1436 messages,
Last post on Feb 04, 2012 at 4:32 PM
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Subaru Forester Forum.
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Subaru Forester, Wagon, SUV
#1430 of 1436 2011 paprika red subaru outback paint problems!
by 4thsubaru
Sep 02, 2011 (4:08 pm)
My new forester is covered in scratches and areas where the paint is worn off to some undercoat. I noticed when looking at new and used cars on the lot there seemed to be a finish problem on these cars. The dealer said don't worry there is a lifetime warranty on the paint. I brought my car for the 3700 mile check and asked what they could do about the paint problems. Where the scratches are it the paint and clear coat together are thinner than a single coat of nail polish! The dealer told my they couldn't help me with the scratches, it must be my driving. I am 53 and I have not done anything different in this car than my past cars which had no scratches! I turned in a 10 year old outback with no scratches. While I was there the dealer went over to another car to compare scratches .....I suspect the person had a similar complaint! I believe some of the scratches were there when I bought it. Honestly I believe a few trips through a car wash will leave it stripped to the metal. Can we get a separate topic for 2011 paint problems so we can see how others are resolving it?
#1431 of 1436 Re: 2011 paprika red subaru outback paint problems! [4thsubaru]
by ateixeira
Sep 06, 2011 (9:57 am)
There is a warranty if there is a perforation due to rust, not on the paint finish itself.
Our blue '09 looks fine, FWIW.
#1432 of 1436 Re: 2011 paprika red subaru outback paint problems! [4thsubaru]
by azplayer
Sep 25, 2011 (7:36 am)
Stumbled across this post and joined the forum just to confirm. My 2011 Forester is camellia red and is covered in scratches on one side from my other car's door hitting it in the garage. Seems like all I have to do is touch it with the other door and it's down to the metal. This never happened with the '97 Outback I had before it!
Maybe this explains why, when I went in for my first oil change (and before the problem was noticeable), the service rep walked around the car inspecting it for scratches, which I thought was a bit peculiar. I had bought it the first day they showed up on the lot and was the first one in for service (the mechanic told me they'd been looking forward to seeing one), so they obviously knew about this issue from the start.
#1433 of 1436 2012 red subaru outback paint problems! [4thsubaru]
by kuperlen
Jan 12, 2012 (9:28 am)
My brand new 2012 Outback also covered with micro-scratches all over car's body.
I picked it up at the dealer's last night and noticed the scratches in the garage. Scratches look as though my car was cleaned with something abrasive. Dealer Singer Subaru of New Hampshire claims that they did not use carwash while preparing my car for the delivery. They offered to polish the car for me free of charge next week.
#1434 of 1436 Re: 2012 red subaru outback paint problems! [kuperlen]
by texases
Jan 12, 2012 (9:32 am)
I'd first have a good coat of wax put on it, that might conceal some of the scratches. Polishing removes the scratches by removing some of the clear coat, I sure wouldn't want to do that unless I had to.
#1435 of 1436 Re: 2012 red subaru outback paint problems! [texases]
by kuperlen
Jan 12, 2012 (10:37 pm)
Thanks, I'll ask them to do that first. I am shocked, however, that new paint can all get swirled up like that from the hand wash.
#1436 of 1436 Forester 14-month report
by maybesubie1
Feb 04, 2012 (4:32 pm)
I have had my 2011 Forester, non-turbo, for a little over 14 months and thought I would post a report. So far I'm very happy with the car. No mechanical problems. It pretty much has performed as expected. Not too big, drives fairly nice, and extremely versatile. Audio system is only fair, but I knew that would be the case and it's not a big deal to me. It does seem to pick up very light scratches easier than it should, but not too bad. Maybe they would show up more but my Forester is white. Interior has held up very well. I had been concerned about going from 6 cylinders to 4, but the power has seemed completely adequate. I think the little extra torque in the newer engine made a difference. The auto transmission is fine but not silky when it shifts, and it could use another gear, but again I knew that going in. I'm hoping what the tranny lacks in refinement it will make up for in reliability.
I'd say the only thing I'm not too happy with is the mileage. Getting right around 21.5 mpg even though most miles are highway and I am very light on the throttle. I really like having Subaru AWD and new it wouldn't be a high-mpg car, but the way I drive I'm really surprised to be getting close to the bottom of the expected mpg range. I will post more about that in the mpg thread.
All in all, I'm really happy w/ the Forester. For the price, I still think it was one of the best values available, which was really important to me.