Subaru Forester

[Jacket]

Can 5 million Coloradans be wrong? Well probably 2.5 million own a ranch truck, and the rest have a Subaru in the stable. I think the governor is looking into adding an Outback to the state flag....

I jest of course - but it is hard to beat 29 mpg, excellent snow and ice traction, a reliable boxer engine (most of them are) and around 70 ft3 of storage space in a single package.

We had one for about 8 years and 100k miles - fun car.

 

[Scott Brady]

I love the mini-me Kaymar.

 

[Terrainist]

My dad has one. The only thing I have heard him complain about is the timing belt needs to be changed in relatively short mileage? (every 24,000 miles? or something) And it's not cheap. Check the maintenance schedule.

 

[Elliot Press]

My dad has one. The only thing I have heard him complain about is the timing belt needs to be changed in relatively short mileage? (every 24,000 miles? or something) And it's not cheap. Check the maintenance schedule.

All Subarus have their timing belt changed every 100,000 KMs.
It's not that bad and not really too hard to do.

 

[Terrainist]

It's supposed to get changed every 60,000 miles evidently. http://www.alternativeautoworx.com/maintenance_schedule.htm Maybe his didn't last that long, I don't know. I do know he was bitching and he had to have the dealership do it. It wasn't easy for him and it wasn't cheap.

 

[Elliot Press]

Why did he have to have it done at the dealership?
It really is a fairly simple process to change. You just HAVE to do it right. Do it wrong and the results can be pretty bad.

 

[abeaudin1971]

I concur - the timing belt is easy enough to do - It took me about as long to do the timing chain in my old 22R as it did for the forester and I took the engine out to do it.

There's loads of writeups on the step by step for the replacement.

 

[RubiconGeoff]

Has Subaru figured out a solution to their rear wheel bearings problem yet? Our 92 SVX and my buddy's 2002 WRX and 2005 STi need to have the rear bearings replaced every 10,000 miles like clockwork. I would LOVE a Subaru but I will never own another one until this problem is resolved.

Anyone?

 

[gahi]

no wheel bearing issues on ours, 2005 impreza

 

[kweetech]

2007 Forester X
95k...kick *** everyday car.
Only issues...clutch "hill holder" wouldn't disengage without lots of sidestepping the throttle on pikes peak...after stopping for a mammal jam at 13k.
Windsheild seal came loose on a western roadtrip.
Stock stereo crapped out at about 50k.
No other issues....vehicle has been driven hard and maintained well.
this thread has quite a false notions about maintenance on modern suby's.

decent mileage for awd, best vehicle I've driven in snow (with snow tires) on the hwy ever. My tacoma doesn't even come close (with snow tires).

Decent room..fits the car seat, handles a roof rack, pulls a trailer...even does well fully loaded on crappy midwestern woods two track.

 

[PNWDad]

2007 Forester X
95k.

Not trying to pick on you, but have you had your first timing belt/timing belt tensioner/drive belt/camshaft seal/crankshaft seals/water pump/tune up/coolant flush/tranny flush service?

If you havent, what was the estimate on your 100k service? Or are you going to split it up 100k and 120k services and have everything apart twice? And yes the newer subis are better then the ones from just a few years ago service wise.

Just saying people love them until they start going through these services. If the USA Suabrus has a low range t-case, true 4x4, and cost 10k less, then it would be ultimate mountain car.

 

[ducktapeguy]

Anyone?

Subaru TSB #03-50-02.

Wheel bearings have been upgraded to a roller bearings (vs. the original ball bearings) and a new installation procedure.

 

[cshontz]

I had an 01 Forester, Scott. Beautiful car. Very comfortable, adequately performing, well-equipped, and somewhat utilitarian.

Mechanically, my experience with the car was wholly negative. The CEL was always on for various reasons, it required a $1,000 head gasket job, and the oil wouldn't stay out of the coolant, and vice versa. Even after the head gasket job. There was always something wrong with it.

I'm not completely soured on Subaru, but I will personally stay far, far away from Foresters of that vintage. Although I'm still very intrigued by folks who use 'em for off-highway.

heheh

 

[4Rescue]

...

...

I went wheeling with guys in rigs like these in AUstralia quite a few times eh. We had to pull them from time to time in the Cruisers, but they were little beasts in my eyes. Plus when it came time to hit the graded roads, those guy's were having ALOT more fun "rallye'n" their rigs then I was in a HZJ75 UTE with tall skinny NDT tires eh I think they're cool rigs personaly and I can attest to Subaru's longevity. one of my best friends had a REAL early Scooby hatch-back with the hill holder and what not and it ran FOREVER. Hell I had a 2wd VW Fox that I put a mild lift on and went places some guy's were scarred to go in their Jeeps (clearly inexperienced drivers) and frankly more often then not on my way up to work @ Timberline I'd alwas seem to fly right by some family in a Chevy 4wd of some sort that couldn't get the vacum actuator to engage the 4wd in the cold ( a very common problem we saw alot of wiuth trucks parked overnight in the Lodge lot overnight when it got really cold... and not JUST Chevy's but more often then not they were)

Point being that with a good driver/spotter and proper wheel placement you can take an unassuming rig ANYWHERE really. maybe I wouldn't run a Forester over and through the Rubicon, but I bet it could be done with some careful and slow work.

... I am pretty sure in countries other than the USA you could get the Forester with a two speed transfer case and have low range! It would be really cool to import the bits and pieces to retrofit an American version.

yeah I'm pretty sure I saw a few with the 2spd Case in Australia... That would be cool. I know the old Loyale Scoody's had a low range...That would make for an awesome overland rig.

My buddy in College had an Outback Wagon (legacy, not Imp.) and we actually took that thing on some PRETTY hairy roads up near Bagby hot-springs/Detroit lake area here in Oregon if anyone knows where that is. Only thing that it lacked IMO was low range and we were really tearing up the clutch to get it up some obstacles. yeah, my 4Runner would just walk up them in 4Hi, but for an AWD Wagon it was AWESOME imo.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Navman]

Anyone?

Don't know, but I only had one go, and that was at 149k miles. This was a 2005 Outback.