Subaru Forester

bigfrank3 · November 2008

I think if you follow the manual you will be in good shape. The oil and filter changes are the most important, as in any vehicle. I always use the Subaru filter as it is of high quality. I also use Mobil 1 in all my vehicles... as well as the tractor, tiller, and snowblower. Whatever oil you use choose a good one like Penzoil or Castrol. I change oil and filter about every 5K and at that time I put a bottle of fuel injection cleaner in the gas tank. I use the black bottle of STP. I time that with the oil change to make it easy to remember.

I have always been a tire pressure fanatic, and with the AWD it is probably even more important for proper balance and performance. I use 35 psi all around. I find less than 35 hurts fuel mileage.

Good luck with your Forester! I am sure you will love it.

ateixeira · November 2008

Good year, IMO.

Pre 03 had wheel bearing issues.

Pre 02 had head gasket issues.

03 was v1.0, even though it turned out ok.

2005 was the 3rd year for that design. 06 was a refresh.

It's about as reliable a year as you could pick, basically.

Caveat: 62k means no powertrain warranty at all.

shlomo875 · December 2008

I am considering selling my 2001 Subaru. It is almost at 100K miles, is needing more and more repairs, and I'd like to get something with better fuel economy since I recently moved to L.A.

At the same time, it's a great car and I wouldn't want to let go of it "too soon." When have other people given up their Foresters (i.e. after how many miles)?

Thanks! :confuse:

leo2633 · December 2008

I have a 2001 Forester S, purchased new, which currently has 188,000 miles. I have no plans on getting rid of it anytime soon.

Len

shlomo875 · December 2008

Thanks, Len. Have you had to do any major repairs recently, if I may ask?

leo2633 · December 2008

Nothing other than normal maintenance (most recently a set of tires).

Len

phil2000 · December 2008

I have a 2000 with 284,032 miles on it. The only engine problem I have was due to the timing belt pulley going and taking the belt with it.

TJ162 · December 2008

I have a 05 forester 2.5x. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried to pull a jumping jack trailer with their forester. They weigh about 1500 lbs so I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to try and go up canyons with that much weight.

jeqq · December 2008

It's been a long time since I posted and I see some familiar faces. My '06 is coming off 3 yr. warranty. What do you advise?

TIA

erics6 · December 2008

I tow a 800 lbs teardrop trailer with my 05. No problems. Auto is rated at 2400 lbs, 1000 lbs w/o trailer brakes. IIRC, the manual is rated at 2000 lbs. Braking will be the issue. I'd probably add electric brakes with that kind of dry weight. Won't be a rocket ship, but the Subie will go up the canyons.

paisan · December 2008

It's been a long time since I posted and I see some familiar faces. My '06 is coming off 3 yr. warranty. What do you advise?

Subaru Added Security is the only way to go! I have this on my LGT and I actually own a place that modifies and works on Subarus. I had to have some major work done on my Subaru and it was covered w/o a problem.

-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor

10years · December 2008

Id venture to say if the car has been reliable this long then its likely to stay that way without the need of an additional extended warranty. Just keep up with all scheduled maintenance. That way In the unlikely event there is a major problem then it's quite possible Subaru would help to some degree anyway. Either way youze payz you moniez and takes you chancez.

Given the tough economic times we all face now its probably best to maintain an ownership position in your 06 if it still suites your needs.

My 03 X just turned 90K miles and I believe still runs good as new with no problems. Next stop 190K. All scheduled maintenance is tended to with little out of pocket expense to me as I use Subaru Bucks from our Chase Subaru Master Card to cover the bigger 30K incremental major services.

ateixeira · December 2008

I'm with mike on this one, if you get a warranty at all get it from Subaru. It includes roadside assistance for the duration, and it's a true warranty, rather than an insurance policy from a 3rd party.

I sold my 98 Forester in 2007 because I needed a large vehicle (minivan), but we missed it enough that we just bought a 2009. Some times I wish I'd kept it, but resale was strong and we like the new one just as much.

