Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Comments
-juice
btw, here's the post: subearu "Subaru Crew: Photo Gallery" Feb 17, 2002 7:11pm
-Brian
One dealership is spreading a rumor of a turbo with 238hp for 2004, and if that's true, I'll own 2 Foresters.
I have tinted windows, 35% on 7 of them, but the A/C is bone-chilling cold. I put the vent on "1" and still have to cycle the A/C on and off manually or it's too cold.
-juice
Sweet! We basically get WRX seats, with even more bolstering, and the ratchet type height adjustment. Plus side air bags even on S models. That may appease the folks that wanted a higher seating position.
Dash looks to have higher quality plastics, and the overall looks resembles the Acura RL (I just read that review). HVAC buttons are inside the circular knobs, neat. I also like the little storage net in the passenger foot well.
The underside looks the same as the current one. I see the fuel vapor canister I had to move to install the hitch. Diffy looks the same, even the exhaust has a kink in the same place. I'd call that a 13mm sway bar, maybe 15mm. My 18mm upgrade is thicker.
The rear seat does not look much bigger. I wonder if the front seat has more travel than before, that's what Subaru claimed. Did you sit in it, to see if there is more room front and rear combined?
The cargo area may be slightly bigger, it's hard to tell. Those nets are cool, though.
Way to go on the pix, you are da man! :-)
-juice
I just leave it on in the Bean all the time. If I don't feel AC is necessary, I just push the button to disable it. Otherwise I have not found it necessary to use any of the other manual controls - oh, other than the "Recirculate" button, which gets hit whenever I get a hint of diesel exhaust.
The system maintains a constant temperature and the AC is able to keep the car cooled to the set temperature even in desert conditions (108F) even before window tinting was applied.
Go for it,
Steve
The HVAC controls are neat. If that corner bulb isn't the DRL, then I don't know what it could be. (see picture #46) Unfortunately, I couldn't turn the lights on (need the key). Like the fogs w/o the grill on 'em.
-Brian
http://www.auto-asia.com/viewcontent.asp?pk=6792
does appear that seating position is higher and range of height adjustment is double what it was before......also says more space between front & rear seats and a new front seatback design for even more kneeroom......time will tell.
You can pop the grille guards off the current models by just twisting it, I've heard.
-juice
In Japan, a rear LSD is standard? Wow.
What are rebound springs? I don't get how they are different than now.
Front and rear stabilizers, they mean anti-sway bars, enlarged. The photos looks like 15mm or so, it was 13mm before.
$20-25k prices are where they are now. Hope so.
They mention space is expanded between the front and rear seats, but how much? Is it just the 1/2" from the longer wheelbase?
AT models get throttle-by-wire, that's interesting.
Length is about the same, as is width. But height is lower - my guess is that's because they don't get cross bars in Japan. It's probably the same.
-juice
Lower (?) ground clearance than the old model (but higher seating position to enhance field of view).
Lower rolling resistance with new tires for possibly better gas mileage rating.
Braking system much improved (I'm unimpressed with my brakes).
Rear luggage space has been enlarged by reducing the projection of the rear strut suspension brace as juice was hoping would happen.
"N-control" function in automatic transmission models.
-------------
Oh, and yes, the fog light grills do pop off easily ...I've taken mine off several time for cleaning purposes.
btw, a friend of mine has a new Civic and they have similar "tiny" bulbs in the headlamp cluster. Although the Civic doesn't have DRLs, those lights serve as running lamps and are pretty "cheesy" looking(very low amp) according to my friend so hopefully they alone won't be exclusively DRLs.
--'rocco
--'rocco
Re: Cel's, gas caps, fuel tanks not filling etc. Some people seem to be trying to blame these things on the consumer or the government. In my opinion, if consumers are having unusual problems with their cars it's the manufacturers fault and the problem should be fixed free and as fast as possible. Nobody is purposely trying to make the CEL come on, etc. and if these parts are failing then it is the result of an inadequate (i.e. cheap) design on the manufacturers part. This is like Toyota trying to blame it's customers for their engines sludging up! (Like a bunch of evil consumers all of a sudden banded together to buy Toyotas and give them a bad name or something.) Everybody and every company makes mistakes, but having taken the money, the manufacturer has a responsibility to fix any design problems that crop up.
Looks like they've tweaked the 4EAT again. How about a 5EAT?
Did anyone notice the caption under the second photo mentioning that North America is the most important market for the Forester?
