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Comments
Jim
Also, for all cars,slush is completely unpredictable. Traction one minute and none the next. Ice is next for caution. Wouldn't trade my Subie for anything in winter driving.
"Snowbound"....Jim
Jim
I am not a physicist but it would seem to me that in a turn on a very slippery surface, power to the rear (even if there is more power to the front) could cause a spin out, especially if both front and back are slipping.
Unless I have the road to myself, when slippery, I have learned to be extra cautous. There are so many "crazies" out there with gigantic pickups and SUV's that they think can do anything. I have yet to try my '09 in the snow, but I am sure it will do better than almost anything else out there. I would also bet that Subaru drivers drive better than most out there.
Love this Forester.
Bill
When I had my car into the "new" dealer yesterday, he happened to mention about the tire balance issue... And the fact that the ice/dirt has a tendency to build up on the inside of the tire. He told me how another customer came in and he chipped the ice/snow buildup off the inside of the tire, and the customer drove away with no more issues.
So, svskyus, I'm wondering if you may not have been able to see the buildup on your tire if it was on the inside...but, that after you stopped a second time, it had fallen off?
On a similar line, I would love to hear from those with the 16" tires to see if they are having the same issues??? I'm curious whether this could all be a "clearance in the wheel well" problem that causes the build-up. (I have the 17" tires.)
The "new dealer" will be repainting the area near the wheel wells where the GM material was too small on my car. (Any of the older 09 Foresters will probably have to do this eventually.) If you don't have the chips on your car in that area yet, they will just replace the GM material for you.
There is also a greasy type of film that develops on the windshield and side windows that appears to come from the defroster. It was really bad while driving in a snowstorm, as you can't just wipe it off, you have to wash it off. Otherwise, it comes right back and it is like driving through a haze on the inside of your windshield.
Turns out, so I was told, the dash is off-gassing with the heat from the defroster. It will take a while for this to go away. Until then, you have to wash your windshield (every day or so). Subaru does have some sort of wash that the dealer said worked no better than Windex. But, I may just have to try the wash, as I am tired of cleaning my windshield. I asked the dealer if the off-gassing in toxic. They said no, but I am skeptical.
I will try to get Subaru to tell me what type of material is coming off the plastic. I don't want to be breathing it, no matter what it is. :sick: You can also smell this oily type smell on a regular basis with the defroster on. sometimes a gas smell. I don't know if these are related???
Vinyl is an excessive outgasser that can fog windows. I don't know f Subaru used vinyl-based tubing in the defroster system.
It is just one wire that can be plugged or unplugged. This is located (generally) under the glove box by removing 2 panels. Well, he just untapped the wire, then moved it so the connectors are accessible with the plastic panels back in place! :shades:
This is a great solution as the wires are out of the way and you don't really see them, yet, they are easily accessible to connect/disconnect whenever I want! Yeah! And I didn't have to pay to have a switch put in! :shades:
Perhaps that is what Subaru is using as their "solution". I might just go back to the dealer to get some...
The Hankook winter tires are fantastic, got my car out of a snow drift, when I left my car for 3 weeks while on a trip. Car was parked down a steep driveway, had to shovel my way to the door, then just backed up the driveway thru 10" of crusty snow and ice.. Thought that I would have to spend the day shoveling the drive.
I think it would be worth a try to see if it would be covered. If not, the roadside service may cover it as well.
Worth a shot?
If you get the aftermarket window, another thing I would look at is if they have that black crisscross shading stuff on the window which is located up by the rearview mirror. It is a big help with the sun, and also, I'm not sure if it may have something to to with the XM radio antenna???
I've heard some very loud "cracks" on occasion come from the windshield area. So far, no glass cracks have appeared as a result.
BTW if anyone knows the TSB number for the rear side shields, I would appreciate knowing. I'm seeing rock damage on the clear bra material Subaru had put there, but the patches are very small and it's only a matter of time before the paint back there gets clobbered.