Towing - I've hauled a 700 lb trailer with 2 yards of pea gravel, which is super-heavy. My guess is it was 1500 lbs, but it may have been more. To be honest I'd be more concerned about stopping, not climbing hills. You may want to consider trailer brakes of some kind.

xwesx · December 2008

Two yards? I would be shocked if a 700# trailer could even hold two yards. Pea gravel weighs probably a ton or more per yard. I have filled the bed of my truck (3/4 ton w/ overloads) with pea gravel before, which equates to 1.75 yards (8'x4'x18"), and that thing was LOADED. The frame hits the axle bump-stops at about 4500#, and it was *almost* there.

Juice, I am not saying you did not or could not do it, but whew. That sure makes me feel better about some of the things I did with my Outback.

:P

ateixeira · December 2008

Yup, it was two yards. They brought in a small front loader and gave me two scoops.

I usually get 3 yards, but that's wood chips or mulch.

This was the first time I hauled pea gravel. It sure was HEAVY. I had to do half wheelbarrow loads to be able to transport it properly.

At least the stuff lasts a lot longer than mulch does. Still looks good 3 years later, all over my back yard landscaping.

rsholland · December 2008

Juice borrowed my 5x8 utility trailer to do that. It weighs just under 700 lb. empty, and is rated for 3000 lb.

Bob

xwesx · December 2008

Well, okay then. I stand corrected. Apparently the Forester is good for hauling trailers that are grossly over-weighted, for short distances at least. I bet that trailer weighed close to 5000#, if not more, loaded with two yards of pea gravel!

Then again, I towed a few different vehicles, including a 1985 Chevy conversion van, with my '96 Outback. I bet that van was well over 4000#. I only towed it about 8 miles though, and only up a couple of slight grades. I think the car probably only had around 150,000 miles on it during that haul. And, even at 220,000 miles, it had no transmission problems whatsoever.

I know what you mean, AJ, regarding the weight of the gravel. I had ten yards of gravel delivered to a site once when I did landscaping in Anchorage. For the first day, I shoveled and hauled the rock with a wheelbarrow. After a day and, maybe, three yards moved, I brought my three-wheeler with a trailer. Same amount of shoveling, but no more hauling the wheelbarrow! It sure is a good workout for the forearms, though.

ateixeira · December 2008

Wow, I had no idea it was that heavy. I think I would have done 2 loads each just one yard if I'd known.

It did feel very heavy, and my Forester was a clutch so I did have to slip the clutch a bit. Still, 5000# would nearly triple the weight that powertrain was dragging. I also felt it in stopping, but fortunately I had no emergency stops to test it.

After that I could barely even tell when I had just mulch or wood chips behind me.

ateixeira · December 2008

For reference...the level of pea gravel was more than half of this amount.

rsholland · December 2008

I had the trailer weighed empty at the county landfill, using their scale. I think they said 675, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Those wooden sides that I added could be 150 pounds, if not more.

Bob

erikwi · December 2008

I have a 2006 Forester X that I'd like to put a catback stainless exhaust on. Now that I live in the salt belt, I need something that will last for a while. The OE rear muffler has been painted with 1200 degree stove paint 3 times now but the salt just eats it off. I'd like a new system with a mellow sound, not obnoxious. I'm too old to be running around in a car that sounds like a teenager's.

Any ideas on a source?

Thanks

ateixeira · January 2009

The aftermarket caters to the Impreza, and I don't think they're quite the same. It won't be easy to find what you want, especially since the type of people that usually buy aftermarket exhausts want more noise.

done37 · January 2009

Non-turbo Subaru models don't have great support when it comes to performance aftermarket exhaust. I have a SS catback and downpipe exhaust for my Forester XT thru www.cobbtuning.com , but I don't think they will have one for a normally aspirated model like yours.

