How long do Subaru Legacys last?

i think to expect any car to run to 300,000 miles is a bit of a stretch. It really depends on how much you are willing to pay to keep the car in running condition. As with any car parts are going to need replaced, as long as you keep the car in good shape I see no reason you couldn't get another 100,000 miles out of it. I hope you do make it to 300,000!

I've got a '92 Loyale wagon, with 215 K miles on it, and it's still running. I've had it for about 3 years and driven about 40-50 K miles on it. Repairs I had done: new tires, rear suspension replaced, timing belt replaced, and new muffler. The front suspension should get fixed soon, but other than that (and the ever-present small amount of oil leakage) it runs fine. Please let me know if you get any more info on the top mileage to expect on these cars...I'm debating buying a newer one. Good luck!

I used to sell subaru's, and I consistently saw 200K + on them, with TLC and willingness to keep it maintained, I saw one a '95 with 305,793 miles, no reason for you not to get it.

Since most Subaru owners use there cars to the fullest extent possible, Subaru’s tend to have a shortened life span, but if treated with care 300,000 miles is 100% possible. My Subaru has only 115k on it, but I off road with it more than most guys who own trucks and the structure of the car is still 100%. My car has also seen lots of road salt, for almost every snow storm I go out driving, and the rust damage to my car is minimal, even to my OCD eyes.

it lasts until it's off the dealers lot

The old Brightons used the 2.2 engine, which is probably one of the most reliable and long-lasting engines ever developed. If you take care of the car and do the maintenance you're supposed to, there's no reason you can't get 300k out of it. That said, maintenance will get more and more expensive with time and you'll probably get to a point where a set of new tires is worth more than your car. My advice is to run it as long as it is still cheap to keep on the road; once you start dumping more than a few hundred bucks into every few months is when it's smart to get rid of it and get something newer.

well i had a 1990 subaru legacy last me up till 170 thousand and i trashed the thing after the trannie's main seal finally blew chunks all over the place and refused to move :D me and my dad ended up dumping a whole crap load of trannie fluid into it and getting the car to move and stall up on a hill XD we ended up blowing the engine. that car got the shit beat out of it daily...on my 60 mile drives from college to back...it was a really good car and i have to say that anyone that buys a Subaru expect to have it for at least 10 years

Obviously the first guy seems to be on the ball, the EJ20 engines have been known to go well beyond the 300k mark providing they are given regular tune ups including fluid changes. Engines like these, as with most other engines can and will offer significant mileages once properly maintained.

seeing as this question is over i a year old i am really curious what was done and hwo the car is doing now. my 95 legacy L AWD wagon with 4EAT has 265,000 on it and is going strong. it isnt perfect but it is till running. it is getting pretty rusty and the door electrics are acting up a bit. the awd binds a little in low speed turning but even that isnt too bad.

As with any machinery I think it depends on how it's built and how you treat it. With the 93 subaru legacy I own I had changed engines three times by the 130 Km mark. Although this sounds as if the vehicle is very unreliable we were asking a lot of it at the time. ie: 13 second 1/4 miles. This vehicle handled the horsepower very well and I feel a standard unit would operate well to the 200 Km mark very easily and possibly a lot further with the right mantenaince.

It is said that 90% of all subarus made in the last ten years are still on the road.If you want it to last , just maintain it properly.It will last u as long as u want it to.

I got a 97 Legacy 2.5 , its got 176,000 miles and the only problems are rattlin in the exaust and the stick sometimes gets stuck between 2nd and 3rd - If you show the Legacys some love I think they could take you to 300K.

i have a 1997 subaru legacy 2.5gt with 276000km on it and it just died after putting 20000km on the motor with both head gaskets blown out it still starts but dosnt stay running i bought the car with 220000km on it and i dont think that i ever shifted a gear below 4500 rpm and it ran strong till i over heated it on the highway going 220kmh

In here Finland I've seen Subaru's droven over million kilometres (approx. 600 000 miles) and they run better than many three year old cars. Also even here are long and cold winters with lot of road salt and rough roads, in Subarus you hardly ever see rust problems. In the statistics it also has the second least percentage of inspection failures (after Porsche). So I bet you can rely on SUBARU!