Service Bulletin #13-87-08
Pages: 4
Bulletin Description: Chipping of paint from road debris is inevitable and unavoidable. This is especially true in areas where heavy salt or cinders are used for traction and also areas where stones and other debris are present, such as construction zones, beach areas, etc.
We have found some extreme cases of chipping on 2009 Forester rear door area that is beyond the protected film coverage installed at the factory. Therefore, the size and thickness of the protected film has been increased to provide a larger area of protection under normal driving conditions.
The purpose of this bulletin is to describe the corrective action to be taken when encountering a vehicle that exhibits this paint chipping condition.
---------------------------------------
Dealer #1 avoided the issue entirely with me. Dealer #2 has scheduled a new paint job and application of the protective film. He has also scheduled to give me a loaner car while the work is being done. No issues whatsoever with dealer #2, he just looked at it, said yep, that needs to be taken care of.
Snowbelter, perhaps you have another dealer nearby? And yes, the "older" 09s are covered, but I think that matters whether you have the small or large piece of film on your car rather than when you actually purchased it.
Paint and interior materials are garbage. Materials wear out fast and paint is thin and scratches easily. On even slightly rough roads anything anywhere inside that's not tightened down will rattle and drive you nuts.For a tall person entrance into the drivers seat seat is a pain.Exit is not so bad.
Handling in snow and ice is good but not with the terrible stock Yokohama tires. Get rid of those if you can. Suspension is superb for a small car. Moon roof is fantastic - love it. Turning radius is the best - love it. Parke darn near anywhere you want to put it. Mileage is good but could be better.
Would I buy it knowing what I know now? I don't know. Maybe not. I'm a Jeep guy so I'd probably get a another Wrangler now that the price of gas is lower - Not sure. It's a nice vehicle and different but it's not so great it's better than everything else. I'd say get a Jeep and pay for the extra gas but then if gas goes back up... well, I just dunno. LOL
Our driveway on Saturday. SE Alaska
Re:"Paint and interior materials are garbage. Materials wear out fast and paint is thin and scratches easily"
I totally agree. This is the biggest disappointment of the car so far. I had my last Subaru for 22 years and it had less scratches/scrapes etc on the inside & out than this car has in less than 6 months. I doubt this one will last anywhere near the old one's life.
I wish they had decided to build a quality car. Metal and paint are thin. Plastic is way to soft for everyday use. Just poor materials overall. :lemon: Unfortunately, this was the best car to suit my needs on the market today. And still is, so I still have to love it until someone else comes up with something better. At least the engine and drive train are the same as previous years...
Than again, perhaps Subaru will recognize these issues and warranty them for us with a total recall to replace the plastic & other lacking materials. Just hoping!!!
Its unfortunate, but, I still feel the pluses out number the minuses. No scratches, yet, but I am afraid to touch the mudguards -- they look like they could fall off at any time.
Still no meaningful snow here to test what this car is made of!
Bill
"I'm missing something, because the herd press generally fawns about this tractor that looks cheap, drives cheap and has a brazenly cheap interior.
Subaru's scamming and nobody's calling 'em on it. The opposed 4-cylinder engine is unusual, but it's a gas-sucker - the best a Forester does is 20/27 with a manual and it gets as crummy as 19/24 for the turbo/auto - and this subaru forester engine ain't all that refined, either. And speaking of the automatics, these guys are still out there in the year 2009 with a pre-Cambrian 4-speeder for the Forester, Motor Trend's SUV of the Year. "
It seems people either like this car or hate it. I can agree with aspects of the interior - The arm rest and center console paint's easy to scratch and I suspect will wear off really easily. The mud flaps are wierd. But ok, while here's only 4 speeds in the AT, but they seem pretty darn well matched; I've driven 5-speed AT's that were far worse. And the engine generally idles smoother than my Camry or Malibu did.
Comments?
Having said that, Subaru on these models unfortunately has reverted to using hard plastic for the dash, sun visors and door panels. That results in a distinctly low-rent feeling that runs counter to these car's outstanding mechanical quality. I really think Subaru shot themselves in the foot here by using all that hard (cheap feeling) plastic.
