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2009 Subaru Forester

16970717274

Comments

  • bikerguy3bikerguy3 Member Posts: 43
    IMHO - the Forester is about average as far as cabin noise, maybe a little bit
    quieter than some other comparable CUV's I've driven.

    The biggest noise variable I have found is with the combination of tires and road surface.

    There are a few roads near me where the road surface is older and rough and grooved, and the tires sing out very noisily! But then there are a few stretches of ultra-smooth, newly paved highway, where the Forester rides quiet as a Lexus.

    My suggestion would be that if you live in an area where the prevalent road surfaces cause the Forester to be noisy, then you can fairly easily replace the tires with a much quieter style.

    Cheers!
  • rich28rich28 Member Posts: 23
    Starts fine in cold weather. When I brought it to Subaru, they sprayed the doors with warm water, and once it sat in the garage and got warm, the windows operated properly. Sometimes the back windows will barely go up. Is it the motors?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hmm, sounds like it's icing up.

    The warm water would only be a temporary solution, as that simply puts more water there to freeze up later.

    The good thing, I guess, is that you don't usually need the windows down when it's below freezing.

    Wait for a warm day, and clean and dry your windows and all the rubber seals to dry up any residual dampness there.
  • artourartour Member Posts: 22
    I can't tell you about earlier models, but I have one and it has no rattles and is quiet in the city & on highway trips. I think that a small % of cars may have rattles, but they are the ones we are hearing about here. By and large, most are probably very quiet, at least mine is.
  • outpost05outpost05 Member Posts: 9
    I did not use an OEM filter. I ordered a couple for about $10 each from Logical-Source.com. It looked just like the OEM one I replaced.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good price.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    I do not move the windows up/down all that much on the Forester during the winter, but I will attempt to remember to try it tonight. The weather here is holding steady at about -10 to -15, which I suspect is about as cold as most places in the lower 48 typically see.

    If ice is involved, the problem is usually that the windows don't want to move at all (or the motor mechanism breaks!). If it is moving slowly it may simply be that the lubricants Subaru used on the motor do not have good cold flow properties and are creating extra resistance.

    Also, the stock batteries on Subaru cars are crap. I think they are rated at 280 CCA. This may not be the problem if the vehicle is running, but a good battery never hurts. I replaced mine last month with a 680 CCA battery. The car now starts easily at -20 or colder, whereas it would barely start with the stock battery.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I've noticed my Toyota uses much thinner oil than the stuff spec'd for our Forester as well. I think Toyota is doing everything they can to eek out that last 0.001mpg, though. I doubt that oil offers as much protection.

    I think the stock battery on my '98 Forester was 360 CCA, something like that (it was in the 300s). Still much lower than the aftermarket battery I replaced it with.
  • marshykmarshyk Member Posts: 1
    I have owned my Forester for 16 months now and the Airbag light is going on and off. I took it in to the dealer to have them check it out. Apparently the satellite radio I had installed is interfering with the airbag system. The satellite radio transmitter (?) was placed on top of the airbag unit thus causing interference with the airbag system and causing the airbag light to come on.
    Has anyone else heard of this?
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    Just curious if anyone has had their '09 XT tuned by COBB ?

    If so, how did the tune work out (I'm considering stage 1, as stage 2 requires an exhaust pipe/cat converter swap that will void the XT's engine warranty.).
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Forester makes the list:

    http://www.jdpower.com/autos/articles/2010-Vehicle-Dependability-Study-Results/p- age-3/

    This is for the 2007 model year, but to me it is FAR more significant than the 90-day Initial Quality study.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    I agree that it is far more significant. I am curious to see how the 2009 MY does; I suspect it will drop in the interior/body category.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    CR reliability forecast is now Excellent.
  • enduroprenduropr Member Posts: 1
    Hi everybody. I own 2009 Forester X, I bought it new in June 2008, 8K miles now. I'm having problems with the automatic transmission, sometimes it idles. Any feedback will be appreciated.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    This would be a "take it to the dealer right away" case.

