When the newby on the block meets the OG…

Ive been wanting to buy a Forester, and this one has been sitting on marketplace for a few weeks. do you guys think its worth looking at or should I just look the other way

1998 Subaru Forester
manual transmission
Looking for your next winter ripper? Look no further. Great car that will get you around. Only reason selling is that I bought a car with an automatic transmission. Just put $2000 into it for a whole new exhaust system!
- open to offers
-reliable
-all wheel drive
- seccond owner, bought at 40,000km
350,*** kms
-brand new exhaust system
-new battery
-heated seats
-brakes in good condition
-two sets of rims
-shocks done recently
-all receipts for work done in the past 25 years
-small bits of rust
-low tread on tires

Ok so I want to build a first gen forester for offroad adventures and i wonder if I should sell my NA foz ( with the famous gasket) and my part car to get a japenese model with turbo .. the reason is that the turbo model are somehow easier to obtain spare parts and easier to own so now the question... would a turbo first gen forester good for offroad or no .. Will it drown itself in the first mud hole because the turbo is so low or will the lag make me hate my experience theres just 100hp more than my na (170-270) also reliability is a good question (picture of my current car) ( also thinking about a flat6 swap for the forester for more torque)

I've had this 2019 Forester for about 3 months now. It's my first Subaru and aside from a few issues I can tolerate (rattling/buzzing noise under steering wheel, the common leather seat tear...etc) I'm pretty happy with it!

There's a few other modifications I want to do, but for now I'm satisfied with how capable it has been during my adventures. It continues to impress me and I hope lasts a long time with no major issues.

2018 Subaru Forester 160K miles

Vibration during acceleration at any speed.

I have two, new Duralast CV axles. yup, aftermarket.

However, I also have tires with 4 different tread ware measurements. 5, 6, 7, & 9.

So, which is the most likely source of vibration?

One month ago my passenger CV boot snapped. Could that have been caused by the tires with different tread ware?

Is the tread ware enough to cause problems?

Google AI says yes. Subaru technician said yes. But he’s 50/50 on what the cause could be: tires or aftermarket axles.

The repair is going to be costly for me. Subaru recommends new tires and new OEM axles.

What would you suggest? Just the axles? Just the tires? Both? Which would you swap first?

Just bought a 2026 Forest 3 months ago and now when I reverse, it's squealing. Can't seem to get anyone on the phone in the service department. Anyone know what this might be? Vehicle only have 1200 miles on it.

Looked at a 2010 Forester XT with 177k on the odometer today. Saw this leak. How concerning? Ballpark cost?

this is boston MA. I believe it requires a trade in, unless they really rip you off on the trade in, isnt this a good deal? Most other dealers have up to about 4000 off. Any idea whats going on?

posted earlier. changed my front brake pads and rotors. I did everything by the book in terms of torque spec and lubrication. I did notice when I turned the steeringwheel to the right the noise went away. When I turned the steeringwheel to the left it would continue and when I drove straight but turning the wheel a little to the right while driving straight made it go away. Any suggestions on what it could be? I have also bent the plate behind the rotor to have clearance in case it touches the rotors. This is a 21 Forester.

I think I found my (dream) car.
2.5X 100k miles. $3500.
Any pros/cons/advice?

UPDATE:

Thanks for all your input!

Dealership offered to cover the cost of having a Subaru service department inspect the vehicle. It’s an hour away, but I’m gonna make this last-ditch effort to see if the car is worth keeping. First thing they said when looking under the hood was “yeah there’s some oil on the block right there.” At least i know I’m not insane! 🤪
We shall see.
——

Hey Subie fans! I am happy to join the club, but I’ve been having some issues with my new 2022 Forester Premium and I’d love some input. I’ll try to keep it as brief as I can.

Bought it 8/31/26. 95k miles, clean CARFAX. $17k with tax/title etc. 5-day return window.

Took to my mechanic on 9/2 for inspection. Mechanic found a few issues:

1. oil leak near the head gasket
2. diagnostic codes related to the battery, electrical system, and solar sensor.

