Subaru Forester (up to 2005)

p0926

Norm- From what I've seen, Subaru owners are split about 50/50 regarding extended service contracts. Those who don't have them prefer to self-insure and trust in Subaru's reputation for reliability. Those who opt for one prefer the peace of mind that comes with having one. I personally am a member of the former crowd. The skeptic in me says that the dealer wouldn't offer them unless they were a profit center. However, if you do decide to get one, that price is pretty good. Just make sure that it's the actual Subaru extended warranty and not some 3rd-party contract (which really are rip-offs). Also, in case you didn't know, you have all the way until the 3/36 mark to decide whether or not you want to add the extended warranty.

-Frank P.

bigfrank3

That is a GREAT find! Getting dripped on, not to mention the switches on the door getting wet, is the only thing that both my wife and I find very aggravating about our Foresters. We are used to having door frames and VemtShades.

Maybe Patti will tell us they are easily available, although it is strange they don't appear in "our" accessory listings or brochures.

It would seem logical that the U.K. Foresters have the exact same basic roof shape, but I have been fooled before. Does anyone know?

Regards,
Frank

pat88

Has anyone seen the "new" Forester Turbo found on the www.subaru.co.jp website? Is this the model that is coming in 2003?

Just curious...

~~~Pat

grahampeters

G'day

Given that UK spec and US spec vehicles both come from same factory in Japan, I would be very surprised if there is any difference to them

Cheers

Graham

bigfrank3

I see that you folks over there also have a "Slim Line Weather Shield" for the Forester, which appears to be the same "visor" that lakepop found, even has the same part number. I wonder why it doesn't appear here in the "states"?

Regards,
Frank

rochcom

The 7500 mile service is ONLY an oil and filter change and some inspections. An independent shop will do it for about $25. Just keep your receipt. OR, tell your Subaru dealer that you want ONLY what is stated in the manual.

norm949

Thanks for the info, Frank. I'm still undecided but I am leaning towards waiting, especially if what you say is true about being able to wait till 3/36. The offer mailed to me from SOA says the offer expires (expired) 5-29-01. If I want to pick up the contract later (say during my third year) would I just contact them and would the cost be the same?

rsholland

The turbo you're referring to has been on sale for several years, in other markets. It's, from what I understand, basically a de-tuned 2.0L WRX unit. I think the Forester turbo is only marginly more powerful than the current 2.5L engine.

We may(?) get that engine. However, there have been persistent rumors of a 2.5L turbo in the works. My guess, if we get a turbo, it will be a 2.5, and not the 2.0.

Bob

varig

I test drove both MY2001 MT and AT Forester. I prefer a MT , but it felt a little "rough" to me as I shifted between gears. The AT seemed to be smoother. Since every MT car I've driven takes getting used to, it could be that I was unaccustomed to the Forester. It was only a test drive after all. Anyone else notice rough shifting, and does it get better as the car is broken in?
Any comments about Forester vs. WRX wagon would be appreciated. Trying to decide between these and perhaps even an A4.
Thanks

leo2633

I bought a 2001 Forester S 5 speed in April. I've always preferred manual transmissions, and my previous vehicle was a 1992 Nissan Sentra with one of the slickest 5 speeds I've ever felt. I agree that the Forester manual is a little rough around the edges, but mine has gotten noticeably smoother after about 6 weeks and 3700 miles. One popular modification is to add a short throw shifter, which I may end up doing to mine. I don't feel the throws are especially long, but I'd like to firm up the linkage if at all possible. One thing I can say about this shifter: with the arm rest extension on my car, the shifter seems to fall right to hand as I rest my right arm on it.

I test drove both transmissions, and the 5 speed was noticeably more responsive, in my opinion. Overall, I really like this vehicle, and I don't regret getting the stick shift.

Len

gwheeler1

My 1999 Forester has recently developed a clicking noise that sounds like a sticky valve or a hydraulic tappit problem. Dealer cannot find anything wrong as the car behaves for him. any idea as to how i should guide him to the "fixit"?
TIA

lakepop

Well it looks like I can't get there from here.

