Top 5 Problems Subaru Forester 2003-2008 2nd Generation

[@1AAuto]

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[@HaroMotive]

i have a 2002 forester 5 speed with 224k miles works amazing and never have issues just took it to a 10 hr trip couldnt ask for a better car

[@FaxMe2Barbados]

I did head gaskets on my 07 2 years ago, did them in the car, wasn't too bad really and it wasn't that expensive probably did the whole thing for under 200. dealer wanted 2,000.00 not cool. This year I put a new clutch in it because the throw out bearing was pretty noisy. dealer said 2400. That's crazy, I did the job including as resurface for under 300. beware of the dealers people, labor rates are out of control.

[@nathanwhitman4699]

To clarify, the head gasket issues are especially common in thee 2003-2004 years of this generation, with it almost guaranteed around 100k-ish miles. They updated the engine for 2005, and while it didn't entirely solve the issue, it greatly reduced the head gasket failure rate. My 2005 with the naturally aspirated 2.5 has 210k mi, dry head gaskets, and has never been touched.

[@nathanwhitman4699]

Also, the control arm is covered under recall in the salt belt states

[@musasizigodfreydixion6231]

Sounds like head gasket leakages are common in all Subaru generations expect the 4th generations on wards.

[@dadeftones7]

Mine has I have a 2007 Subaru Forester and a Impreza wagon both have the 2.5 naturally aspirated manual transmission. My Forester has 180,000 and the Impreza has a 190,000 and still has original head gaskets & clutch

[@nicholaspu]

Any tips about keeping the head gaskets tiptop?

[@cameronschluchtner]

I've had my '04 for about a year and it doesn't consume a drop of oil or coolant. The dealership I bought it from said they fortified it so hopefully that that's what they did

[@pwh89]

Very interesting and helpful I have a 2003 Subaru Forester that has 334,000 miles on it and it has just about every one of those problems. Thanks for the video

[@CK2012]

I have had this car fore almost 20 years since 2004 running great

[@fer9847]

I have driven my 2007 non-turbo for 9 years now, Bought it with 120.000 km, now 265.000 km. I live near Amsterdam. Almost every year we drive 2 times to Sweden, in winter without caravan and in summer with caravan. I NEVER have had one issue with this car. Best car ever. Now 17 years old it will stay for more years. Car is very good designed, it has all you need every day !

[@groundskeeper5292]

Just picked up my 2005 Forester today. Been wanting one for years. Thanks for all the great info!

[@slo4wdsedan]

and the window seals that eventually will create wind noise in the cabin, not a huge deal but typical problem

[@62Cristoforo]

Both control arms are still under recall for early rusting and rotting out. I have a used ‘05 Forester 2.5X (base model) with only 114,000 km on it for $1,100 and in really good condition, except for the rusting control arms. I had mine replaced for free from the local dealership

[@SeatoSky1111]

Thank you so much. I just bought a 2003 Forester from my neighbor for $50, ha. It's been in his 2nd home garage for 12 year and he just uses it a few months of the year . He kept a tickler? on it. Before that it was in an accident and he and my other neighbor rebuilt it as my other neighbor had a car garage for years. Since my 2012 Tiguan just died with a jumping Timing Chain a $5000 fix I think I will just drive this til it dies. A new adventure and first time Subaru owner, lol...Thanks again for your detailed tips.

[@1AAuto]

+@justjen4125 Thank you! We love empowering our customers and showing how to perform DIY auto repairs with our high-quality auto parts. 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@DogWhoFilms]

My 03 Foerster had one original owner they bought it from the dealership with 14 miles driven off The lot, it’s 2023 and I just cleared 150,000 miles, The previous owner was the mother of the family, and they always had it serviced at the dealership for all of its recommended mileage maintenance… and the previous six years before I bought it two years ago, they only used it a couple months during the winter time as our ski vehicle as both the mother and the father works from home. Needless to say I lucked out, I got myself into a forester that has been very taken care of, I highly doubt the wife of this conservative Mormon family drove it aggressively during her time of ownership… and when I bought it from them not only did it have Branielle continental tires, but the timing belt was done at 90,000 miles and I bought it with 130,000 miles on it. Anyways I love this car.. I just wish that when I changed my fog light bulbs to match my headlights they worked, needless to say after switching back to the regular bulbs my fog light still would not turn on. Also I think I need a new AC generator compressor or whatever you call it??? She doesn’t blow cold air after being filled of Freon and the air that’s being blown is not hard at all.

