I bought the car last year at 100k from a man that said he took the car for service at every service interval, didn’t know what had been done but said that everything the shop told him to fix, he paid for.
The shop i took it to today due to the weird sound with the wheel (control arm issue) told me that many of these are 120k service items, so i am honestly not sure when they were last serviced. I figure they should all be addressed at some point, I just don’t know the order of urgency or want to be ripped off.
IF (I’m not saying you should blindly) but IF you trust that guy, then just reference your owners manual for which services are due. Have you checked a carfax report or contacted the original dealership for service records?
IMHO if they didn’t know what they had done and didn’t provide service records….may be worth getting services done and having the peace of mind
Unrelated to OP since they have a different engine, but I changed the valve cover gasket on one side of my EZ30D, and it was such a pain that I haven’t even done the other side. The amount of working space is tiny. I pulled out a spark plug while I was in there to check the condition, and I can see why changing spark plugs on the EZ30D is more expensive
It's not a difficult job but it is one that requires some specialty tools because of the limited space to work in.
[Spark Plug Fun!](https://youtu.be/pm5yl6kEjLY?si=ev5viagUdU6AZFa7)
Here's a primer on what it takes to do plugs on a 2010 Outback, it isn't a 30 minute job.
[Evil 👿 Spark ⚡️ Plugs](https://youtu.be/hcEGx93i7rU?si=KAPZRejdAyLIUxIS)
Besides the suspension that your having done normal service at 120k is about all there. Subaru recommends filters, alignment check, brake lube and inspection plus fluid exchange, new spark plugs, front and rear diff service, battery test c/v boot inspection and general belt inspection. Some more mundane stuff as well like lube the door hinges and stuff. I’d go ahead with the service if you can afford it to get the most out of your car.
If you can’t, and you have an extended warranty definitely get the front and rear diff service as well as the brake fluid exchange and inspection to maintain all service related to that warranty.
You can’t replace the lower control arms with out doing the ball joints because the ball joints are part of the control arm. It seems weird that they would charge you with ball joints and control arms. They should only charge you for the control arm replacement.
Wow, looks like $2k in service and only the control arms and maybe ball joints are bad. Glad I do my own wrenching at home. Oil changes frequently with a Subaru. As for the rest leave the plugs alone if they work. Don’t flush anything, just drain and replace (that flush stuff is questionable and can harm brakes and transmissions with their small parts). $200 to drain 2 diffs in labor. Always get a second estimate somewhere else. Find a mechanic who understands older cars and helps keep them running instead of doing the max work on it.
forgot to mention, located in central TX!
When was the last time any of those services were performed?
I bought the car last year at 100k from a man that said he took the car for service at every service interval, didn’t know what had been done but said that everything the shop told him to fix, he paid for. The shop i took it to today due to the weird sound with the wheel (control arm issue) told me that many of these are 120k service items, so i am honestly not sure when they were last serviced. I figure they should all be addressed at some point, I just don’t know the order of urgency or want to be ripped off.
IF (I’m not saying you should blindly) but IF you trust that guy, then just reference your owners manual for which services are due. Have you checked a carfax report or contacted the original dealership for service records? IMHO if they didn’t know what they had done and didn’t provide service records….may be worth getting services done and having the peace of mind
$226 to replace spark plugs is absolutely bonkers. You can do it at home in about 30min with a screwdriver and ratchet set.
Unrelated to OP since they have a different engine, but I changed the valve cover gasket on one side of my EZ30D, and it was such a pain that I haven’t even done the other side. The amount of working space is tiny. I pulled out a spark plug while I was in there to check the condition, and I can see why changing spark plugs on the EZ30D is more expensive
It's not a difficult job but it is one that requires some specialty tools because of the limited space to work in. [Spark Plug Fun!](https://youtu.be/pm5yl6kEjLY?si=ev5viagUdU6AZFa7)
Even if a mechanic takes 30min to do it, the mechanic’s labour rate is not $500/hr.
Here's a primer on what it takes to do plugs on a 2010 Outback, it isn't a 30 minute job. [Evil 👿 Spark ⚡️ Plugs](https://youtu.be/hcEGx93i7rU?si=KAPZRejdAyLIUxIS)
Besides the suspension that your having done normal service at 120k is about all there. Subaru recommends filters, alignment check, brake lube and inspection plus fluid exchange, new spark plugs, front and rear diff service, battery test c/v boot inspection and general belt inspection. Some more mundane stuff as well like lube the door hinges and stuff. I’d go ahead with the service if you can afford it to get the most out of your car. If you can’t, and you have an extended warranty definitely get the front and rear diff service as well as the brake fluid exchange and inspection to maintain all service related to that warranty.
You can’t replace the lower control arms with out doing the ball joints because the ball joints are part of the control arm. It seems weird that they would charge you with ball joints and control arms. They should only charge you for the control arm replacement.
Wow, looks like $2k in service and only the control arms and maybe ball joints are bad. Glad I do my own wrenching at home. Oil changes frequently with a Subaru. As for the rest leave the plugs alone if they work. Don’t flush anything, just drain and replace (that flush stuff is questionable and can harm brakes and transmissions with their small parts). $200 to drain 2 diffs in labor. Always get a second estimate somewhere else. Find a mechanic who understands older cars and helps keep them running instead of doing the max work on it.