2001 Subaru Forester S review from North America
"A seemingly nice car for features, but enthusiasm quickly wanes when mechanical problems show up"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Driver's side head gasket blew at 137,000. Took to a dealer, they replaced both gaskets, clutch, timing belt idler pulleys, other repairs, total cost was a whopping $3400 (which took two weeks to complete; a rental cost me an additional $700 for that time). Engine continued to leak coolant and oil immediately after the repair.
Radiator sprung a leak at 125,000.
Air conditioner stopped working at 120,000.
Check engine light on most of time, code=P0420 (cat converter), I just ignore it.
Clock stopped working at 105,000 miles.
Clutch judder since I bought it (99,000 miles)
Clutch slave cylinder piston binds up when it is very hot outside (>90F), since I bought it (effect is that clutch pedal travels easily almost to the floor, though you can still disengage the clutch to shift)
Incessant coolant and oil leaks since I bought it (I have to continually top these off, once a week for coolant, once a month for oil) - even after costly repair after repair.
Spark plugs seem to wear out very quickly (6000 miles)
Air conditioner 'on' light burnt out since I bought it.
General comments?
The car is 'average' in many respects. Average power, handling, mileage (21 mpg city, 25 mpg fwy), comfort, noise level on freeway, reliability.
I started out optimistic, but today I would not recommend the Subaru Forester.
Recommended reviews
| This car is a piece of junk: shame on you Subaru |
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| Subaru needs to decide whether they want to be a real car company in the U. S. or not |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2001 |
| Year of manufacture | 2000 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L EJ25 Manual |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 99000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 137800 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Camry |
| Date of Entry | 20th November, 2008 |