Summary:
Think twice before you buy it. Go with the Outback, maybe it's better
Faults:
Power steering leak at the joints at 5000 miles. Dealer replaced under warranty. They said part was rejected.
Rear seat latch.
Rear door lock, won't lock it
General Comments:
I'm 6'3". The seats are really uncomfortable, they are short upper and lower section. Made for smaller people.
The car is rattles a lot. It's really annoying. Rear seat, sunroof cover, side doors, dash board where windshield meets, sun glass area, glove box rattles. I've been at the dealer several times. They can't do anything about it. They did change the rear seat latch once, but the rattles are still there.
I want to love this car because of the handling, the size, the look, the performance are great. But I've had enough. I did removed the door panels not once to fix the rattles. But come on, it's a new car with very cheap quality. I would never buy this car again.
This is my second Subaru, the first one was better; 2005 Outback.
The sound system is horrible, better you turn it off. The speakers are cheap paper quality; of course made in China. It's a shame.
The aux input isn't better; if I leave the cable connected and I turn on the headlight, the radio unit starts to make a noise, like a contact error.
This is not what I expected from this car. Too many little problems.
Now I'm trying to get rid of it and get another Toyota or Mercedes wagon. I owned both before, and never had a problem like this.
The Subi drives great on snow, great easy off road vehicle. Good gas mileage 19-29mpg
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 14th March, 2010
22nd May 2010, 12:53
You're absolutely right. This car is cheap, cheap, cheap. Poor build quality. I'd never buy another and never recommend one. Shame on Subaru.
3rd Oct 2010, 11:40
I am forced to agree with many of your comments. My father has owned Subarus since the 80's, and his current Subaru, a 2009 Forester, seems almost like a step back in quality from his previous vehicle (a 2003 Forester, which was totaled after getting rear ended at a stoplight). Lots of cheap trim and hard plastics inside that are not wearing well, fewer storage spaces, and the leather is falling apart. And then there are the rattles... sigh.
Mechanically however, it was doing fine, but just the other day, the transmission has started to act up with a harsh 2-1 shift/lurch when coming to a complete stop... Made a call to the dealer for an appointment tomorrow, and was told that his Forester is going to be stuck with them for a while (eg. waiting for new transmission, if so diagnosed), and I would have to rent a car for the interim, because Subaru Canada no longer offers free loaners for warranty work. Fail.