By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Thanks in advance!
Might be as simple as cleaning the mechanism, but might also have to replace it if that does not work. The retractor is located at the base of the B pillar cladding, so if you push the driver seat all the way forward on the rail, you should be able to gain access to that area. Removing the molding will expose the unit, so perhaps try spraying it with some lubricant, work the unit a while by pulling out and allowing to retract, then respray. If the problem persists, then go the replacement route if the condition is a safety concern.
The Legacy Outback is a Legacy wagon with raised suspension, a lot of plastic on the sides, and a limited slip rear differential (this accounts for a significant drop in highway MPG).
I am really sorry to hear the Legacy wagon will be dropped. I was considering trading my Outback in on a Legacy to obtain better MPG.
-Jim
Steve
Does any one have a good website to purchase OEM parts?
I want to purchase the items and take them to an installer so I only pay for labor.
Thanks.
I know pricing is relatively higher there, but every so often they do throw you a bone, with more interesting models and some special editions we never get.
I called Permatex to see if they had any suggestions and talked to very knowledgeable application engineer. He said that a race engine builder in Arizona has never had a head gasket fail on highly boosted Fords when he used Super 300. It is actually made for marine gas and diesel engines.
I tried it and it worked for awhile then the problem came back. I tried to talk my wife into a BMW 325, but she loves her Sube and wants it back. She doesn't feel as secure in the Beemer and except for the engine the Outback is in perfect shape. Too good to junk.
So here's my question. Where can I get a good used or rebuilt 2.5.
I found a lot of places with a Google search, but would prefer hearing of experiences with sources.
The vehicle history report has a few problems listed:
Somewhere between 13,000-18,934 there was a "Left Rear Impact With Another Vehicle"
-and then at 28,366 miles the Motor Vehicle Dept. reported Salvaged Title/Insurance Loss
We plan to check out the car thoroughly and bring it to a mechanic for an inspection, but what other huge problems might we be overlooking?
Is the price he's asking fair?
Thanks in advance!
Let's do the math. A new bumper skin is about $150, a new hood another $150 or so, both unpainted. Paint and mounting would still not cost a grand. Probably $800 or so.
To total a car, they have to pass some threshold of damage, IIRC it's something like 70%. So there had to have been 70% of approximately $14,000, or $9800 worth of damage. 10 times what the seller is claiming.
He's lying. Walk away.
For it to have become a salvage there had to have been MUCH MORE damage than that, a whole lot more.
He's just plain lying. Avoid it.
For you to ponder...what's the current going price for this car if it were in good condition? Are you prepared to make-up that difference if you encounter problems?
Wishing you the best whatever your decision!
With my 94 Legacy Turbo I rearended a honda accord a few years ago. Bumper, rad support headlight, hood, and fender damage amounted to over $3,000 in repairs. Guess what? It wasn't even totalled!
So something is fishy and I'd steer away from it. If everything "looks" good, I'd say it's flood damage.
-mike
Thanks so much.
We'll keep looking! None of these ~~~> :lemon:
After ~6month of search and uncertainty, I finally bought my used OB2002 with 46k on it ($12k). It does look really good and it does drive awesome, better than all the others I was test driving. However after 20 miles the 'Check engine' light came on (still drives without any problems). I don't know now what the problem might be(it's Sunday), I just feel it is a little too much of a coincidence. Question is, if you wanted to get rid of malfunctioning car, how do you make the 'check engine' light turn off for the selling process, isn't that impossible ? (i.e. if the seller betrayed me how did she do it ?)
I also talked to the repair shop where they just had done the 45l service and they told me the car was just fine.
damn it
thanks for advice
Hopefully it isn't the latter.
-mike
What's the code? Some times AutoZone will scan it for free, else find a friend that owns one. I have one if you're in the DC area and would be happy to read/reset the code for you.
It was the 'Neutral safety switch', this damn thing thought I'd be in neutral when I was driving so the check engine light came on (that's what the guy told me). However, I have a manual...it's a little weired. $170 and now it's replaced. I thought I had left these annoying and costly electric malfunctions behind me with the purchase of a Subaru ?!
I guess after all that wasn't a fraud then but an unlucky coincidence.
thanks for your advice and offer to have it scanned by you, but I live in the SF-bay area, driving cross country to DC is too much of an effort for this :-)
No comment.
-mike
I spend time driving through West Texas open pasture land to check on cows, fences, etc. Some of the land is rugged, with breaks, creek beds, and wash outs.
I currently have a 2006 Outback 2.5i. It has performed pretty well in limited off-road use. But, I am considering replacing it with a basic, 4-cylinder, 2-wheel drive Toyota Tacoma pickup since it would have a little more towing capacity than the Outback and might be more durable.
I would appreciate opinions on whether or not the Tacoma would perform better off-road that the Outback. Mud can be a problem at times. Would I need to get a 4-wheel drive Tacoma to match the Outback? How does an Outback stand up to routine off-road use?