To resurrect an old but important topic... I have a '97 legacy wagon that just rolled over 300K. I fully expect to get at least another 100K out of it. I also have a '98 Forester that's got 205K miles. If you take care of them and service them regularly, they'll outlast almost anything on the road.

I have a 95 Legacy with about 185,000 miles on it. I had to get a rear gasket replaced at one point, and now i need new struts but it has yet to fail me. I have heard some people say if you take good care of these cars the engine will easily outlast the body. from reading the other posts it seems like maybe the older ones had better engines.

Subarus have very normal mechanical parts (bearings, pistons, etc.) and one should last, on average, about as long as other cars of similar size, mileage, use, and maintenance. If factory maintenance requirements are met, you drive in a normal fashion, and fix problems as they occur, 150,000 miles of reliable service is a reasonable expectation. However, note that individual cars vary greatly in their tolerances. You can read the possible as-built tolerance variations in the Subaru factory manual. Some owners will obtain very high mileages and often go public with their praise. Those whose cars do worse are perhaps less apt to say so. Another factor is that owners vary in the accuracy of their recollections as to past repairs and repair costs. In fifty years of driving, I have never worn out a car engine.

it depends on how it's treated mine lasted about 158k the first time my family has owned mine off the show room floor in 93 but my parent took poor care of it I now put a new motor in with about 50k miles on it at this point and am doing better maintenance on it and can definately tell a difference in how it runs versus the old motor, the one thing I would say is if you have to replace it ever go with the 2.5L motor they last a bit longer overall.

i have seen them last with over 400,000 miles on them...so they are definately worth putting the TLC into, just take good care of it n itll take good care of you

Well we picked up a 96 Legacy L sedan with the 2.2 a few months back. My wife rolled our ford escape. In the escapes defense, it just slid off the road, the hill she hit rolled it. But she wanted something with a low center of gravity, with AWD and great reliability. The reason we picked it up is because I've heard great things about it. I'm a mechanic and keep things well maintained, even the escape still drove after it was rolled. I've yet to blow an engine on anything I've owned. So I think 300k is a reasonable expectation. When we got it, it still had only a piddly 82K on it. Also, I have a friend with a 94 wagon that has a good bit over 300k on his.

I can also testify that my 97 impreza outback that has almost 200k miles on it is still going strong and should easily see another 100k. It all depends on what maintenance you do and how much you are willing to do or pay to be done. I am currently rebuilding a junkyard motor to put in it, so I guess I am willing to do pretty much anything that I have tools for at home. Theoretically, you could make it last as long as you wanted. The thing I would be worried about would be the body rust. The mechanical parts in subarus are well known to outlast the body.

I have had 5 subarus ( 1 leone, 2 legacy and 2 outbacks) , one legacy ran 498,000 miles for me. the other legacy 271,000 before it was stolen.the leone 200,000 and i traded it, it was still running 2 years later. my last was an outback with 249,000 and have just replaced it with another outback that has 130,000 on the clock. All have been used as taxis, change your oil and filters at 5 or 6 thousand and 300,000 is very possible. joetaxi.

I've got a 96 brighton too and I've got almost 350,000 miles on it. They're pretty tough wagons provided you take care of them. On a lighter note, I need doors for mine. If your engine quits, talk to me about the doors. quinnmcsmart@hotmail.com

I own a 1997 Legacy L wagon and we now have over 360,000 miles. All original and all on one transmition and same engine. This baby is bullet proof. We go to the snow and to the beaches. She will purr for many many more miles to come.

