Subaru Repair: Noisy Subaru Impreza!, impreza outback sport, oil leaks

Question
Hi,
I have a 97' Impreza Outback Sport, it has 68,000 miles and I bought it at 59,000. I just recently put $1000 into it for an oil leak, right axle problem (inner axle? spewing grease onto the exhaust) and some sealing, they also replaced the timing belt when they were in there. My problem is, now that I have it back, there is a noticeble vibration when the car is idle and accelerating. When accelerating it makes a much more "throttle-y" noise to it, that wasn't there before. Also there is a slight rattle on the right side near the front wheel, and there is a "swooshing" noise coming from the front left wheel (similar sounding to the sound that was happening on the right side, before it was fixed.)
My question is, are these cars worth the money? I have only put about 8,000 miles on this car and am already dipping into the bank for it. My mechanic also said that it's likely for there to be more oil leaks upcoming--for Subarus in general leak. Also is there a bad axle problem with these cars too? I just don't know if I should sell it, or if it's worth the money or it's just going to keep having problems...
Thanks for your time,
Courtney  

Answer
Your car may not have alot of miles, but it is 10 years old. So, you will probably see your mechanic more than you want, but it will probably cost you less than many other 10 year old cars.

I think your car needs to go back to your mechanic and he needs to recheck his work closely. Does the car run like it did before the timing belt was replaced and the throttle-y sound started? Maybe the timing belt is off a tooth or two. Or, maybe you have a bad muffler. The different noises are hard to diagnose here, but after $1000 your car shouldn't be making any of those noises, or the mechanic should have told you about them before you picked up your car. I think your mechanic and you need to drive the car together, and he needs to check it out for free. The repairs, may be related to his work, or they may be new problems.

Is the car worth fixing? In my opinion, probably. But, if you hate dealing with this kind of stuff, then you may want to try something newer. I usually tell a customer in your situation that if you want an excuse to get a new car, you just got it. But, if you think about what your car is now worth, can you find a used car for that amount that is better than the one you got? Or, would you just find one that you need to start over your "rebuilding" process.

Finally, to an extent, your mechanic may be a little right about the oil leaks. If he fixed the ones at the front of the motor, then that should be done. Sometimes a leak will start at the rear of the motor - rear main seal or oil separator cover. Another 500-600 bucks. But, if the oil leak at the back of the motor is not causing you to add oil between changes, then you don't need to worry about it. If it starts to smell or leave drops on the driveway or garage, then you may want to fix the leak, but you still will not need to fix the leaks. And the bad axle problem - usually it is bad replacement parts, not a real axle problem.

Good luck with this one Courtney. You have a car that is usually a great used car.