Tried contacting our patti, sugar and SOA. SOA was the only one to respond and they waved me off stating they only know about stuff for American sold Foresters.

I tried to work the UK site and even tried to contact dealers over there...no can do. Enquires looks for stuff from me but then shuts me off when I try to mail.

I guess the only option left is to call long distance and I have mixed felings on that.

Disappointed in SOA wave off cause they made it sound like tke UK Forester and the American one were entirely different machines. I thought both were made in Japan for export and the same basic "frame/body"...

Dud duh duh..thats all folks!

kens

The 2.5L SOHC engine in the Forester is well matched to either an AT or MT. The engine has enough torque to make the AT responsive, but it also makes for a great match to the 5-speed.

I recently got a Kartboy short throw shifter for my Forester and it's firmed up the shifting feel quite a bit. One major reason why the Forester's shifter feels a little mushy is that it's been designed for comfort over performance. The shift arm is not a single metal piece, but two. The top and bottom ends are joined together by rubber to help isolate vibration and transmission noise. Most short throw shifters (including Subaru's own STi shifter) are made with a single piece of metal which noticeably firms up shift feel.

Ken

p0926

Norm- You can purchase the extended service warranty anytime prior to the expiration of the original one. What expired 5-29-01 was the "special" price offer you received in the mail. However, from what I've seen, you can still negotiate the price for one with your Subaru dealer. Of course your bargaining position isn't as strong as when you bought your Forester. Still, I bet if you asked, your dealer would match the offer you received in the mail.

Varig- What's more important to you? 0-60 times and handling or the ability to haul stuff and traverse the occasional rutted trail? Answer that and you'll know whether the Forester or WRX is best suited for your needs.

-Frank P.

kate5000

I would not blame SOA for not dealing with the UK accessory question... after all they stand for Subaru of America, not a worldwide Subaru...

tincup47

Distributors like SOA or SOUK can and do deal with local vendors to provide accessories for their markets. SOA probably has no business relationship with the company that provides SOUK with the deflectors. If SOA sells them they would have to provide warranty coverage and could be liable if something would happen involving injury through use of the accessory.

lakepop

okie dookie...I was just trying to pass along some info.

I concur with what you both say and knew that...I fogot to include an all inclusive statement in my thread and left the door open for the inputs...my bad!

varig

From looking at the website, it appears as if Forester S+ is limited to Automatic transmission only.

bigfrank3

Subaru AU and Subaru NZ also appear to sell the "visor", only they call it "Slim Line Weather Shield". The NZ site lists the same part number you gave.

www.subaru.co.nz/range_models/forester_2000_accessories.html

Did you not get an answer from Patti at all?

Regards,
Frank

lakepop

Thanks for the input..I did not go to those sites..but like I suspect and people are reminding me....Subaru seems to work regionally indepedent.

I was hoping to get some positive leads for the visors but am going nowhere.

Thanks again ...my pursuit of tweeking my Forester will continue. I have already done mods to it that have improved it IMHO, and I will continue to watch both this site and i-club for things I consider to be worthwile adds.

sbcarcht

I have a 2001 Forester S with premium package and manual transmission.

rsholland

is only available in automatic. If you get cloth, you can get a 5-speed.

Bob

logtrail

I have owned numerous cars but am still unclear about the "requirement" of the
30 and 60 k service. What is the legality? If, for example, I merely get an oil change and
air filter at 30 k does that negate the warranty (or extended warranty)? or are these merely
recommendations. I have tended to ignore these with most of my cars since often what is done is the dealership squeezing the water hoses or something else somewhat inane. I am somewhat religious about oil changes and am pretty meticulous about maintenance. But??. , Do I continue my lax ways or am I facing the possibility of a negated warranty(or extended warantee) if I dont follow the recommendations to the letter?

Paul

tincup47

