06 Legacy 2.5GT

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well this morning!

 

I have found a 2006 Legacy 2.5GT Limited with 40k miles. Apparently the guy didn't like to drive at all, hopefully my gain, right? So the story is he traded it in at the same dealer he got it from, and they found that the turbo had a worn down bearing (I'm not much of a car guy btw) and in the dealer's words, was iffy. So they gave a call to Subaru who replaced the entire turbo at no cost because they claimed it was a fluke.

 

Everything else on the car looks good, low miles checks out as original, no dings, scratches, or other mechanical issues have been found by the dealership. They have a great reputation and rated pretty high on the car research sites. The thing is that it is about 4 hours away from where I live, and I'm planning on going up this weekend to check it out and hopefully take it home with me.

 

Can anyone give me a few thing's to look for when I go to see it? I heard of the problem with the filter in a tiny screw in the turbo, but since they replaced it I'm guessing that issue has been addressed. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, I am a first-time buyer.

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well this morning!

 

I have found a 2006 Legacy 2.5GT Limited with 40k miles. Apparently the guy didn't like to drive at all, hopefully my gain, right? So the story is he traded it in at the same dealer he got it from, and they found that the turbo had a worn down bearing (I'm not much of a car guy btw) and in the dealer's words, was iffy. So they gave a call to Subaru who replaced the entire turbo at no cost because they claimed it was a fluke.

 

Everything else on the car looks good, low miles checks out as original, no dings, scratches, or other mechanical issues have been found by the dealership. They have a great reputation and rated pretty high on the car research sites. The thing is that it is about 4 hours away from where I live, and I'm planning on going up this weekend to check it out and hopefully take it home with me.

 

Can anyone give me a few thing's to look for when I go to see it? I heard of the problem with the filter in a tiny screw in the turbo, but since they replaced it I'm guessing that issue has been addressed. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, I am a first-time buyer.

 

Have a reputable mechanic look it over.

how much are they asking for it?

Welcome to the forums! My first bit of advice for you is; don't assume anything when buying a used car!

 

For example the banjo bolts you mentioned aren't part of the turbo assembly. They might have just been ignored when the turbo was replaced, in fact, they could've very well been the cause of the turbo's issue.

 

So confirm with the dealer that they have been inspected and/or replaced/removed. Try to get some proof if you can. Just make sure to be meticulous when finding the cars history and you should have no problem with unwanted suprises.

 

Best of luck!

My only advice is to have a nice fat fund saved up before you buy. My car looked great when it was inspected but its ended up costing me a lot.

A turbo going in 40k miles isn't likely a 'fluke'. It's likely the previous owner didn't take great care with oil changes and checking the oil level frequently.

 

Have it independantly inspected and make sure there's a dealer warranty for at least 3 months / 3k miles.

 

Where are you located approx? Maybe one of us can recommend a good subaru shop in the area.

how much are they asking for it?

 

They are asking $15,900 for it. I did a quick search around the country for it and that price is about the same everyone is selling 06 GTs for, but this one is lower miles.

 

Where are you located approx? Maybe one of us can recommend a good subaru shop in the area.

 

I am located in St. Louis, MO. I am driving up to get the car tomorrow though, which is in Chicago, IL. I would love to find a local mechanic here at home I can trust and use who knows more about Subies.

Here's the link to the auto trader if anyone wants to look it over. They haven't posted any pics because I put a deposit on it before they got a chance to. The sales guy sent me some pictures, and the body is super clean, decent tread left on the tires as well.

 

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2011&zip=63122&listingType=all&ownerId=1328749&sellerType=b&transmissionCode=AUT&maxPrice=16000&listingId=340632081&modelCode1=LEGACY&startYear=2004&makeCode1=SUB&maxMileage=60000&searchRadius=500

Get a pre-purchase inspection inclusive of a compression/leak down test. SOA warranty turbo replacements require new "banjo bolts" and some associated lines as part of the process for them to reimburse the dealer on the warranty work. This should be easy to find proof of because it will be in Subaru's system. New turbo's replaced under warranty carry a 1 year, 12K mile warranty from time of installation.

 

I had the same bearing failure in mine at 77K (was just noise I could hear but no actual total failure), and SOA replaced mine under warranty. I had a compression test done prior to purchasing and again recently and my engine is healthy. It is possible the previous owner didn't maintain it to enthusiast levels - but you have to prove oil change history for a Subaru warranty replacement so it's quite possible it was changed on the old Subaru recommended OCI - just with shit oil and possibly longer than most of the forum guys would do it (I change mine religiously at 3K miles with Rotella T6 5W-40 and check it every fill up).

Seems like a reasonable price if everything checks out. Good Luck!

Thanks for the advice! I ended up buying it, posted a few pictures in the Brilliant Silver Thread if you're interested! Super clean, nice, and a blank canvas! I already love it