Don

erikwi · January 2009

Guess they don't expect nonturbo owners to want to modify their cars. Oh, well, that's life.

erikwi · January 2009

Is the XT pipe size the same as the nonturbo? If it is, it might work. I'll have to check out Cobb Tuning and see.

Thanks for the info.

jeqq · January 2009

I went for the subie xtended warranty. Thanks to all for your recommendations.

ateixeira · February 2009

Congrats. Remember now you get roadside assistance for the entire duration of the warranty.

p0926 · February 2009

Well I took the Forester in for an oil change and thorough checkup prior to driving it across the country and got told that I needed new brakes. ARGH! The $30 oil change cost just rocketed up to $450

In case you're interested, front and rear brake jobs cost $220 each for an XT (requires ceramic brake pads). Oh well, they'd told me a year and 10k miles ago that they were close to needing replacing. Plus they were the original brakes and they lasted over 70k so I guess I can't complain too much. In addition, I'll be towing a U-Haul trailer 2,500 miles so good brakes are a definite necessity.

-Frank

xwesx · March 2009

Ouch. That's when you take it home and replace the brakes yourself! Hehe. It is a really quick job.

A friend of mine was driving his 2000 Nissan Frontier to Iowa last summer (from Fairbanks, AK) and was pulling a well-loaded trailer. He took it to a shop for estimated repairs prior to the trip, and they recommended front brake replacement, as well as replacement of his front half-shafts (both outer CV boots were split and one axle was making some noise). They quoted him $1200.

I had been talking with him somewhat casually about buying his car, for which he was looking to get $1500. He told me that he needed to do the work, but hoped to sell his car first so he did not have to foot the bill out of pocket. I told him if he had a Saturday free, I could help him do the work himself, and all he needed was to buy the parts!

So, he did. It was about $280 for the parts and the work took us an annoyingly long eight hours as a result of some stubbornness on the part of the vehicle and unfamiliarity on the part of the "mechanics." But, we got it put back together and saved him over $900. As he as driving me home, I offered him $800 for the car and we both ended up with a pretty good deal.

The amazing part, however, were the brake pads! Those things were so worn down that I could barely perceive a difference between the surface of the pads and the backers. It was mind-blowing. They were not scraping, mind you, but were literally within miles of doing so. He had only owned the truck for about 10,000 miles, so I suspect what happened was that the pads were around 10% when he bought it, so rather than replace the pads, the dealership simply broke off the squealers and hoped the buyer wouldn't check. It paid off for them, but could have cost my friend some serious bucks if he had not moved out-of-state with such impeccable timing!

I kept one set of the pads as a souvenir.

ateixeira · March 2009

I guess we'll be welcoming you to DC soon.

Have a good road trip, Frank!

rsholland · April 2009

http://www.geocities.com/samiam_68/SubaruCCS/SSC_Fix.htm

erikwi · November 2009

Hello folks. I need tires on my 06 Forester again and I'm not sure what to get. I do not want directional tires for various reasons. I've narrowed down the choices to the Cooper CS4 T-speed rated and the Michelin Harmony, which I think is also T speed rated. Anybody have any experience with either of these tires? I like the General Altimax HP but it's directional. I have a separate set of Blizzaks for the winter so I'm not all that concerned about snow/ice grip. Any thoughts for a good all around tire that doesn't cost a small fortune?

saedave · November 2009

Consumer Reports rated the low priced Kumho Solus KR21 in November 2009 as better than the Cooper CS4 Touring. Check that issue for other choices.

xwesx · November 2009

For a long lasting, inexpensive, quiet, and sure-footed tire, the Goodyear Allegra is a pretty good choice. I have had three sets of these tires (each on different vehicles), and they are very good. They run about $75-80 per tire.

