zooma37

I am confused. As I understand, tires must be rotated front to back and back to front, but I've seen my dealer switch sides, too. I thought that would cause problems, but the dealer says no. What's up?

I originally bought my 03 Foreter because I didn't want a minivan and I refused to buy a large SUV. I thought that it would have the space for the outdoor activities I like, as well as have enough space for the family, but it doesn't do either very well. It doesn't have enough rear legroom, and the rear cargo space only really works if the seats are folded down. I'm not happy with the factory installed roof rack, and while it handles well, it's not very good with short distance drives - poor gas mileage. In addition, if there's a flat that cannot be fixed, all four wheels have to be changed, unless you're willing to spend time to find a used tire that matches the other three. I think it's the perfect car for somebody who's single and makes short trips in poor/snowy weather conditions - the East coast. Subaru has sold this car as the answer to the minivan, but I don't think it is.

I own an 03 Forester with low mileage, and I would recommend the car only if you absolutely need an AWD vehicle, because it is expensive to maintain and it doesn't have much room. The rear cargo is nice, but there's insufficient legroom in the rear, which creates problems for rear-facing car seats. The gas mileage has been okay and we haven't had any problems yet, but then again the car doesn't have much mileage. Subarus are niche vehicles, so there aren't too many dealers, and if you have a problem with one, there's likely nobody else in the area. Bottom line: if you need a solid AWD vehicle that's not for a family, the Forester should be okay.

Actually, I think I misspoke. What I meant to say about the Forester was not tire rotation, but alignment. I've been warned that if the tires don't wear at the same levels, I risk creating bigger problems. Four wheel alignments can get expensive, especially if you do a lot of driving. I guess the bottom line with the Subaru is you REALLY must need AWD to buy it, despite Subaru's marketing the vehicle to a wider audience. It requires too much tender loving care for a car, and I still think a FWD Forester option would be a big seller. Everyone's tired of high gas prices and not everyone wants a minivan.

Hi, don't know if this info will help you, but I own a 03 Forester, and I don't think I would buy it again. I've never owned a soob before, and I miss owning a drive and forget vehicle. First, there aren't that many subaru dealerships, so service is even a bigger problem than with Hondas or Toyotas. If I don't like one dealership, thre are a thousand more. Not so with Subaru. Second, the gas mileage has been poorer than expected. Third, I really hate rotating four tires at once, and buying four tires instead of two can get expensive over time. I would suggest that Subaru market a FWD only car, because not all of their buyers need AWD. That would have been a nice choice to have. I have also noticed that the 03 Soobs dent really easily. Seems like whenever I park the car, I have a thousand new door dings when I return. I've never noticed that problem with other cars I've owned. I suspect that Soob used thinner/lighter materials to squeak out gas mileage and, as a result, the car dings more easily, especially above the rear wheel wells. Subaru could put a plastic liner - like I see on many other cars - around the rear wheel well to cut down on that problem. No complaints about the engine yet, but I am not waiting around to find out.

Interesting thread because I have encountered the same problem with my 03 Forester, and it's driving me nuts. I went through the same process with the dealer, and now the car pulls to the left, but only during acceleration. I don't know what's going on.

I agree with bjwirth. I never owned a Subaru until I purchased the Forester in 2003. Overall I like the car but I have some issues with it - gas mileage, cramped rear seats, the need to replace all four tires at once, and the fact that there are few mechanics around who can work on the car, unlike Hondas and Toyotas. If I were having twins, I would definitely choose the Honda. There's just far more space for kids than in the Forester.

Still thinkin, I own a 2003 Forester, and I recommend the Honda for kids, even though it's - yipes - a minivan. The Forester is a good car, but rear-facing car seats are a problem. There's not enough room in the rear seats to place a car seat rear-facing and to give the adult in the front, especially if he/she is tall, enough legroom to drive or ride. When I drove, we placed our son behind the front passenger, which worked only because my wife isn't tall. I highly recommend you think about rear-facing car seats BEFORE you buy the Forester. You certainly won't have that problem with the Honda or Toyota.

I own a 03' Forester and experienced the same issue. I have never owned a Subaru before and I wasn't sure what to think, but after reading suggestions from other owners in this forum, I switched to Shell 87. I've run Chevron and Mobil 87 and encountered lower gas mileage and knocking, which stopped when I switched to Shell. It seems that while Subaru tells owners regular is fine, the forester is very picky about which 87 brand. I'd run Chevron/Mobil 89 or Shell 87 and see what happens. I have seen better gas mileage and performance with Shell 87. Hope this info helps and good luck.

Yes, I'd like to know the dealer's name, too.

I almost forgot one thing - the noise seems worse when the wheel is wet. Any ideas.

The noise sounds like to pieces of metal rubbing together and it only occurs on sharp/tight, low-speed turns to the left - when I am pulling into my garage. The noise doesn't occur on right turns or driving straight or at faster speeds. I thought maybe the backing plate would be the problem, but not sure. MD

My car's been making that noise almost since I bought it two years ago. If it's a CV joint, how expensive is the repair?

Ben, I have encountered exactly the same problem on my 03 Forester, but I can't figure the problem out. The noise occurs only on tight left turns, not right.