Legacy 3.0 R Spec B - buyer's checklist

[Rumbledriftspin]

Hi All.

I already have have a 2006 Legacy 2.0RE Sports Tourer and I'm thinking of buying a similar age Legacy 3.0R Spec B version.

Are there any common issues with these engines to look out for when checking a car before buying please?

Do they tend to suffer from engine wear resulting in oil consumption and/or blue smoke?

Are the head gaskets reliable?

Also, will any problems with the Bilstein dampers be easy to spot?

Many thanks in advance,

Paul.

[DirktheDaring]

https://www.subarulegacy.com/forums/index.php

Lots of good info above

[Cambs_Stuart]

Rust is the big killer. Check the rear subframe, boot floor and if you can have a peek behind the rear arch liners then do so.
Wheel bearings, wishbone/ARB bushes don't last as long as you'd like, but are fairly cheap and easy to fix. Clutches last 80,000 miles (roughly) but are expensive to change (£1k). Engine crossover coolant pipes are metal and rust through, the lower front is easy to change, the two either side of the engine are awful to access unless you drop the engine or gearbox.
Watch out for any strange noises from the diff. Try to drive a couple so you get an idea of what normal noises are.
And the stereo is a pain to update.

[Rumbledriftspin]

Thanks for your replies.

I'll make sure to check those areas of the car.

[Cambs_Stuart]

Another expensive thing that goes wrong (and is hard to check) is the rear brake hardlines. The rust through above the fuel tank, so they're hard to spot until you're losing a lot of fluid. There were recalls in 2013 and 2014, but even so, watch out for them.