Looking to buy 05 Baja with 175K miles. Only problem I see is it idles at about 3000 RPM's. Is this an expensive fix?
6 Answers
I would DEFINITELY AVOID this car! Subaru stopped making the Baja after the 2006 model year AND the 2005 model was laden with problems according to Consumer Reports, which included: Major and Minor Engine issues, Major and Minor Transmission issues, Drive System & Fuel System issues as well.
Plus, with the high miles, you're likely to be looking at serious repair bills probably soon after you buy it!
The Baja is basically the same driveline as the Impreza and Forester and completely identical to the Legacy. It is no more or less reliable than those. The reason production ended was because people didn't see the use or need for a Legacy pickup. That said, is the Baja in question a manual or automatic? It sounds like either a neutral position switch in the case of the manual or an idle air control valve in the case of an automatic. I would not make the purchase without having that properly diagnosed though.
Think about HOW MANY Baja's you see on the road today and THEN look back to my earlier response about how Consumer Reports slammed this car...then make up your own mind. The high idle is enough of a concern for me to NOT want to buy it.
Look up production numbers for the Baja and that will explain why you don't see many on the road today. You didn't see many on the road when they were new, either. As previously stated, I'm not disagreeing with you on the high idle being a concern, but knowing the mechanics of the car, it is impossible for it to be any better or worse than Legacies, Foresters, and the like. If you like the pickup bed as hardly anyone in America did, buy a Baja. If you prefer the wagon or sedan, buy the Legacy.
You sound like you know bajas a 05 or 06 is best ? thank you dave
