Subaru Forester Engine Problems

All engines use oil, some use more than others, and you are expected to top them up if the level drops to the low mark. There is no rule that says a car will get from one service to the next without adding some oil, and with the extended service intervals in play today it's more likely that you will have to add oil at some point before reaching the next service. Subaru tells you it's ok, I would accept their advice.

There are three petrol engines in the current Forester range, beginning with the 2.0-litre non-turbo engine, which boasts 110 kW, will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 10.6 seconds and has a top speed of 190 km//h. Step up to the 2.5-litre engine, also a non-turbo, and it has 126 kW, will accelerate to 100 km/h in 9.9s, and has a top speed of 196 km/h. The top performer is the 2.0-litre turbo model with 177 kW, an acceleration time of 7.5s, and a top speed of 210 km/h. So, yes you are missing out on some serious performance if you choose not to buy the turbo. When buying a used Forester look for an engine that consumes more oil than normal, and check for signs of use off-road.

Use a good quality 5W-30 oil.

Unless you’re spending the winter months in alpine areas use 5W-30.

I would use the factory recommended oil, at least while the car is under warranty. Once the warranty has expired you could use the Mobil oil and shouldn’t experience any problems.

The XV is underpowered, as well as having a very dozy CVT. If you are that worried I would definitely suggest a brand swap to something with a regular automatic.

The salesman is right you really do need to run them over long distances to get the most out of them, and they can be noisy, although modern diesels are less so than old ones. You really need to do the maths on the running and servicing costs of the diesel versus the petrol to see which is best suited to your use. Diesels generally cost more to service, and they are prone to blocking of the diesel particulate filter if not used in a way that allows the automatic regeneration of the filter to happen. I would buy the petrol engine.

The dealer could refuse to do it. He’s got the oil on hand and he wants to make a dollar out of supplying it, that’s how he makes his living. If he doesn’t want to do it, then that’s his prerogative. Yours is to take it somewhere else, or change the oil yourself.

Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley says: "We are not aware of any such issue in current generation Australian specification Foresters."

Remapping the ECU might fix it, but it's not really addressing the problem. It's most likely that it's running lean for some reason. Cleaning the throttle body is a good thing to start with, checking fuel filters can work, and checking the fuel injectors would be a good move.