Should you be afraid of a high mileage Subie?

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3083896629.html

314,000 miles. Looks nice, but I don't know anything about them.

Dan

Remember: AWD cars have a lot of axles and CV joints. Parts replacement can add up quickly.

$3800 is about $2800 too much for that car.

No, I'm not afraid. But I'm not buying it either....

Rust is the killer on them. That is clean. Subaru parts do interchange. Price is high for the mileage. Have a hard time believing the motor is all original at that mileage. I'd check to see if it has been re-engined or if any head gasket work has been done.

I agree with "the price is too high" - even out here, where prices are higher than in the East, that's a $2k-$2.5k car.

There are so many sub-$2k Subarus for sale around here that you should easily be able to find one with at least 100k fewer miles.

Subarus are pretty reliable, but some of the parts are very expensive. High mileage ones are likely to need way more money spent replacing all the worn out parts than just getting one that's not worn out to begin with.

if the miles are from going back and forth on I-75/575, i wouldn't immediately be put off since highway mileage is pretty easy on a car. not much potential for rust down there either. that said i agree with the others here...its at an age where things can get pricey to keep it on the road. if you can talk him way, way down it would be worth it.

my first thoughts are what kind of suspension refresh it would need and what condition the clutch is in, since dropping the tranny on an AWD car can be a pain.

Scoobs are overall pretty reliable, but they do tend to have head gasket issues. The transfer case for the AWD on A/T cars use ATF, it can get oxidized and make the driveline 'snatch' in a tight turn. Sometimes a flush will fix it, sometimes not. If the t/belt has been replaced, if the crank bolt is not TIGHT (I'm talking 300 foot pounds tight) the crank pulley can work its way loose and destroy the crank nose (similar to the early Miata thing everyone talks about). Older cars with high mileage had a nasty habit of wearing the inside 'tulip' of the front CV's, this would make the steering shake violently on acceleration. I think that may have been fixed by the time that one hit the streets but dunno for sure. I agree it's overpriced.

AS long as you do the standard head gasket preventative maintenance with every timing belt change they should be fine. Then again, I never thought PM head gaskets was something I would consider "normal"... but what would I know.