I would suggest you get whatever is done in the warranty schedule book you got with your owners manual. You do not have to have these done at the dealer, but you should have some proof that you had them done. Save your receipts if you have them done at an independant shop or if you do it yourself save your parts receipts. A manufacturer or dealer will not tend to take your word you had it done when they are facing a large cash outlay for a repair, they want proof. Most dealers will want to do more, but you can specify what you want done. Most 30k and 60k services involve cooling system flushes and new antifreeze, which if you are running Ethylene Glycol (green) coolant is very important. If you follow the schedule in the book, you have less chance of warranty refusal problems. And some of those "squeeze the hose" inspections can save you a possible breakdown or large repair bill.

p0926

"S Premium with leather is only available in automatic" What?!?! Now even Subaru is discriminating against MT drivers? ARGH!!!!!!

-Frank P.

cellmates

Paul--
I asked SUBARU at the MYSUBARU website and they told me that the maintenance can be done by the owner or any auto repair shop - just keep your receipts.

BTW here is the 30K maintenance list from the MYSUBARU website:

Maintenance Schedule Details
Service Name: 30000miles / 30 month service Action Description
Inspect Drive belt(s) [Except camshaft]
Inspect Camshaft drive belt
Replace Engine oil
Replace Engine oil filter
Perform Replace engine coolant and inspect cooling system, hoses and connections
Recommended Performance Replace fuel filter and inspect fuel system, hoses and connections
Replace Air cleaner element
Replace Spark plugs
Inspect Transmission/Differential (Front & Rear) lubricants (Gear oil)
Inspect Automatic transmission fluid
Replace Brake fluid
Inspect Disc brake pads and discs, front and rear axle boots and axle shaft joint portions
Inspect Brake linings and drums
Perform Inspect brake lines and check operation of parking and service brake system
Inspect Clutch operation
Inspect Steering and suspension

Cellmates

kens

Frank,

Leather and performance driving don't mix. ;-)

Ken

lark6

Ken - LOL!

BTW, fuel economy improving on second tankful after Amsoil - up from 14.1 to low twenties.

Ed

grahampeters

G'day

I have to admit to wondering why you bother even getting the oil changed if you believe the 30k and 60k services are nothing more than squeezing hoses. All physical assets require maintenance and you have to spend to protect.

You really have to figure in your own mind whether you want to spend the money to maintain an asset in good working order, both for your benefit and to increase its resale value.

In the alternative, you save money in the short term but blow it on increased repair bills and reduced sale value later.

If you choose the latter course, don't bother whining about any costs which come your way.

For my money, preventative maintenance is vastly more effective than finding yourself stuck on the roadside with a busted cambelt which has shot the valves through your pistons because you have been too mean to have it routinely checked.

Cheers

Graham

subaru_team

I'm sorry I did not find your post sooner. Thanks to BigFrank3 for bringing your post to my attention. I was not intentionally ignoring you. Last week, I was out of the office and I was moving. I did not have access to my computer and it is taking me a bit to get caught up on my Edmunds activities. Please accept my apologies.

I am checking out visors and I'll post a response as soon as I get it.

Thanks.

Patti

lakepop

Thank for responding...I've made a little progress with the visors ..not there yet but they are available!

Thanks again

p0926

Gee Graham- Bit touchy on the subject of preventative maintenance aren't we? ;-)

pattim3

Good Morning!

So far, the biggest issue that I have heard about the visors relates to a "noise" they can produce. They can whistle in the wind?

Anyway, the noise became apparent on the visors we put on Outbacks a year or two ago and the customers in the U. S. did not like it at all. Sales were very light and it could not justify the cost of supplying them in the U. S.

I'm trying to find out why the same product is more palatable overseas. I'll post more as I learn more.

Patti

lakepop

Mornin back at ya..

Thaks for the feedback. I would like to hear about the noise. This is a new twist on the visors given that they seem to be quite popular overseas.

Thanks again!

hypov

Patti,
has anyone in product design/planning thought of designing a visor into the body?
No seams/openings, smooth line hence no noise/whistle.

susubaru

