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Subaru Impreza Outback Sport & TS
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Comments
If you want, you can reset the ECU. Disconnect the negative battery terminal, wait 20 minutes, reconnect. Have the keyless ready to lock/unlock a few times to stop the lights from blinking.
The catch is your gas mileage will stink until the ECU leans out the fuel mixture. But it will clear the CEL unless the problem still exists.
-juice
It actually went off on it's own on Friday so I watched it Saturday Sunday and Monday. Since it didn't come back on I figured it was a fluke and canceled my appointment at the dealer.
Well it came on again today. The weather today was very rainy and damp just like on Thursday so I think that may have something to do with it.
Either way I'm going to be dropping it off tonight.
The cost to have them figure out what the CEL is on for is $95 which goes towards the actual repair as well.
Why can't anything cheap go wrong on this thing?
-juice
I just went out for lunch a few hours ago. Check engine light went off. But now it's sunny. It's a fair weather car! I hope they can still diagnose it.
For those reading that haven't seen my plight in previous posts . . . My car (an '02 Subaru Impreza bought in June of '01 Currently has 53k miles on it) was in a major accident when it was six months old (12k to repair). Most of my problems have been with the suspension (which is where most of the damage was). One good reason to get a cheap car, it's much easier to total. ;-)
Since the accident however there've been two sensor issues. Earlier this year the fuel/air mixture ratio sensor (whatever the proper name for it was) went out and started causing the engine to stall. Since it was out of the bumper to bumper warranty that was about $300 to replace at the dealer. I'm hoping I'm not looking at another $300 to fix what's going on with this sensor.
There's also an issue that just came up a few weeks ago that I haven't bothered to fix yet. When you turn the wheels all the way to the left there's supposed to be a stop to prevent them from turning too far. Well my car doesn't have the stop so the wheels rub on the body. I'm hoping I can make the body shop fix this one.
Since this is getting to be one thing after another (even more so than before) I'm contemplating replacing the car again (I really wanted to wait until I'm 25 but I'm getting really annoyed). I was going to replace with a Toyota Matrix XR last year but decided to buy a condo instead.
Since my job is ending here (company got acquired by a much bigger company in Memphis so unless I wanted to move my job ends at the end of November) I'm going to wait a bit and see what ends up happening. If I get a job that's a train commute to Chicago (which I'm really hoping for) I'll probably replace this car with a Scion xA. They're good cars but based on driving one in San Diego . . . I'd have to really think about it before I got one for excessive expressway driving. Though I've heard that after a few thousand miles the engine opens up and they get much quicker. If I do end up doing a lot of driving I'll probably replace with a Matrix, a Scion tC, a Mazda 3 or an Acura RSX.
I'd replace with another Impreza as I think they're really good cars (provided they don't come back in zombie form after they should have died) but I think that if I'm going to be making car payments again I want something that's a good deal different than what I already had.
-juice
kcram
Host - Wagons
Just kidding. :-)
On-Board Diagnostics level II. It's basically the emissions equipment, they're required to store failure codes for a certain amount of time.
-juice
The knock sensor needed replacement, they said right away. THREE HUNDRED BUCKS Needless to say as soon as I hung up the phone I was done using my indoor voice.
Anyway I told them to go ahead and do it. I think I'll just cut my losses with this car and get something else next year if I can swing it. It seems like every couple of months I have to take it in for something stupid (that I can't prove was accident related), it ends up costing a few hundred bucks and in the end it doesn't matter because something else breaks shortly thereafter lol
I’m thinking of going the trade in route at that point just to be rid of it (I’d rather unload it on an unsuspecting dealer rather than an individual and go to hell for it). Why does the Kelly Blue Book value give me so much of a lower trade in value on this car in comparison to Edmunds? Edmunds says I should get around 11,500 for it (’02 Outback Sport 53k miles premium audio (Sony system) remote start, keyless entry) while KBB says 9,500 Needless to say I like Edmunds figure better.
Sorry 'bout your stroke of bad luck, we had similar luck with our '95 626, rated highly reliable but ours was problematic.
And trust me, $300 would've been a dream, we were forking out $800-900 every time. 5 times.
-juice
Was '95 the year that they tried putting Ford transmissions in the 626?
Ours was a manual tranny so that was not affected. Didn't stop many other things from having problems, though (axle boots, fuel injection, wheel bearing, O2 sensor, exhaust, etc).
-juice
I have not seen the car yet but the brakes / battery / alternator and timing belt are new. The clutch is the original.
I guess my concern is that some cars still have another 50k of miles left on them at 145k of miles but others totally fall apart after this type of mileage. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Mike
If it still has the original struts, they may be well and truly wasted by this point, and it is quite expensive to replace all four on this car if you can't do it yourself - I was quoted no less than $1000 by several different places two years ago for replacement with OEM shocks. Find out if those have ever been done.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
-juice
We get used alloys to replace the steelies.
-juice
Isn't this something that should have been caught or just some bad luck and a good job of trading in a vehicle by the previous owner at the right time? I don't know whether to be thankful to have them eat the cost of a clutch (and whatever might be wrong) or worry what else might be lurking for me to fix. Like I said earlier, I got it from a car dealer that was a trade-in so I'm figuring they at least looked at the thing to make sure it was mechanicanlly sound. I might as well have bought private party, at least I might get it home then!
Anyways, any suggestions or comments (like, buying a car with 163000 miles you moron!) would be appreciated.
It's possible they would not have known, so I wouldn't worry about it as long as they replace it.
Think of it this way - your clutch will be newer than the guy that bought a 2005 model yesterday and put 16 miles on it.
:-)
-juice
I've been doing a bit of research into these Subaru Impreza's and I've noticed that there is no data on rear side impact crashes. Anyone know why the data is this way? My best guess is that the car is so short that there's no way to do the side impact crash test in the rear of the car.