[@hippopominy9]

You all are doing a great job. Keep making these types of videos

[@mikeforester3963]

Just got home from my garage having finished part 4/4 of my "Summer rust removal" adventure -- all wheel assemblies incl. axles scraped, grinded, cleaned, rust converted and re painted. Fortunately my control arms and subframes didn't look as bad as these ones did, but it was high time to get going on that matter. Haven't had any head gasket issues with my 2004 SG. It's checked routinely once per year, so oil and coolant issues usually never come up.

[@frankp.2831]

Great video. As a former owner of an early second gen Forester I might add piston slap and manual transmission clutch judder as problems I encountered. Both the engine and the clutch assembly were replaced under warranty, grudgingly, by Subaru and the dealership. I believe there are a couple of TSB’s out there related to these issues.

[@JCrozier1]

Thanks for the input. I'm looking at an 05 that I found on a local lot today. Not scared away yet.

[@raypencosky8296]

Can you please give the procedure to relearn my 2001 legacy idle? 12:50 12:50 Replaced the IAC and can't find the correct sequence. Thank You

[@gravychunks903]

Jeez, I'm about to buy a 2004 Impreza 2.5ts. All of these issues seem problematic to me as well. Thank you so much!

[@suburbanlarper]

Getting some real flight attendant vibes from this fella

[@johnboynton9029]

My family has had two ‘05s and I’m about to buy a third. The first I bought at 192k miles and drove until 226k with no problems until my sister totaled it, her new one is at 222k and drives great despite check engine and blinking cruise control light. Common problems I have had are pretty minor, when buying double check for muffler problems. At high mileage wind noise is pretty common so make sure you have your audio system all set 😂

[@ifell3]

I love it that you consider the driveway warriors 😉

[@29madmangaud29]

How about "CHECK YOUR OIL AT EVERY FILL UP"!. This is, or at least WAS: (Comon Sense)

[@KawakebAstra]

Thx ..excellent ..concise knowledge..🙏♥️🕊 considering 2008 subaru forester but the air bag issue scary… driving an excellent grand mercury marquis my entire life .. in accident & parts hard2get now .. all other cars seem scary 🙀😹

[@TheCreateOutdoors]

Awesome to see the Adventure Wagon on a channel other than mine!

[@lobsterwhisperer7932]

You were great in Robocop.

[@joseeduardo4327]

The rear quarters are going to be rusty too! Haha. Also, good tip at the very end. My 2002 Outback is always rattling at idle and now I know go check heat shields. I tightened up the exhaust heat shields and thought I had fixed it, but didn’t haha. Thanks for the tips

[@jaecarrozzo5030]

Very informative and straight to the point. Thanks

[@leewild8274]

Just found one issue that is not covered in this if your Subaru is sitting for about a week the clock that is internal on these models runs off your battery and will drain your battery in your vehicle making it hard to start if anyone knows how to fix that issue please let me know

[@nikahopper2178]

My moms has this battery issue, I didn’t think to look at the clock. Thx

[@river1403]

You can’t do a simple tune-up on a Subaru. You have to do a more intensive type of tune-up.

[@NomaddictTrekker]

I have a 2004 I just picked up and I’m getting a horrible vibration over 50mph at acceleration but as soon as I let off the gas it’s as soon then as can be. Over replaced the transmission mount and the motor mounts with no luck. I put it on jack stand last thing it might be a CV axle and the seem fine I’m stumped

[@philosophicalemoboi5862]

I don't know if this section still gets checked but I've got a 2006 Subaru Forester. Code reading P2096. I've had a lot of work done, caty and throttle body replaced and some other stuff. Keeps getting this code with a flashing cruise control and solid check engine light going into limp mode. I clear the code, she struggles to turn over 3 times unless I give it a little gas when I turn it over. After 3 times it's fine for a while.