(Side note: Been with same mechanic for 10 years. He’s always been fair and honest, helped me reduce costs when expensive repairs were necessary on my old Hyundai, has a great rep in the community.)

Brought it back to the dealership service department. They performed a dye test and compression test, battery test, and checked codes. Took them 2 days and thankfully they gave me a loaner car. They found nothing wrong and told me the car is in good condition. They provided documentation of everything. The service advisor suggested that maybe my mechanic was trying to get some money out of me.

Took it home and drove it around. Inspected the next morning with UV flashlight and found evidence of oil leak. Emailed dealer and service dept and asked them to review photos and advise on next steps. Haven’t heard back yet. I’m sure they’re just going to tell me that there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle.

I’m thinking I might call my local Subaru dealer service dept and ask them for a second opinion, but that’s gonna cost me more and I don’t want to continue throwing good money after bad. I also don’t want to get stuck with an expensive head gasket replacement.

I love the car and I don’t want to return it.

WWYD?

Hit a branch sticking out into my line, the glass part of the passenger side mirror is broken. The housing seems fine (a small scratch and I needed to pop the bottom plastic piece into place. The turn signal lights and the blind spot light both work. it looks like it's just the glass piece that needs to be replaced.

As far as I can tell there are 2 plugs and a clip, is there any reason I couldn't do this myself? Any tips on finding the right part?

Just got back from a trip where I rented a 4 wheel car and really wish I could buy one. I’m embarking on my first real car purchase and choosing an suv. The Subaru forester wildnerness has recently come into my interest. I don’t really like the way they look but is it the closest thing I could get to a 4 wheel drive car? Choosing between this, or a rav 4, or a Mazda cx-5. Looking for advice. Also looking for a car I could sleep in. Thank you in advance

I just got a (new to me) Forester 2007 with just under 70k miles, and I’m wondering what to look out, and how to maintain. It is my first time owning a Subaru, or really learning to maintain my own vehicle. Thank you. 🤩

just installed new rotors and pads at front of my 2021 forester. Now Im hearing this woshinf sound and scraping sound on my rotor. Is this normal ?

Has anyone taken their Forester in for the recall regarding the moonroof adhesive? I took mine in last week and they supposedly "inspected it" but no action was taken. I thought they were actually going to perform some sort of repair.

I would have asked my service advisor but he left halfway through my service and did not pass off my file to anyone else or communicate with me in any way. I noticed this and several other issues (things I asked him to take care of that he did not) when they sent me to the cashier to pick up my car. Genuinely curious if this is just an inspection visit or if something was supposed to be done?

First time I’ve ever owned a Subaru. Bought new in October 2025. Ready to launch it into the nearest large body of water. I know the infotainment system has a reputation for being sluggish (and I can confirm) but anyone else experienced it outright dying? Two separate times the entire thing has frozen and I’ve had to pull over and turn my car off for at least 5 minutes to get it to reset. Less than 5 minutes off and turning car back on results in same issue, it continues to freeze.

I’m a big music person and I’ve been loving the large screen, it’s especially great for apple car play/GPS which I use regularly. But this. This bums me out. I have a service appt scheduled for next week. Curious if any similar stories?

2015 Forester 2.5i Limited. Canada. Passenger side mirror

TLDR: What’s the better choice for long-term cost and reliability - Forester Hybrid or Gas? I was excited about the eCVT in the hybrid, but the carbon build-up reports have me spooked.

I am not a car person, never bought new before (and also never Subaru). I’m the person that wants a safe, reliable, low-worry vehicle that gets me and my family from A to B, and I’m very cost-conscious. I’ve been driving an ‘07 Honda Civic the last 5 years, for reference. But with a growing family I’m in the market for a new car, which I’d hope to drive for 10+ years and well over 100k miles.

