Ask an expert
I am looking to buy a 2002 Subaru Legacy GT (3-litre, non turbo, automatic) which has travelled about 60,000 km. I repeatedly hear about a few Subaru specific problems:
1) Poor fuel consumption on premium petrol
2) Transmission breakdown around 100,000 km or less
3) Expensive to maintain compared to other Japanese brands
4) Head gasket issues and overheating
5) Consistently listed in NZ's top 10 stolen cars
Can you please advice?
Also can you suggest any alternative 4WD station wagons that are reliable and economical (over 2.0litre).
Finally, I am going to purchase from a Dealer. In the event of a breakdown what kind of repairs are covered under the Consumers Guarantees Act and where can i find more info on this matter?
Joe
From the "Ask Jack" archives - 22 December 2009
Your concerns about Subaru are only partially correct. Certainly, fuel consumption has been a traditional concern for Subaru until very recently. This is partly attributed to the fact that they are AWD (all wheel drive), so you are likely to have similar levels of consumption with any AWD vehicle. The required fuel octane rating for most Subaru's is 95 or higher which is no different than other makes and models with the same engine technology.
Cooling system problems leading to head gasket failure are not unheard of, but if the vehicle has been properly maintained with coolant changed at regular intervals and the system bled properly, they should be fine.
Transmissions don't seem to give any more trouble than most, and are in fact better than some from that era where CVT's were common and failed commonly.
Regarding theft, you don't mention whether or not the vehicle you are considering is NZ new or an import.Subaru vehicles sold new in NZ have had alarms and immobilizer systems fitted for a few years now. More recent ones even have micro-dot technology applied.
When Subaru hit the headlines recently regarding theft, Subaru of New Zealand were quick to respond by saying that NZ new Subaru's are not high in the theft stakes, but imports are.
If you really must have a 4WD wagon, there are very few viable options. One other manufacturer to offer 4WD on a wagon is Audi. There have been some import wagons brought into New Zealand over the years, but they are not commonplace and most would be considered something of an orphan.
A lot of people are nervous about Subaru's in general once they hit 100,000kms because of their unique engine design which can be a little more expensive and complicated to work on. I don't totally disagree with this theory but regardless of make and model, a proven service history can alleviate a lot of these worries. For me I would always try and find a NZ new example as my first priority for any used car, more so with a Subaru.
Finally, the Consumer Guarantees Act provides a good level of consumer protection. While there is no specific timeframe that applies to the CGA, it is at its most powerful at the point of sale, but major failures may be considered the dealer's responsibility several months and several thousand km's after the sale.
More information can be obtained from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs website.