[@richardmorse5307]

I had a 1988 Subaru GL with 4WD. Way back then the we felt the car was very underpowered and hopeless on hills. I wish I’d bought a 1988 Camry wagon instead as when I rented a 1989 Camry sedan it felt like I was driving a silver bullet.

[@carolecostello6487]

Just looked up my VIN # recall on NHTSA and my 2005 Forester had 0 recalls for the airbags. Is it a specific year?

[@TheCreateOutdoors]

The recall is only for the 06-08.

[@skyflaky]

What abt the fuel neck issue and said it is common on 03-08 2nd gen forester.

[@ajalmemmury4325]

Consumption of transmission oil is common in forester 2008 ? I have recently moved the panel but still the oil level is getting lower

[@pirihern9329]

I have a 2006 sti . Big pain to maintain. 1st and last subaru. Own toyota/lexus and honda vehicles. Much less hassle to maintain

[@justindaniels17]

Merry Christmas 🎄 and Happy New years

[@Benny-dv7xm]

I am working on a 2004 Subaru Forester x 25 You didn't cover torque binding. Can we put an addative in to a transmission with burnt tranny fluid and drive in fogure 8's and get rid of that horrible grinding. I put the fuse in the socket and it eliminated the grinding. But more as one creator said with an unknown transmission condition on an abused Subaru Forester x 25 not to change the fluid because then the tranny will start to slip. I cant test the rear differential now because I have the front brakes apart but what should I assume to suspect for damage in.the rear differential. The front differential showed almost empty and one or more claimed 2 quarts which Input in and now it shows overfull. Will it cause to blow out seals if its overfull or can I slide on that job for a while while concentrating on other issues? When I turn on the head lights I hear a relay sound but up in the center of the dash and the head lights are really dim and the alternator seems very hot. When I flip on the turn signals I hear a relay sound up under that storage box in the dash and I get dimming of the lights. I thought and alternator is an all or none function. If an alternator in part obviously not the relay sound are after market any good and can I jack up to a beefier alternator without any GD komputer problems?( I dont like Romanized language so occasionally I will spell by sound) How long is gas good for before I have to drain the tank and lines and how then do I not get vapor lock in the damned injector system?

[@MaryK4242]

I have a 2003, it drinks oil and it got new head gaskets at 220k. Prolly paid more than the car was worth, but IDC. Love my Subie and just keep up the maintenance.

[@johnhaluszczak9564]

I have a 2003 Subaru Forester where the washer pump has failed. I'm trying to find a video on how to replace it.

[@jimwinslow558]

Have a 2004 Subaru forester getting a p1400 code.replaced vent valve solenoid and tank pressure solenoid. Still no luck with code

[@williamsampson4926]

2007 Forster what is a permant fix for the thing keeping getting stuck in park?

[@alexyakirevich7234]

Hi, I have a driver’s side mirror from 2008 2nd gen Subaru Forester. The connector has 8 wires in total, one row with 5 wires and the other row with 3. The first row has green, pink, purple, blue and black wires. The other row has black, yellow, and white wires. The question is which wire does what. The most important question is which of these wires is a ground. Thank you for any feedback you can provide.

[@Modeltnick]

Never got airbag recall on my 2007.

[@Dedhead6992]

I bought my 06 turbo forester with 87K for $750 with a "bad headgasket" and a completely smoked clutch 6 yrs ago from a guy who's son had never been tought how to drive stick. it cost me less than 100 bucks and a Saturday in the garage, I to this day drive it daily having just rolled over 300k miles. only issue I've had is with the damn keyless entry no longer working so I have to open the door lock it using the button on the door then stick the key in the ignition to disable the alarm. or unlock with the key qnd and try to get the key in the ignition asap then turn 3 times to stop the the alarm ffs

[@Jaxxonize]

How did you solve the headgasket problem for onely 100 bucks?

[@carlinelmaestro1601]

Sheeesh enjoy that Subaru, Rick

[@jadizzle]

Wow, you got that XT for a steal! What exactly was wrong with it that warranted a $100 fix?

