1998 Subaru Forester review from North America
"A lemon"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Catastrophic engine failure due to blown head gasket ($6,500.00) at 190,000 Km.
Multiple brake rotors replacements, this car is 95% highway driven.
Clock quit working.
Cruise control quit working.
Multiple indicator lights failures (Air conditioning, cruise control, fog lights).
Air conditioning system failure that could not be fixed by dealer, they wanted to change everything, eventually taken to a reliable garage, they found a bad sensor, works like a charm.
Rear window wiper motor burned out.
Starter is about ready to pack it in.
Alternator started to overheat.
New engine oil and coolant levels going down, no sign of any leakage on the engine itself, can only go out through the exhaust system.
I have invested over $11,000.00 in upkeep in the last 5 years.
General comments?
This car of mine is a typical example of a lemon. I have had no (zero) support from Subaru Canada.
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| 1998 - Forester LX 2.5L 4-cylinder Boxer Solid, reliable, functional car with excellent bad-weather traction and all-around handling. |
|
| Repairs are a nightmare, but I love the car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 2 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 20 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 231000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Acura Integra |
| Date of Entry | 4th March, 2004 |