I actually ran my first set, on a '96 Outback, for three years and 76,000 miles on a year-round basis here in Fairbanks, Alaska. They were at about 3/32 when I replaced them due to an internal sidewall failure on two separate tires that caused rather fast "slow leaks."

erikwi · November 2009

Thanks for the info. I looked up the Kumho on Tire Rack and it had pretty good ratings, except on wear. I've run the Kumho brand on another car and really liked them but they wore fast. Best I ever got was 12000 miles out of a set. I'm still doing research on what to get and it might take me a while to figure out what works. Luckily I've got a little time before I'm going to have to replace the Michelins. I'm going to look at the Goodyears the other poster mentioned too.

aatherton · November 2009

On my 2008 Forester I sold the original Geolandars at 3,500 miles because they were noisy. I looked for the quietest tire, and the literature and reviews indicated the Michelin Primacy MXV4 was quietest of all. After 13,000 miles on them, I am very pleased. Other quiet all season tires I considered were Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S and Goodyear TripleTread.

erikwi · November 2009

Thanks for the info folks. I ended up getting a fantastic deal on the Coopers and like them so far. I had an alignment done at the dealer the same day I put new tires on. The car drives much better now and doesn't seem to drift back and forth going down the road now. Noise is less than the Pilot Exaltos I had, ride is about the same or slightly softer. I have noticed a little more understeer going around curves but it could be the tires aren't broken in yet. I'll let ya'll know what I think of them later as they get some miles on them.

propwash49 · March 2010

I test drove a really nice 2007 Forester LL Bean edition today. At first we had trouble getting the ignition key to turn in the switch. I initially thought we had the wrong key, but it locked and unlocked the glove box with no problem. The salesman finally got it to turn by wiggling the steering wheel a little, even though the wheel didn't seem to be locked at the time. He said that someone probably left the wheel turned up against the lock stop when they removed the key. After the drive, I backed the car up into the same spot from where we started. I made sure the wheel was centered, and shut off the ignition and removed the key. Then, without touching the wheel, I tried to start the engine again. No luck. I had to wiggle the wheel back and forth with my left hand while trying to turn the key with my right. Again, it started, but it just doesn't seem right that you would need to wiggle the wheel when it hasn't been touched since the last time the ignition was switched off. Has anybody else experienced this phenomenon? I'm pretty sure the car still has a few months of the factory warranty on it (it only has 25,000 miles), but I don't really want to have the hassle of taking it to a dealer to get the thing worked on. It's been my experience that when they start tearing up the instrument panel or steering column, that things are never quite the same again. I usually start having lots of rattles after this kind of maintenance.

Does anyone else have any experience this type of problem? Thanks.

xwesx · March 2010

I have not experienced a "problem" with the steering lock on any of my cars, but I do frequently need to pull the wheel off the lock to get the key to turn. This is especially the case with my '98 Escort, where the seating position is such that I tend to bump the bottom of the wheel when I exit. Doing so moves the wheel just enough that it locks and puts pressure on the lock (which prevents the key from turning). So, when I attempt to start it, I have to pull the wheel off the lock to move the key into the accessory position.

However, if you park the car in a flat space with no pressure on the steering (don't turn the wheel at all after the car stops moving) and do not even get out of the car, it should not have cause to lock the steering. If it does anyway, perhaps there is a problem developing.

propwash49 · March 2010

Thanks for the info. It may not be a problem at all. My daily driver for the last 12 years has been a Cutlass (twin of the Malibu) that has the ignition in the dash, and therefore has no steering wheel lock. So, I am not used to dealing with the steering wheel lock. The next time I drive that car, I'll ask for the other key to see if there might be a problem with one of the keys being slightly worn. I wouldn't think that should be the case after only 25,000 miles, but I guess almost anything is possible.

I really did like driving that car, and it's now on my short list. The dealer was nice--he offered to let me take the thing home for an overnight test drive, so my wife can have a good chance to see how it drives for her. I think I'll take him up on that offer. Anything else about the 07's that I should know?

TJ162 · March 2010

My 05 Forester does the same thing all the time. It locks itself without me even touching it and it can be a hassle to get the key to turn, but I can get it eventually.

aatherton · April 2010

"... Anything else about the 07's that I should know?"