[@khoeuthman]

To disable the alarm you lock the car doors while sitting inside the car. Manually unlock the door to exit then manually lock the and shut the door when you leave. The alarm will be not be activated and you can use the keys to unlock the car.

[@vermili0n]

I'm looking for an 03-05 forester right now. Found an 03 with 42k miles, no rust in beautiful shape but he wants $7k for it. I'm gonna try to get him down to $5k because my 99 outback needs a lot of work. Sick of rust, head gasket and timing issues...

[@johnthomas3897]

outstanding video and information. Thanks!

[@archeo289]

You guys are awesome. Super helpful vids. Keep it up!

[@marcosmontiel1115]

I have a issue with my Subaru Forester 2003. It feels like it misfires at times does loose power. Every time I give a sudden acceleration it chokes then I let go off the accelerator then I have to slowly pick up the speed . Now , I changed the timing belt and water pump already , crank shaft censor. Still does the same thing. I’m running out of options 😢

[@TheCreateOutdoors]

Could be your ignition wires or coil pack. Mine had a misfire years ago on start up and that was the issue.

[@anthonysilbernagel2141]

My 2006 Subaru Forester 5 speed keeps shutting off on me when I'm driving I can typically start it right back up when it does this it sounds like the engine is bogging down and as soon as I put my foot on the clutch it shuts off it also putters it is kind of like there's no gas but the car can be on full and it still do it could this probably be because that fuel valve that you were talking about in the bottom of the engine?(problem number four) We have replaced the spark plugs so we know that's not it. any advice would help tremendously thank you

[@therealsolo23]

What is that mount u got holding those two hella round light in the front bumper?

[@therealsolo23]

And what size are those? 6inch?

[@johnnyv.223]

Great information! Thank you for this one. Keep up the good work!

[@shivaprashanth7029]

Hey bro, i have doubt why my subaru RPM increase automatically when i press the clutch ..? And then comes to normal in a minute or less.

[@thehoofersclub]

Wonder if a K24 motor would fit?

[@shainadavis6033]

Where did you get the light bar?

[@Jay-rs1hj]

Where is the location fuse for heater control circuit bank 1, sensor 1 & location of the sensor itself. Thanks

[@kayangoodyut]

My name is Nevins. What causes the engine bearings to go bad and how to get it fix? Subaru forester cross sports 2003

[@therealsolo23]

What is that bar you used to mount those two round light on the front?

[@therealsolo23]

And what size like are those two round lights in the front?

[@mrfunatparties6763]

2:10 There's subaru h6?

[@lonniedeckard3787]

I have a 2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 l na that just started using oil and coolant at once. A case of oil and half gallon of coolant not good. Could it head gaskets again had replace in 2016

[@DaDaDo661]

Did they fix the common boxer issues on the 2016+ models?

[@wonderwalls3565]

add a quart every oil change? what does that mean?

[@HomebrewSubaru]

Pretty minimal for 15-20 years 😉

[@dougwachs]

Thanks! this was a big help!

[@darrelltew6734]

What brand of car lift are you using?

[@michaelreeves8164]

Great coverage on the Subaru. Love to see a blog on the 2014 Mazda CX-5.

[@mrnicktoyou]

I just removed (well, cut out) all the heat shields on the exhaust and all the rattling is gone. Why did you advise not to remove the shields?

[@1AAuto]

+mrnicktoyou Thanks for watching! Heat shields protect other parts of the vehicle from the extreme heat from the exhaust, which could even cause a fire.

[@mrnicktoyou]

@@1AAuto thanks for the reply. I’m thinking of using heat wrap instead. Do you think that would protect the underside?

[@pirihern9329]

No problem if up north at winter time

[@danielsullivan4360]

Thank you for clear, concise, helpful, and just a tad entertaining information! I'm off to go give my Subie a couple loving bonks!

[@HawtaAAli]

Nissan versa 2017 temperature control hot position but get cool air?

