The Dude

Y'know, it's hard to believe that this driver was smart enough to be driving a Subaru in the first place. Probably some family member gave him a well used one, instead of trading it in.

Well, I went out today and bought a 2006 Forester. I don't want a full sized SUV, I need a lot of cargo space, I need a roof rack, and I need to be able to comfortably tow 2,000 lbs. Really not too many cars out there that fit the bill. The Matrix came close, although I think the published 1500 lbs towing capacity with a 1.8L engine is very optimistic. Also, with the $1,000 factory cash, there was less than a three thousand dollars difference between the two cars. Even then, the Matrix didn't have remote open, cruise control, or alarm. My 1999, 200,000 mi Forester has proven to be a very tough and dependable car. The only thing I'll really miss by not buying the Matrix, is the 37 highway mpg. I think I will get over it.

Long story, short. The 2.5L DOHC Phase I engine had a lot, and I mean a lot, of internal head gasket failures. Subaru's reponse was to come out with the 2.5L SOHC Phase II, and basically stiff the Phase I owners when their warranties were up. Subaru would fix Phase I engines with blown head gaskets IF the car was still under warranty. After 60,000 miles the Phase I owner was usually SOL. Ok, Subaru has the Phase II engine, no more head gasket failures, right ? WRONG. While the Phase II did not have the same number of INTERNAL head gasket failures as the Phase I engine, the early Phase II engines had a surprizing amount of EXTERNAL head gasket failures. Subaru came up with a pretty slick "fix". A bottle of stop leak, and a guarantee against EXTERNAL head gasket failure for 100,000 miles. So, your engine is covered for ALL head gasket failures for 60,000 miles, but you're past that. The 100,000 mile warranty is for EXTERNAL head gasket failure. So, basically, I'm sorry to say that you may be screwed. Check the 100,000 mile warranty and makes sure it specifies external head gasket failure ONLY. Let's us know what happens. Good luck.

I could probably hang on to my 200,000 mi 99 Forester for a good while longer, but the $1,000 cash back incentive has me thinking about a new car. I'm looking at plain Forester X's. I think I can get the car for around $21,000 plus tax and title. How does that price sound? Also, I see the 2006 Forester now a has a "temporary spare", have the back seat dimentions been increased over the 99 model? My 99 Forester is a good car, but rear seating for adults is very tight. Any other comments on the 2006 Forester would be appreciated.Thanks.

"I probably should report this to Subaru of America or something." Do really you think that a company that left a signifcant number of "Phase One" engine owners twisting in the wind with blown head gaskets is going to give a rat's rump roast that some dealership underfilled your transmission? Anyway, it's good to see at least you have retained your sense of humor after this ordeal. Good luck.

I'm not certain about a 1990 Subaru, but here's how the FWD works in my 1999 Forester. When the FWD fuse is INSTALED the car is in FWD!!! The FWD light on the dash board should light, if your car has one. With the fuse removed, the car is in AWD. Generally the fuse is INSTALLED only when a mismatched spare tire must be used on car, or for diagnostic purposes.

Well, I supose something had to go at 200,000 miles. The AT in my 99 Forester imtermittently "shudders" when I slow to a complete stop. I can feel the tranny grab, then let go, grab, then let go. It feels and sounds exactly like center diff bind, except I'm going perfectly straight. It doesn't happen when I make slow sharp turns, so it's probably not the diff. The tranny, brakes and everything else seems to work fine at speed. I only get the "shudder" when I brake to a stop, and then only some of the time. Any thoughts? Any possibility it's not the tranny? Thanks.

My money is on the ball joints. They are fairly cheap and easy to replace yourself. Given Boston snow and salt however, popping the control arm off the ball joint stud could be a real chore.

I own a 99 Forester with 200,000 miles. Other than scheduled maintenance items, I have replaced the ball joints and a front axle. Since I replaced these items myself, I am $150 out of pocket for all my repairs. However, the best way to determine a car's reliability is to use the statistics in Consumer's Report, Edmunds, and other neutral sources. What I am most interested in is the "lifetime" cost of the car. What I have found in the past, is that Subaru has higher scheduled maintenance costs than average, and lower repair costs than average. A Subaru is afterall, a AWD vehicle and it requires a bit more prevenative maintenance than a lowly FWD car. Since I do all of the maintenance on my Forester myself, this has not been an issue of me. When you buy any car, you are playing the averages on reliability. Subaru, Toyota, and Honda all make lemons. They just make fewer lemons than the other guys.

FWIW, mileage may be as a good an indicator as any. I replaced the ball joints on my 99 Forester at 170,000 miles, but they could have used replacement at about 150,000 miles. The original ball joints proved to be extremely worn when they were replaced. Replacement ball joints were only $35 a copy, and I was able to replace them myself.

Along with Subaru, for a long lasting car I would have to look hard at Toyota. A comparable 2wd Toyota will cost a little less than a Subaru, and will definitely get better mileage. Several websites can provide total cost to own estimates for both cars. My 99 Forester 200,000 miles, total repair parts? One rebuilt axle and a set of ball joints. Not too much to complain about, on this car anyway.

