Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

mpgman

Thanks for the earlier post. I thought I responded but see I didn't. I see where the X model lacks the rear discs, the brake force distribution and LSD among some other things but I prefer the cladding and gray bumpers for the city where too many park by sound and feel. Do you need LSD with all wheel drive? Also...any reason you know why no head curtain airbags on the Forester?

c_hunter

Any chance this car was in a major accident?? Way too many problems and failures for a "vanilla" 2000 Forester. I would be tempted to chalk this up to a "used car" problem rather than a Forester problem.

All I can say is that our 03 Forester was a gem in the 33000 miles we owned it, and that pretty much reflects the experience of the 3-4 other people I know who own Foresters.

I hope this doesn't scare you away from Subaru. Of the vehicles you have mentioned, the Forester will be the best driving vehicle in my opinion. Maybe you should take a look at an 04 or 05 Forester and give it another shot.

Good luck!

Craig

elmoblatch

Got two calls today...college kids & if that does not pan out I will trade in this week. The dealer is running out of 2004's & I don't want to lose out on the $1,250 rebate.

Anyone have a Forester with the rear tailgate bar ? Just wondering if folks like it or not.

Again, thanks in advance-

p0926

At the 42k mark, one set of tires and maybe the brakes would be considered normal wear. The O2 sensor isn't a big surprise since many Foresters have had that problem (bad batch from the factory) but it should have been replaced under warranty.

The ”new struts-front and rear, and a wheel alignmen”t certainly explain why your tires wore out prematurely. Did they check the alignment when you had those tires put on? But a bad radiator and cracked exhaust pipe are virtually unheard of with that few miles. Taken together, it sounds to me like the vehicle was either in an accident or the previous owner went off-roading with it.

Regardless, in answer to your questions:

1) Unless you get an unsuspecting dealer to take it as a trade-in, you'll have to fix it first anyway. As much as I hate to say it, with the problems you've had, I would be hesitant to keep it. You either got an extraordinary lemon or else the previous owner abused it. In either case, I can see where you’d have the constant worry about what would go wrong next.

2) Were you to get another Forester the odds are strongly in your favor that it will be an excellent vehicle. Still, one bad experience can sour someone on a brand so no one would blame you if you decided to try your luck with a Honda. Just keep in mind, as has been pointed out previously, there's no such thing as a guaranteed trouble-free car. All you can do is buy a reliable brand and hope for the best. In the reliability dept Honda is one of the best but Subaru isn't far behind.

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

-Frank

p0926

No you don't need LSD with AWD. It's a nice-to-have and in rare circumstances it can keep you from getting stuck but odds are you'll never encounter one of those circumstances. The Forester's front seat-mounted side airbags provide both chest and head protection so curtain airbags aren't necessary. Unless that is, you're worried about backseat passengers ;-)

-Frank

joybell

My parents had something similar happen (tires wear out prematurely and wheel alignment problems) many years ago on a used vehicle they bought. Then my Mom did a thourough cleaning and found dried blood in the crevace between the backrest and seat in the rear seat. No question, the vehicle was involved in an accident although there were no visible signs at all.

katydaly

The brakes and tires were actually replaced at 28k, and now the tires and struts need replacing at 42k. The O2 sensor was replaced once, under warranty, before I owned the car, and then a second time last winter, at my expense.

I am starting to believe that it was in an accident, or beat up pretty bad by the previous owner. I guess there is nothing I can do about that now...is there?

I will probably end up going with the CRV. The Honda dealer said they would give me about $8200 for the Sube (unfixed). The Subaru dealer would only give me $7800.

c_hunter

So is it the $400 difference in trade driving you into the CR-V, or other factors?

Make sure you are happy with the way the CR-V handles. It was too tippy and bus-like when both my wife and I drove it, and the Forester seemed like a sports car in comparison. Neither one of us felt like the CR-V was something we could live with on the curvy roads around here! Otherwise, the CR-V is a fine vehicle with more passenger space. If it handled better, we probably would have bought one.

Craig

tazereli

I managed to fashion a catback (muffler only) from a WRX onto my 02 Forestor. It looks neat with the twin pipe muffler and seems to have a little more growl to it as well. has anyone else tried this? I chose this route since I was given the exhaust from a co-worker that put a borla exhaust onto his WRX.

Regards,
Kyle

hypov

Seen it done on a few RS...

If you hear the muffler whistle after cutting the engine, it's normal.

-Dave

ateixeira

Could the previous owner have damaged all of this stuff on the car if he only had it for 17k miles?

Unfortunately, yes. That's a risk we take when we buy used cars. In fact the abusive treatment may have been why the first owner sold it in the first place.

They might have ran over something that damaged the strut and caused the crack in the exhaust. That cause the tires and possibly even the brakes problem (though pads are just normal wear and tear).

