Can you actually buy one on a 13 year old vehicle with 174K miles?
2010 Model - Do I need an Extended Warranty?
Just bought a used Forester with 174,000 miles on it. I admit I got a little spooked about some of the concerns around the head gasket, rusted breaklines and some engine stuff. I'm about to take it on a cross-country (detroit to los angeles). Should I get an extended warranty on this? Or worried about the car in general? The car is for my 20 year old striking it out in LA?
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
You won't be able to buy a Subaru-backed warranty which is the only warranty worth buying. Many if not most aftermarket warranties aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
FWIW, my 2010 is still running the factory head gaskets at 267k miles. Before your trip have a mechanic familiar with Subarus perform an inspection of the entire vehicle.
Is there any record of the timing belt being changed? Subaru recommends every 105k miles or 105 months. The 2010 Forester has interference engine which means that a broken timing belt will result in internal engine damage.
On an engine that old I would suggest carrying a spare quart of oil and checking your engine oil level at every fuel stop on your cross-country trip until you get a feel for its oil usage.
FWIW, my 2010 is still running the factory head gaskets at 267k miles. Before your trip have a mechanic familiar with Subarus perform an inspection of the entire vehicle.
Is there any record of the timing belt being changed? Subaru recommends every 105k miles or 105 months. The 2010 Forester has interference engine which means that a broken timing belt will result in internal engine damage.
On an engine that old I would suggest carrying a spare quart of oil and checking your engine oil level at every fuel stop on your cross-country trip until you get a feel for its oil usage.
You should buy an account with AAA and get a high limit credit card. 
they MUST know how to check the vehicle daily, especially the oil
getting stranded is a right of passage, be sure they are prepared to be on the side of the road & have to abandon it. review safety procedures for this occurrence. it will happen
when Wifey was 22 she bought a brand new VW Rabbit, drove across the country CT to CA, by time she got to CA she needed a new transmission. sh*t happens
last year our son, who is driving my late father's 1994 Camry, noticed the coolant temp was in the red zone but got on the highway to the beach anyway. on the highway it overheated fully & started steaming. pulled over on the highway (dangerous) & sent me a phone pic showing a ruptured radiator. got AAA to tow him to a shop that would do the repair, but had to take an Uber home. never made it to the beach. got a new radiator & hoses & that car is still running
best wishes & may God bless
getting stranded is a right of passage, be sure they are prepared to be on the side of the road & have to abandon it. review safety procedures for this occurrence. it will happen
when Wifey was 22 she bought a brand new VW Rabbit, drove across the country CT to CA, by time she got to CA she needed a new transmission. sh*t happens
last year our son, who is driving my late father's 1994 Camry, noticed the coolant temp was in the red zone but got on the highway to the beach anyway. on the highway it overheated fully & started steaming. pulled over on the highway (dangerous) & sent me a phone pic showing a ruptured radiator. got AAA to tow him to a shop that would do the repair, but had to take an Uber home. never made it to the beach. got a new radiator & hoses & that car is still running
best wishes & may God bless
A recently purchased automobile on a cross country trip, the odds are not in your favor. Given it is a used car purchase, everything depends on the quality of care given by the previous owner. I have a 2010 and purchased it used with 126K miles. I put a couple of thousand dollars into it catching up the required maintenance. (Nobody puts money into a car and turns around and sells it.) It made several trips halfway across the continent without problem. Now pieces are falling off of it like a molting parrot.
![]()
Meh. No one would think twice about putting on 2,000 miles over 2 months' time, and yet a simple cross-country trip gets treated like flying the Burma hump. Have the vehicle serviced. Catch up on unknown or neglected necessaries and get it up on a lift for a good, thorough visual. No different than what you would do with any used car you were handing off to a daughter to take to college. Check the oil at every gas stop. Maybe splurge on a new factory radiator cap. Bring a couple of quarts (or a 5-quart jug) of motor oil (plus a funnel) and a gallon of distilled water. Maybe a high-viz safety vest. A flashlight. Check your spare tire. Loosen and tighten/torque the lug nuts. Maybe buy a set of reflective triangles. Some snacks. The 12 gauge saw-off for under the seat...
...Que the contrarians.Meh. No one would think twice about putting on 2,000 miles over 2 months' time, and yet a simple cross-country trip gets treated like flying the Burma hump.
It's not 2000 miles of close to home driving over 2 months, it's long consecutive 10-12 hour duty cycles across potentially hot weather and a desert on a car this chap just got, knows nothing about and thinks an aftermarket car warranty is going to be like a magic genie that puts you back on the road in 25 minutes. Nothing like getting stuck in New Mexico and warping heads and bending valves because even though the timing belt might have been changed, what about the idlers and water pump? I would only take a fully documented and up to date car on a trip like this, unless I didn't care if I had to junk it half way and rent a car. I certainly wouldn't put a young lady in it, unless she was an eagle scout with experience in car maintenance.
This is not a Toyota Land Crusier, it's a high mileage Forester. Letting it overheat once is likely the last thing it will ever do.
Submitted for your approval:
"The exact definition of severe driving service varies with the automaker, but it usually involves ongoing operation of your car under one or more of the following conditions: primarily short trips (5 miles or less); extremely hot, cold or dusty climates; sustained stop-and-go driving; and the carrying of heavy loads"
I don't think highway driving, even in 4 hour chunks (gotta get gas, gotta eat, gotta answer the call) is as tough or tougher on a vehicle. Cars do not know or care how far they are from home.
