Long-term reliability >150k miles

Unless it is very cheap

I bought my 93 impreza (1.8L manual) with 130000 miles on it. now it has 193,000 and there is a funny noise coming from engine. other than that its been very reliable.

to Paul: What kind of funny noise? Can you describe the noise?

Is it just ageing material or is it a big failure announing itself?

Hi,

Unless the OP really knows the car he's looking at, I'd agree one shouldn't pay too much. While it's fashionable in my area (SoCal) to price some VERY hi-mileage used cars like they've never depreciated, fact of the matter is even properly cared for, there are lots of things on a car with that mileage that are nearing the end of their expected life, so many $$$ in repairs may be in order.

Flip side of the coin is Subies tend to last a LONG time, even when not perfectly maintained, so there are certainly sleepers out there. I took a chance on mine, buying it at 209k miles for $1300. Body and interior were good, I knew a few of the things wrong with the running gear going in. It made it to 360k miles before the engine blew... and was the cheapest "per mile" car I've owned, new or used. Haven't decided on how to address the engine problem (rebuilt, junkyard, JDM?), but a buddy's tempting me to go ahead and fix it to see if it could get to a half million!

So who knows--like any used car, it's a gamble.

Rick

i think its a big failure coming along. basically i kinda heard the noise at 130,000 miles and now its quite a bit louder. hmmmm ok theres the valve ticking(normal), then it sounds like a connecting rod lose on the crank or piston pin(this sound got louder) and the new sound introduced sounds like some type of fluid squishing through a hole. That is the sound that is bothering me. It just started recently. If you are looking down at the engine from front of the car it sounds like its coming from the right side, around middle to rear of engine. The car has 192,000 miles on it, I change the oil every 3000 miles and dont abuse it at all. Oh and it hardly burns any oil at all. Overall the engine seems in good shape just this new "squishy" noise is bothering me.

Oil pump maybe?? My mom has the exact same car as me with over 300,000 miles and no major engine problems at all.

maybe the new noise is a vacuum or exhaust leak? have you had a mechanic investigate any of these?

Carl

No not yet. But I checked all around where the noise is coming from and its definately not exhaust and I dont see any vacuum hoses disconnected. Im pretty positive its internal to the engine. How are the subaru oil pumps? Do they last a long time? No oil pressure light has come on yet though so I dont know.

Paul J

Water pump?

A cut length of garden hose 3-4 feet long can help to find the source of such noises. Put one end to your ear and move the other end around the engine. It gets a lot louder when it gets to the source of the noise - assuming that the source is localized and not deep inside the engine.

I will try that. The water pump hasnt been changed yet and thats what went on my moms car also around 190,000 miles. hmmm Thanks for the help. Oh how hard is it to change a water pump. Im about to order a Chilton book on this car.

Paul J

Water pump is an advanced DIY project. Pump is driven by the timing belt. Need to remove the timing belt, drain the coolant, remove the hoses from the pump, then replace the pump and re-install the timing belt, tensioner etc. Most change the timing belt at the same time, since it's already out. Check the tensioner and idlers as well, replace any that don't roll smoothly, and the oil seals on the cams and crank too while you're there.

Make SURE the cam and crank bolts are torqued to the proper amount, I've seen 3 crank pulleys come loose and damage the end of the crank. These were repairable on the car by welding/grinding, but it's difficult to do and never as good as the original. Ed B

Maintenance costs would be the same as any car...oil, tires, etc. In terms of reliability, with over 150,000 miles, I'd be very concerned about engine and transmission replacement. The only way to make an educated guess as to what big ticket items will break is to review the maintenance history of the car and to have a mechanic check it out before purchasing (engine compression, etc.). Big ticket items aside, you're obviously going to need to spend a minimum of several hundred dollars (maybe $500?) a year just to repair and keep the car going, but that would be the case with any high mileage vehicle.

Beware of the 2.5 liter DOHC engine. It is notorious for blowing head gaskets. The rear main seal on this engine appears to only last about

I would check if the car still has the original cat and timing belt/water pump. The cat from the dealer can run $800+ and the timing belt/water pump should have been changed at 105,000 miles and is a $500 job.