Subaru is very different from other car brands in that they are very reliable and last forever. It is not unusual to see a Subaru that is 15+ years old with well over 200,000 miles and still running strong. The Mechanic who told you 300,000 was correct. They do easily last this long IF you take care of the car, oil changes, timing belt, etc. The people who say that 200,000 miles is a lot of miles for a car have never owned a Subaru. I honestly cannot understand why people buy Honda or Toyota or any other brand of car... Subaru will FAR Outlast anything else made today.

My Subaru is a 1993 Legacy L Wagon and is currently flirting with 294,000 miles, all on the original engine, transmission and suspension. As others have said, you can choose to take care of the car and perform the required maintenance and repairs and they last forever. I can still expect the car to start and run any day I need it and it still has plenty of power for it's age. I tease my 7 year old daughter, who likes daddys Subaru over moms car, that she can take mine to college some day if she plays her cards right! Change the oil & filter and fix what wears out or breaks and the car will deliver years and thousands of miles.

as long as you love it! :)

Mine has 197,000 miles. I had one w/239,000 mi but sold it.

pretty easy 2 go 300k

My 94 Legacy 2.2L with a 4EAT has 370k+ and its still going strong only "big" investment was full suspension all around from springs to balljoints and bushings

My 2003 Outback has 597,000 miles. It's now on it's second engine. The tranny is still original and seems to be fine. Should put aside some money for future overhaul I'm thinking....

the cars will easily make 300k mechanically the major problems are rust depending on your location these cars will last forever with minimal maintenance and just the basic TLC

For your average driver, 300k is certainly doable. For those mechanically inclined, there is simply no limit how far these cars can go. I'm shooting for 1,000,000 on mine. By then, fossil fuels will probably be history....lol.

My 93 Subaru Legacy just hit 332000 on original engine.

My 90 Subaru is at 316857 miles as of today. The struts are gone on it and a deer ran into the side of it, but other than that, as long as I give it a tune up twice a year and keep oil and fluids full, with Gods grace it will keep going.

I have a I guess low mileage 145K 1996 Outback 2.2 manual AWD. And was really thinking of trading it in on something in the 2000+ range but I think I'm going to keep it. Was looking at a 2003 ford focus with 129K but I dont want payments and now know and hope my Suubee will go 300+K. I too have a grind from 2nd to 3rd, is this a common problem?

My 96 Legacy Brighton with a 2.2 and auto tranny has 414K on the odo and the drive train has never been touched. All I do is keep up with regular maintenance, and all that requires is oil changes at 5K and occasional air filter and platinum plugs at 70K or so. Normal wearing parts like brakes are the norm for any vehicle, of course. This has been the most trouble free, thus cheapest vehicle I've EVER owned, by a long shot. Expect long life.

mine has 312 500 miles /503000 KM and still going

my 91 subaru legacy 2.2 gx is on 273,000ks and because its not turbo will last more than 350'000ks.

awesome news everyone! my '98 Subidoo has 171K and I am planning to keep it as long as I can. thanks for all the votes of confidence on the longevity of a Sube. I try not to think of how many times I have started the car...because even the starter never wears out!! I change the oil every 3000-4000 out of habit. All is well with my little car. :-))

Hmmmm, it's 2013 and my '91 Legacy L+ wagon (back when wagons could be called "Legacy" :o) has 210k but needs a valve-cover gasket (I presume --slow leak), new exhaust ($1k or so est.), timing belt change (ooops, haven't done it since 60k change), and the dreaded solenoid whatever replaced as it's got a bad case of the rear clutch bind, alas. In light of the estimated repairs, I'm thinking it's time to donate it to someone who can use the EJ22 reputedly great engine, if not the full car, maybe doing their own repairs.

