1998 Subaru Outback

Wagon

4 Cyl

Automatic

4S3BG6859W7634317

Clear

Gasoline

Bought this in 2008 when it had 106,000 miles. Have driven it almost 100,000 miles. Amount one month ago, it was sitting at the curb idling and I was at someone's door talking with them. Engine made odd noise and stopped. I went out to it and tried to start it. Wouldn't start. Made noise like when battery not strong enough to turn it over. I knew this was not the case. Had it towed to a Chrysler / Nissan dealer's garage. They investigated and found that an idler pulley on the timing belt had froze. That put much strain on the cam shaft pulley and it broke and the timing belt broke too. We decided to replace those parts and see if it would run. When those new parts were installed it started right up. At that point we also put in a new water pump. Have driven it several hundred miles since then and it has given no trouble at all. When timing belt broke, mileage was 201,187 and now mileage is 201,429. But in the meantime, we bought a new car. So, we are selling this one. We have enjoyed this car a bunch and hate to part w it. But, new car has much fewer miles. I have changed oil regularly and used Wix filters. I usually use 20W50 oil in all my cars. On the interstate I drive about 60 mph. Radio and A/C work. Ever since I have had it, it seems to shift w a little thump when going into a higher gear. Has gotten very slightly worse over the yrs. Have never thought till recently that I might just need to change the transmission fluid or clean out the filter there. There is a trailer hitch on it, but all we have ever hauled is to put a bike rack on it and haul our bicycles. New alternator about 2 yrs ago. New radiator about 1 yr ago. New left front axle about 2 yrs ago. We have never had any wreck at all w it. As far as we can tell by looking underneath, no one else has. When I had this car to Lou Fusz Subaru in St Louis, he had it on his cptr system and noted that it had a new engine put in it at 60,000. Lou Fuzs said that the factory engine began to knock a little at the end of the factory warranty and they honored it and put in a new engine.