So you think a Subaru is for YOU...

Another herbert

Reading this post just confirms that I hope it is your last, "Dr. Rastus"

Hmmm...

Not doubting the fact you could have gotten a bad one, but a lot of a vehicle's life expectancy is directly related to how it's driven, and the three items I've left in from your list suggest to me this car just MAY be driven a bit hard?

I've known a lot more Subie owners whose experience mirrors mine than yours. I won't list all the repairs on my '90 Loyale, but with the exception of tires, where I get about the same mileage you report (and that's with a serious rear alignment problem--front's just fine), I've replaced most of the stuff you've done, but only about half to a third as frequently. I'm on my second clutch, alternator, water pump, radiator, front axles, front wheel bearings, catlytic convertor (both), one rear wheel bearing, and my A/C is dead.

Main difference is my car has 355,000 miles... and with the exception of the A/C at 210k and the rear w/b at 260k, all the rest of this work wasn't required until after 300k miles. And, since you recommend their cars, while Toyota's quality is generally high, so is the maintenance on some of their vehicles. I've got a V-6 Camry, with an automatic and 217k miles, that's gotta go to the dealer for a lot of the work I could easily do (and DID) on a 4 cyl Toy truck w/ a manual gearbox. The Toyota's only major replacement parts have been an alternator, water pump and a radiator that was damaged by road debris, otherwise just maintenance. Even so, it's cost more just for scheduled trans flushes in the Camry than a whole new clutch in the Subie! Adding up the receipts in my Subaru envelope and comparing them to the receipts in the Toyota envelope tells me the Toyota costs over twice per mile what the Subie has cost. One way or another, if you drive a car, it's gonna cost you.

YMMV, of course.

Rick

Gee, my Outback has had NOTHING wrong with it. Looks like your data point and mine cancel out.

I find your post hard to believe since it runs counter to so many other's experiences. I have had 3 Subarus; I still have 2. I had an '80; I still have a '90 and my latest is a 2002 VDC H6 Outback. I have had no major problems with any of the vehicles. I bought the '80 and '90 used. The 2002 is my first new Subaru. Without a doubt it is the best new car I have ever purchased. I have only had minor problems with it (more quirks than problems).

With all of the problems you claim to have had, I think you were foolish to hold on to the car for so long.

In any case, to each their own. Bye. John

I'm on my third Subaru and the repairs have been minimal and NOTHING compared to what you are claiming.

Toyota does make a fine vehicle but the RAV is a bit girly and when is a spare supposed to serve as the rear bumper. THAT is a poor design

I have a 98 legacy wagon with 260 000 km....

so far, i've

replaced the o2 sensor (major pain) done one, maybe 2 brake jobs regular ish service (change oil every 6 months...) replaced one coil

oh, the humanity! i should go buy a chrysler, that would keep me from actually driving it, since it would be in the shop all the time.

LOL....... lets see if i can inflame someone with this comment....

Your reliability problems are caused because US market Subaru's are manufactured in US.... HA HA HA

Close friends of mine operate a subaru specialist workshop and have a large customer base from all over Queensland (2nd largest state in Australia)..... and they tell me that 98% of their customers are there for general servicing and modifications for off-road use - NOT for vehicle defects.

The reason......???? Our cars are manufactured in Japan.

Go figure...... HA HA HA HA

Sp> Reading the postings just confirms my decision NOT to buy another Suby. All

I'd love to see the evaluation your wrote about your ex-wife. Please, do share.

No. I think I know a Subaru is for me. That's why I just bought another one! 91 Liberty wagon (your Legacy) 2 new clutches in 325000Km with a lot of towing & a fair bit of mid to high speed backroads driving. Air regassed at 305000Km. Two new front & one rear air suspension systems over its life was the only real pain. Otherwise routine maintenance, occasional brake pads and reasonably frequent tyres. So now I have a 99 Outback Limited AT. Didn't want an auto but the deal was too good to go past. BTW, I hope if a new Rav4 is rear ended it doesn't end up with B & C pillar damage and both back doors jammed like the one I saw in Sydney about a year after the first model was released. Sure it had been rear ended but only at about 20Km/h.

