raabco

Hey all! I've been looking at buying a Forester for the last few weeks and was hoping I could get some advice that might help narrow my choices down.

Ideally I would find a medium/low mile mint 06-09 XT but XTs are hard to find around here in general. As a matter of fact, there are only 5 that I've found within 200 miles of me, while there are 122 08+ Xs in the same price range. One of the XTs has over 200k on the clock, so that's right out. Another 09 XT has a Carfax that reports a crash with airbag deployment so I'm going to stay away from that one as well. Yet another has an average amount of miles on it but is priced at $5k *over* kbb value and out of my price range. The other 2 have had around 100k miles put on them and are listed 2k-4k under kbb value which is what leads me to post in this particular sub forum.

Not knowing the cars' history, what should I be looking out for on the test drive outside of the normal lock to lock turns, listening for noises, checking for abnormal rust, etc? What should I expect to need to repair/replace in order to get the car back to near new condition and reliability? Would I just be better off spending $5k more for a slower, yet newer X with moderately lower miles? Under similar conditions, would an 06-08 XT engine/drivetrain be expected to last as many miles as an 09-10 X?

With the level of activity and friendly advice here, this is the kind of forum that makes me excited to get a new (to me) car just so I can hang out, absorb the knowledge, and then hopefully be able to help someone else down the line. Thanks, now I'm going to go back to pounding f5 on the classified sub forum.

wtdash

Hi,
Welcome...add your Location so we know what your local Subie market is.

I had an '04 XT that had low compression on #4 cylinder (common issue on the higher mileage EJ255 '04-'13 - turbo motors).

Once you're ready to buy:
-Do to a compression and Leak down test. Probably cost $100, which may sound like a lot, but guess how much a rebuild/new(er) engine is?
-Check for mods, check for mods, check for mods. If the car has any it's been used. It may not be ABused, but I am very hesitant to buy another turbo car that's had mods, unless I can confirm the quality of the install and the tune(r) that was applied.....just too much risk.
- Read up on here what else to check.

GL,
Td

__________________
2004 FXT

pleiad7

Also, the timing belt and associated components will need replacing at 105k. It's a major & necessary service that's not easy on the wallet if done right, which is one reason why a lot of Subies wind up as trade-ins right around this mileage.

__________________
-Silke
04 FXT PP PSM ~ "Subed"
98 Forester S ~ "Slynki"

mpalm

I had a hard time finding my 06 XT w/ 128k miles, took a few months shopping around, and I ended up flying to Cleveland to purchase it back in February. Not to many in the south. Mine was female owned and she keep every service record and treated it like a baby. My biggest grip is the rust, but little by little I've been cleaning and detailing under the car. It has almost 150k and runs like new.


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stan_t

You can try offering to buy a car from a member on here, I'm sure a few members will part with their XTs for the right price.

Stan

__________________
Shocks > struts.

DSG

I agree w/ all of the above, but I'll also add that at 122k (I bought mine at 105 and did the major timing belt service right away) I've had to replace brakes, a wheel bearing, full fluids maintenance, and will soon be fixing some leaks at rear valve cover gaskets. These cook over time because of the uppipe heat, but the way I look at it, if I do all this stuff (oh and replace springs and struts) I'll have a great car that drives for another 100k. The more you can DIY, the better off you are. If you're big into that you can really come out topside with these cars. I also replaced all kinds of filters. Just good at this mileage.

I used to have an X, but am much happier, personally, with the XT. I say go for it but inspect carefully and have it inspected as well.

Btw, at 100k you will be looking at about $650 in parts for the timing belt job ( more than just the belt and tensioner, see other posts) and if you DIY then good, but labor is at least that much again. Take an easy $1200 off of a list price if it's right near 105K. And that was with OEM parts.