    You're under the full warranty and you want this documented even if you can fix it easily, just in case it creeps up again later.
  • confused25confused25 Member Posts: 11
    enduropr, what do you mean by the automatic transmission, it sometimes idles? Do you mean that it slips (i.e. you put it in drive and it revs a little before engaging) or that it shifts gears a little hard (i.e. shifts from 2nd into 3rd with a jerk)? I agree with another comment that you need to get it checked by the dealer while its under warranty. I have a 2010 Forester X and I experience the hard shifts. It doesn't always happen and I was going to have the dealer check this during my next scheduled maintenance in 2k miles. Thanks.
  • gjksngjksn Member Posts: 35
    I've had this happen on my Legacy. I opened and closed the gas cap tightly. While it was open, I ran my finger around the threads of the cap and the threads of the the filler hole to make sure there wasn't anything that could be causing the cap not to tighten properly. Then, I started the car, turned it off, started it again...... I think I did 3 cycles of this on/off business, and the light went out. Might've been a fluke, but it seems like it worked for me (and more than once).
  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Member Posts: 1,798
    A Subaru assistant manager told me that after a gas cap related CHK ENGINE light appears, starting the car 3 times (turning off engine after each start) will clear such CHK ENGINE lights, provided the gas cap is properly tightened/sealed during those 3 restarts.
  • phdhuskyphdhusky Member Posts: 112
    Hi guys,

    I have been looking at the mysubaru.com site but it's hard to tell what the 15k maintenance requires because it is formatted incorrectly.

    My dealer wants to do all this fluff service. Do you guys know what kinds of things are necessary that I can't do myself (such as cabin air filter). I am going to have them do my oil change as it is a huge hassle because where I live it would be difficult/more expensive than to have them do it.
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    The owner's supplemental service manual should list what Subaru requires. Dealers love to add stuff because that helps their profit margin.

    I get this for my 10 from mysubaru:

    Interval: 15,000 miles / 15 month service
    Action Description
    Replace Engine oil
    Replace Engine oil filter
    Inspect Disc brake pads and discs, front and rear axle boots and axle shaft joint portions
    Perform Inspect brake lines and check operation of parking and service brake system
    Inspect Clutch operation
    Inspect Steering and suspension
    Perform Rotate and Inspect Tires
  • rich28rich28 Member Posts: 23
    I would recommend doing the cabin air filter replacement yourself. It's MUCH cheaper and very easy. You can get a replacement filter online. Subaru's price is outrageously high for something SO easy. Below is a link on how to do it. Note: you have to pull hard on the glove box one side at a time to get it off. I was afraid I was going to break something when I did it the first time, but don't worry, you won't. It's very easy!

    http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f77/diy-2009-forester-cabin-filter-repla- cement-59650/
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'll add some pics from tinycadon's CarSpace page:

    http://www.carspace.com/tinycadon/Albums/InteriorAirFilter/
  • rich28rich28 Member Posts: 23
    Good pics! I referenced them as well when I researched the filter install. Good suff and much help!

    My wife had her Toyota cabin filter replaced by Lube Stop for about the same price as what I paid for my filter and shipping FYI.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You mean "dog-friendly" vehicles. ;)

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ninja edit! ;)
  • tkay2tkay2 Member Posts: 51
    Recently took my 09 Forester LL Bean in because blower motor not working. They said the drain got clogged and froze and backed up. They say I need a new blower and resistor.??? $750.00 are they nuts... Now I due have 55K miles But when I bought the the vehicle I got free maintenance for 3 yr 36K miles. Since then I have taken it in to the dealer when I should, I had enough Subaru bucks to pay for the maintenance since the 3 yr. warranty ran out. Are they supposed to check this when vehicle is in for maintenance???? T.Kay
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We had a brutal winter, were you in areas affected by the massive snows? We had several feet here in the mid atlantic.

    You're at 55k miles so my guess is you were past the 36k when that storm came.

    Knock on wood, our 2009 is fine.
  • tkay2tkay2 Member Posts: 51
    X Man .. My air cond was working fine. The winter was not to bad, for Michigan. Car was always in the garage. Then all of a sudden it stopped blowing. This was Aug 26 th. Just can't understand why it would plug up now. The mechanic mentioned something about the drain plugging??? It was 90 degrees . My warranty is gone. Figures RIGHT!!!. Was there any way to tell that this could happen. All I know, Heater and blower were fine this past winter, and air worked fine up till a week ago. Does this quote $750,00 seem high are there alternatives.?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That sucks... you do have Subaru Bucks, though?

