Looking at a used Legacy, something doesn't seem right (Long, sorry)

If I had even one little doubt about a car there is no way I would buy it. There will be others. The milage sounds bogus to me, I will say however that my 98 OBW has 110k miles and my 1990 Suzuki Sierra has only 50k miles.

If you're in a state with an inspection program (emissions or mechanical) you can see if they have a record of the mileage readings at the last one(s).

You can check the condition of the front & rear CV boots (inner & outer). The front ones should be due for a change real soon if the mileage is a lot more than 60K. The rear ones should be ok as is.

Check the boots on the front calipers for damage.

Check the condition of the spark plugs. You may just need a new set.

Go to another Subaru dealer and ask them to punch in the VIN. I think there's been at least one recall that should be recorded in their system.

Compare the wear on the driver's seat to that of the front passenger's.

Bob

The brake pedal is a good indicator. Take a close look at the other wear points, armrest, steering wheel radio buttons, carpet, dead pedal area, etc. Do they look like 60K or

160k. I don't know about the 95 but new cars store the mileage in two places in the ECU and analog/digital display. If you wary you could have the ECU checked against what the odo reads. You mentioned you had a carfax report done, have you considered trying to contact the previous owner? Whenever I've bought a used car I always find out who the previous owner was and contact them.

As for the eng> My '92 Legacy got into an accident so I'm looking to replace it. I

FLOOD ! ! Check the serial number for FLOOD title. Some states don't record that from one state to another.

Sounds a bit fishy - you are not paranoid, you need to do due diligence. Two things come to mind:

How do prices of other cars in the lot compare? What kind of "dealer" is this? There are places around here that are little more than "car pawn brokers". They'll give you 50% of the book value of your car if you need fast cash and then sell it for only a little more, but "as is". The only check they do is on the VIN to make sure it isn't stolen!

What you describe reminds me of a co-worker who inherited a car from his mother. She had bought the car, drove it for a couple of years, then got too sick to drive. She never sold the car because that would be admitting she wasn't going to get better, so it sat in the driveway for 5 years until she passed away. They took it to the dealership on a flat-bed and spent $500 for fluid flush and something to do with the brakes rusting. That was three years ago and they haven't had any problems with it (and it's a Ford!!).

So, you ya feel lucky?

-- Dominic Richens | snipped-for-privacy@alumni.uottawa.ca "If you're not *outraged*, you're not paying attention!"

Does this dealer offer 60/90 days warranty? Try to ask them for "extended" dealer warranty. When I bought my car, fealer has not squeezed price, but gave me 6 monthes of waranty, which I used pretty well. Usually "fishy" things show up within first or second month. So, with 90 days warranty you should be covered.

And about price... Ask dealer how did they get this car. Auction? Trade-In? Did they do anything with the car or it's the condition they got it? I know sometimes dealers are getting cars from Police Auctions very cheap. It may be "previously stolen car", "crime car", or car where somebody died. Many people simply wont buy such car. It's just one example what it could be...

Go with your instincts, unless you're 'feeling lucky' like the previous poster said.

:^]

Don't be afraid to walk ... there are plenty of good Subaru's out there looking for a home.

jw milwaukee

I've told myself that. But, as I said, this could be my imagination & paranoia over what I'm seeing as a more-than-fair price. I'm having the car checked out by *my* mechanic tomorrow, and should have the real scoop.

Thanks everybody for your replies. I decided to take a chance and I got the car. It seems fine but will probably need brake work pretty soon (I feel a very slight pulsing, no metal sounds though). I had the car checked out by a mechanic and he gave it the thumbs up. It was definitely a "city car" and has numerous small dings on the body. That may be why I got it at a steal--$3200 (this is a '95 Legacy L FWD AT with power everything, moonroof and only 60K miles.) I did a Carfax on it and it came up clean--for what that's worth.

I'm now thinking of how I'll dispose of my '92 Legacy (technical total). I don't think I can part it out myself but it drives just fine and the engine is solid.

I can't help comparing my new '95 to my previous '92 (and before that, a '91 Legacy--the current one is my third!). The sheet metal on the '95 seems thinner--the trunk lid has way more flex than my '92. The doors seem a lot lighter too. The Subaru "premium" sound system on my '91 & '92 also sounded better than the "premium" system on this '95. The interior on the '95 seems a little roomier (more back seat legroom). The trunk is a little deeper but slightly narrower. I would say that it appears that Subaru was trying to cut costs a bit here. I can only hope that the mechanics are as reliable as the older one--although I hear that the '92--'94 models are known for being the most reliable. I suppose time will tell. But so far I'm happy that I got a Subie with such low mileage for a good price.

If carfax came back with nothing.. maybe just want to get rid of it. Flood car, but Jersey has FLOOD TITLE. Does your state have FLOOD TITLE or do they wipe them clean?

The timing belt won't cost you all that much (more like $300).

The prices on cars.com seem a bit out of this reality. The last few months have been pretty rough for the used car market. It doesn't hurt to shop around some more.

florian (also selling a 95 Legacy:

The Jersey title said nothing about a flood. The dealer I bought it from said he got it at a wholesale auction in New Jersey, and that he likes to turn cars around with a minimum of fuss--i.e., he's not the type to spend any energy fixing it up. Says that he prefers setting the price cheap and moving quantities of cars quickly. He certainly did give me a deal (I think!): $3200 for this '95 Legacy with only 60K miles, though it's FWD, auto, and the body is a little dinged up. I had it checked by a mechanic who gave it a thumbs up while telling me it was definitely a "city car."

I've had the car almost a m> If carfax came back with nothing.. maybe just want to get rid of it. Flood

Sorry I missed the initial post, and didn't catch which year/model Legacy you are talking about, but the timing belt on my 98 was around $300.

This is the second or third post claiming a timing belt should be $300-$350. Do you guys live in the New York City area? I highly doubt I can get it done for that around where I live.

My Legacy is a '95 L FWD sedan.

I'm in Northern California. I suppose the crucial issue would be the garage's shop rate. Mine charges $75/hour. They also use whatever guide garages use to determine how many hours a particular job should take.

While they had it open, I had them fix the oil leak that seems so common in Legacies...