5 replies to this topic

[Jase87]

Hi all, new member. Looking at buying my first subaru. I have no idea what to look for.

Its a 04 liberty 2.5L manual
227xxx kms
Its on carsales if anybody would like to check it out for me. Rego SUA538

Any comments or tips would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[Morgan]

227 is a fair few for an 04 model but if it's been looked after and has a complete service history (with the major services taken care of) then you should be ok.

 

Go have a look and a drive of the car. Make sure all the panels line up properly and listen for any unusual sounds coming from the engine or suspension parts.

 

Good luck!

[Harry88]

As Morgan said the K's are high but the car looks pretty tidy from the car sales ad.

 

I would also find out when the timing belt was last done. From memory they need to be done at around 200k or every 5 years.

[Jase87]

Hey, thanks for the replies. I'll definitely be asking a lot of questions in regards to servicing and maintenance. Checking for signs of panel repair etc. Just wanting to know if theres any subaru / liberty specific things i need to b wary of.

[TSG]

Diffs. Head gasket failure, and the rest mentioned. I'm more familiar with Turbo Subaru's, but I'd say it just means there is less to look for in a NA my dads Prado is running 240k and not showing ANY signs of stopping. As long as its serviced and not driven hard, it should be fine... I can't imagine the motor being too tired yet if those were just highway driving and grandpa runs to the shops. It's dirt cheap, I'd offer them $7k and see if they bite. If you drop to Gen 3 you might get one with low K's for similar money.

[sedstrSTI]

hey mate,

 

the usuals, 

before you start the car put your hand near the radiator cap/hoses to make sure the car is been inspected on a cold start (I used to call the seller few hours before and ask him politely to make sure the car is cold lol)

check the oil (check the colour and ask the seller when the last service was)

panels

see if all doors open and close easily

look for any missing clips on bumpers or sign of damage

check that the interior condition is good obviously

make sure all electronics work (the door central locking and the info panel in the cubby can have problems at times, easy fixes but will cost a little bit of money and effort)

listen for knocks! common problem with big end bearing going if not looked after properly (if knocking stay away)

the K's are getting to a stage where you will have some wear and tear problems, bushers etc do some tight turns when the wheel full locked to listen for any unusual sounds.

 

+ More

 

If unsure just take a mechanic with you, 200$ paid to him can save you 3g on an engine rebuild.