    I think we have about $1000 worth of those saved up just in case. Last time, with out '02 Legacy, nothing ever broke, so we got $2400 off our Forester. :shades:
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    It seems high to me, but I am not sure how much of the price is parts and how much is labor. I had to buy a new blower fan for my '96 Outback and it was about $150, and took me about an hour to install at ten degrees. I probably could have shaved 20 minutes off that time if my hands weren't so darn cold! :surprise:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    Try getting a diagnosis at a different dealer. This one sounds like they are trying to rip you off.
  • tkay2tkay2 Member Posts: 51
    Thanks for the response. The dealer called Subaru and they covered the parts $$$$ what I paid was the dealer install...$168.00 they called it good faith warranty... call it COOL
  • md320emd320e Member Posts: 1
    I have a 08 Forester as well and I used Appraisal Group of America. I was very happy with the service. Fee was a little steep at $399. They faxed the report over to Farmers and the adjuster sent me a check for the $7,000. My car still rattles and the paint is crappy but at least I got a check.
  • outwardbound1outwardbound1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2011 Forester premium. I bought it new almost a year ago and it now has 4,000 miles. The middle seam on the back of the driver's seat is fraying! There are loose threads which are getting worse with each use. I think the cloth seat material and workmanship is inferior and totally unacceptable! I have also noticed that the light gray material stains easily and does not clean up well. Does anyone else have a similar experience? How about a reccomendation for good seat covers, after I get Subaru to replace this defective seat back?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    First I've heard so that's highly unusual.

    You are under the 12 month/12k mile adjustment period, so I would take it to your dealer.

    The back seat doesn't even get used as often, so there's no way that is acceptable. Knock on wood but our 09 Limited is perfect, so they should fix that or even replace the whole bottom cushion!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    40K on my '10 Forester premium, and the seats are still perfect, despite the two hoodlums in the back! Mine is Paprika, though, so that has the black seats.

    My friends have a '10 Forester premium at the same mileage in Dark Grey, with the grey seats, and while I like the light interior (aesthetically), it definitely has a propensity for staining. Again, upholstery fit & finish is perfect.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We have an '09, my brother got an '11, and my sister has an '03. When we meet up it looks like a dealership parking lot.

    Sis was shopping for a '12 but I think she's keeping the '03. Needs a new timing belt, though, and they had that $500 Costco offer, so she was tempted.
  • merlinhorsemerlinhorse Member Posts: 5
    I am just about to replace my second clutch in 10,000 miles on my Subaru Forrester. Subaru claim they are not aware of any problems and any consideration is very unlikly. Total milage 22,000. The recovery vehicle claimed he had collected 3 such forrester breakdowns recently
    ( recovery cost £500)
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    Never heard of clutch issues with Foresters. What engine is this? Diesel + MT is new enough that problems would just be coming to light, and we don't have the diesel here in the N. American market for comparison.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    Agreed.

    While I am not particularly fond of the clutch, there's nothing "wrong" with mine after 45,000 miles, and I suspect I use it much heavier, if you will, than most owners since I do off road with it in the winter as well as pull heavy loads from time to time. Let's just say that I am familiar with its tolerance before it starts to burn. :blush:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • merlinhorsemerlinhorse Member Posts: 5
    my forrester is a Diesal 1998cc I had been in cruise control for half hour pulling a caravan at 50 miles per hour. No braking or accelerating on the inside lane of the M40. First noticed reves increased then smell 1 minute later when we drifted to a stop - no warning at all!.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    Ah, yeah; we don't have that drivetrain on this side of the world, so I cannot help there. How heavy was the caravan? Sounds like the added weight and the engine torque combined to disappointing results....
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • merlinhorsemerlinhorse Member Posts: 5
    The Subaru was bought specifically for this job. The caravan is a two wheeler and was only used four times per year for journeys of less than 200 miles. Weight 1145kg.
    Just for information here is my letter to Subaru M.D. 15/9/2012. I await a response. Thanks for your interest.

    Re: [Edmunds.com Forums] New message in 2009 Subaru Forester
    VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

    This album has 7 photos and will be available on SkyDrive until 16/12/2012.




    Dear Sir,

    I am the owner of a Subaru Forrester MF09 GXJ which I purchased from M Kar SUBARU on the 5th August 2009 for the purpose of towing my caravan. This demo model had a mileage of 3500.

    On the 6th September 2010 without any warning on a four lane roundabout the clutch suddenly overheated and burnt out. It was agreed from the evidence that this was a mechanical failure and not due to misuse by the driver. The clutch plate and casing with photographs was returned to Subaru for examination by the franchise agent. - Mileage 10,600.