Change the oil & filter every 3K/mi, DON'T overheat it, and it should go an easy 300-400,000 miles. I have one with almost 500,000 miles on it - an '89

I have a 97 legacy with a little over 160 k on it and its still going I resently replaced the timing belt o2 sensor and thermostat outher than that just regular matince oil,filters ect... I only paid $250 for the car because it was on its way to the scrap yard for some odd reason it was my first car and is hopefully the only car i'll own for a while and if your fwd light is on look under the hood and look to the passenger side in the back right corner their will be a fwd fuse box and if their is a fuse in their take it out because if their is a fuse in the box you are only running front wheel drive when you take the fuse out the light will go out

I just turned 300,000 on my 1996 Legacy wagon! When I got the oil changed yesterday, the young fellow saw me coming and only said: "300,000!? KEEP IT. I've seen a LOT of cars in this valley and I can tell you, ones with just 20,000 miles on them don't look and run half as good as this one. No leaking or anything. Whatever you're doing - keep doing it." My number 1 secret is to always substitute 1 quart of Lucas Oil Treatment with the 10/30 weight oil. However - I knew this oil shop doesn't use the Lucas, and I didn't have any on me, so this change doesn't really have any in it. What I'll do is just keep a quart in my house where it keeps warm, and when I check the oil, I'll add some Lucas if it needs any. The 4-speed automatic and motor are original. I still get about 30 mpg and it kicks it up when I use the Lucas gas treatment in it, too. Though I'm not old, I've had it since it had only 23,000 miles on it, and I taught 3 kids to drive with it. But, If you drive it like an old lady, it DOES MATTER. There's no where to go THAT fast, or to drive like an idiot, so just .. take care of the Super-Sooby and she'll treat you right forever! :) The only things I've replaced are: - Transmission main seal when under warranty in 1999. - Alternator and 2 batteries (last one 2010?) - Radiator and water pump in 2011 - Headlights in 2011 - Tie rod ends, 2 times (last time 2010?) - Windshield 2x (needs again) - *** Transmission and rear gear box solenoids: THESE can make you THINK the transmission is dying, but it's only electronic, so I got these replaced January 2014. While driving along, the motor would seem to sputter and lose power, making it feel like there was a gas issue. The mechanic called Subaru with no answer on the issue, so he kept my car for about 2 weeks and fixed it for FREE. Because he wanted to learn and rise above, he did this for me .. ! wow!!!?? - belts a couple times.. - Fuel pump in gas tank in (2010) .. but that's about it. :)

My '96 Legacy wagon has 428,500 miles on it and trouble-free, until just now. :( All I ever did was routine maintenance and replace the normal wearing parts, like cv joints, etc., and that was infrequent anyway. I kept a maintenance log ever since I bought it new. The drive train, a/c, cooling and exhaust systems never touched! Now, however, all of a sudden it developed major problems and I have decided that that's it for that car. I just replaced the tailgate struts so I'll pull those off and there are bits and pieces here and there (anyone interested?). It has been the cheapest vehicle I've ever owned--I got my money's worth several times over. In the spring I'll probably buy another one.

Mine is 1999 Legacy Brighton with baby engine and automatic trans. I love this thing! Bought it with 71K original on it for $6500 cash on Car Soup dot com. Now it just turned over the 100K mark. All i do is ad gas and get oil changes. I had a oil pressure sensor changed. That's it! I put Blizzak WS-50 ice/snow tires on separate dedicated rims. So, i simply bolt the tires on for the seasons. It goes,, no matter what weather we have. Ice and snow is absolutely NO challange for my Suby ! It just plain goes. Very reliable and it starts every time. Nice. I wish I would have Subys earlier in life, but i was stupid and had 'the others' along with their new parts every other month. Hah! Get a Suby!

Hello I've had my 2003Subaru Legacy L for about three years now and it's been pretty reliable it's my daily car but it's always had this problem where it would act up every once in a while where it will start to shake and lose power and even shut off for a few minutes.it has pretty high mileage now but I've tried replacing a few things but it will still act up,I have a couple mods a cold air intake and a catback exhaust,if anyone can help please email me at flipsorrysk8er22@yahoo.com

I spoil my 96 outback. At 165000 on her, she is still low miles. I fill her with nothing but premium, and if anything is off or wrong (which has happened once or twice) she goes right to the shop. I expect to see 300000 from mine. I don't see why your wouldn't!

