Thinking of buying a 2002 Subaru Forester

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They want 3000. Is that too much? 111,000 miles. Just had brakes done… good shape basic power windows.
 
I have a 2001 Forester. I bought it 15 years ago. Since then I have had the heads redone (about $1600), replaced a rear wheel bearing $300, and gone through 2 oxygen sensors. I do regular maintenance ….oil changes etc. The head gasket issue is inevitable with these engines. They are the weakness of the engine by virtue of their “open deck” design. Most head gaskets are redone at around 120,000 miles so if yours hasn’t been done, it will soon need to be. That cost may be well over $1600 now, check with a Subaru dealer. Subaru dealers are very good at doing the necessary work due to the number of heads they do. It drives like a sports car, is quite good on fuel and has excellent traction, better than most AWD because of the symmetrical drive system. Good luck on your decision. I think you’ll find most Subaru owners of older cars are pretty happy with the vehicle. I love the car and have no plans to sell it soon. If yours has been well maintained and if the heads have been done I think it’s a good deal. If the heads haven’t been done, it’s probably a good buy considering how reliable and inexpensive these cars can be.
 
I have a 2001 Forester. I bought it 15 years ago. Since then I have had the heads redone (about $1600), replaced a rear wheel bearing $300, and gone through 2 oxygen sensors. I do regular maintenance ….oil changes etc. The head gasket issue is inevitable with these engines. They are the weakness of the engine by virtue of their “open deck” design. Most head gaskets are redone at around 120,000 miles so if yours hasn’t been done, it will soon need to be. That cost may be well over $1600 now, check with a Subaru dealer. Subaru dealers are very good at doing the necessary work due to the number of heads they do. It drives like a sports car, is quite good on fuel and has excellent traction, better than most AWD because of the symmetrical drive system. Good luck on your decision. I think you’ll find most Subaru owners of older cars are pretty happy with the vehicle. I love the car and have no plans to sell it soon. If yours has been well maintained and if the heads have been done I think it’s a good deal. If the heads haven’t been done, it’s probably a good buy considering how reliable and inexpensive these cars can be.
 
I have an 00 and an 02. The 00 serves as a parts car after we botched a DIY head gasket change. We did it in the car and flatness checked good so we didn't machine anything. She continued to drip and began bubbling back into radiator. We could have just accepted the drip and monitor fluid levels at 3k oil changes and before-trip look under the hood. Took the later approach with 02 .. still doing good with over 260k now. My only gripe is it'll drip in the new driveway, so I park it on the street. If in a garage you can deal with drip more effectively.
 
They want 3000. Is that too much? 111,000 miles. Just had brakes done… good shape basic power windows.
$3,000 for a 2002 Subaru Forester with 111K miles seems reasonable if it’s in good shape. Just check for rust, head gasket issues, and transmission condition—common weak spots on these.
 

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