[@peterAustralia333]

good car,, so far all has been good,, I find the car a fraction heavier than the first generation Forester, and thus not quite as quick and responsive,, all that said, still a great car

[@nelsonkagurukye24]

Hello sir my car needs serious repairs. How do I import genuine spares to Uganda Africa from a trusted company. Your information was very helpful you are so good at explaining everything.am convinced you have enough knowledge on subaru

[@FuerzaImperialOficial]

Honestly feels like this car is just bad? Im trying to get one that has 137k miles any tips on it? Or do i just stay away

[@burieddeepbetween]

As long as you are prepared to do a big, expensive repair every time you tick over six figures in km: change both head gaskets, timing belt and water pump and a full flush of all fluids. It's probably a few thousand bucks of work, but it's not every 50k, it's every 100k. That's a long way, probably only 4 or 5 times for the life of the car, if you take care of it and get to half a million km. Subarus weren't meant to be taxis though, they are for fun ;) and they do it very well.

[@mikelafleur441]

I have one that just blew its second head gasket. The rear wheel bearings went at about 120 and 140K

[@FroggysProductions]

When did they do. A facelift

[@williammcarthur4361]

Hey y’all I need help I have a headlight issue and reverse light issue they are don’t work at all

[@Capitain-Jack]

Mk 4 have any problem?

[@VinodKumar-jt3og]

Nice 👍 good job

[@celljinx6753]

Can you guys do a 2005 2008 chevy uplander

[@johnnysokko6779]

Some people at Subaru should be in prison for putting these junk cars on the road. Nearly crashed when the passenger LCA snapped at over 60 mph. Subaru couldn't have cared less due to the recall of covering over the rust and rot with wax and oil a decade earlier. Too many of these cars with these shoddy LCAs that Subaru knew would fail. 2 people killed in DC a few months ago when a person driving one of these models lost control and ran into an outdoor dining area. I hope Subaru is bankrupted by the lawyers handling the wrongful death. They knowingly did a bad recall hoping for more $$$$$ down the road to buy another junk LCA from your Subaru dealer. Not an upstanding company.

[@z978ady]

Any word on 2001 Legacy?

[@SavageHealingShop]

Thank you!

[@restonpat]

i have a problem with a clicking noise on my automatic transmission when i shift in/out with shifter.Does anyone know cause/and remedy of this problem?

[@stevenwells9606]

Trunk latches. Can’t open the trunk from the latch and has no manual emergency hatch release.

[@Bee-iz2tp]

I got a 2004 Subaru the Cadillac converters getting cherry red

[@brendvillagomez5714]

Can you fix my subaru

[@bendavis9524]

Big ass gear clamp will fix a rattling heat shield for 3 dollars

[@johnnoe9682]

Tks man

[@1AAuto]

+John NOE Thanks for checking us out! 1aau.to/m/Shop-1AAuto-c

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

Uhhh, yeah, a potential shrapnel bomb in your steering wheel is not kosher....

[@JeremyMetcalf-w2j]

"It doesn't hurt." You haven't met my wife.

[@FBombBaggers]

Generally, obviously. That’s all I heard 5000 times lok

[@eveliomolina4186]

2005 forester a/stops working after a while

[@408interceptor2]

Subaru was well aware of this engine's reliability issues but they kept manufacturing it with the defects unresolved. Their advertising department is amazing and people buy into the happy fuzzy feeling marketing campaign. These cars are also known for front control arms failing due to corrosion. Van bortel Subaru in Victor NY has the worst service department I've ever seen, they wouldn't pressure test my cooling system for a suspected second head gasket failure because they couldn't find the tool used for this procedure. There are much better used car choice's out there so chose wisely.

[@rudya4970]

jeez... just buy a Honda Accord and call it a day

[@zackadhanom9226]

My odometers restart and on and off everyone I start the car 2003 Forester

[@tietie1424]

"Eck-speshully" 🙄 maybe I shouldn't axe him questions and take him for granite

[@noworriesmate5903]

Going to cost a LOT!

[@pirihern9329]

Ej257 dinosaur engine

[@ashrafeng4981]

you talk very quickly

[@deesheppard4788]

Subaru I've never like them don't know why I just never took to them

[@AmLarev]

How much did you get paid for this absolute Subaru destruction?