Subaru Forester 2000 Problems

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Subaru Forester as a used buy.

Subaru's concept for the soft-roader was simple, brilliant even. Of the light-duty four-wheel-drives available, the Outback and Forester offer the best blend of city manners and bush brawn.Model watchThe Forester was launched here in 1997. It was based on the underpinnings of the Impreza passenger car, but didn't look much like its family-car cousin. Its four-door wagon body gave it a new look.The Forester was primarily powered by Subaru's familiar single overhead camshaft flat-four boxer engine, in this case a 2.0-litre unit developing 92kW and 184Nm.When pressed it would accelerate from rest to 100km/h in a little over 11 seconds and do a 400m dash in a respectable 17 seconds.For more zip Subaru released the GT in 1998 and that came with a turbocharged, double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, boasting 125kW and 240Nm.  Buyers could choose between a five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed auto trans, both sending the drive to all four wheels.The Forester's system is a four-wheel-drive system, with drive going to all wheels, all the time, unlike other soft-roaders which have a part-time system, with drive primarily going through either the front or rear wheels.  And it works well on road or off.Subaru offered three main variants of the Forester — the GX Wagon, RX Limited Wagon, and GT Wagon.  The GX Wagon had steel wheels, colour-coded bumpers, roof rails, power steering, cruise, power windows, mirrors and central locking; the RX Limited Wagon had all of that plus dual front airbags, air-conditioning and self-levelling suspension.At the top of the Forester range sat the GT Wagon which had alloy wheels, velour trim, leather steering wheel and hand-brake knob, metallic paint, central locking, and, from 2000, a sunroof and heated front seats.In the shopThe Forester is not showing any serious weaknesses.  Generally, the Subaru mechanicals are solid and reliable and little goes wrong with them. The flat-four engine has stood the test of time and shows nothing that is likely to cause a headache later on.A word of caution on the GT with its turbo motor. While the Subaru turbo has few problems and survives some pretty tough punishment in the WRX, it's worth going to the trouble of having an independent check on the GT, just to be sure it hasn't been given a hard time by an enthusiastic driver.Check the engine oil and look inside the oil filler for sludge that might suggest a lack of servicing. Turbo engines, in particular, need more servicing, and more frequent oil changes than a normally aspirated engine.Although these cars tend to do little off-road work it's worth having a close look underneath for signs of bush-bashing. Look for damage to the underbody, brackets, exhaust, suspension and steering. Walk away if you suspect it has spent a lot of time off the black top.Crunch timeSubaru's all-wheel-drive system gives the Forester decent primary safety, allowing you greater ability to escape a potential crash situation so the Forester gets good marks for primary safety.  ABS wasn't available on the GX, but was standard on the RX and GT adding to their primary safety package.Likewise airbags were not available on the GX, but the RX and GT both had dual frontal airbags making them the preferred choice for secondary crash protection.Rating15/20 Good round-town manners with the ability to go places off-road make the Forester a sensible buy.Subaru Forester 97-02Look for Signs of damage from heavy off-road useGood resale valueCheck for evidence of regular servicingHandles dirt roads and bush tracks with easeReliable engine and transmission

The emergence of the four-wheel/all-wheel drive SUV wagon as the vehicle of choice for many, if not most Australians has been the most profound change in the market ever.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 Subaru Forester as a used buy.