This could easily be rectified by using a plastic that has a soft rubber-like give to it. I recently sat in a Toyota Venza, and it's got a soft rubber-like dash covering. That makes all the difference in the world as to the impression of quality, or lack-there-of.
Bob
seems like a bad flaw.
I lost the battery after only 3 or 4 days. When unloading some stuff from the hatch area something must have inadvertently hit the switch (that sticks out rather than being recessed.) Don't know why they put that type of switch it. It is very easily moved as well. No resistance to help you know it was inadvertently hit.
Don't know if either of these could have been your situation, but you can't always tell by looking at the outside of the car that one of the doors may not be fully latched. And, if it is daylight out, you typically won't notice one of the lights being on unless you are looking for it.
Hope this helps.
Bob
But I've never had anything as bad as my early-80s Malibus. Talk about cheap. The plastics and vinyl seats all faded to different colors and pretty much disintegrated on contact after a few years.
Now I drive an '09 WRX. I think the Forester may be a notch up on the Impreza when it comes to the door panels.
Bob
-Frank
My 05' Pathfinder also had a cheap windshield. That also got chipped and scratched very easily. Maybe i was used to my previous BMW's that seemed to have a much stronger windshield and never had one scratched from the wipers.
Subaru was the first automaker to report sales on Monday. Its December sales fell 7.7 percent to 17,287 units from 18,739 in December 2007, as a big increase in Forester sales failed to overcome declines in its remaining models.
But Subaru sales for all of 2008 rose by 0.3 percent to 187,699 vehicles from 187,208 in 2007, as consumers snapped up its top-selling Forester and Impreza models. The company is set to be the only major automaker to report higher sales for 2008, as the troubled economy pummeled new car sales across the industry.
Subaru said Forester sales surged 36.4 percent in 2008. The company's updated 2008 model-year Forester was named sport/utility of the year in December by Motor Trend magazine. The automaker also said sales of its Legacy and Impreza models climbed in 2008, offsetting double-digit sales declines of Outback wagons and Tribeca SUVs.
"In a difficult market, we were able to establish new sales records for Forester, Impreza and Legacy sedan and also record our highest market share ever," said Tim Colbeck, vice president of sales for Subaru of America, said in a statement.
The broader industry is set to post steep 2008 sales declines on Monday. For the first 11 months of 2008, every major automaker reported lower sales with the Detroit Three posting the biggest drops.
A handful of smaller automakers -- including Mini and luxury names like Rolls Royce and Maserati -- posted higher sales as of November, though their volumes are significantly smaller.
Unfortunately Subaru would not include the windshield in the warranty. But my insurance company's glass repair company informed me that it's still not available as an aftermarket part, so I get the Subaru part. Maybe the windshield isn't that strong after all...it is backordered for a month!!!! I just hope it stays in one piece until it can be replaced... Interesting fact: I bought the car in MD, so I took it to the MD dealer's service and they quoted me $1000 just for the part. They called my local dealer in NJ and they quoted me $700 just for the part. Wow!
The Forester should be taking Outback sales: Forester has 4" more front-to-back seat room and 2" more back seat width + more cargo room.
And, of course, is about $2,000 cheaper and is shorter to park. If I were buying today it would be a Forester Limited instead of my Outback 3.0R.
I noticed significant residue build up on my two new Outbacks, an 07 and 08. The buildup was quite troublesome, as glass cleaners were not usable for up to half of the year due to low temperatures. I would keep a good, dry rag handy to wipe down the inside surfaces of the glass. The residue was still there, but it would eliminate the haze if repeated regularly. On broken-in vehicles, Subaru included, I have not had a problem with a windshield haze, but I am not sure how long it takes for the the off-gassing to finally subside.
Thanks for this recommendation, xwesx, sounds like a good idea, both for my health and not gassing up the windows too much.
I have had other people in the car and they say they have never seen this amount on any car they have been in. It certainly didn't happen on my last new car. And you can see that whatever it is is getting on the plastic parts and even the rear side windows...ie it is going everywhere.
