of a blown headgasket and a chronic (if only moderate) overheat condition and several oil leaks and 200k miles, the engine is ready for a full rebuild or replacement pronto.

On the other hand, I don't know the central CT market. I drive across CT all the time and see many Subarus, but I don't live there. You may well find someone willing to pay more for it than my suggestions, and I wish you good fortune on that score.

The mint interior is exactly why I think you'd do well in parting it out.