Author Topic: So we bought an ‘03 Outback  (Read 2270 times)

Offline m_fumich

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So we bought an ‘03 Outback
« on: July 28, 2019, 07:37:05 PM »
The seller said it was having a shifting problem. The check engine light is on so we checked the codes. They are relate to the transmission: P0732, P0733, P0734.

I checked a Subaru forum and one guy that has these codes on a car he had just bought discovered the transmission fluid was low and adding fluid resolved his problem. My fluid level is fine so I’ll have no such luck. But I noticed something when checking the fluid. This transmission has been apart before. The front and rear halves of the transmission have red RTV squeezing from between them. Someone has also written on the side of the transmission with white paint pen “Fill With 80W90”. Fortunately, 80W90 is not what’s in the transmission. It uses Dexron fluid.

I’m prepared for the transmission shop to tell me it needs a new transmission. The price we paid accounted for the cost of replacing it so that was part of the plan.


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Offline m_fumich

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Re: So we bought an ‘03 Outback
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2019, 07:58:40 PM »
Took the Outback to the transmission shop today.

While it was sitting there to get checked, I tracked down the previous owner that actually used it on the road. When we went to register the car this morning, we were informed it was a salvage title. We managed to get it registered. The salvage title had the previous owners name on it and the title was in the name of the insurance company. While I did notice it was titled to an insurance company, since there was no real damage to the car, I though nothing of it. Anyway, I searched Facebook and found one person with the previous owners name. Not many people out there named Cleophus. After a bit of a chat, I found out why it had a salvage title and what happened to the transmission. On a drive between Little Rock and Dallas, the car suffered from a ruptured transmission line and the former owner drove it 120 miles before he noticed the cause of his shifting problems and fixed it. He said it never ran right after that. But he did keep driving it and someone in a U-Haul hit him in the side. He said it only messed up the rear passenger door. He said he could have fixed it but the insurance company offered him $3300 + $3000 for pain and suffering so he took the money and let them have the car. I’d have done the same knowing the transmission was damaged. He said he bought the car at a charity auction for $300 and it had a broken axel.

The transmission shop didn’t tell us anything we weren’t expecting. They quoted us $3400 to rebuild it. The local JDM importer has one for $400. The swap will cost me $600-$700.

Once I get the front wheel bearings replaced and the transmission swapped, I’ll have $2680 into it and average private party value is $400 or so over that so I’ll be on the better side of breaking even.


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