Legacy

Hello, I was just wondering how you guys feel about the reliability of the 05+ GT's. I'm looking for an AWD with some HP, and Audi is definitely out of the questoin with all of their problems. So I'm wondering, do they have a relatively low amount of problems (engine, electrical, transmission, etc.) compared to other vehicles you have owned?

Also, I was curious if anyone has found some nice looking wide body fenders for this model?

This might get messy.

Mine has been very reliable.

You'll have to consider the audience you posed the question to. Statistically, I think you'll find that the people on this forum are enthusiasts and truly enjoy their vehicles. There will be those few that think they are crap and are here to figure out how to make them more reliable.

Personally, I'm a newer Subaru owner, but not new to Subaru's. I got pulled in due to me working on all my friends Subaru's in my shop and saw the potential of the cars, the reliability they experienced, the relative ease of fixing/modding them and lastly, the enjoyment of driving them.

I came from a Honda world with quite a few of Honda/Acura products on my automotive resume. I'm not sure that there will be too many people that will argue against Honda's being a very reliably built car (for the most part), but like Subaru there will be Honda's that have issues. Even the best build cars will have the occasional rotten apple. Legacy's are no different.

For the most part, I've experienced LGT's being very reliable, long lasting and extremely fun to drive. Their AWD is unparalleled in the car world and no doubt that with a decent set of winter tires, they will pretty much drive up the devils backbone in a snowstorm.

Modded LGT's in the summer are a blast to drive, fun as hell and quick. My modded OBXT will out accelerate, out corner and generally outdrive the Acura NSX it sits next to in the garage in the summer (although I have to admit the NSX looks cooler).

Remember that the more you mod your car, the more susceptible it is to 'breakage' however I believe that to be the case with any car in the world. Even the Bugatti Veyron has reliability issues!

mine is a piece of crap. turbo blew out at 31k, and I've had nothing but problems with it ever since (2 years, 11k later). it's currently in the shop because twice in the past week, the Cruise light started flashing (no CEL). managed to get it to a shop while the light was flashing, they pulled a P1152 code off of it. the associated problem I experienced? inability to accelerate beyond 20-30mph...I had it floored, was doing 20. stuttering, rough idle, every once in a while, if the tachometer got above 3k, I'd get a good rev from the engine, but no decent speed.

now the dealership is telling me "oh we can't replicate the problem, so we can't guarantee that will fix the issue."

Told them I'm not taking it back til they find out what is wrong.

I loved the car til the turbo died.

Will I buy another LGT? No. Will I buy another Subaru? Questionable. I've been pretty soured by this experience.

Just my 2 cents.

A. Do some searching, this has been discussed at depth.

B. You're on a Subaru board, so most of us love our cars and are some form of enthusiast.

C. The LGT is a fairly reliable vehicle overall. It does have its issues here and there as you will find from posts on here. There are some problems that are much more common than other, and most of them are fairly minor. There are also a bunch of horror stories on these forums about Subaru's and their awful reliability and constant problems. At the end of the day, it's pretty vehicle specific. Some of us get lucky, others don't. I've driven my 2008 SpecB very hard since day 1, and at 75K miles it's still doing fine, aside from minor things. I had to replace LCA bushings, I had to replace the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel, I've had to replace endlinks and bushings and I still have an awful clunking in my front end.

Interetsingly enough, as a side note, Audi has surpassed Subaru in overall quality as of recent years. Anyway, keep doing some digging on these forums. You'll find more information that way than you will get from the posts that come in through here (different aspects of reliability, maintenance and problems have been discussed in depth elsewhere.)

Will I own another LGT, definitely not (I wont own the same car twice.) Will I own another Subaru, 99% not (They offer nothing I want in my next vehicle. I bought my Subaru for AWD, but I wont need AWD after I move in a few months.) I plan to go back to a European vehicle after this, as I miss them. I'm hoping for something along the lines of 335i coupe; but Euro cars aren't for everyone. I noticed you said Audi is out, yet I find myself wishing I bought the B7 S4 sometimes. My LGT has been reliable, so maybe the LGT was a better buy than the S4. I'm a young college student, so reliability was important to me, and if I'm honest, the whole reliability issue is what swayed me over to the Subaru.

I"ve had 8 subies and can say they are remarkable in reliability. The only sourpuss out of those 8 was an SVX which were known for transmission problems. 2 of those went well over 200 K . Current Leggy is at 120K and runs like a champ . Have had few if any problems outside regular maintemence and I only change my oil once a year sometimes every two years.

F Audi/VW , nothing but problems there after 60-80K

I own 3 Subarus. One of which has 130K miles and I RallyCross it competitively. They are all very reliable. Like any car, maintenance is essential to longevity.

I think you'll like the LGT. Just take care of it and it'll take care of you. For even more peace of mind, I'd look for a '06 or newer. All first-year models have their quirks.

If you want more oomph, an aftermarket top-mount intercooler, upgraded BPV, and turbo-back exhaust with a tune will get you plenty without hurting reliability.

I"ve had 8 subies and can say they are remarkable in reliability. The only sourpuss out of those 8 was an SVX which were known for transmission problems. 2 of those went well over 200 K . Current Leggy is at 120K and runs like a champ . Have had few if any problems outside regular maintemence and I only change my oil once a year sometimes every two years.

 

F Audi/VW , nothing but problems there after 60-80K

There's no denying I've seen more high mileage Subarus than high mileage Audis.

I'm still on the orginal turbo, now if you want to talk about 5mt...that's a different story. When I get around to having it fixed again that will be the 5th time it has been out of the car.

Overall I guess I could say I'm ok with the few other minor problems. Recently it seems to be more issues then I'd like but it does have lots of HP and may be has seen a little abuse.