I have to say (with no actual knowledge) that most folks here do not find themselves stranded every couple of thousand miles.
Now, the Fiat Forum, well that's a different kettle of fish...
"The exact definition of severe driving service varies with the automaker, but it usually involves ongoing operation of your car under one or more of the following conditions: primarily short trips (5 miles or less); extremely hot, cold or dusty climates; sustained stop-and-go driving; and the carrying of heavy loads"
I don't think highway driving, even in 4 hour chunks (gotta get gas, gotta eat, gotta answer the call) is as tough or tougher on a vehicle. Cars do not know or care how far they are from home.
I have to say (with no actual knowledge) that most folks here do not find themselves stranded every couple of thousand miles.
Now, the Fiat Forum, well that's a different kettle of fish...
they offered me one at the dealership which I declined because I know that's just a way for them to get a cut and the warranty service they were selling received "meh" reviews online. My research suggested I could get some kind of coverage.Can you actually buy one on a 13 year old vehicle with 174K miles?
That is REALLY great advice. The previous owner(s) kept decent service up but I will have to check to see specifically about the timing belt. I've had a Toyota before and know that's something you need to watch out for.You won't be able to buy a Subaru-backed warranty which is the only warranty worth buying. Many if not most aftermarket warranties aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
FWIW, my 2010 is still running the factory head gaskets at 267k miles. Before your trip have a mechanic familiar with Subarus perform an inspection of the entire vehicle.
Is there any record of the timing belt being changed? Subaru recommends every 105k miles or 105 months. The 2010 Forester has interference engine which means that a broken timing belt will result in internal engine damage.
On an engine that old I would suggest carrying a spare quart of oil and checking your engine oil level at every fuel stop on your cross-country trip until you get a feel for its oil usage.
Thank you. I've driven across country 3 times and thank goodness no getting stranded just yet. Will be extra careful and definitely watching the coolant temp, especially through Arizona and New Mexico.they MUST know how to check the vehicle daily, especially the oil
getting stranded is a right of passage, be sure they are prepared to be on the side of the road & have to abandon it. review safety procedures for this occurrence. it will happen
when Wifey was 22 she bought a brand new VW Rabbit, drove across the country CT to CA, by time she got to CA she needed a new transmission. sh*t happens
last year our son, who is driving my late father's 1994 Camry, noticed the coolant temp was in the red zone but got on the highway to the beach anyway. on the highway it overheated fully & started steaming. pulled over on the highway (dangerous) & sent me a phone pic showing a ruptured radiator. got AAA to tow him to a shop that would do the repair, but had to take an Uber home. never made it to the beach. got a new radiator & hoses & that car is still running
best wishes & may God bless
Thanks for the advice....Que the contrarians.
It's not 2000 miles of close to home driving over 2 months, it's long consecutive 10-12 hour duty cycles across potentially hot weather and a desert on a car this chap just got, knows nothing about and thinks an aftermarket car warranty is going to be like a magic genie that puts you back on the road in 25 minutes. Nothing like getting stuck in New Mexico and warping heads and bending valves because even though the timing belt might have been changed, what about the idlers and water pump? I would only take a fully documented and up to date car on a trip like this, unless I didn't care if I had to junk it half way and rent a car. I certainly wouldn't put a young lady in it, unless she was an eagle scout with experience in car maintenance.
This is not a Toyota Land Crusier, it's a high mileage Forester. Letting it overheat once is likely the last thing it will ever do.
I actually don't think an aftermarket warranty is like a magic genie but was wondering if because of the head gasket issues with this model whether it was worth getting to cover that and related engine issues. I am 100% getting the vehicle caught up on all things service-related and rest assured, I'm taking the trip out to deliver it to my daughter. We will definitely be on the lookout for overheating.
Unlike Subarus, most Toyotas have non-interference engines so if the timing belt breaks you are just stranded, no engine damage done.The previous owner(s) kept decent service up but I will have to check to see specifically about the timing belt. I've had a Toyota before and know that's something you need to watch out for.
Compare the previous owner's service to what is recommended by Subaru. If the manuals were passed along you will find the recommended maintenance in the Warranty & Maintenance booklet, not the Owners Manual. If you don't have the booklet there is a 2010 maintenance schedule here:
If you do decide on getting any warranty read the fine print.Thanks for the advice.
I actually don't think an aftermarket warranty is like a magic genie but was wondering if because of the head gasket issues with this model whether it was worth getting to cover that ..
Very often, aftermarket warranties for the engine are specifically limited, and might include the phrase "internally lubricated parts"...
A head gasket isn't, so the warranty might specifically exclude what you want it for.
Something else to consider is that many repair shops don't take any kind of extended warranty. I don't have one, but a warranty from Subaru and going to the dealership, would be the way to go.
Have the car inspected, and find a way to see if the head gaskets have been replaced in the past, and what kind of shape they seem to be in. Fresh coolant, battery check, and the idea of replacing the radiator cap is a good one. The timing belt should be checked. Might have a sticker from the last replacement. The dealer should be able to tell you when that was. Good luck.
And don't drive on any roads in Michigan or Indiana. They are really bad.
Ha. Well I live in Michigan and will probably need to go through Indiana on my west. We'll go really slow.And don't drive on any roads in Michigan or Indiana. They are really bad.
Well, you could take a boat. Sail around the Cape of Good Hope. Safer.
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Subaru Forester Owners Forum
We’re the best Subaru Forester Owners Forum to talk about the best years of the Subaru Forester, modifications and reliability history of the Subaru Forester.
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
