Ownership Cost for 1998 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT
Estimated: $34657 over the next 5 years
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | $984 | $472 | $413 | $374 | $335 | $2578 |
| Insurance | $1451 | $1502 | $1554 | $1609 | $1665 | $7781 |
| Fuel | $1660 | $1709 | $1769 | $1840 | $1923 | $8901 |
| Maintenance | $2763 | $2055 | $931 | $478 | $2291 | $8518 |
| Repairs | $977 | $1138 | $1298 | $1417 | $1627 | $6457 |
| Taxes & Fees | $285 | $285 | $285 | $285 | $285 | $421 |
| Total Ownership Costs | $8119 | $6909 | $6007 | $5744 | $7878 | $34657 |
| Model year | COMPONENT | Complaint |
| 1998 | POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | I HAVE A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN IT GETS HOT (I LIVE IN HOUSTON!!!) THE CLUTCH PEDAL WILL GET SPONGY AND EVENTUALLY STICK TO THE FLOOR. I HAVE TO LIFT IT UP WITH MY FOOT. IF I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME LIKE THIS, I EVENTUALLY LOSE THE ABILITY TO GET THE CAR IN AND OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT COOL OFF (FOR ABOUT AN HOUR) AND IT WILL FIX ITSELF. I HAVE HAD TO SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR, WAITING FOR IT TO COOL DOWN! IT FIRST HAPPENED IN 1999. SUBARU TRIED TO FIX IT BY REPLACING MOST OF THE CLUTCH (THE PRESSURE PLATE, FLY WHEEL, SLAVE AND MASTER CYLINDER). THEY PRESSURE AND GRAVITY BLED THE SYSTEM. I WAS THERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK FOR MONTHS. THEY WOULD TRY ONE THING AND WHEN IT DIDN'T WORK, THEY WOULD REPLACE ANOTHER PART OR TRY SOMETHING ELSE. EVENTUALLY, WINTER SHOWED UP AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEN SUMMER CAME AGAIN AND SO DID THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN, BUT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SUBARU REFUSED TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAID FOR IT. SUBARU HAS SINCE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (#03-52-03) REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT SUBARU REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM, STATING THERE ARE TOO MANY MILES ON MY CAR (77,000) AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I CONTEND, THEY NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT IT TOOK THEM FIVE YEARS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE ORIGINAL PARTS. SUBARU SAID THEY HAD TO KEEP THEM AS PART OF THEIR WARRANTY PLAN. |
| 1998 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | ENGINE NOISE WHEN COLD. SOUNDS LIKE A LIFTER IS STICKING. IT DISAPATES WHEN THE ENGINE WARMS UP, HOWEVER, CAN LAST UP TO 15 MINUTES OR LONGER DEPENDING OH HOW COLD THE ENGINE WAS WHEN STARTED. WHEN I DROVE THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ITS 30000 SERVICE, I THOUGHT A ROD WAS GOING TO SHOOT THROUGH THE ENGINE WALL..IT WAS THAT NOISY. IT LASTED AT LEAST 10 MILES OF DRIVING UNTIL THE NOISE DISAPATED. THIS AUTO WAS PURCHASED BY MY MOTHER IN LAW (NOW DECEASED), IS IN HER ESTATE AND HAS TWO MONTHS BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRES. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR DUE TO ALLEGED SUBARU BULLETIN. SUBARU OF AMERICA SAYS IT IS NORMAL, WILL NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM OVER THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE, HOWEVER CLAIMS THEY HAVE NOT PRODUCED NOR WILL PRODUCE A SUBARU BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL OPERATING NOISE AND IT WILL NO DOUBT DAMAGE THE ENGINE OVER TIME. I WOULD NOT BUY THIS CAR WITH THIS SOUND AND WOULD NOT EXPECT ANYONE INCLUDING ANY SUBARU DEALER OR SUBARU OF AMERICA TO PURCHASE WITH THIS ENGINE NOISE, LET ALONE TRY TO SELL ONE IN THIS CONDITION. IN MY MIND IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND A RESPONSIBILITY OF SUBARU TO FIX. THIS IS A PROBLEM SUBARU NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN INFERIOR ENGINE DESIGN. OR POST A WARNING ON EVERY CAR WARNING POTENTIAL BUYERS THAT THEIR CAR MAY DEVELOP AN ENGINE NOISE DUE TO ENGINE DESIGN, THAT WILL EFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO SELL THE CAR AT A LATER DATE. *JB |
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