__________________
06' XT 5MT mine
09' X Ltd (wifey)

raabco

Thread Starter

Thanks for the answers and suggestions, everyone!

wtdash: Thanks for the advice! I currently own a car with a turbo, so I'm aware of the general problems that can arise over a N/A engine. My concern is that the XTs I'm looking at are offered by dealerships and my understanding is that they generally won't mind me getting it checked out somewhere as long as they don't turn any wrenches. If this is what I'm told do you think I should go ahead with a compression test anyway or just steer clear altogether?
As far as mods are concerned, I understand your point completely. I've heavily modified my GTI but I also spent top dollar using OEM parts and trusted mechanics to do the work and understand not everyone goes as far as I did. I'm moving to a forester for the AWD and the long term reliability so I'm definitely looking for something with as few mods as possible.

pleiad7: Does the 105k service on a 2006-2008 XT cost as much as a timing belt service on most other models in this range ($1k, give or take)? Any other costs you think I'd be likely to run into (CV boots, shocks/struts, etc)?

mpalm: Hah, I took a train to Cleveland to buy my current car. Besides taming the surface rust on the undercarriage, what did you need to put into your Forester in order to get it back to like new?

stan_t: I've been looking, and there are a few I'm definitely interested in, but I'd need to sell my car first and right now I'm working on seeing if I can find a good match between dealer trade-in offer and sale price. My car would sell better in the spring/summer so I may end up just waiting until then, unless a dealership hits me with an amazing offer.

DSG: A great list of what I'll probably need to have done, thanks. The XTs I'm looking at are at the lower end of my budget so I'm already prepared to put another few thousand into it in order to maximize my enjoyment for years to come. Right now I'm really just debating on whether I should sit around for several months waiting for the right XT to come on the market or go right to the high end of my budget and pick up a newer X Limited with half the miles.

raabco

Thread Starter

So once the rush of the holidays dies down I plan on taking a look at the 06 XT with 100k miles which is located at a Chevy dealership in the middle of nowhere, WI.

I called a Subaru(/Kia) dealership that's 30 minutes away from the selling dealership and asked what kind of service they could perform on a used car I was considering. I was told that for $95 they would perform a "peace of mind" service which included a licensed Subaru tech to... look at things. Now, I have an above average general understanding of cars, car parts, and how they should work and look but very little experience with Subarus in particular. On one hand, it sounds a bit like a waste of money, as I could probably get the selling dealership to put the car on a lift and take a look myself. On the other hand, it would give me a nice long test drive and maybe the $95 would be worth the "peace of mind" for the next few thousand miles until I got the timing belt changed and could get things looked over a bit more closely.

Thoughts?

pleiad7

Be wary of issues with the secondary air system on the 06+ XTs: Secondary Air Valves P2443 and P2441

__________________
-Silke
04 FXT PP PSM ~ "Subed"
98 Forester S ~ "Slynki"

raabco

Thread Starter

Thanks. After a quick search, it looks like there's no way (besides an hour+ of labor) to get a visual inspection of the valve until it's too late and a CEL code is thrown. I also get the impression that this is a problem that will affect all 06+ XTs at some time or another and possibly multiple times, or is that a pessimistic understanding?

pleiad7

I think your assessment is realistic. It wouldn't be so much of an issue if it was a fix-once-and-forget-it thing like the head gaskets on the N/A's - it's Subaru's refusal to acknowledge that there is a problem and to provide a viable long term fix that makes it iffy. As of now it seems the only way to keep it from occurring/re-occuring is to remove or block off the system completely.

__________________
-Silke
04 FXT PP PSM ~ "Subed"
98 Forester S ~ "Slynki"

wtdash

Hi,
All I can suggest is to get the comp/LD test done...unless you're getting an extended warranty.

GL,
Td

__________________
2004 FXT

dirteemac

It you bought my car you'd get an extremely well cared for higher mileage car that stil looks and drives like it's new. I'm not selling though.

raabco

Thread Starter

pleiad7: Thanks for the heads up, I'll definitely consider this before purchase.

wtdash: Is it reasonable for me to borrow a car I'm interested in buying for the majority of a day? If I don't get it done what's the worst case scenario and how much might it cost me to fix?

dirteemac: what a tease!

wtdash

Not sure, but @ least long enough to get the inspection/testing done. If you tell the dealership you're having it done @ a qualified shop - esp. a Subie dealer - I'd walk it they squawk.

If the engine needs rebuilt it could be $3000+. If you go w/a new short block it is $2K from the dealer + labor and parts >> $4K+.

TD

__________________
2004 FXT