i have a 2001 s that has developed aa squeek when lowering the left rear window. i know it's covered under warranty, but has anyone else had this problem. if so, is it easy to resolve, or is it a pesky problem that never really goes away.

yellowbikedon

John,

You might want to have your service tech readjust the rubber moulding around the window. This often eliminates the problem and it only takes a few minutes.

Don

grahampeters

G'day

I am not sure that I have actually seen a door visor on Foresters or Outbacks here in Melbourne. Admittedly, Melbourne is at the cooler end of the country but it seems odd that I have never seen any.

I would express a note of caution on the noise effects. The Outback is certainly noisy around any interruptions to airflow near the doors. For example, if the mirror adjustment is slightly incorrect. Accordingly, I would tread carefully on fitting a door visor if you travel at anything near highway speeds.

Cheers

Graham

danjagrrl

Hi All - I am a very happy Forester owner - and my 98 Forester needs 4 new tires, I do most highway/city - but go to Tahoe a lot in the winter - occasional dirt road usage as well....

Thanks in advance for the help!

originalbitman

A little rubber conditioner (I don't care for ArmorAll and use some from Griot's Garage instead) solved the problem for me.

bit

kens

Jane,

If the roughest terrain your Forester drives through is dirt road, then consider choosing an all-season passenger car tire. You'll get better road handling, a quieter ride and a wider selection of tires in this category. Also, if they're all-season (M+S rated), CHP considers them to be "snow tires" so you won't have any problems with chain controls either.

Try checking out the Tire Rack to see what's available: www.tirerack.com

Ken

pkleung

Have any of you experienced delayed response during sudden acceleration? I have a 01 5sp.
The engine sometimes wait for about .5 second before it response if I want to accelerate suddenly while driving (this doesn't happen every time though).
Is this normal behavior?
Thanks

originalbitman

Doesn't sound too normal to me and I have not experienced it. 01 GT 5 speed.

bit

kens

Sounds strange to me too. Is your engine just not responding or is it a drivetrain thing? Do your RPMs rise and nothing happens or does just nothing happen?

Ken

pkleung

It seems to me like the engine is delaying. The RPM doesn't change (and I don't feel anything) right when I suddenly accelerate and the engine starts accelerating after the short delay.

vnguyen1

On a Forester test drive 2 months ago, I have experienced delayed response when I accelerated the vehicle to get into the freeway. I thought the vehicle was designed like that for AWD so I didn't buy it. Never drove on AWD or 4WD before.
VN.

hypov

Pui,
I read from another board sometime back (last century) an owner had a similar oddity but he has a '00 Outback MT though. He experimented with the acceleration and noted a void, like the rpm will built as he is depressing the accelerator then a void (no change in rpm) and then a jump in rpm.
I'll try to find this owner, maybe y'all could compare notes and find a resolution with SoA.

rsunico

Hello. I own a 2001 Forester L w/ the factory (Panasonic) factory Casette/Radio. I got a great deal on a BRANDE NEW 6 CD Subaru (Clarion) in dash changer from ebay (235 bucks! .. I saved hundreds). My dealer is not sure if the 6 CD in dash unit will work w/ the radio that came with the car? Will it? If not, this one will be for sale at the purchase price +shipping if anyone wants it!

ocgloria

did anyone have this problem? It does this when I turn or hit a bump in the road. The dealer thought it was a strut on the hatch but it still makes a clicking noise.

This happens when I turn or hit a bump in the road. The dealer thought it was a strut on the hatch but it still does it. It sounds like something is loose and hits something when a turn is made.

p0926

Renato- Is it just a CD changer or is it the radio/cassette/CD changer that comes in the S models?

If it's the S model one then it will replace your Panasonic radio/cassette. If it's strictly a CD changer and it has a Subaru label then it would almost have to be compatible with your existing setup since it was intended to be offered as an upgrade option. But I guess it depends on whether the Legacy, Forester and Impreza lines share the same radio setups. If they don't and you have a CD changer for one of the other models then you might have a problem. However, I would think that Subaru designs their models with compatible components to keep down their costs.

-Frank P.