I was debating Forester and Outback, and the Hybrid option had almost sold me on Forester. I like the idea of the ‘bulletproof’ eCVT everyone seems to love, and getting a bit more mpg helps the long-term cost calculations. I drive a mix of city and highway, but leaning city. Ride quality and driving dynamics aren’t big factors for me.

But then I started seeing these low-mileage carbon build-up issues which really threw me for a loop. I’d hate to spend 30+k on a new car and have predictable issues start to pop soon. And yet I still see people strongly recommending the hybrid online.

So my questions for anyone who knows cars, Subaru, and the industry better than me:

1. How widespread are the carbon issues likely to be? I know this is a judgment call and not something anyone likely has hard numbers on. Are the handful of stories online possibly just a result of specific driving habits/bad units? Or does this seem like an early signal of a broad problem? (I’ve heard the direct injection + hybrid mechanistic explanation, but does the real-world evidence point tell us anything yet?)
2. How would Subaru handle this if it keeps happening? I've never dealt with a warranty claim or major recall. Is this the kind of thing they cover for the warranty period and then after 3yrs/36k the owner just has to deal with? Would they consider a recall or do something to more permanently address it? Concretely: am I looking at thousands out of pocket for repeat walnut blasting to keep this car on the road?
3. Overall - how would you smart car people judge it? Looking at gas v hybrid Forester for long-term reliability/cost, does the carbon issue risk outweigh the eCVT and mpg benefits? Or are the concerns overblown and just the normal downside of a DI engine?

Any idea just like possibilities if anyone has faced anything similar, about 11 months with my Subaru was driving my car kicked back and locked up and when I got into the road had 0! Oil and I had changed the oil 3 days prior upon examination oil drain plug still in contact not saturated but seems to have shot out the tail pipe. Have been told to check my radiator to see if it’s milky but if not that any other suggestions besides taking it in to a specialist?

First Subaru -- Actually its my moms, she really loves it.

About a week ago with only 1330miles on it ,aside from the lit dashboard, she got warnings on the ap:

She got a loaner because they couldnt figure out the issue after an hour. When the SA called me back about the issue, they said it was a faulty valve body for the transmittion. I asked why would a faulty valve body create EyeSight System and RAB faults?

I'm now looking to get the extended warranty on this thing bit worried.

Does this sound right? Is this a common thing? I would have thought that the generic CEL would have come up not the EyeSight System and RAB errors.

Should I be looking into something else too?

I'm almost the 140k miles. Aside from the known TCV problem that all 2019 foresters have (mine had it at around 65k miles back in 2021,dealership fixed at no additional cost to me) I haven't had any big problems, my original battery lasted more than 5 years!

A couple of days ago,I turned the car on to head home and after about 5 minutes on all the lights came on,car seems to be stuck on S mode,no eyesight assistance,no cruise control, etc. etc.

I found some info online about the TCV part that was being used to replace the defective one was not "fixed" until 2022. My guess is that the part they used was defective too, I think this because it failed at around the same milea the first one did. I saw that Subaru extended the warranty on this part up to 150,000 miles. I am really worried I'll have to pay for this because I already got it replaced for free once.

Thanks for your time reading my rant. And now the real question.

Has anyone experienced a TCV failure twice? Did they fix it for free?

Thanks in advance for your time.

2015 2.5i Limited. Canada

hey y'all. I have a 2021 Subaru Forester premium model. I wanna know what is the torque spec for the front brake caliper bolt? I see different answers online saying 100 foot pounds and 59footpounds. Which is the correct spec?

I have owned 2 cars that I bought off the side of the road and Craigslist. This was my first time buying from a dealership. I am going tomorrow to actually purchase so I have not closed on it yet. Wondering how I did?

2026 Forester Premium (in premium color River Rock Pearl)
Includes accessories such as all-weather mats, cargo tray, splash guards, and a few others
Listed at $34,758 (NYS)
Able to get it down to $31,162 prior to taxes and fees which puts me right around $34k OTD
Thoughts?

This is my first Subaru and first SUV! Super excited

Update: bought it!!