When the Forester was introduced to Australia in 1997 it was closely related to the Subaru Impreza hatch. It also reminded Subaru lovers of the Subaru 4WD station wagons. Over the years the Forester morphed into a medium SUV in styling.However, even as it entered the crossover era the Forester still had useful ground clearance so can tackle tougher than average conditions in the bush and on the beach.Forester's suspension has longer travel than the Impreza, and more rugged specs with semi-off-road tyres. The latter may have been replaced by normal car tyres at some time during the Forester's life, so check for this if you're considering doing some mild to medium off-road driving.Early model Subaru Foresters, have relatively long overhangs front and rear, a legacy of being adapted from a car.Handling is reasonable for a vehicle in this class, but keep in mind the Forester is a crossover SUV, not a sports machineGood interior room is a real advantage of the squared-off styling. The front seats have plenty of legroom, width and headroom. The rear seat can take three people without too much of a hassle, though it's better if they are children, rather than adults.Entry and exit to the back seat is easy, partly because of the taller than average styling but chiefly because you don't have to climb up into the seats as you do in an off-road 4WD.There's a good luggage area and practicality is further improved by the Forester having numerous storage areas throughout the vehicle.Handling is reasonable for a vehicle in this class, but keep in mind the Forester is a crossover SUV, not a sports machine, so don't hammer it too hard at bends. However, see the notes on the Forester GT (later tagged as the Forester XT).Subaru Forester first reached Australia in August 1997 and was joined by the Forester GT in September 1998. The latter is a fun little hotshot powered by a slightly detuned Subaru WRX engine.Forester GT was renamed Forester XT in the second-generation model in an attempt to fool the insurance companies into thinking it's not a GT. The Forester GT and XT are performance off-roaders, though certainly not to the same extent as the WRX.August 2003 saw the introduction of the second-generation Subaru Forester. It features a bit more style than the original series, particularly around the multi-faceted tail but, yet again, function takes preference over fashion. The latest version arrived here in 2008 and moved further towards an SUV shape in style.Power for the standard Forester models comes from a 2.0-litre flat-four motor. Upmarket variants received a 2.5-litre motor from 2002 and that larger capacity was continued into all Foresters since then, with improvements in consumption and emissions introduced in several stages.The extra capacity of the 2.5 goes into generating more torque rather than going for pure power - very much in the conservative way of thinking that's so appealing to many Australian drivers.Manual gearboxes are mated to a two-speed transfer case, but the automatic versions only have a single-range. Subaru considers the torque multiplication through the converter largely replaces the need for a low ratio on the auto.Servicing and spare parts are generally reasonably priced though we have heard a few complaints about high prices on some less common parts.Insurance premiums are generally moderate for the standard Foresters, but check on prices on the GT and XT, particularly if you're classed as a young or inexperienced driver; insurance costs could break your bank account.Be wary of a Forester GT or XT that has too much turbo whine or excessive turbo lagA good amateur mechanic should have no trouble doing most jobs. It's always wise to have a workshop manual at your elbow before beginning work. Please leave the safety-related items to experts.Older engines often have that typical flat-four 'dak-dak' beat when they get a lot of kilometres on them. If it seems too bad the engine may be approaching overhaul time. Newer ones are more refined, but it's still wise to have them checked out.Be wary of a Forester GT or XT that has too much turbo whine or excessive turbo lag.On a turbocharged model, check the clutch isn't slipping - this usually shows up on fast upchanges. Subaru makes the clutch a sacrificial component so that it fails first to protect other transmission parts.Check underneath in case the Forester has been seriously used in off-road conditions. The front and rear bumper corners and their mountings are likely to be the first areas to suffer.Scrutinise the door sills, the protection plates under mechanical components and the lower parts of the underbody for signs of damage.Hot versions of standard Subarus seem to lead a harder life than the their equivalent from other makersLook at the condition of the seats, carpets and boot in case the Forester has been knocked about, particularly in off-road use.Lots of sand in the carpet may mean it's spent time on the beach. If you suspect this, taste for salt in the areas under the car.Look over the complete body for signs of crash repairs. The easiest to spot are generally poorly matching paint colours and slight ripples in the panels.

The Forester was launched here in 1997. It was based on the Impreza platform. Although, it didn't look much like its rather mundane family-car cousin. Its four-door wagon body gave it a completely new look, one that promised the convenience of a station wagon for a family combined with the ability to escape the shackles of the city.It had the high-driving position with the good road vision, but it didn't have the bulkiness. It was relatively light and had good road manners which made it an easy driving all-rounder perfect for the family.The Forester was primarily powered by Subaru's familiar single overhead camshaft flat-four engine, in this case a 2.0-litre unit developing 92kW at 5600 revs and 184Nm at 3600 revs. Not exactly sports car stuff, but it pulls smoothly and willingly from low down in the rev range with heaps of mid-range grunt.When raced it would accelerate to 100km/h in a little over 11 seconds and account for the standing 400m dash in a respectable 17 seconds. At the same time it would return about 11.0L/100km on average.For more zip, Subaru released the GT in 1998 and that came with a turbocharged double overhead camshaft 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine boasting 125kW at 5600 revs and 240Nm at 3200 revs. Buyers could choose between a five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed auto trans. The Forester's system is a constant four-wheel-drive, unlike other soft-roaders which have a part-time system with drive primarily going through either the front or rear wheels.At the heart of the system is a centre transfer case with viscous limited-slip differential. When it detects a difference in the rotation speed of the front and rear axles, it automatically adjusts the torque split for optimum drive.Subaru offered three main variants of the Forester: the GX Wagon, RX Limited Wagon and GT Wagon.The GX Wagon had steel wheels, colour-coded bumpers, roof rails, power steering, cruise, power windows and mirrors and central locking. The RX Limited Wagon had all of that plus dual front airbags, air-conditioning and self-levelling suspension.At the top of the Forester range sat the GT Wagon which had alloy wheels, velour trim, leather steering wheel and hand brake knob, metallic paint and central locking.There isn't much that goes wrong with the Forester in general. While most Foresters stick to the black top around town, it is worth checking for signs of heavy offroad use. A lack of ground clearance is the thing that stops a Forester, so take a look at the underbody for damage that might have been caused by being grounded on a rough bush track. If you suspect it has been used off-road for more than the occasional trip down an unsealed road, walk away. There are plenty more out there to choose from.It's important to change the cam-timing belt every 100,000km. So make sure that's been done. While you're at it, check the service record to make sure the servicing has been done as Subaru recommends.The Forester gets good marks for primary safety with its all-wheel-drive system. Anti-lock brakes weren't available on the GX, but were standard on the RX and GT, enhancing their primary safety.Likewise, airbags were not available on the GX, but the RX and GT both had dual front airbags making them the preferred choice for secondary crash protection.