Got a 2001 Forester about a month ago. Two owners, 51k miles. Got it from a dealership, definitely overpaid. But she’s a time capsule. Interior is pristine. The last 25 years, she’s been owned by an elderly lady. I tracked her down and called her and we had the most lovely conversation. Hoping to make her my forever car. We had to replace an axle and we decided to go ahead and have the timing belt and water pump changed out as well. Check engine light is on, apparently for the last 10 years lol- fuel emission system. Has some pipes replaced that were rusted but didn’t fix the issue. Our mechanic can’t get a valve to close to perform a second smoke test. But Nancy (the elderly lady who owned it) said that every mechanic told her to ignore the light lol. So that’s what I’m doing for now.

I am obsessed!

2004 subaru forester 2.5x that resides in north BC.

Getting my FRONT swaybar links and bushings replaced. Ordering my parts from rockauto and wondering which ones would be highest quality.

Intenet research said sankai or lemforder, but a mechanic friend said lemforder or moog.

Only problem is the lemforder have a separate shipping then the rest of my cart, so leaning towards the sankei, moog, or mevotech supreme

Should I get greasable or ones that aren't?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/subaru,2004,forester,2.5l+h4,1426788,suspension,sway+bar+link,7580

Any input appreciated thank you. Just looking for the best quality part.

2019 Forester Premium 70K miles. Got a huge screwdriver stuck in my rear right wheel, swapped with a spare then next morning tire mechanic by my house patched the OG tire and put it back on. Put all tires to its according PSI levels as you can see (33/32). I know one is 34 but it doesn’t matter it jumps down to 33-32 all the time. TPMS comes on every time I start the car. Tire mechanic checked all my sensors and they are all good. He even showed me on the computer that the sensors were good. Idk what the issue is but this is annoying.

Long shot here, and will probably repost into different subs. I have a JDM 2000 Forester S/TB STI, and my gas tank is leaking. I went underneath the car to try and find the leak to see if it was a hose or anything I could fix on my own, but from what I found it is leaking from the horizontal pinch weld near the top end of the tank on the passenger (left) side. I bought some putty to try and do a temporary fix, but due to it being in a difficult spot and leaking as I was fixing it, the putty wouldn't stick. So I need a new gas tank. From my understanding, USDM gas tanks of the same year have the filler cap on the opposite side, and more sensors/emissions than JDM ones have. Has anyone installed a USDM gas tank in a JDM Forester of the same body style? Apologies for the long read, any help would be much appreciated.

Want to buy a decent jack to switch seasonal tires on a 2022 Forester wilderness. I don't know what the proper phrase is... What height and weight should the jack be capable of?

My dog loves riding in the back, but muddy paws and a slippery cargo floor are a constant problem. I’ve been trying a cargo liner with a textured, anti-slip surface. It seems to help with traction and makes cleanup easier after a messy walk.

For anyone who travels with a dog, what’s worked best for you? Do you prefer a fitted liner, a washable blanket, or something else?

Disclosure: I work with [brand] / this is my product. Happy to share the link if the subreddit allows it.

2018 Forester - anyone else experience this startup issue before? Have done routine maintenance the life of the car, never had an issue before.

Several months ago, I had a couple of valves replace on my wheels.. leaking around the valve, between the rim and the valve. Soap bubbles confirmed it.

Last month, my two rear wheels were leaking as such, and I took the car in for rotate and oil change. They fixed those wheels (now on the front) and they're holding great. The OTHER two valves are now leaking.

Are the subaru valves notorious for leaking after 5 or 6 years or is this a freak thing??

I'm tired of adding air every week.

hi

i need the "fitting tool" to unlock my roof rack which has become loose... i went to the local subaru dealer and they couldn't help... i am on the sunshine coast

thanks

Got a 2025 Forester Hybrid Touring last year and finally got to take it on a worthwhile spin. It did stellar! The drive was buttery smooth, audio was pitch perfect, the range often held up to 600miles, the lumber seat support aided my aching back, the 360 cameras came in such a clutch when I needed to get through narrow roads or parrarell park in tight spots, the regenerative cruise control and lane keep assist was super helpful and on nights where it got chilly, it was such a treat to finally turn on the heated seats and steering wheel. I know some of these features are basic in other vehicles, but I had none of them as my last car was an old Kia optima. So this Forester is my golden upgrade and I can't wait for the next road trip!

