Outback Timing Belt

How important is the car to you? Second car or main transportation? How many miles do you drive a day? Are you having it done or are you doing it? Are you financially able to buy another vehicle if you keep this one and it has a fatal issue after you do this maintenance? It depends on many factors. My situation for example, I would sell it and buy newer as you have got your money out of this machine. How much do you depend on it is the question? A lot....sell it. Not much...keep it and drive it to the scrap yard.

Tough call..you can't complain about NOT getting your money's worth from this car...... NO, I don't think it's worth another timing belt or anything else for that matter.... You could sell it for $1000 or maybe $1,500.... Which is what I would do or drive it as a second car for a while....The problem is the cost to keep this insured.... yeah, I'd get rid of it...use the money for a down payment on a much newer later model..... http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2000/Subaru/Legacy-4-Cyl/Wagon-5D- Outback-AWD/Values

A timing belt is not that big of a deal. If you like the car and it does not use oil or have other issues you may want to keep driving it. The value if you sell it is very low but since you are comfortable with it and know the history you may want to keep driving it. You have 105,000 miles between timing belt changes and you don't say when the last time was that it was changed. Maybe you can drive it for another year or two with out changing the belt. Since the car value is really low you are not risking much. If it blows up you have lost very little.

If you buy another car you may not want another Subaru. They are not nearly as reliable as they used to be. Check out the Mazda CX-5 for an AWD car similar to the Subaru.

Geez! This is NOT a tough call. Just peel forward the left t-belt plastic cover and INSPECT the belt! If it's cracked. They typically last 10-12 years (mileage NOT dependent), so I suspect you'll find it to be ok. However, if you lose its tensioner or an idler pulley you'll need to get in there. But the odds are great that you're ok. Easy peasey....

I guess I'm the dissenting opinion here.... really depends on how "lucky" you think you are.... I would NEVER go 10 or even 12 years on the timing belt... regardless of costs....you want to risk a blown engine....it's not just the belt...it's the other parts like the belt tensioner as well.... yes, go ahead Ernie, you have a different opinion about this... I'm sure that you can determine what's wrong... you're a professional... most of us are not....read this below, https://www.alldrivesubaroo.com.au/services/timing-belt-replacement/

Look, after 274,000 miles...it's time for a new car.... maybe it would be a different story if it were a "diesel engine".....they offer a diesel Subaru in Asia and Australia...you just can't have one in the United States...

If the engine "blows" on this car the owner has only lost a few hundred dollars so the financial risk is minimal. If the belt is in good shape, driving it until it dies could make sense for some people.

Grasshopper, the point is that it takes only 5 minutes for ANYONE to inspect the t-belt and make an easily discerned evaluation. This is a far more prudent path than playing the very expensive "trick or treat" extortion you propose. But it's your money; some folks believe in paying to be overinsured.