Faults:

Head gasket started leaking on the driver's side of the engine at 34000 miles. The dealer checked it at 43000 and BOTH head gaskets were leaking oil and coolant. Given the fact the exhaust manifolds are right under the heads, an oil leak is a potential fire danger if oil drips onto the very hot exhaust piping. Dealer replaced both head gaskets under warranty at 43405 miles and assured me that the problem wouldn't likely repeat itself before 200,000 miles. I bought a Subaru based on the many positive reviews and comments my Subaru owning customers had made. To have head gasket issues develop so quickly has made me doubt the legendary reliability I've heard so much about. I am an ex-Honda/Acura technician and I don't recall those cars suffering any major problems before 200,000 miles.

General Comments:

AWD is excellent in snow, handles fairly well for what it is. Fuel economy is great for an AWD car.

Faults:

The cloth seats are fraying at seams. Dealer replaced the front seats once, but they are once again doing the same thing. Service Field Manager even looked at car last week and took additional photo's. So far only offer of repair is free 30,000 mile service which still leaves seats in condition they are.

General Comments:

Really enjoy the car for driving on ice and snow. Disappointed with response to my concerns for the quality of the fabric.

While having my car's seats looked at by the dealer we looked at new cars on the lot with the same light beige cloth seats that already had strings sticking out on the seams. I even had a loaner Forester with the gray cloth that had the same problems, but to a lesser extent.

My old 99 Ford has 185,000 miles on it and the seats still look new and are in better condition than the Foresters.

Faults:

Speakers vibrated with heavy bass.

General Comments:

My wife and I are walking the planet today because of this great car. We were on a ski trip to Mt. Hood OR. on a slick, snow and ice covered road, nearing the summit when around a blind corner came a car spinning in circles at around 50MPH. There was very little traffic and the car comming down the hill was an SUV with an obviously overconfident driver. As he spun his way directly toward our Subaru, I came to the realization that he was going to hit us at a high rate of speed. I had slowed some hoping his trajectory would change in our favor but it did not. The only thing I could do was to accelerate around him. I feared I would only be hopelessly spinning my tires but I was wrong. The Forester premium has a differential slippage limiter that kicked in and got us around the other SUV without slipping at all. I seriously don't think any other car could have done this. The Michelin ice tires I run on it helped as well I'm sure but I mostly credit the Subaru. We did not make contact at all and theother vehicle hit a deep snow bank backwards. Incredably no one in that vehicle was seriously injured. It was a close call that could have ended much worse for everyone.

Faults:

The catalytic converter was replaced at 27,000 miles. The repair was under warranty, but I had to wait 2 months for the part.

Then the dealer broke some other part, during the repair. My car was in the shop for a week while I was stuck driving a junky 10-year-old Legacy, which I barely fit into.

General Comments:

AWD is excellent.

I think the reliability reputation is a facade.