I have tried the rag, but it doesn't work as the film that develops is too "greasy" so it just smears it over the window...and actually can make it worse. Visibilty during snow storms/rain etc is compromised cuz of the smearing. I'm looking for the McGeiuars (sp?) that Kurt recommended to see if that works better than windex. Whatever the dealer used to get it off didn't work much better than windex, as when they were done, there were still smears. Subaru recommends Gunk window cleaner, but it is not sold in my area, so that doesn't do me any good.
I have an appt scheduled on Wednesday, to have another look at it. this dealer, when he heard about the smells, though something else may be going on that could take some time to fix...So if he finds anything, I'll report back after my visit.
Usually, outgassing of plasticizers happens only in warm/hot weather when the car sits out in the sun and the dashboard gets very hot. You may have a different issue of coolant seeping into your heater core and then vapors being blown into the passenger compartment by the fan.
Regarding the hot weather, I purchased the '08 in Seattle October of 2007, and had it in some weather that was around 80 degrees several days, so it would get hot enough inside while sitting that I would open it up for a few seconds before entering. There was a slight film after three weeks, when I prepared to drive back up to Alaska, so I cleaned the inside of the windows. However, upon arrival in Fairbanks (after only five more days) and having to use the defroster constantly for about 1500 miles, it was hazing over and was far worse than the film that had formed over the previous three weeks being exposed to intermittently warm (hot for me!) weather.
As was suspected by the original poster, I think that the HVAC materials are probably adding significantly to the haze - perhaps it is a lube being used on parts in there?
As for door rattles, they are fixing them again (rattles came back in very cold weather). Turns out the '09 Loaner I have also has door rattles (I can here them buzzing from time to time) - looks like a weak spot in this car.
As for annoying overhead creaks from around the light console, the loaner has that too (shows up when defroster is heating windshield or when roof warms up). In my '09, I ended up applying a "creeping" silicon adhesive to the black tang inside the opening where lights mount (just above the mirror, the tang's "secured" by a single gray plastic plug that allows plastic of headliner to creak against roof). The adhesive makes the creep gradual rather than sudden, and so far , I've not heard any more creaks.
A pity there's way too much badly matched plastic in this car. Maybe Subaru will do better in '10.
Regular Windex and most of the canned sprays are useless against emission film. I found that out by the champion of window foggers, a '96 Geo (Chevy) Prism with black interior. That car, parked in hot sun, would fog its windows in a matter of minutes. :surprise:
It took a little getting used to the natural aspirated engine as, by comparison to the XT, it proved more hair-trigger from standing starts (caught me off guard a couple of times :surprise: ), but much weaker when trying to pass at 40 - 50 mph. Part of that's from different final drive ratio (much higher in the naturally aspirated .vs. the XT).
However, these rattles were not in my '09 XT when first delivered. They've showed up over time. The '09 X loaner I drove had same # of miles as mine, was built in same time frame, and had the same rattles.
Hopefully the dealers' and my fixes will quiet this XT down. And for those in Portland, OR, the dealer I visit most is Royal Moore Subaru in Hillsboro - these folks do very good service work.
Recently I have noticed that when I fill up the tank, my fuel gauge will only go to about 7/8s of the way to 'F'.
I've tried different gas stations/pumps but I can't seem to get the needle pinned at 'F' anymore.
My assumption is the tank is full but the gauge is off (bad float maybe?). I'm assuming a trip to the dealer is in order?
Thanks in advance.
Jopopsy
I've driven Lexuses with dashboard creaks, so no car is immune. My '83 Camry dashboard was a buzz fest until all joints I could get to were silicon-rubbered. The worst ever were Saturn ION's, which rattled and buzzed incessantly no matter what; Saturn admitted they built cheapo interiors.
We had, (and sold prior to getting the '09 F-XT) a VW Jetta that had a horribly annoying rattle behind the dashboard dimmer and left air vent. We had it into the dealer 3 times, and still was never quite fixed. It also leaked yellow goo out the doors for 8 straight years, whenever it got very hot out, but that's another story.
Rattles can drive you crazy - I know your pain.