I have a 1997 Subaru legacy L sedan 2.2L and she is a tank she is low miles 166,542 miles on her i saved her from the scrap yard about a year ago i paid $250 for her and i love her to death the reason the guy was getting rid of it was because it needed a knock sensor A $40 part so i took her to autozone and before i replaced the part she had some trouble getting up hills but after that she purred like a kitten never let me down so i would definitely expect your car to last until. 300K

My 1998 Legacy Wagon has 191, 500 miles on the original engine. I love its roominess (I can sleep in it completely stretched out!) and stability and after looking at newer Subes decided to keep mine. It gets as good gas mileage as the new ones and it's not nearly as ugly plus it's bigger. The oil leak smells had gotten really bad though and were coming in the vents and the defroster so I decided recently to have new head and valve cover gaskets installed. Also the transmission was working fine but had changed its low hum to a higher one and within the last year it was starting to sound like a lawn mower. So while the engine was out for gasket repairs my mechanic installed a crate tranny with 40K on it and of course a new clutch since everything was out even though my old original clutch seemed just fine. It was a bit of pocket change to get everything squared away, but MUCH cheaper than a new ugly smaller car with car payments AND the car drives like new. It has MUCH more oomph and it drives smoother than ever. I am in love with it and I'm glad I made the choice. No more oil leaks either! I expect to have the car for at least another 5 years if not longer. Glad to hear everyone is having good luck with theirs.

Venice What engine do you have in yours

Hey folks if you have the 2.2 liter engine in your Subaru it will run like the Enegizer Bunny and "keep going and going" if you take care of it. Or be like a Timex watch "take a licking and keeps on ticking". Just be sure to repair the oil leaks and don't overheat the engine and change the oil. I have owned a 1990, 1991 and 1993 subaru legacy wagon AWD both 5 speed and automatic. My current subaru is a 1993 Subaru Legacy wagon AWD with a 5 speed manual and currently has 590,000 miles on it heading for 600,000 --orginal engine, tranny rebuilt once. (590,00 is not a typo) My 1991 I sold at 297,000 miles and it had 400,000 last time I checked with the owner. I can't speak for the 2.5 engine since I have avoided them because of the continuing problems which seemed to finally have been resolved by 2006.

My 2001 legacy is upto 292,000km, the radiator needs to be replaced as it's leaking and there's a few oil leaks that need to be looked at but other than that it's running fine.. I've recently had a choice between keeping a newer Mitsubishi Lancer (done less than 100,000km) and selling the Subaru or keeping the Subaru and selling the Lancer.. I'm taking a chance and selling the lancer because I reckon the Subaru will outlast it, will TLC I have a lot of faith in my Subaru it's very tough. Hope I've made the right decision lol.

2001 Legacy GTwagon, 177,000 miles. Have to replace the catylic converter, a wheel bearing, and the usual head gasket and timing belts work. Original engine and transmission. Still get over 26 mpg on the highway if I keep it to 65. I spent about a $1000 a few years ago to get rid of the rust happening over the rear wheels, which seems to a design defect of the 2001 models. See no reason why I can't get at least another 25k out of it. The big question is do I give it to my college-grad son and get myself a newer Outback.

