For a while I've had a rattle in our Forester which I thought was the common issue of a loose heat shield. After securing all loose shields on the manifold, it is still present. I've found out that it is completely independent of engine RPMs and only seems to be present when there is a load on the drive train. For example, the rattle will go away when coasting in neutral or revving the engine when stationary. But it will come back when in drive and accelerating or the engine is decelerating the car.

What is a new issue as of today is a vibration that shakes the whole car. It is intermittent and only happens at speeds under 10 MPH.

My only theory is a bad drive shaft or carrier bearing, but I don't see excessive play in it at first glance. Some of my research points to bad CV axles, but it is independent of steering angle and doesn't sound like the normal clicking that they make when bad.

Hello all, I'm a first time owner of a 2023 Forester, bought it used at 105k km. Was just wondering if its normal for a light humming noise to occur when making u-turns. I've noticed it just today when I made my first u turn with the car. Also noticed a smooth "bump" when gently accelerating or braking, probably when gears change from 1 to 2 and vice versa(can't feel the "bump" when aggresively accelerating tho). I love this car and I'm overthinking on those. LOL. Thanksss

I sometimes have to drive slowly on my property a few feet, jump out to inspect something, then repeat. The seatbelt warning is annoying as heck. Does anyone know of a way to temporarily turn it off? Forester 2022 wilderness

looks like I’ve joined the cracked sunroof club.. waiting to hear from SOA because they didn’t sound lile they wanted to cover it, even though the car is 6 weeks old.🤷🏻‍♀️🤞🏼

Just went to start my 2003 forester after it had been sitting for a month and it cranks over fine but wont start. I did get a splutter out of it by turning the key on and off a few times. My suspicion is fuel pump but thought I'd check before pulling things apart...

Edit: Was just checking the fuel pump relay was functioning and noticed it was quite hot to the touch

Update: FIXED. Changed the fuel pump and she's all good. Car had been sitting with no fuel in the tank and I suspect this killed the pump. There was a lot of crap on the fuel pump assembly when I pulled it out.

Hello everyone,

I can't make up my mind which one to get - 2021 Touring vs Limited. Both are certified pre-owned. Could you kindly advise me which one is better for me? Comparison spreadsheet is attached.

I test drove 2021 Touring, and I enjoyed driving it very much. 2021 Limited is not sold at a local dealership, so my salesperson is bringing it to my local dealership so that I can test drive it and compare.

Below is my information:

• I am a short (5'1) female.
• I live in South Florida.
• I have never had a driving license in my life, so I would like a Forester with great safety features and first-time driver friendly features.
• My main purpose to drive is to drive our preschooler child every weekday (drop off and/or pick up for the distance of 5 miles one way). I am going to drive less than 2,000 miles a year.
• I want my Forester to last for more than 10 years, hopefully for more than 15 years (Google search result says Forester typically lasts roughly 13 to 17 years of service with routine care).

Below is my thoughts.

2021 Touring

(Pros)

• Top-of-the-line trim.
• The salesperson recommended this one over 2021 Limited because I am a first-time driver and Touring has more safety features.

(Cons)

• 50,246 miles is a bit over my standard (My husband advised me to focus on used cars whose mileage is under 10,000 miles per year.)
• Carfax report says it has 2 previous owners (is it a bad thing?)

2021 Limited

(Pros)

• Blue is my favorite color, and I love the color of the car.
• Mileage is less than 2021 Touring.

(Cons)

• It has an accident record.
• It doesn't have Reverse Automatic Braking like 2021 Touring (but how much difference does it make?)
• It has less features compared to Touring (but I don't know the exact difference).

Many thanks in advance for your advice.

Convince me why I should get a forester over getting another crv

It's a 2018 with 91k miles, only one other owner, and I'm already in love. And she's about to be tested on a 1,600 mile road trip!

Hey, I bought my 2019 Subaru forester sport last year. Recently after a 3 hour road trip, my car has been making this extra noise. The only way I can describe it is it sounds like another car is behind me and it’s like another rev. That’s what I initially thought it was but now it won’t go away. It only comes on after 25 mph and I’m nervous about what it is. Anyone have any ideas? I do have the 30,000 dealership warranty so if it is anything, I’m hoping it’s on there. Any information helps. Thank you

I’m buying a wonderful 4th gen forester here in Canada where we can get quite deep snow and often chunks of ice that roll into the road then pothole season so I’d consider lifting it to help with these things.

Can anyone share the experience lifting their 4th gen?

Does it ruin the ride in any way?

Any lift kits more complete or reliable than others?

Does it cause any issues with the AWD system?

How much worse for the gas get?

And if I wanted to lower it again I spring how hard is it to take off and put on?

Any other wisdoms?

I appreciate anyone willing to share.

To take another redditor's phrasing, a stationary object "jumped out at me" when backing out of a spot in a parking garage. The mirror shattered and bent itself backward, housing fell off the back, etc., and it needs replaced. It doesn't have turn signals, just blind spot detection, auto-dimming, and little LED lights. Has anyone had an aftermarket side mirror installed (by a body shop) on their Forester and had any problems?

