Hey guys, I am shopping for my first Subaru - probably a used WRX, as that seems to be what us ex-Integra drivers buy when they land office jobs. Where should I bring a WRX for it's first inspection? In the past I have always gone to Leightons for service. Als0 - everyone says "Dude make sure you get the car inspected by a good mechanic before you buy it." Ok... but how does that work? I can't just bring the car to the mechanic during a test drive(?). Is there some way I can return the car to the dealership if certain flaws are revealed in the inspection? Any advice is appreciated as I do not have much dealership experience. -T
What year wrx? imho you should do your due dilligence and ask the right questions before considering a ppi (beyond the basic questiosn, different model years will have slightly different things to look out for). Once you've found a car (or cars), ask the dealership (or seller) if they are open to having a 3rd party ppi done. I've yet to run into a reputable dealership that has denied a request for a ppi on a used car, but each dealership operates differently. As for shops, call RS Motors to see if they can help you out. If not, there are a number of knowledgable individuals on this forum that can also help you out. Good luck. I hope the purchasing experience is a pleasant one.
If the seller of the car denies you the opportunity to take it to a private inspector of your choosing, you walk away. No, you run. If it doesn't cost the seller a dime for you to get it inspected, they should have no issue with it. And no, car sales are "AS IS" unless otherwise written or implied. No shop is going to guarantee that inspection at the cost of the vehicle if it decides to fail. A car inspection will catch most major issues that can be observed, but they aren't going to catch problems with engine internals that are on the brink, or wear and tear items like bearings, seals, etc. That's the risk you take in buying a used car from a private party. My advice would be to take the car to Morries Minnetonka Subaru and have Ben or Brian in the service department take a peek at it. Their usernames on here are subytek and driftin240 respectively.
Model year 2006 and newer. Most of my experience is with Honda, but I am learning about Subaru as I go. Thanks for the advice about the PPI. I will ask about that. You would think that a dealer understands why a buyer of a 5+ year WRX may want it inspected.
Great year. Things that fail on the 06-07: pistons (compression check is a good idea) sometimes 3rd gear (that'll be obvious on the test drive) somtimes throw out bearing (also pretty obvious) You also might want to check for signs of previous mods (exhaust bolts, intercooler bolts, bpv bolts, turbo bolts, airbox clamps, cut wiring - clock harness and stereo harness)
oops. Any big differences between the 06-07 model years? Wikipedia notes that 07 reverted to steel suspension and added aux audio port. Nothing more.
No major mechanical differences. Yes the control arms went from aluminum to steel, but if you're looking at a wagon, they were steel to begin with. Aux input for the stereo like you mentioned. Some very subtle external styling differences (chrome in headlights and taillights replaced with silver, sedan front bumper vents color matched).
And can't remove the whole air pump system like the 06. The atmospheric sensor is in one of those units
Yeah and come to think of it I've seen a decent amount of those secondary air pump deals crap out too. Easy fix tho.
