Faults:

Parts that I have replaced:

Front CV shafts.

Coolant temperature sensor (needed only a cleaning).

O2 sensor.

EGR valve and performance EGR gasket.

EGR solenoid.

Fuel filter.

Spark plugs / ignition wires.

The in-dash electronic clock burnt out... replaced with new one.

Has some rust issues with being in the North-East U.S... salt and snow seems to just eat away, especially the wheel-wells and fenders.

General Comments:

This 4 door sedan is a mean little Subie.

It is a little underpowered due to the 1.8L 4 cylinder flat 4 Boxer engine (non-turbo) with a 3 spd Automatic transmission.

Handles great, especially in the winter... great in the snow this year even without snow tires up front... only new all-seasons. Also interesting because it's only front wheel drive.

So far this car hasn't needed much other than the usual preventative maintenance... surprising considering it is a 21 year old!

This car is my daily driver... it's great seeing people look at my car and say "That's a Subaru?".

I own 2 of them myself... the second is a 1992... only other difference is that it's a 5 spd manual tranny... and it's silver and not white.

Faults:

Two weeks after I got the car, the lights started dimming so I swapped out the alternator with a spare.

1 brake job.

Countless litres of ATF for the power steering pump.

The usual rust, ticking lifters.

NOTHING ELSE.

Oh, my girlfriend broke the key off in the ignition so it starts with a screwdriver now... haha.

General Comments:

I'm saddened to say that I am selling this car tonight (for the same price that I purchased it for). I love this car and will cherish the memories of trying to use my own momentum inside the car to get it to the top of steep hills.

Faults:

Electronic Clock in dash quit working.

Brake problems at 132,000.

Routine maintenance (timing belt), etc.

Stinky AC leaks into the car cabin.

General Comments:

This little reliable car just ran and ran.

The turbo was an awesome option. In fact, I can't imagine having an automatic transmission on one of these without the turbo. Felt pretty powerful when the Turbo kicked in, and sometimes the tires would even scratch going from 2nd to 3rd gear... crazy for a car like this. My father had an older (86?) Subaru G L wagon that looked exactly the same as this one, but his was a manual transmission, and definitely didn't have the same power.

The factory cassette radio was awful, and the interior just seemed cheap and plastic overall (like an old Honda). Not a very comfortable car to drive, but similar to other small Japanese automobiles that I've driven (Honda, Toyota, Infiniti). The rear seats that fold down reveal quite a bit hauling cargo space.

The 4WD was a great option, and worked extremely well. This always surprised me because the tires seemed so small. The spare tire was pathetic (as they are with most cars like this).

Aside from the timing belt change and some brake problems, no real expensive repairs.

The body style retained its boxy space-age eighties appearance from around 1982 through 1993, similar to what Jeep has done with some of their Cherokee models these days. I always thought that this was pretty lame, but I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it right? The body did start to show some small rust spots right before we got rid of it.

Parts are easy to find and inexpensive at local junkyards, and the work isn't too difficult with a little patience.

The rear window wiper arm moved down to the trunk once or twice under the weight of overnight snow, but I just moved it back into place and it still worked.

It got sideswiped one night while parked on the street, and the replacement driver side door seemed to be allot noisier than the original, but I did the work myself so no big surprise there. What do you expect from a $25 door from the junkyard (which I just needed to paint white to match) ;)

Finally got rid of it after about 40,000 miles when the AC kept leaking into the car, a fungus started growing on the floor-mat beneath it, it stunk, and the rotors needed to be replaced. It was worth more to donate it and write it off than try to sell it or fix it.

It was a very dependable throw away car, the type that you would buy your kids when they start driving. The turbo and 4wd made Denver driving easier, although steep upgrades could be trying at times.

I may get another some day, when I'm looking for a cheap work car that I don't want to worry about much. I wish the newer Subaru's were as reliable as these were.