I have an LL Bean one year newer, from which Subaru regretfully deleted the screw-on automatic transmission filter and the rubberized cargo area. They are nice cars.

Check the moonroof operation. The motor, plastic gears and linkages are rather fragile. Some moonroofs fail after a few years, apparently because if they are left open and stuff falls into the track, it binds the operation. Protect the moonroof against excessive use, and against any debris (leaves, twigs) falling on the tracks.

Check if the O7 has had the fuel valve recall done yet. If not, and you buy the car, warn the dealer not to damage the foam plastic storage trays, and inspect them afterward. They damaged two of mine by just tearing them out. They bought me one for $100 and I fixed the other one by devising a new fastener.

You may want to invest in a full size spare and floor support bucket, as using the compact spare is unexpectedly complicated, and no good for snow, trailer pulling or offroad.

propwash49 · April 2010

Thanks for all the information. Unfortunately, i was wrong about the year. The one I was looking at was an 08, not an 07. Also unfortunately, the dealer called me back the next day and said they had sold the car to another dealer, so I'm back to square one. I will keep these suggestions in mind when I find the next likely prospect. Thanks again, everyone.

jeffrl · April 2010

Hi,

I am considering getting some splashguards for my 2004 Forester. Anyone have experience with these? How easy are they to install & what is the process? Is it something I could do myself, (with standard tools, but no lift available), or should this be done in a shop?

Any tips would be great!

xwesx · April 2010

They are fairly easy, but you do need to remove the wheels as you install them. I put a set on a 2007 Outback and it took about an hour for all four. You simply have to pull some plastic clips that attach the wheel well liner to the body, then mount the splash guards and put the clips back in. For tools, I think it may have involved a #2 phillips screwdriver, a flathead screwdriver, and pliers. It is really simple.

TJ162 · April 2010

I put mine on my 05 without taking the tires off. For the front ones I just turned the tires according to which side I was working on and for the rear I had to use a ratchet in order to screw in the screws because of the limited space, but it can be done without taking any tires off.

aatherton · April 2010

"... am considering getting some splashguards for my 2004 Forester... How easy are they to install & what is the process? Is it something I could do myself, (with standard tools, but no lift available), or should this be done in a shop?"

The dealer that installed my four splash guards in 2007 said he had to remove the wheels.

I just ran over something that slashed a tire and damaged the splash guard. I will be replacing the splash guard myself.

I see that each one is held by two hex head screws that can be turned by either an 8mm box end wrench or a phillips screw driver. You can either use the wrench, or remove the wheel(s) to get room to use a screw driver. I hear there are socket wrenches that will drive a screw driver bit, and fit without removing the wheel, but I don't have one.

I am getting a free replacement tire, so I plan to replace the splash guard with the screw driver while I am replacing the wheel. Otherwise, I would use the 8mm wrench with the wheel on the car.

gouldn · June 2011

This forum appears quite dead, but in case anybody stumbles across it, I first posted about my 2001 Forester in the year 2000. Fast forward to now, and it has 170K and has been a pretty darn good car. I almost jumped ship when I had to do the head gaskets at ~105K (I had one of the bad 2.5l engines), but since then it's needed only one more repair, a wheel bearing.

In the time I've owned it, I've been fickle about my other cars ... in fact I've cycled through four different 2nd cars, but I always come back to my Forester. I hope to post when it hits 200K!

xwesx · June 2011

Congrats! Overall, I had a very good experience with my 1996 Outback, and ended up cycling through several cars after losing that one before we finally seem to have settled a bit (I hope!).

phil2000 · June 2011

There is a parallel form and it is quite active.

My first Subaru was/is a 2000 Forester (331,00 original). Right know I am driving a 2011 Outback(first repeat purchase for me). Though I like the Forester better. Just remember, maintenance.

Subaru Forester

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