I concur with that entirely. There is NO WAY I would ever put any passengers (particularly children) in the back seat of a RAV4. I see so many people driving with their kids in the back of those things, and I can't help feeling that if they can afford a new RAV4 then that is just negligent parenting.

troll.

Don't ya just LOVE it! if you post something in praise of these little shitboxes..your cool...if you post something you DON'T like about shitty Subaru's...your a "Troll,Idiot or jerk" hahahaha Sorry guys, I think these cars are pure junk! Have personally known former Subaru owners, seen them burning on the freeway and read plenty of complaints about them. I have owned 6 various Hondas,Toyotas, Fords, Chevy and Chryslers. I will GLADLY pay more for them than a GOD DAMN cheap Subaru. I would'nt drive a KIA, Hyundai or Daewoo either. There are good quality cars out there, just Subaru is NOT one of them. That combined with a company that has a "FUCK YOU" attitude, won't stand behind it's products **Willingly**. A car is just an appliance to me, it's job is to get me from point A to point B and do it without problems. I DON'T have a loveaffair with any vehicle. If I wanted a high horsepower SMALL car there are many out there that are a hell of a lot more dependable than Subaru! Even the Nissan Altima's have

240+ horsepower! I'm not rushing out to buy one, but it's "track record" is one hell of a lot better than ANY Subaru. Say what you want.....in *MY* opinion Subarus are junk! have always been a cheap box of shit, designed to be a throwaway.Subaru gives the Japanese Auto industry a big black eye.At least the Korean manfactures have somewhat an excuse for the crap they produce, What's Subaru's excuse?

Idiot troll

*PLONK*

I hope I do not sound rude but if you hate Subaru's, Why are you in this newsgroup? Why not spend your time in a newsgroup that you actually like?

Pat

"> Don't ya just LOVE it! if you post something in praise of these little

Interestly enough, you don't have a Subaru in the list of cars you owned; which means all you actually know about them is annecdotal and second-hand. What's the matter? Did some little WRX smoke your Ford truck and you are pissed about it?

You're right about one thing though. Its a car. And like all cars, it is not perfect. However, for the money, it is reliable, fun to drive, kind of quirky (just like the characters of most people who own more than one) and they add practicality to the fun-factor with AWD when you live in a climate where you need that for several months per year.

Interesting. Some of the parts just seem to be things that would fail on just about any car. However, the clutches, shafts, wheel bearings, and brake jobs seem to be indicative of someone who needs a few lessons in driving. I would bet it woudn't have mattered what car you had, the failures would likely have been the same.

The Loyale wasn't exactly the best car Subaru ever produced, but my neighbour has one. He has 438,000KM on it and he claims he has only done routine maintainance on it. It just started burning oil. He loses about 1 litre every 1000 km; not great, but still within tolerance if you drove a GM V6. We live in a area with a lot of salt and he didn't undercoat it, so the body is shot. However, he does drive it carefully and he is on the ORIGINAL clutch, had to replace brakes about every 80,000 for the front, and 150,000 for the rear. He is going on 8 sets of tires; but then again, good tires only have a rating of about 80,000 KM before they will fail safety inspection.

I would say you either just had shitty luck, or you are not a very good driver. Most people I know have great luck with their Subarus which convinced me to by my first one last year. Up until that time, I had always driven GM cars because the parts were cheap (as are the cars), and the goofy styling of Subarus didn't appeal to me. However, after buying a WRX-STi and driving it through a Canadian winter (it's sure-footedness sold me on it), added to the fun-factor that car provides, with excellent reliability (it already has 50,000KM on it with no problems at all - couldn't say that about any GM I ever owned), I am pretty sure I'll buy another one.