BTW, I've also removed the grilles on my fog lights. It's easy. Just pull the bottom down and out and it should pop right off. I think having them off gives the Forester a cleaner look. Plus, those grilles are only good for really big rocks. If I ever came across those on the highway, my fogs would be the least of my concerns.
Ken
-Frank P.
Juice, If it's too cold in the Forester with ac and tint why not add a touch of heat, easier than ac on and off. BTW juice, Teixiera I assume of Portuguese descent, Medeiros here in Massachusetts.
Tires for the US will be Yokohamas, 215/60R16. But I think it's a different tire than the current one.
Yes, Teixeira is a Portuguese name. My family is from Brazil, but I've traced them to Portugal and Spain.
-juice
Ed
Actually, you were the one who inspired me to remove the grilles, well sort of. I think way back I saw a photo of your S and thought, "hey, it looks good without the grille covers" but never got around to doing it.
Well, a few months after that, I had my little fender-bender incident up in Yosemite in the snow. The impact to the snow bank popped off the left fog light grille and instead of popping if back on, I simply removed the right one to match.
Looks much better. Anyone else care to join the club? ;-)
Ken
--'rocco
Ken
cutting out suddenly and more recently stalling or not starting and having it in the shop numerous times, the last time I had it in it would not start for the area rep who was at the dealer. Horray. Diagnosed as a faulty fuel pump relay. Car has been ok for a week. For those of you having similar problem this might be the cure.
U.S. Subaru customer service was very helpful. (Fortunately since I was reaching the end of my patience.)
http://www.apexjapan.com/news/forester_02/forester_02.html
--'rocco
p.s. Now that I think of it, a silver with grill-less fogs won't look half as sharp as black ...but I think I'll apply for membership anyway. :-)
Bob
...apologies
--'rocco
Does that mean I have to paint my Forester black before I remove my fog grilles? ;-)
Paul: glad to hear it's working. Keep us posted, please.
The article says legroom is improved "only slightly".
-juice
Now, the question: Subaru recommends not driving long distances at constant speeds for the first 1,000 miles. So, what's long -- 50, 100, 250? And doesn't that suggest avoiding interstate highways?
Mo
Good to hear that you finally got a resolution to your problem. And it's good to hear that SoA and Patti worked with and for you! You're right, IMO, most other manufacturers probably wouldn't have been as accommodating as SoA. I've really heard some horror stories from owners of other brands of vehicles.
Continued good luck!
--'rocco
For the break-in, use freeways, just don't use cruise control. If you notice you're at the same speed for a long period, just slow down or speed up a few mph. Generally I'd say take it easy on the brakes and tranny, too, when possible.
-juice
Thanks
Just my .02,
-Frank P.
rictom -- Ouch! That sounds like the dealer messed up somehow. Have your inlaws contacted the dealer? I'd try contacting the dealer first to see what they say.
In any event, you can set up a case without even mentioning Patti's name. Just call 1-800-SUBARU3, request a case # and explain what happened. Having the case # established makes it easier for Patti to track in case things get complicated.
Ken
Well, unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the story... When I went to get the car, I discovered that not only was the paint job sub-par with lots of bubbles and hairs in the paint, but they also had cracked my windshield.
Once again they stepped up and offered to make it right, although at this point I was getting pretty exasperated. To add insult to injury, I got a flat on the loaner they gave me, and it shifted really rough ('99 Outback, but a bit beat up).
So yesterday I picked up my car for the third time in 4 weeks (7 trips in all to the dealer). They had indeed replaced the windshield (I have an '01 S+ with the heating element in it -> $), and the paint job is first class.
Driving home I discovered that the service manager had taken it upon himself to adjust my parking brake and firm up the pedal, remembering that I had discussed a soft pedal a month earlier when this all started. I had not specifically asked them to do this, thinking that the brakes probably were just softer than I like, i.e. that there wasn't much they could do.
I'm still planning on trying steel brake lines when we hit 30k later this year, but we're definately getting more bite than we did and the pedal's firmer.
I must say that their extra effort to satisfy me really made a bad situation a lot more tolerable.
Kudos to Flatirons Subaru in Boulder, CO. Now if they could just get things right the first time...
:~)
Ross
When she comes to a full stop, with the engine idling, she "feels" a grinding or low clunking noise. It's an intermittent sound. So far, she has not heard it while in park, only while in drive. Once she starts driving forward, the noise stops. It doesn't matter if the car has had a chance to warm up.
Any suggestions?