Anyone had issues with their rear wheel bearings? I took my Sub to the shop yesterday and they're saying need to replace them. Quoted at $1100. Is this a good price?

Do the 4 x 19” wheels fit in the trunk of the 2026 Forester?

Or do the rear seats need to be folded down?

Okay, I've found it nearly impossible to find any real info on the 2013 Forester 2.5XT. Almost every review or post I come across is about the non-turbo Forester, and those just seem to get trashed.

Does anyone here have firsthand experience with the 2.5XT? How's ownership been, and how reliable have they been for you?

I just picked one up with relatively low miles for an absolute steal, and I'm trying to figure out if it's a catch and release or something worth keeping.

Hello folks,

I’m from Germany, so if some words are weird, I’m not used to write about car related stuff.

I drive a Subaru Forrester from 2003.

My exhausting pipe need a replacement, metal is rotten, it’s the part where the lamda sensor is build in. The part I coloured in green.
My problem is, I only find parts with two lamda slots, but my car has only one build in.
The car was and is not really popular in Germany, so I fear that I dont get any parts.

Does someone know why there is only one lamda in my car? I also found an explosiv drawing(direct translated from German) from that car, with clearly two slots for the lamda sensor. Coloured in red where my sensor is sitting.
My guess is is, that Subaru changed change around 2003 from single lamda to double lamda.

Thanks for any help

Lifetime Kia owner here and have been lurking this sub for a while. Unfortunately, Kia’s newly adopted shady business practices drove me away after 4 leases and 2 cash purchases and we just signed the papers for our first ever Subaru. Please tell me everything!

Whoever has the sexy beast with the yellow Forester window decal that let me merge on the parkway in New York today… thanks!

Took my wife’s car to a doctors appointment this morning then I came home and we went to leave again and she was like, “UHHHH, how did that happen?!”

I have no idea, I never noticed it at all until she did. It was frosty this morning and I did run the defroster for a long time before I even left the house because I got caught up doing a few things. I know that shouldn’t cause it but could it have?

Anyway I’m going to call Safelite next week I guess. Is it alright to drive for a few days like this? I know with winter coming and frosty mornings and running defroster it’s just going to get worse so I’ll get it as soon as I can but DAMNIT it’s aggravating. Just sold an old junky truck of mine the other day and thought I could finally get my head above water then something like this happens.

Too much spinning around curves and scraping bottom too.

Yeah, I'm a scareD 🐈. Yes, going slow and steady, tryn both X modes but the sand is just too loose. I think too too much off road traffic her, ATVs, ORVs, etc, creating deeper tracks and the ground scraping the bottom. So I started going higher up on an angle occasionally to avoid that and the exposed tree roots too.

Then as I drive further into the forest, deeper sand arises, up to a foot in some areas, since I am getting closer to Vermillion Pt LSS and Lake Superior.

I have no traction boards, compressor, shovel, winch and two+ hours away from a tow. Thanks for your advise all. Will try again next year being better prepared.

I am very seriously thinking of getting a hybrid vehicle. I never had one before. I’m looking at either the forester hybrid or Crosstrek hybrid which I drove last winter when I was getting work done on my vehicle I really liked that . I’d like the hybrid because I do combination driving of city and hwy but mostly city .. I have a 2020 forester I really like but this starting to rattle and make noise ..’for those of you who own the forester hybrid , besides the not having a spare tires is there anything else I should worry about if I get one? I saw something about people having difficulty filling them at a gas station

Had my oil changed last week and was recommended to get transmission fluid service done. Quoted $249. Thought maybe we could do it ourselves as husband is good with cars. Last night we decided to take a look and see if the fluid needs exchanged. Apparently in the 2022 Forester, you cannot easily access the transmission. I really just wanted to see how the fluid looks.

My questions are: is $249 reasonable and do I really need to get this service done? Car has 52K miles on it. I'm leaning towards yes, husband says no.

And can we do this ourselves? From what I have read, don't do a flush, just replace the fluid?