    I was repeatedly reassured that this situation would not reoccur A ECU Configuration was done on 14/6/11. This was after a routine service by the agent earlier on 7/2/11. A further service was done on 16/3/12.

    On the 10th September 2012 whilst travelling on cruise control for the preceding 45 minutes on the M40 in Oxfordshire the clutch started to slip and the car came to a standstill. The AA rescue person remarked “oh its another Subaru” When I questioned him about this he said he had three such cases recently but there weren’t many on the road yet. The £500 rescue by the AA retuned us to the nearest possible place to home. Repairs revealed that the clutch and fly wheel had been completely destroyed. Mileage reading 22,800 – 12,000 miles and two years after the first repair.

    I telephoned and spoke to Mr Adrian Hogg at your head office customer care centre, and he said that you had not had any cases of failed clutches at all so it was driver error. – It had to be a mechanical fault or faulty driving and there were no mechanical problems experienced. I mentioned my experience in 2010 which Subaru were aware of and the cars reported by the breakdown man but he simply replied that it would have to be proved it was mechanical failure by the agent and even then any recompense would be very unlikely as the car had just passed it’s three year warranty. Even so the repaired clutch had parts which had failed after two years and were still within the warranted three years!



    In consideration of the nature of the failures I am convinced that there is a fundamental cause for these failures, and that the final collapse is the result of short periods of excessive wear of which the driver would not be aware. It is also apparent that a clutch failure will reoccur after a further 12,000 miles unless some fundamental cause is discovered and corrected. Without this I will inform all members of the caravan club of my experiences, and seek outside expert advice.

    Having spent in excess of two thousand pounds in recoveries, repairs and parts in the duration of 12,000 miles of motoring I would enquire if you have a good will policy? I would also point out with all the available evidence this machine is without any doubt not fit for the purpose for which it was sold, unless it is subjected to a radicle clutch modification.

    In conclusion I would very much appreciate your opinion on this situation.




    From: Edmunds.com Forums
    Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 6:07 PM
    To: keithashworth@route56.co.uk
    Subject: [Edmunds.com Forums] New message in 2009 Subaru Forester

    New message posted in 2009 Subaru Forester
    #3729 Re: merlinhorse1 [merlinhorse] by xwesx Sep 17, 2012 (10:07 am)
    Ah, yeah; we don't have that drivetrain on this side of the world, so I cannot help there. How heavy was the caravan? Sounds like the added weight and the engine torque combined to disappointing results....

    View/reply at: Re: merlinhorse1 [merlinhorse]

    This email was sent to [merlinhorse / keithashworth@route56.co.uk] based on your election to track and be alerted to new messages in this discussion or Forum. To stop receiving emails, visit your My Watched Items page and deselect the Email Alerts for this discussion or Forum.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    Excellent approach. I am interested to know how it plays out. Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to have the diesel boxer added to the lineup here (sans issues like these, perhaps?).

    Best of luck to you.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Weight 1145kg

    That's actually above the tow rating for here in the USA, but I believe they're higher in Europe, 1800kg IIRC?
  • merlinhorse1merlinhorse1 Member Posts: 1
    My Maximum Total Pay Load MTPL 1350 KG giving a user pay load of 205 Kg
    Subaru acknowledged my letter - said it had been logged, they very much valued customer feedback and appreciated me bringing the matter to their attention, and would be in cotact shortly!
    Good job my Nissen Primera 2litre diesal car with I used to pull the same caravan and others for five years has never had clutch problems, and was there to complete the journey this time!. This should help to eliminate the cause being "Driver Error" I think.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, it should be able to manage that load, then. Let's hope they assist. Keep us posted with updates?
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Well after looking on and off at new cars for right about a year, I finally placed an order on a 2013 Forester on the last day possible. Subaru cut off factory orders a week ago in order for them to retool the assembly line for the 2014 redesigned Forester which goes on sale in November in Japan and in early 2014 in the US. Yes you read that correctly, the 2013s which only hit the lots in August, are already on the way out.

    Based upon the early leaked info on the 2014s, I think I'm okay with getting the old model. While it never won any styling awards, I've always liked the utility-oriented body style and dislike the current trend towards swoopy and rounded with its associated loss of interior volume and driver visibility.

    So anyway, this will be my 3rd Forester and will make it one from each generation. And who knows, maybe I'll get the next generation Forester in a few years when Subaru finally brings the STi version to the US ;)

    Frank P.
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