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2010 Outback with rusty exhaust...

kleeenkleeen Member Posts: 1
Please help me make this decision!!!
We have put down a deposit for a lovely 2010 Outback Limited with 55K miles, one owner, no accidents for a decent price of $17K.

We are supposed to pick up the car (75 miles away) on Saturday, but now my husband is having second thoughts.

The car was used in Eastern PA and upstate New York, so it definitely has seen its share of winter, salted roads, rain etc. Upon our inspection, there were a few things that caught our attention (apparently his more than mine):
- the exhaust was starting to rust
- under the hood was dirty, looked a little rusty in spots (don't ask me specifics, I'm definitely not a gear head, hence this post), but it didn't look pristine and frankly looked like the engine of a much older car.
- there was a little bit of mold on the black rubber seal of the windows

The interior was perfect and showed no signs of water damage or excessive wear. The rest of the exterior looked flawless. The maintenance records show regular oil changes and general maintenance, nothing out of the ordinary.

What could this mean? Is this normal for a car driven in the northeast? Is this a red flag that we should walk away now? Please advise!

Comments

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,343
    Surface rust in engine bay and on exhaust (and any other undercarriage component, frankly) of a northeastern Subaru? Yep, that's gonna be par for the course. Not because Subaru rusts faster than other brands, but because no self-respecting Subaru owner is going to not drive their car in conditions that result in salted roads! :P

    Take a look at eBay for a sampling of cars in the Northeast for sale. Engine bay pics all show similar conditions. Frankly, I was shocked at the photos I saw of late '90s Outbacks when I was looking to replace my '96 about six years ago. My car's engine bay could have passed for a new car compared to those I saw from the northeast and mid-west! :surprise:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
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