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High Mileage 02 Forester. Possible problems?

1285 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  funkymonkey1002
Hey everyone just hoping to get the answer to a quick set of questions. I found an 02 Forester at a very good price because of high mileage (200k) and hail damage. I'm not entirely sure what all to look for when purchasing a used Forester but I did notice that the oil seemed to be a bit thin and the exhaust would throw out the occasional bit of whiteish grey smoke when revving the engine.

What could this be indicative of? Would it be a relatively cheap fix and what else should I be looking for in a used Forester? Thanks for any advice you can give.
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2002 Fosters will need Head Gaskets replaced (always). Replacement of Cambelt, seals, idlers, and water pump are required every 105K miles. Neither of these procedures is cheap.
What is "a very good price"? A 200k mile car is a tough sell regardless of price.
It will likely need the headgasket replaced, especially if its blowing steam/smoke. The repair will likely cost more than another high mileage forester thats already had them replaced. Unless you're getting it for below 1k, or can do the work yourself, I'd probably skip it.
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