Looking at buying a 2003 w/ 133k miles. Anything I should look for? Common failures? Are headgaskets on these cars as big of a worry as in earlier Subies? Thanks in advance for the help.
Yea, all of them suck. The 02 was the worse though, my 03 lasted for a good while though (120k) and with good bit of torque (340). Of course you should consider the wear and tear after all that mileage. My rear diff was on its way out and I just lost a wheel bearing. I guess it all matters on the deal and condition of the car, all records are up to date etc.
Compression test the car before buying it. Ringlands are a common area of failure. The car can run ok for a while even if one is broken.
wheel bearings, cam seals (all Subarus), probably the radiator with that kind of mileage the 03 did get the updated gearset but as others have pointed out they are all suspect. Depending on the mods/tune it could have other points of failure.
With 133k I'd plan a short-block swap in the near future, and before doing too many mods to it... Siegel
When I was looking for a used WRX, i was told by several to look, especially at a "stock" car, for signs of abuse / modification. Closely. Often the worst cars are when someone pretty much beats it to the ground, then throws stock parts on to sell before it grenades. Places like the bolts on the turbo, intercooler etc. The '03 transmission is a little better but still weaker than average... and AWD can be hard on a tranny if launched