Actually, maybe the mechanic was trying to do Snaffle a favor. Don't forget, some dealerships charge a fairly substantial fee to pull a code. The chances are that the code will be of little use in this particular case. Snaffle can always pull the code for FREE on his own at Auto Zone. Also, the focus of the CEL are the clean air regs, not diagnostics. I'd probably start with the dipstick, catastropic oil loss will always ruin your whole day.

Actually, it can be quite a chore to burp all the air from a Subaru's cooling circuit. The 1998 Forester has the infamous 2.5 L Phase I DOHC. This engine is pratically synonymous with head gasket failure. However, I would sniff the coolant for exhaust gases before I popped for an expensive head gasket replacement. Tell the guys quoting 2200 for the job to get some other sucker to make their boat payment.

A gauge is always better than just an idiot light. But, the Subaru does at least has an "AT oil overheat" light, which most cars don't have. Are you towing a lot? What benefits do you expect to see from your gauge? If I was going to add a gauge it would be for engine oil temp.

I would most certainly pass on the rusty 98 Legacy. Which, by the way, has the head gasket failure prone 2.5L DOHC engine. As to reliability, I would refer you to Consumer's Reports, an unbiased source of automotive statistics. I believe that you see that although several models and years are spotty, over all, Subaru makes a very reliable car. Have you owned AWD car before? Do you or your son really need one? Because although they can be extremely useful, AWD cars can come with additional maintenance and operating costs. Is your son the typical teenager, who will drop everything to have the tires rotated every 7,500 miles? Because if he isn't you might be looking at some very expensive and unnecessary center differential repairs. Also, AWD cars use more gas than comparable FWD cars.Reliability ratings aside, you can always get stuck with a lemon. Toyota and Honda make lemons, they just make fewer lemons than other car manufacturers. So, if you can live without AWD, I would suggest that you perhaps research Toyota for a FWD car for the greatest chance of optimal reliability. That having been said, I have 191,000 miles on my 99 Forester. On other than normal maintenance items, I have replaced the ball joints on the car. So, I can not say that I have been displeased with my Subaru ownership experience.

I am with Cookie. If piston slap is the only issue with the car, I would buy it. Your roomie, on the other hand, has a car with the infamous 2.5 DOHC engine. That engine has well known head gasket problems. At least you can give your roomie a ride if the head gaskets blow.

I have a 99 Forester. My car has had piston slap since 60,000 miles, it now has 191,000 miles (305,600 km) 1. Piston slap can get VERY loud in cold weather, Canadian guy. It will quiet down considerably after the engine warms up. 2. The piston slap will get worse with mileage. Not louder, but at start up the engine will have the slap at higher and higher outdoor temperatures. 3. I don't remember anyone on this board reporting engine damage as a direct result of piston slap. 4. I don't think piston slap, in itself, damages or significantly reduces the life of the engine. So, in the dead of a Canadian winter the slap will be really LOUD, like a bad main bearing, until the engine warms up. Given your climate, you might eventually have piston slap at start up for five or six months out of the year.

....but RED was the worst possible color choice for a ground cable. RED is always, always, always POSITIVE in DC voltage wiring. Black, green, or green with yellow stripes would have worked for a ground connection. Some day, some half awake technician with a set of jumper cables might make you one sorry car owner. Other than that, it is a very nicely done job.

Sorry, blown head gaskets are a well documented problem with the 2.5 DOHC engine. Had you researched the 98 Legacy before you purchased it, you would have known all about it. It's a very wide spread problem, and hardly a secret. Anyway , it's not the end of the world. Other than the head gasket problems, the 98 Legacy seems to be a pretty good car. A shop will typically charge around $1,500 to replace the head gaskets. If you're up to it, the job can be done much cheaper if you supply the labor. The results have been pretty good with the lastest head gasket version. Most of the head gasket replacements stay fixed. Whatever you do, do something. Overheating the car can mean head replacement and even a cracked block. Good luck.

Be aware that you have an interference type engine in your car (2.5L sohc). There is ZERO margin for error. I am considering replacing the belt myself on my 99 Forester when 220,000 belt change is required. I had the Subaru dealership perform the 110,000 mile belt replacement.

You have an interference engine. Any known problem with the timing belt, idlers, or tensioner should be addressed ASAP!! If the belt breaks, or even just slips, you engine will start crunching valves. Three grand is about the cheapest repair bill that you can hope for if this happens, and you may need an entire replacement engine.

Mike, a 1999 Forester XT? In 1999 the Forester came as a base model, an L, and a S. So, what gives?

Well, it's a generic suggestion that might not be worth a damn. But try disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes. That should reset the ECU.

An anti-freeze odor is not normal. The question is, where is the anti-freeze leaking from? Check all the coolant carrying hoses for a green residue. You might check the hose clamps for tightness. Check around the heads for a possible external head gasket leak. This might appear as a big black stain around the head where the sticky anti-freeze has trapped dirt. You could try placing paper under the car to check for anti-freeze leaks. You probably have a very minor leak, just enough so that the hot coolant creates an odor.

Just remember, the 2.5L is an interference type engine. There is ZERO margin for error. Last week someone on this board posted that he destroyed his 2.5L engine replacing the timing belt.