2000 Subaru Outback Wagon 2.5 Liter from North America
Summary:
Fantastic car, but needs more rear passenger leg room for growing kids
Faults:
Encountered problems are-
1 CV boot - (replaced)
Rear cup holder broke (bad spot for kids).
In-dash CD changer quit working at 114K.
Can't see the stereo display at night (back-light burnt out).
Right rear speaker rattles (sounds blown).
Tail light housing has a slight leak, and during heavy rain or regular washing can get standing water in it (less than 1 inch), water runs out when the rear hatch is opened.
Catalytic converter began failing a few thousand miles ago (dealer quoted $1300 to replace cat and 2 sensors, have not done yet), car still runs great.
Replaced battery - old battery finally gave up.
4 new tires - no problems, wanted new before winter.
General Comments:
This is a follow-up of the "First Subie, not the last" review. We now have 115,000 miles on our wonderful Subaru, and look forward too many more. Since purchased, our Scooby has seen oil changes every 2500-3000 miles, 1 new CV boot, 60k and 90k services (done at 75k and 105k), 1 new battery, and the coolant goo (added courtesy of Subaru of America).
---The only negatives to say about our Scooby are that the seats are not real comfortable for drivers on long drives (2+ hours). I am 6'1" and I find moderate discomfort in my right leg/hip when driving for several hours non-stop (cruise doesn't seem to help).
---If you have kids over the age of 10, I would not recommend this car due to the poor leg room for rear passengers (assuming 2 adults 5'10" or taller are sitting up front). My daughter (8yrs) sits behind me, and my son (13yrs) sits behind his mom (she is 5'4"). Rear seat leg room is the reason we will most likely purchase a competitors vehicle (Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, or Lexus LS430 for our next vehicle.
---Also the drivers side pwr mirror has recently become intermittent in its operation (sometimes works, sometimes not).
+++Positives are many. Subaru's 4-channel ABS is AWESOME. AWD is excellent, and is far more than just a helping hand in the winter. Gas mileage @ 115k is 27.5 mpg freeway (28.0 when purchased @ 67k). Heated cloth seats are great for the cold winters. Far more reliable than our 2 previous cars (Ford Crown Vic and Ford Escort, neither made it to 100k miles). Proud to say I own a station wagon, and will not get rid of her. It doesn't take long for a Subaru to grow on ya. We travel over mountain passes regularly throughout the year, and AWD has a way of spoiling a person.
We LOVE our Subaru. Thanks for reading our review.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th October, 2007
20th Jun 2011, 21:52
...another follow-up. We now have 170,000 miles on our SUBAWAG, and here is what's happening. Last year, the fuel pump failed. Our Subaru dealership is about 30 minutes drive, so I purchased a NAPA brand fuel pump and installed it myself (search youtube for '2000 subaru outback fuel pump'). This fuel pump lasted almost a year, then died today. Now, our Subaru is at our local Subaru dealership, and it's going to cost $740 for a new fuel pump and fuel filter (ouch).
On top of this, the front driver side CV boot needs replaced (we're just doing a whole new axle considering the mileage) and we need new tires (current tires have 65,000 miles on them, so I'm content).
Anyways, that's the update, we still love our Subawag, and thankfully she died within pushing distance of home... Maintain yours well, but don't forget, it's a used car that will have problems now and then.
Thought about trading her in, but just can't part with it, it's been really good to us. Later...
Oh, almost forgot. Were confident enough to have taken her to South Dakota last year (had 150,000 miles at the time). Also, we replaced the radiator before this trip as the car was heating up when climbing hills (I think the Subie conditioner plugged up about 1/3 of the capacity)...
12th Jan 2008, 14:50
Original Author Comment/Follow-up: 119,xxx miles.
Had catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, timing belt, timing tensioner, water pump, cam seals, crank seals and knock sensor replaced (few thousand miles ago) for about $2100.
Dealership discovered slight head gasket seepage during regular oil change service. Quoted $1600-$1800 parts/labor to resolve this problem. Dealership says "seepage" is very minor and just started. They added 'coolant goo' (my cost) and advised AGAINST having the head gaskets replaced until seepage develops into a definite leak. Our Outback is serviced at the same SUBARU dealership as purchased, and we are treated with fantastic service. We are very happy with our Subaru and our local Subaru service department. Yes, $2100 + $1800 is a very healthy chunk of change (and no, I'm not made of money), but I must say it is worth it to me and my family.
Thanks for reading.