Finally got better pics of the rust! Been looking at this 2019 Forester with 43k miles for $23k… trying to figure out if the price is right or if I should pass. What do you guys think?
That rust doesn’t worry me at all, but I live in the rust belt. If my cars had that little rust, I’d be happy.
Still, I’d probably hit the underside with some Woolwax or Fluid Film to slow it down.
Huxley said:
That rust doesn’t worry me at all, but I live in the rust belt. If my cars had that little rust, I’d be happy.
Still, I’d probably hit the underside with some Woolwax or Fluid Film to slow it down.
Sounds like a good plan, thanks!
The only thing that stands out to me is the rust on the door hinges and bolts.
Delilah said:
The only thing that stands out to me is the rust on the door hinges and bolts.
Yeah, the underside looks normal, but rust on the hinge bolts could mean the owner didn’t take great care of it.
Delilah said:
The only thing that stands out to me is the rust on the door hinges and bolts.
Might just swap them out to be safe, thanks for pointing that out.
Delilah said:
The only thing that stands out to me is the rust on the door hinges and bolts.
Might just swap them out to be safe, thanks for pointing that out.
Honestly, those bolts will last longer than the rest of the car. Not something to stress over.
Delilah said:
The only thing that stands out to me is the rust on the door hinges and bolts.
Might just swap them out to be safe, thanks for pointing that out.
Wouldn’t they only rust like that if they had been removed before?
A little Fluid Film once a year should keep it in check. The hinge rust isn’t a big deal, just spray it and it won’t get worse.
JeffPatterson said:
A little Fluid Film once a year should keep it in check. The hinge rust isn’t a big deal, just spray it and it won’t get worse.
Appreciate it, will do!
Only way to prevent that rust would’ve been a full undercoating right off the lot. This is just surface rust and super minor. I don’t live in the rust belt, and I still see cars two years newer with the same amount.
That price is really good for a 2019 with low miles… kinda makes me wonder if there’s something else they aren’t telling you?
Bought a 2018 with 50k miles from Michigan and it looked just like this. Took it to my Subaru dealer before finalizing the sale, and they said nothing to worry about. A little Fluid Film or an undercoating should take care of it.
@Fable
Good to hear, thanks!
Where are you located? Road salt and humidity make this look totally normal up north.
Someone commented earlier saying the price wasn’t great, but it looks like their comment got deleted. Still curious about that though.
I haven’t found a better deal—similar 2019s with a clean CARFAX are the same price or more, and those have 30k more miles. A brand-new 2023 version of this trim is $32k. KBB puts fair purchase price at $23.9k.
Would you still say it’s overpriced, or should I just keep looking?
@EmmanuelBrown
I see what you’re saying, but just a heads-up—CARFAX isn’t always the full story.
It’s great for what it does, but just because an accident isn’t on the report doesn’t mean it never happened. A lot of repairs and incidents never get reported.
I had a brand-new car that got rear-ended badly within a month, and the repair bill was over $17k. Then, the next year, I got hit again by a semi. Both were reported to police and insurance, yet when I checked the CARFAX years later, it said ‘No major damage reported.’
So yeah, I wouldn’t assume a clean CARFAX means the car never had issues.
@EmmanuelBrown
Just to give you some price comparisons…
I’m in Texas. We picked up a 2019 Sport, fully loaded except for SRH. A dealer quoted us $39k for a 2023 and $36k for a 2019 that wasn’t even Subaru-certified. Private sales ranged from $28k–$33k.
We ended up finding one at a non-Subaru dealer for $28.5k, talked them down to $27k, and paid just under $30k out the door with taxes.
Your price seems reasonable for your area. I personally don’t like rust at all, but if you’re in a place where it’s common, it’s probably nothing to worry about.
Oh, and before buying, take it to an empty parking lot and do some tight circles—listen for any clicking or weird noises. We test-drove a few before buying, and 2 had bad CV joints. If anything feels off, it’s not worth the headache.
If it seems too good to be true, trust your gut.
@Mickey
Super helpful, thanks! It’s great to see some actual price comparisons. I’ll definitely try the tight-circle test.
Did a VIN check on my 2007 Forester… turns out it’s been serviced in Massachusetts, but was sold in Mobile, AL three different times. First owner was an old lady who took great care of it, then a hippie with a bunch of dogs, and now me.