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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Steve, Host
Cheers
Pat
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Steve, Host
Cheers
Pat
Steve, Host
(assuming you searched for "hold back" like in your message title and not "holdback" as in your text)
Cheers
Pat
Steve, Host
-juice
Greg
Greg
I'd like to share my experience with my 2001 Forester L with a manual transmission. We bought the vehicle new in April 2000, and about 9,000 miles later, my wife and I began to notice the vehicle shuddered between first and second gear when the vehicle was cold. We took the car in at about 11,000 miles to the dealer in Nicholasville, Ky., from whom we bought the car, for scheduled maintenance and told them about the problem; they were unable to duplicate it and suggested it might be a problem with how we were driving. We endured the problem for another 20,000 miles, occassionally leaving it with the dealer overnight in the hopes that the problem would manifest itself when the technician drove it. Never happened. Last September, we moved to Georgia, and the dealer in Columbus finally recognized that there was a problem, and replaced the entire clutch assembly under warranty shortly before 36,000 miles. Well, it worked wonderfully for about 2,000 miles, then the shudder returned. For the past year, we've taken it to the Columbus dealer a few times for regular service and asking them to look at the return-of-the-shudder situation, but they were never able to recreate the shudder, even when we left it with them overnight. We finally got a Subaru dealer in Macon (where we live) last month, and the mechanic there diagnosed the problem and said there was a service bulletin. It took a week to get the parts in, and I left the Forester with the dealer for most of two days to perform the service under warranty (the invoice says Subaru has issued Service Bulletin 03-51-03 regarding the problem). I picked up the Forester this afternoon, and everything was great for the five-mile ride home. We took the Forester on an errand this evening though, and when we started the vehicle, an awful sounding rattle emerged from the underside of the engine, and, despite have the clutch depressed as far as it would travel, the clutch ground as I put it into first gear (I tried to engage first several times without moving, and it ground each time). Of course, I plan on being at the dealer's door first thing Friday morning. I'm sure the matter will be fixed eventually (at least I hope so), but it doesn't change the fact that I'm sorely disappointed. My wife and I have owned four Subarus, and we currently have the Forester and a 2001 Outback Limited sedan. Until recently, we have been Subaru true believers, and have even convinced several of our friends and acquaintances to buy Subarus. This experience, though, has left me less than pleased. Any thoughts?
The grinding sounds like it was due to the transmission not being properly put back in. It's unfortunate that it had to happen with this latest clutch replacement, but it sounds like an isolated incident.
Ken
I got the similar situation, I owned a 01 S manual since it was new, back then when I was parking the car outside, the clutch shudder was really bad, I asked the dealer and they said it was normal, later I moved to house and started parking in garage, which made the problem minor. Now I started to park the car outside, and man, the rain never stops and shudder came back, big time. Finally took it (at 53K) to the dealer, it tried to charge me $1500 to repair it. Subaru is so cheap to list the crappy clutch on TSB, I think it should be taken as a recall, and covered under 5/60K powertrain warranty. I am a firsttime new car owner stuck with a Subaru, I will never touch another subaru if this is not resolved...
Reading about all those issues, though, it's got to be more than just the clutch. I suspect the flywheel itself it damaged, and whatever new clutch they put on still won't work properly.
I would ask them to replace the whole flywheel assembly.
-juice (with 52k miles on his original clutch, '98 Forester L)
The TSB DOES NOT say who pays for labor AFTER warrenty. It also doesn't state WHICH warrenty it is covered by (3/36 or 5/60). REMEMBER THIS IS A TSB, not a recall. It's only purpose is to suggest to the service dept's how to make a repair that will last longer or resolve a complaint. Below again is a link to the TSB online.
http://www.mnchopshop.org/images/TSB-03_51_02.jpg
I am also suffering from XT Envy!
Please pick me up when you find one and we can test drive it together!
It'll likely be just our luck to have to test an Automatic in Sierra Gold.
--dcdouglas
It'll be OK, guys. Just wear paper bags over your heads so nobody recognizes you. Then order your XTs in silver, red, black, or white.
It's amazing that Subaru chose gold for the fifth color, instead of blue or green.
- jack
Or a light metallic blue. The new Legacy was shown in that color and I loved it.
-juice
It would be my first choice --- anyone else's?
If you want to look at Sierra Gold in real settings, go to the following link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2419331739&category=13484
it doesn't look so bad, it blends well with the forest, don't forget this is a forester, guys.
2. Has anybody tried to peel those butt-ugly yellow stickers off the sunvisors? With a heatgun, maybe? I can live with being chased down the street by hordes of angry tort lawyers but I'd really HATE to crap up (crapup?) my visors. Anybody have any luck?
CJ
It would be my first choice --- anyone else's?"