I'm getting this third hand; from my sister in law to my wife to me, and my brother in law who's dealing with the whole thing is trying to do this while also trying to do his job, which involves traveling so that makes it tougher.
We'll wait to see what the dealer does before he opens a case. Thanks everyone.
I would have the dealer check the ATF, maybe even flush it while she's at it. Have her dealer look at it, though, before it becomes more serious.
If they can't (or won't) help, have her call 800-SUBARU3 to open up a case number. We'll put her in touch with Patti Mickel of SoA. She's our rep from Subaru, and pretty much wear a costume with a big "S" on the front, if you know what I mean. Though I doubt she'll get a hard time because it only has 5k miles.
If you don't mind, please keep us posted.
-juice
I can't seem to find a SEARCH function for all past posts on this board. I am trying to find out how many others have had premature rear wheel bearing failure with the Forester.
I recently had to replace both rear bearing and hubs at a cost of almost $1,000 (1998 Forester 70K No Warrantee) and I am not a happy camper...... Especially since the small amount of research I have done on the Net reveals that I am far from being the only one. It seems that this can happen more than once and at these prices I am quite freaked about it
FYI this link was interesting
http://www.raindrop.com/subaru/wheelbearings.html
If anyone has anymore on this subject like more links, possible recalls in the making, or any other help I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You.
Jim: it's not rare, but I wouldn't call it common, either. But at that mileage, it could have been from normal wear and tear.
It happened to our Mazda 626, with 71k miles, and I paid about $900 for just one hub/bearing replacement. Subaru's parts must be a lot cheaper than Mazda's, because you did two sides for about the same cost.
You could call 800-SUBARU3 and bring up the article. I'd be very surprised, but maybe they'll offer a partial reimbursement? I doubt it, but it's worth a shot.
The good news is that the 2002 Impreza went to a new hub design that is less susceptible to improper installation. I'd be willing to bet that the 2003 Forester gets the same new hub design.
-juice
The wheel bearing problem has also struck owners of the last-generation (pre-2002) Imprezas, including the 2.5RS and Outback Sport. It is possible that the problem is inherent in the design of the bearings themselves. I cannot confirm if it's an authorized practice, but I have read of Impreza owners having those bearings replaced with Legacy bearings, which are of a different design. At any rate it is a known problem, and I'd recommend that you bring it SoA's attention if you haven't already.
Fortunately there is an SoA representative (Patti) who frequents the Subaru Crew boards and who has proven helpful to many of us, myself included. While you have already incurred out-of-pocket expenses it may still be possible to get some sort of resolution to the matter. (Edit: I see juice beat me to the punch, and much more informally ;-) .)
Good luck,
Ed
The problem was a faulty vent valve that goofed up the air pressure in the gas tank. Kept making the pump and the tank thinking the car was full of gas. The service director drove the car himself and paid cash out of pocket to fill up the car at a nearby station. Went full tilt on the pump handle without a hitch.
I'm gonna try putting in a little gas myself tomorrow -- haven't been able to because the tank is full. Pray for me.
I think my experience at the dealership was great. They were very nice, thorough, and didn't charge me a dime except for the gas I used in the rental. That was Enterprise, though. Nothing I could do about that.
I'm back in my nearly 2-week-old Forester S and ready for tomorrow evening's road trip. Wish me luck!
Coincidentally, I read that Hyundai had a recall for the same problem you had. You may want to report it to NHTSA just in case, so they have records.
-juice
Our search function is basically broken. I am assured by Edmund's management that it will be fixed only I can't give you a date for that.
In the meantime, we're looking forward to hearing a lot more from you!
tidester
Host
SUVs
OTOH, my old Plymouth Sundance was so bad, you practically had to throw an anchor out the window to stop in a hurry... absolutely awful pedal.
Someone made the point recently that too grabby is a bad thing as well, which is well taken, but I do prefer a firm pedal and plenty of initial bite, which I then modulate of course. Just me I guess...
I'm much pleased with the change. They didn't give me details, but apparently they went over the car and "serviced" it. It was due for the 22500 service. I suspect they found the pads glazed.
Lost cyl. #4 and the engine locked up. I had a huge battle with Jeff Legum Chevy (no longer here in MD) and they were no help. Service manager told me "get a lawyer, you can't prove a thing."
My $.02, contact SOA and have your in-laws write a letter. Also have them send copies of all services performed on the car.
My situation turned out OK...I was a huge pain in the @ss and GM covered everything under their "Goodwill Assistance Program."
Best of luck!
Michael