Your opinions will help me decide what to do. Thanks.
You'd have to step up to a 4wd Taco to match or exceed the outback in terms of offroad.
-mike
I'm currently driving a Toyota Hi-Lux which is pretty much what the Tacoma is overseas and if anything the type of tires you use will make a difference. But overall the Outback is an AWD car. I know my Hi-Lux might go through a little bit of mud but for anything that's really on a trail unless it's just ground clearance you need then an AWD or a 4x4 would probably be your best bet. With my stock tires in any real mud the I would get stuck and know it.
The Outback with more aggressive tires might do you better as well. But if ground clearance is an issue then you need a truck or a jeep and towing capacity is a trucks strong point. If all I did was what you say I'd probably buy an older Chevy 4x4 used and make sure it's in decent condition and then put some good sized tires on it and then no worries in nasty stuff and if it gets a dent or two, your laughing cause you paid dirt for it.
But if you have to drive all over and use it for the family as well as other stuff then, that's another thing but ground clearance offroad is almost always the problem.
The Outback is quite a car, not really my style but damn nice if you need a big AWD wagon.
Thanks!
Definitely get 4WD, sounds like you'd use it often.
I used my '96 Outback through a summer with a steep, dirt (read MUD!) driveway. It had about 6" of ground clearance and performed wonderfully with all-season tires on it, even when some 4x4 trucks would slip to a halt. The one time the mud did get so bad that the car could not beat it, I threw down a bunch of cut alder shrubs over the mud and the car crawled right over it. My wife even towed my 2wd '69 Chevy pickup up the muddy driveway a couple of times. The first time I had an 11' cab-over camper on it (about 3000#); the second time I had a pallet of concrete block (about 2000#).
nerd, since you own the Outback already, why not try it out in those environments and see how it performs for you. I think the things you will most often need to avoid are sharp breaks (due to the angles of approach and departure) and deep ruts (limited ground clearance). I also used to take the Outback on some fairly questionable trails and had no problems as long as I planned my route carefully.
After almost 3 years, the seat is still as uncomfortable to sit in after a short distance. The bolsters are too hard and the space between them too narrow where your butt is. I am NOT a big person either... 5'11" 180 lbs. I noticed for the 2006 year, they made the bolsters softer in the leather seats.
A Subaru dealer told me I could buy the foam for the Legacy GT seat bottom and bring it to an upholsterer to have a new seat bottom cushion made. I may try to perform surgery on the seat myself.
Anyway, I just bought a used 2000 Volvo and the seats are soooo comfortable.... and the passenger seat is height adjustable, unlike Subaru's passenger seat which is too low and no height adjustment... even if you have the model with power passenger seat.
When I emailed Subaru on buying a new seat, they said they did not sell seats and when I asked them if I had to uplug anything before removing the seat to work on it, they would not tell me anything... so much for customer satisfaction.
So yes... if you are going to keep the car awhile, look into getting the foam insert from a Legacy GT and bringing it to a shop and have matching cloth or leather covering... or ask for other options.
-mike
I've been riding around with friends in various cars recently--everything from an old Jeep to a new Corolla to a Chrysler van, and ALL the seats are more comfortable than my Subaru! So frustrating....
They use these free "inspections" to try to convince you to do more than you really need to do.
If the brakes were operating perfectly smoothly, I would also not machine the rotors.
-mike
Instead of bringing it in at least once a year (they need it right now actually) to have them smooth them, what can I manually do to fix it? I just had new back brakes installed by a friend of mine. He noticed that my year-old front rotors are warped and the dealership installed those. I might see if they will do them for free.
I noticed someone said to stop hard after highway driving- is that what you mean by hard braking actions?
Also, if you were driving hard, and then came to a red light, try not to sit there with your brakes on - that may cause warping too, this is also true for certain types of parking brakes, not sure about your model. Instead, plan your stops so that you coast to the light until it changes to green.
If you need to replace the rotors, then buy some better ones - not the cheapest aftermarket stuff you can find. There are some fairly inexpensive Brembos out there that are neither slotted nor drilled - just plain OEM replacement, those seem to be of better quality.
What happens is that you get pad deposits if you are driving hard and then hit a light and keep the hot brakes applied. What happens is that you get pad material transfer into the tiny creaveses of the rotors which then makes them appear to be "warped"
By doing several hard braking actions you use your pads to clean the embeded brake material out of those creaveses. This can also be accomplished via some sand paper.
I also would suggest never having your rotors machined down, just replace them with some quality non-slotted, non-drilled rotors. My preference is to use Mountain Rotors from Japan which are superior to Brembos, the brembo non-slotted, non-drilled rotors are made from very cheap Chinese steel and are actually worse than the Mountains.
-mike
What's good what's not with a Subaru. Let me know.
By the way the 4 cylinder Corrolla stinks!
Krzys