Other than a diesel Mercedes , I can't think of another car that is as "bullet-proof" as a Subaru , and I've gone through a bunch of vehicles since I got my license back in '67, both foreign and domestic (6-pac Mopars, 'vettes,etc). & with proper care they will outlast anything that Detroit has to offer. I guess pre-designed obsolence wasn't in the company doctrine. ' as a Subaru 0

I had 1990 legacy L wagon that was running well at 170k very few issues with 2.2 engine. Gas tank rusted out and new gas tank cost more than car was worth. I traded this one in on a new Subaru wagon but I think with a gas tank from a junk yard could have gone at least another 50k maybe a 100k. 2000 legacy has not been quite as reliable.

pre 96 "jK'" forever if you kept it oiled and kept up on timing belts chains gears etc 99has given me headaches.85 gl is a trooper still 94 turbo wagon legacy bulletproof those cars new had to have been scary fast in a wagon

I just bought a '98 2.5l Legacy wagon with 282k on it. It ticks a little bit when you start it up, and the PS pump is leaking, but once it warms up it runs like a top. And it gets it, too. I'm keeping it for a couple months and sending it on down the line, but it's a solid daily driver that gets decent mileage.

The 2.2 is probably one of the most solid engines Subaru made. I know the original post was made over 10 years ago. Hopefully you still have the car. I had a 1993 Legacy Sport Sedan (2.2 turbo) that I put over 282,000 miles on it - original everything - before i traded it in. You might want to check out several of the Subaru organizations on the web (and on FB) geared just to Subarus, including (but not limited to) the Subaru High Mileage Club (subaruhighmileage club dot com.)

hellow...got some guys selling a 2007 SUBARU LEGACY B4 with a BLE-019209 3.0cc engine and currently 114953.671 miles mileage..suppose engine was well maintained and serviced well what could be engine performance and efficiency rating out of 10..how strong could It stil be?

wow.. it was 3 years ago that I posted when I hit 300,000.. !? >>> not even a marriage has been as good as this Subaru has to me.. ... 19 years and 328,000 on original motor and drivetrain .. .. pic on 2-9-18 and now I have almost 328.700 Still going on the same stuff as 3 years ago, too :)

Congratulations, Tanya. Fortunately it should continue to give good service. The Subaru High Mileage Club has reported more than one member with over 600,000 miles. One such member bought his Subaru from the first fellow I became aware of to exceed a half-million miles. Thanks to that person, we now know what happens when a Subaru with digital odometer reaches all nines (999,999.) It stops! That Subaru was a European car that registers kilometers. Fortunately, Tanya, you have a mechanical odometer which will turn over at 1 million *miles*.

I own a 2010 Subaru Legacy and just passed the 300,000 mile mark. I bought it November of 2011 with about 6,000 miles on it. Always had it serviced by Subaru and changed the oil every 10,000 miles. Yes every 10,000 miles!! I live in CT so some tough weather conditions too. I will always own a Subaru!!! I still drive this one every day

I wish rhe guy who asked the question 11 years ago (oregonrose) would post a reply again giving us the results.

I'm looking at a 2001 subaru legacy outback with 171,000 miles on it...am I crazy to buy this car for my son's first car??? The miles are so high, but the price is right...$2800.00 what do you think subaru people???

No not at all my legacy has over 317,000 miles still running great

I have a 1996 subaru legacy wagon with 319,000 mi. I take care of it myself and when something breaks or is about to wear out I get it fixed immediately. I don't think I could ever sell a car with that many miles but it runs perfect and is strong. I guess I'll drive it forever or give it away someday but I love her for the years of commitment and support and she loves me back because I take care of her.

I have a 2007 legacy. 260,000 kms. But now I am during less cause I got another car. What oil weight do you choose? 10w40 or 5w30 for old mileage legacy?

I have a 2001 Legacy Outback with 370,000 miles on it...Still purrs like a kitten! It has always had the services done on time and when something was wrong I fixed it (Im a mechanic) I have replaced the timing belt twice, but have never had to do a head gasket!! (although it is time!!) The tranny slips a bit so that will be the next big thing we do.

@Tom, try some Lucas TransFix before spending a fortune overhauling the transmission. It could not hurt.

Our manual transmission, Subaru Impreza Outback 1999 has 284,000 miles, not burning oil, great compression. Gonna keep driving it, cos Subaru Dealers are asking $10,000 over msrp for new Subies!