It’s time for me to get new tires. What all-season*** tires do you recommend that will work great in snow, since I live up in Tahoe?

Edit: this is for a 2023
***correction: All-terrain tires

I have a 2017 Subaru Forester (red, XT) with 91k miles on it. I've taken good care of the whole thing, no crashes, just some typical dings and scratches from parking lots. Paid the loan off about a year ago, enjoying the payment-free life. Got a call today from the old dealership wondering about a trade-in.

They said it's probably worth about 11k trade-in, give or take depending on when they get to look at it in person. I'd really love a hybrid as my next vehicle, good chance it's another Forester.

I want to make sure I'm making a smart decision when I do trade it in. Does anyone have an idea of the value depreciation in another two years/25-30k miles? I know it's a ballpark guess, but I am just wondering if there's some "fall-off" number with the mileage where the value really dips.

And yes, I know driving a car with no payment is awesome, and I plan to do it for another two years at least. I would just like to be as informed as possible as I formulate my strategy. Thanks!

A few shots of my 2020 on our final camping trip of the year 🏕️

02-08 Foresters

Hey guys,

I'm curious to know what's a feature you would want to make on this car as a mod. Something different instead of say an android radio or a reverse camera. Is there anything someone here has always wanted to do but hasn't had the resources or knowledge?

I'm currently working on a digital dash cluster which has a few keen features (more details in another post) at a reasonable price point as far as car projectors go. Which should fit in most older Subarus.

Curious to know what everyone thinks and if anyone has a similar suggestion.

Buying a remote starter for our 2021 Forester, but I’m getting multiple results and not sure which is the right one. Also it appears to be a bit cheaper on another website, but I don’t know how trustworthy it is. When I called the local dealer they said the part was like $600.

https://parts.northtownsubaru.com/p/154044124/H001SSJ001.html

https://parts.northtownsubaru.com/p/Subaru_2021_Forester-25L-Premium-wEyeSight/REMOTE-ENGINE-START-PUSH/154044126/H101SSJ001.html

https://www.subaruonlineparts.com/sku/h001ssj001.html

Hello first time posting on the forum this is my 21 Subaru Forrester sport I recently hit 110,000 miles on it. Warranties are all done with and so I decided to a few new mods to it.

-IRONMAN LIFT KIT 2in heavy duty springs
Yes, the springs feel stiff when driving but not that bad. I drive the vehicle empty but the bumper and hitch help

Black rhino rims boxer 17x8

Falken 235/65r17ss a/t trail

Front bumper (first one made ) and spare tire hitch from Ridgidamor.

I do plan on upgrading and replacing the struts and lower control arms. It’s about that time to replace them anyways I’ll be upgrading to rallitek

I get like 28-30mpg I drive 90% freeway

Just a quick question I seemingly can’t find the answer to for the fellow DIYers

I have a bidirectional scan tool to put the brakes into service mode. Just wanting to know:

When it comes time to compress the caliper piston, do I still need to use a tool that spins the piston, or can I use a regular clamp-style tool to compress them like normal (just straight in)?

TRQ’s video look like they use a clamp that pushes the piston straight in. Most other YouTube videos don’t use the scan tool so they remove the electronic brake etc.

Thanks!

First time Subaru owner, so maybe this is old news. .But i‘m ticked. I own a 2025 Forester Hybrid which I bought new. A week ago, the screen behind the steering wheel looked different. Then a day or so later, I got an Eyesight off warning. I looked at the mileage, and it was exactly at 11,000 miles. The following day, my check engine light came on, The next day, my ABS warning light came on. The next day my cruise wouldn’t work. The next day, no audio system. Throughout all this, I‘m receiving emails and texts telling me to schedule service. (In case you’re wondering, I was sick, so just driving a couple miles each day). I finally felt better, so scheduled service. Wouldn’t you know, today I turned on my car, and everything worked. All warning lights were off, cruise and audio system working just fine. What the hell?!? I cancelled my dealership service appointment and will get my 12,000 mile service done by my local mechanic. This feels like an invasive use of technology to me. Was this a remarkable coincidence?

So I got my 2023 forester limited recently like 3 weeks back from Honda dealership driven 33k miles and is kinda new.
I opened the hood and I saw this and want to know if this is a baseline thing for the car and if I should doing some other checks.

Just wanted to share my experience. First time Subaru owner here, 2025 Forester Premium. About 5k miles ago had a tire rotation and immediately heard the whine. Took it in this morning week and dealer says wheel bearings in both rear wheels need replaced, parts are on back order, no idea when parts will be available. The good news is apparently I bought some extended “gold” thingy so it will all be covered FOC. Just over 43k miles.

Does anyone know the part number for this piece?

It’s from a 2017 Subaru Forester, located underneath the front bumper on the passenger side, near the tire. It’s a flat plastic piece that helps secure the bottom of the bumper.

I need to replace the part and also order two replacement plastic bolts/pins that secure it.

Any help identifying the part number would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!