Faults:

My 2001 Forester is a real disappointment to me. Both front boots have needed to be replaced. First time at 50,000 and now at 70,000. Is this a design flaw? I have owned all GM cars previous to this one and have never experienced this type of expense within these short time frames. Is Subaru going to issue a recall or refund? At this rate I will trade off the car much sooner than planned and purchase a non-Subaru vehicle.

General Comments:

I'm about to purchase a 2001 S with 106,000 miles on it. I'm concerned about some of the complaints I've read here. I'm fully aware of the wheel bearing problems as I owned a '99 S previously. On this model the head gasket, seals and clutch were just replaced so I'll take my chances. But not one reviewer has mentioned the best feature of this car, which is its crashworthiness. My daughter totaled the last Forester we had by wrapping the front end around a tree, crumpling the entire front end. But she and her 4 friends escaped without a scratch. An earlier side impact crash caused substantial body damage, but again no injuries. This is why I'm going to buy another Forester, despite the known mechanical problems I may encounter.

Faults:

Replaced leaking head gasket

Replaced cat. converter

Replaced front axle, twice

Replaced O2 sensor - 2

Front wheel bearings

Windshield cracks easily from pebbles kicked up in traffic

Hood paint quite chipped from same

Check engine light has been on for two years, several repair shops have worked on this problem, none have fixed it for long. We've just been told that new state regulations prohibit approving the emissions inspection if it's on. What a mess!

General Comments:

Pros: Good gas mileage, 28 mpg on last trip. Handles well in snow and on wet roads. Nice rubber mat in the back that makes cleaning easier. Acceptable cargo area for suitcases and such.

Cons: All of the above repairs, some quite expensive. We bought this car because Subarus were reputed to last a long time, which they may, but apparently only with increasingly expensive and frequent repairs.

Minor irritations include a so-so air conditioner and heating system. Cups in the front holders block the air vents - especially irksome in the summer. There is a lot of road noise. Over time the ride quality seems to get worse.

Faults:

Rear wheel bearings at 35K miles, replaced under warranty.

Clock doesn't work anymore.

General Comments:

This car is fantastic!

I couldn't believe the bad comments I've read about it on this site.

My Forester now has 144K miles on it and I've barely had any problems with it at all.

Clutch replaced at 120K miles.

One headlight replaced at 130K miles.

Tires replaced every 30K or so.

Front brakes replaced at 79K and again at 140K.

Car runs like new, interior is perfect, and paint is still glossy and looks good.

I absolutely love this car and would recommend it to anybody!

Faults:

Timing belt assembly - $800.

Cam sensor - $200.

Rear windshield wiper motor - $150 (self repair).

General Comments:

Car has been a tank and I have not had any of the bearing or head gasket problems I have read about yet.

Great handling with Michelin Harmony tires

Low MPG for car so small.

Faults:

Rear wheel bearings have failed 2X's at an expense of $1000.00. Once at 39,000 miles again at 100,000 miles.

Catalytic converter went bad at 79,000 miles. Took 8 weeks to get the part at the dealership. This tells me that the factory must be having a hard time keeping up with demand.

The check engine light comes on monthly. Keep getting same code--misfire on cylinder 3. Dealer finds no problems after 4 service calls and charges $50 per reset. I bought by my own code reset tool at $100 in order to reset the check engine lite that literally comes on every 500-1500 miles. Always the same misfire code registers.

Cheap plastic interior parts that are not child proof. cup holders lasted a week with my children.

The transmission is jerky. If you ever drove the electric bumper cars at an amusement park you know what I mean. Mechanic states it is not normal, but can find nothing wrong.

$400 tune ups at the dealership to basically replace spark plugs and filters. Best to learn how to do this yourself or find a trustworthy honest mechanic. By the way I did not pay for the $400 tune up even when they had it on special for $250.

Small back seat area. This I believe was improved with the 2002 models.

General Comments:

We have been a 2 car Subaru family for the past 20 years. I also have a 96 legacy with less problems, but still a lemon. Starting in the mid 90's (Paul Hogan era) the quality of Subaru's have degraded to where I cannot justify the expense to buy any more of these vehicles. Subaru's have now become a status symbol in my area, but the quality of Subaru's are now horrible.

Subaru's do do great in the snow, but with global warming and less snow in my area--We are switching over to Toyota's. Never had issues with Toyota. I actually traded in a Corolla for the Forester. Worst decision I could have made in hindsight.

I wash my hands of Subaru and leave it to those with more money an less sense.