I have 1994 Subaru Impreza with about 107,000 miles. My engine was leaking oil and my mechanic had indicated that the front crank shaft (or drive shaft??) needs to be replaced. Apparently, this is a large and costly job. I don’t have an exact estimate yet. Does anyone think the car is worth this type and size of repair?
Please ask him exactly what’s wrong. There’s a front crank shaft seal, there’s a left and a right front axle, there’s the drive shaft to the rear, among other things. They’re all very different in what it takes to fix them. Also, have you check the car talk mechanic finder? If it’s big$$, it might be worth a second estimate.
The crank shaft is part of the engine, but the drive shaft is not. The crank shaft itself is probably fine, the oil seal is most likely what’s leaking. I don’t necessarily agree that this is a “large and costly job,” but I don’t know your definition of either.
A leak such as you describe is not uncommon on a Subaru, and there may be other seals leaking, too, most of which can be replaced at the same time as the front crankshaft seal.
If you’re going to have this fixed, you should also have a new timing belt installed (they have to remove the old one to get at the crankshaft seal), and I’d recommend a new water pump and thermostat, too, since it’s so easy to do after the timing belt is removed.
The bill should not reach $1,000. I’d guess more like $750 or $800. Can you buy another car for $750-$1,000?
There are lots of '94 Subarus out there with well over 250,000 miles on them. Only you can decide whether or not a repair of this nature is “worth it” to you.
Before you do anything, you might want to get a second estimate.
I’m always amazed at how many Subaru owners are always asking about internal engine parts…