Ask a trusted mechanic to give a good, close inspection, and I'm talking about under neath it. Check for any more signs of damage. If it's OK, may as well keep it, you've already invested the money to get it right.

Sorry to hear about all that, I hope your luck improves.

-juice

maverick1017

I had the tailgate bar installed on my black 98, absolutly love it! I used to have to slam the tailgate a couple of times before it would catch, now, first time every time. Added bonus, no more fingerprints on the rear hatch!

Mike

jbeckr

We have a 2003 Forester. The check engine light came on, and we took it in. Turns out the catalytic converter is bad and needs to be replaced. Parts have been ordered. In the meantime, is there any possibility of damage to the engine by driving it? Service manager did not mention any problem, but I thought it was worth asking here.

p0926

A cat going bad on a 2003?!?! What on earth would cause that (other than bad gas)? Good thing it's under warranty cause those things are expensive. I don't think you need to worry about the engine. The cat is downstream so the only harm it can do is cause you to fail an emissions test.

-Frank

Note to the more technically astute: Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong :-)

troop2shos

An over rich fuel mixture / running in rich mode for an extended period of time could kill the cats.

subearu

that it was just a bad 'cat' from the get-go. it happens...glad this was early and covered.

-Brian

bluesubie

Anyone have a Forester with the rear tailgate bar ? Just wondering if folks like it or not.

My area Subaru distributor made a mistake on my order and I got the towel rack on my XT. I hated it at first, and considered not taking the car and waiting for another one. I even thought of powdercoating it to match the car.

I decided that since it matches the rear bumper pad I would just stick with it as is. It has actually been pretty functional and I use it frequently when closing the hatch. If you don't use the indentation on the hatch to close it, the bar saves the hatch from fingerprints and scratches.

-Dennis

jtm4

I've been very happy with my '98 Forester. I remember a couple of posts concerning the overhead console clock. Mine has burned out. For a while it would turn on and off but the LED has finally burned out. I checked the two wire connections behind the clock. They are fine. Anyone have a recommendation as to a good, reliable online Subaru parts dealer? I've got a quote of 50.00 for a new one from the local Subaru dealer.

Jim

ozman62

Find a Subaru graveyard in your area, you'll probably save quite a bit.
HTH, Owen

maverick1017

For a new clock, the best price I have found is from Liberty Subaru in NJ, they are not a online parts dealer, they are an actual Subaru dealer who just happen to sell parts at a, IMHO, low price. I bought mine from them for $39.78 plus shipping. You can do a search or just email me for the contact info.

Mike

stever

No names of individuals please - thanks,

Steve, Host

maverick1017

Sorry Steve, I was questioning whether that was allowed or not, now I know. I'll edit it out.

Mike

mnf

Where can i guy find one ? They look nice in the pictures and it would help out like you said on marks and scrapes

ateixeira

Bad cat? See, that's why I'm a dog person. )

It's downstream, you should be fine. Worse it could do is restrict flow and you'd lose power until it was fixed. I had a cat go bad on an old Mustang I had, felt like it was choking.

Here is a parts recycler that specializes in Subaru:

http://www.fsautoparts.com/

They might sell you the clock for cheap.

Had a fun lunch with a co-worker, she was telling me she just got a new Subie - get this, XT Premium! White, auto, loaded to the gills.

Apparently her husband did all kinds of research, C&D, CR, IIHS, NHTSA, and was just adamant about getting the Subie because it rated highest overall.

She's thrilled with it. I was telling her about all the winter features it offers since she just got it and hasn't even tried them all out yet.

As you can imagine it was a fun lunch!

-juice

bluesubie

At any dealer/on-line Subaru parts place like subaruparts.com .

Liberty Subaru as mentioned above has great prices. My dealer just matched their price on a short-throw shifter.
Installation requires drilling holes into the hatch, so be careful.

-Dennis

jtm4

Thanks, for the replies. I've got the clock apart on my desk as I write this post. I'll try to fix it before I scrap it.

Jim

jtm4

What happened to the post with the link to the other Subaru forum? I have the clock apart and I believe the 16v transistor is the recommended part to replace. I am not positive, though.

Jim

ducktapeguy

You don't need any parts to fix the clock. Just take off the back cover and resolder the small resistor that probably got knocked loose. So far there's three confimed cases of the same problem, all fixed the same way. Easy, takes about 2 minutes.

jtm4

Well, I checked the solder on the resistors. I even added a little to a spot that looked as if it had come loose. Didn't do the trick. I believe I'll have to replace it. I did forget to mention when I first began to have problems. I unhooked the battery cables, a couple months ago, and after hooking them back up, the overhead clock and radio started to blink simultaneously. I got the radio to reset but the clock started to act up. The fuses weren't damaged. Maybe a small surge damaged one of the resistors in the overhead clock.

