Buying 2006 Forster XT - already Impreza owner, advice?

[annascoob]

I have converted the husband to be a Subaru lover! So we shall be become a two Subaru household. I own Subaru Impreza 2002 WRX and we are looking at a Forester 2006 XT with all weather pack 115,000 on the clock, two owners from new from a dealer which has been serviced rigorously since owner brought from same dealer in 2006 so engine all good we should hope. Exterior doesn't sppear to have usual Subaru rust issues (been stung there before with the Impreza). The exterior paintwork has some scratches and bumpers need new ones as been reversed into something at some point (hopefully dealership who have one scrapping has both bumpers and just need to get painted) not surprised because the village that the dealership is in has streets only just wide enough for a horse and cart! The issue I am asking about is that the previous owner did not "get on" with the alarm so the dealership disarmed it! Dealership said that the immobiliser is in the key itself and the push button on key fob was just for the alarm (they have stuffed some kind of gunk in the hole where the push button was), they are now telling us that the alarm "ECU" is effectively knackered ? (again they think they can take one off they are scrapping and put it in) - there isn't only one key. 

So how easy/difficult would it be to get new alarm system put on or just get another key/fob for remote central locking for it?

Any Forester general foibles to look out for? (We know the usual Subaru ones from current Impreza) 

[Mr B]

I would of gone with a 2004/2005 proper tidy example to make worthy saving in road tax and have good experience and no hassle .

To see rust on these you need not just look but physical touch/tap within rear arch, they go right up in turret outer side and around spot welds and also down sides of the stiffening plate that sits directly behind the strut, also the arch/sill end near the seat belt bolt goes and this happens from inside so external looks great till tappy tap tap :-) inner arch filler pipe area also needs inspection .

Subframes and trailing rear link front mount bracket also can rust bad on these, subframes need a really good inspection (more so OS)

Other known issues are failing SLS rear strut valving so rear starts sagging .

OEM immobiliser is SKM key  (skim-key) transponder chip in the key moulding .The alarm is sigma and it also has extra immobiliser circuits (to meet alarm regulations) so someone would of tampered with wiring bypass that fully or plugged in a bypass adapter (you can buy these for this alarm series ) .
alarm ecu very easy swap out and you can put the keyfob boards in your keyfobs and be up and rolling pretty quick if you know what you doing (make sure you get 4 digit manual pin code).

2006 XT not a great seller as most like the earlier cheaper tax year plus it pretty easy find very tidy Forester XT's as they don't get used as farm tools quite so much

It not sounding a gem so I would make sure either it very cheap or everything else A1 .

 

[annascoob]

Thanks very much for the specific information. We got the Forester for 2500 and fairly tidy.