Faults:

Have replaced right wheel bearing twice within a year.

Air conditioning does not function adequately in stop-and-go traffic.

Right rear hatch arm snapped due to premature rust.

Major engine leak from blown gasket at 130 000 km.

Front passenger power window no longer functions.

Overhead clock is toast.

Wheel alignment issues abound.

General Comments:

This car offers safety and practicality, but be cautious of its history.

Faults:

Major issue: Head gasket blew at 130,000 miles.

Minor issues: Oil seals; Subaru just cannot seem to make them stop leaking after seemingly few miles on the engine.

Certain electronic components stopped functioning. For example the master switch for the power windows, also the clock.

Gas mileage is a disappointment. I previously had a Isuzu Trooper and before that several Volov's and BMW's. The Forester roughly gets the same mileage per gallon as the Volvo, meaning not all that much better than the Trooper.

General Comments:

They are hard to beat on a slippery surface. I've been on hard snow packed roads, or occasionally even ice and felt the car handled amazingly well. On a slippery surface, nothing I've owned has handled this well.

Faults:

Cracked cylinder head at 138,000 miles.

Both rear wheel bearings went at 130,000 miles and needed to be replaced twice.

Crank shaft oil seal blew at 113,000 miles.

New clutch installed at 99,000 miles.

Check engine light comes on constantly due to cylinder misfires (numbers 1,2,3 and 4) since the car had 16,000 miles.

General Comments:

The dealership keeps telling me that engine overheating is the cause of the cracked cylinder head. The problem is that the car has never once overheated. Several mechanics have told me that the cylinder misfires are related to the cracked cylinder head, if not the cause of it. That means that this car has a manufacturers defect!

Faults:

Right back wheel bearing has been replaced twice. Once at 60,000, again at 80,000.

Alternator replaced once at 80,000.

Axle joint replaced once at about 75,000.

General Comments:

The All Wheel Drive system handles like a dream in all weather, including mud.

It handles like a car, not an SUV.

It's just the right size.

Major manufacturing problem regarding wheel bearings.

Faults:

Head gaskets blew at 89000.

Connecting rod destroyed motor at 117000. Short block from dealer will cost 5000 to replace.

Clutch shudder problems after clutch replaced by dealer.

Leaking rear strut.

Rattling noise from under car. Dealer wanted to replace catalytic converter.

Small clock quit working.

General Comments:

Local dealer was not helpful was asked about replacing the motor or getting a replacement motor for another shop to replace.

When asking questions of dealer on phone I was hung up on after getting a one word answer to my first question.

The rattling noise we heard under the car had been checked by the dealer through a used car inspection and they considered the noise normal. This inspection paid for by the previous owner did not call for any repairs to the vehicle or serious problems.

Faults:

When one tire got sidewall damage it was recommended that we replace all four. The electronic clutch at the wheel with less tread depth than the others may burn out on this automatic all wheel drive system. The clock is failing. The floor mat had to be secured with a zap strap.

General Comments:

This is a good handling sport-ute with a fast launch from a stop because of the low first gear. The dual overhead cams sound nice! 60 cubic feet of cargo is good for a vehicle of this size. I use synthetic oil and coolant additives to try and avoid the head gasket failure which occurs in 20% of these foresters.