Jim

ateixeira

Get a stick-on clock from Pep Boys and just put it right over the old one. ;-)

I'm sure there is a solution involving duct tape also.

-juice

once_for_all

anyone successfully done? After 24k the pedal no longer feels silky smooth. Does it have a plastic bearing that gets damaged with some oil lubricants?

John

PS great to own a car in which there isn't much to talk about except a loose clock wire or a clutch pedal lube job. 27.5 mpg consistent.

ateixeira

I've sprayed lithium grease on my wife's, and I think I'm due again, it was squeeking.

-juice

crashton6

I have a 2000 Forester L with just over 92,000 miles. I run mine hard, but do all the maintenance. Better that the book calls for. I find it hard to fathom that your struts are shot with just 42,000 miles on them. The brakes should last longer, but that really isn't that bad. As someone else said o2 sensors have been a problem, but mine was covered under warranty. I did have the intermediate exhaust pipe crack on mine too. AS far as bailing or fixing goes....do you think you can buy a new car to replace your Forester for $1109? I doubt you can. Once you have the problems fixed it should be good to go for the long run.

Chuck

crashton6

I paid $35 from Liberty Subaru. 888-suby4wd
I'm not affiliated with them, just a satisfied customer.

Chuck

ateixeira

Keep in mind damage from an accident could have been placing undue wear and tear on the struts.

I bet if you e-mail Monroe and ask them, they'll tell you to replace your struts every 60k miles or so anyway. Most people just don't.

-juice

katydaly

The O2 sensor was fixed by the previous owner under warranty, and then went again. You are correct that I won't find a new car for $1109, but I thought I was already fixed up and good to go for the long haul, when I got hit with this new bill. In the past year I have replaced the radiator, O2 sensor and all 4 tires. Now I have to replace the tires again, 14k miles later? NOT. I am ditching it today (getting $8150 for it) and buying a new Honda CRV. Let's just hope I have better luck with this one.

ateixeira

Sorry 'bout your troubles.

Hope the Honda brings you better luck. You may even consider an extended warranty given your bad juju.

-juice

ozman62

To get a fire extinguisher :-(

ateixeira

Just do a manual inspection after your first oil change. That's when problems have tended to occur. Definitely use your dealer to change the oil the first time and keep your receipt.

2002s were not affected for some unknown reason, but I'm not going to recommend you buy another used car and inherit a new set of problems like you just had.

-juice

maverick1017

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=41&article- - _id=8310

Too bad only in Japan

ezshift5

..apparently is not just a dream. Anyone else getting this kind of (turbocharged) fuel efficiency.......ez (NR pay savings, ad nauseum)

ateixeira

I think if you stay off the boost, there won't be much of a mileage penalty compared to the base engine. Maybe 1-2 mpg or so.

But that would be SOOOO hard for me. ;-)

-juice

paisan

Boost. Yup I get horrible gas milage on my '94 Legacy Turbo. Mostly cause I'm constantly on the boost. But it is zippy

-mike

misty12

Has anyone else encountered this problem? I have an 03 Forester. The rear hatch won't open, either with the remote or the driver's side lock button. There is no keyhole in the back to use as an alternative. This happens on an intermittent basis and the dealer just oiled it or something. The problem is still occurring.

misty12

I dropped my 03 Forester at the dealer the night before, using the drop off. I set the trip odometer to zero. When I picked it up the next afternoon, the trip odometer read 111.8 miles! The invoice printed out miles in and out to reflect it had gone only one mile. The only proof I have is on the key drop off envelope, where I put in the correct drop off miles. Do they keep these envelopes? Is this an acceptable practice , to put miles on a customer's car? What should I do, if anything?

c_hunter

Sounds like you need to find another dealer!! First off, sounds like they are not fixing the hatch lock problem correctly. I would be ticked if they drove the car for that many miles (especially if it was not part of the service).

I would talk to someone at the dealership, prefereably in management. You probably have no proof of the original mileage, but you should let them know that you know someone drove the car and you are not happy. Also, call the Subaru 1-800 number and let them know about this.

Craig

boomerbubba

Are you 100% sure you are looking at the right trip odometer. (Remember, the Forester has two.) I have made the mistake of looking at the wrong one.

troop2shos

Not to mention a much lower fuel tank reading if 111 miles were driven.

hk1

is that a manual tran?

ateixeira

Sounds like you need to find another dealer!!

ROTL

Any how, I would double-check both trip odometers and then bring it to the attention of the service manager.

If they did, that has to stop. I can see a few miles for a test drive to see if a car is functioning properly, but not 111.

-juice