Thanks!
John
-Dennis
Any of you Subbie owners towing something that large? I read that Impresas and Foresters have a 2,500 lb tow capacity. Would I notice any difference in towing this boat between Impresa RS wagon & Forester XL (non turbo)?
Do either of these vehicles have a transmission cooler as standard?
When not towing, what can I realistically expect for gas mileage from either of these Subbies.
I've also towed about 1500 lbs, and of course got lousy mileage while doing so. It was in the 17 range. But that was with a trailer attached the whole time.
The automatics do have an oil cooler, engine oil I think. 5 speeds make do without that.
What you might need is trailer brakes. The Forester X has rear drums, so I'd at least consider a Forester XS to get better-cooling rear disc brakes.
-juice
I know that the 2.2L is legendary as being reliable, sometimes into the multi-hundred K odometer readings, which is great! However, I've also heard rumors that the AT is more reliable over the long haul than the MT - is this true?
If it is true, is the difference huge, or just marginal? I definitely don't want to give up an MT if I don't have to....
Thanks!
Miss Tenacity
Sounds like you want the auto, that's what you should get IMO.
-juice
You may want to stock up on the plastic wheel covers though. I've left them all up and down the East Coast and now buy them by the bushel.
-juice
You'll give up some fuel economy for more torque, AWD, and an extra dose of character.
-juice
-Dan-
Reconstructing the body on the back half of the car is basic maintenance??? :-D
DaveM
P.S. How is the accident repair holding up?
The repair work has held up perfectly, thanks for asking. Still drives like a new car. Except I like the 2005 a bit more, mostly because of the better seats. ANYWAY...
For the previous poster asking about Outback Sports. Mine was rear-ended back in December of 2003, just a few months into having the car. By all rights it should have been declared totalled, since the repairs amounted to almost 14k. I had the work done on the car, basically rebuilding the rear of it, as Dave mentioned.
I was hit at 45 mph or so by a full-sized Dodge pickup. No personal injury at all. That has me SOLD on the safety of Subaru.
Anyway, the repair was done by a certified body shop. It took quite a while to fix, due to how particular Subaru calls for certain repairs. Some frame work was needed, basically everything back of the rear seats is new.
I leased the car, which is why I didn't demand that the car be totalled. One benefit of leasing is that, as long as a repair is done by a quality body shop, it doesn't come back on me at lease end. I do intend to replace the car next spring. With another Subaru, for sure.
Hope this helps in the decision making process.
-Dan-
Sorry, I couldn't resist with the "nothing more than basic maintenance" comment.
DaveM
While I wouldn't be expecting any probs for some time, I just want to be prepared for the unexpected, or retreat from the negotiations;-)
Anyone on this forum from the VA area? If so, is rust on the undercarriage a problem as a result from salted roads during the winter months?
I'd be buying this car based upon the dealer's word, inspection, and reputation.
TIA............Terry
That's a heck of a parts car!
-juice
So, I have an $8000 parts car that is worth $500-$1000 to a salvage yard! However, w/o including the drivetrain, I can see that much in parts w/o any heavy duty dismantling. All the body parts look good. I haven't taken a magnet to them yet to see how much bondo has been used, but the hood and rear deck with wing don't appear to have been touched; and the headlights and fog lights are all in tact and working. I think they cost $100-125/ea to replace in the retail mkt?
Since I still have my 2000 RS cpe and sedan, and may soon have the '01 OBS, I may yet recoup my $$$ from the scam;-)
Thanks for the good news on the tranny fit!
Terry
-juice
From what I've read on the impact crash results website it appears Subaru is updating the '05 Impreza design to score better in side-impacts.
""...Subaru Impreza will have new design features that are intended to improve side impact protection..."
Anyone have any details on this? I plan to purchase this year, and if Subaru is going to radically alter the frame or add side-impact airbags, I'd rather wait a few more months than jump now.
This kind of upgrade doesn't seem like something they could add to existing models.
Chuck
On another topic, I don't see a Brat forum on this site. Am I overlooking it somewhere or is the mini-truck too old to have much interest here? Are any of the Subaru Gurus knowledgeable about the Brat?
Thanks again.......... :shades: Terry
-juice
Subaru did the same for the front crash by adding "donuts" (their term) at key points on the frame to add body strength. They did this mid-year a few years back.
So apparently there are sometimes some minor mid-production changes that can greatly improve crashability.
I'd love to see Subarus address this issue. An Impreza hatchback or Outback Sport are both on my current short list of cars I'd like to have.
I'm thinking about getting an Outback Sport in the next few months. My only beef with the car is the gas mileage. I know, it's AWD and you can't expect the same as a FWD car...of course. But Subaru lists 23/30mpg for the MT. I've seen reports of people getting just 22mpg average. I've always had small fuel efficient cars (27mpg and up), so getting the Subaru might be a bit of a downer on fuel economy for me. (I'm also considering the Mazda3i sedan)
I was just wondering if anyone of you with the OBS can let me know how your doing gas mileage-wise. Oh, and let me know if you have an AT or MT.
Thanks! I'd really appreciate the info!
Greg
To be honest the boxer has more torque than even that engine, but with AWD things even out a bit. The 2.0l is not going to feel fun after driving the other 2.
-juice
-Dan-
Actually if the 3i came in a HB I'd probably be sold on that, but I'd rather get a smaller engine and save the money on gas with the i, and it doesn't come in a HB model.
Anyway, I was simply wondering what mpg people are getting in the OBS.....
Fuel costs are only a tiny portion of the equation. If you knew you'd be happier but had to spend an extra $3 per week on gas, wouldn't you? I sure would.
-juice