From John284: "My gold subaru has two faces, beautiful in the dim light, pale in the sun. Doesnt look too yucky in the early spring when pollen coating was so discoloring to other cars. I couldn't stand the black, though"
Nothing personal, guys. We all have favorite and un-favorite colors. I'm sort of with John on black - I no longer have the time or inclination to keep a black car looking good, but if I did, I think it might be the best looking Forester color.
- jack
to CJ: I have a huge yellow sticker on my glove box to boot. I love stuff stuck on inside and outside my car. Then again, I am a huge NASCAR fan.
Steve, Host
Moreover, does anybody have any experience in using lower than 87 octane gasoline in their Foresters? The manual calls for 87 octane or above.
Thanks for any assistance you can provide.
$375 is totally outrageous. The part itself costs about $60, and I can't see it taking more than 1/2 hour of labor at a shop with a lift.
Craig
I need your help. I am an owner of 2003 Forester that I have more than a year.
I am 30 y.o. but recently, I had developed a lower back ache that makes my driving experience in the Forester a real torture. Those seats were so comfortable the moment when I bought this car but now it seems that those seats are made specially by Marcise deSade. I have to drive about 60 miles to and from work in a heavy traffic. Last week, my backache was so bad that I had to borrow my friend's Jeep Grand Cherokee (I was really impressed with Jeep's seat comfort).
I forgot to mentioned that I had tried multiple types of seat support items such as seat cushion and lumbar supports filled with a silicon, a foam, a ship skin cover etc. But nothing is working...at my height of 6'2", I am already just an inch-an-a-half away from the bottom of sunroof cover and all those items just pushing me to the top with my head right below the sunroof ( I cannot even close the sunroof cover).
Could any of you who had similar problem advise me where can instal a new custom seat into Forester. I will be really appreciated for any of your comments. I love my Forester and would really hate to trade it for the Jeep just because of the uncomfortable/painful seat.
Thanks in advance.
Leo
I'll say it again - I think your dealer is a pirate. The cost he's quoting is still 3 to 4 times what it ought to be. I recommend that you obtain quotes from one or two other dealers (or even an independent garage that works on Subarus), and if it were me I'd also report the gouge your dealer is trying to perpetrate to SOA.
- jack
Not sure if they do it in the US but here in Australia, Subary price their accessories in both a "supply only" and "Installed by dealer" listing. There is no diff protector sold down under (odd, given the use of Subarus here - makes me wonder just how necessary it is) but it looks like the jobs are coted out in ten or twelve minute modules at AUD11.55 per ten minutes.
For example a rear step panel that takes about fifteen minutes to instal costs AUD159.23 for Product only and AUD176.55 installed.
Possiubly you could check with Subaru for expected instal times and then receheck pricing at your dealer using local labour rates.
Cheers
Graham
Aftermarket accessory installers usually have customized seats too but probably pricey.
Hope this helps.
Gene
Craig
Len
Bob
Len
I'd have to agree. I ordered mine equipped with what I want (at dealer cost) and nothing I don't want (such as the expensive, pointless spoiler), for $100 over dealer invoice. Other dealers in my area wanted $400 over up to straight MSRP, but none has tacked on any additional dealer markup. I would never consider purchasing a vehicle from any dealer that engaged in this practice. Honda dealers around here are notorious for doing this.
- jack
I'm fairly certain that one of the improvements in the 2nd-gen Forester, beginning with the '03 MY, is larger-diameter front disk brakes. I'd advise finding a dealer who'll let you jack up a front corner of one to see whether your 15" wheels will fit with no interference.
- jack, aka Portlandman
Now I'm really confused. You indicated in the prior post that the two vehicles (mis-identified as XTs?) having the 3,000 surcharge were both automatics. STi's aren't available with automatics. ????
- jack
The worst case of ADM I ever encountered was about 12 years ago when a local Chrysler Plymouth dealer tacked onto a the Eagle version of the Mitsubishi Mirage the following items:
Rust Proofing
Environmental Package
Fabric Protectant
The total cost of these benefits was over $1000.
Needless to say, they did not get my business.
Lou - firm believer in two types of ships - Submarines and Targets.
Me too. That's why my handle is 'ballistic' - I sailed on Polaris submarines.
- jb
It appears the detailing wasn't quite as good as I would have liked, but since that appears to be the only flaw, I will live with it.
Also what do u guys recommend for cleaning and waxing?
I'm not getting OCD. Trust me, I've always been this way.
- Lou
I have been using Klasse cleaner wax and have been real pleased with it. Very easy to apply and it leaves little to no residue (even on plastic parts). Lasts quite a while too. They also make a sealant wax (intended to go on after the cleaner wax) but I have never used it. May give it a try on my WRX.
http://www.klassedirect.com/
By the way, when you wash the car, be sure to use a soap that will not strip off the wax. There are various brands that are good. I have found Meguir's car wash detergent to be good and have a nice scent.
On a related subject, anybody have a recommendation for a quick-detailer type of spray wax? I'd like something I can put on after every car wash without doing a full-up wax job.
Craig