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2009 Subaru Forester

3630 messages,  Last post on Nov 06, 2009 at 12:19 PM

You are in the Subaru Forester Forum. Your Host is kcram

What is this discussion about? Subaru Forester, Future Vehicle, Wagon


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#3399 of 3630
Re: 2009 Forester reliability in CR- why just average? [maybesubie1] by ateixeira
Jun 30, 2009 (7:25 am)
Reply

Replying to: maybesubie1 (Jun 29, 2009 7:21 pm)

First year model, like Kurt said, so call it v1.0 Syndrome.
 
Still, the average car today is very reliable, much more so than, say, in the 1980s.
 
Having said that, we have all sort of conflicting early information:
 
JD Powers says it's slightly below average in their IQS study.
CR predicts "Average" reliability.
TrueDelta recorded promising early numbers and the Forester stands out as one of the most reliable new cars for them.
 
Hard to say what that means in the long-term.
 
I had a 1998 Forester, which was the very first, and it gave me 9 great years of service and even sold for 40% of what I paid originally, so I'm not concerned.
#3400 of 3630
Re: Very rough cold start. [iamrod] by billwv
Jun 30, 2009 (7:56 am)
Reply

Replying to: iamrod (Jun 14, 2009 7:30 pm)

Hello iamrod,
 
As a follow up in my situation, and information which may be useful to you:
 
Is yours a PZEV?
 
Talked with rep today after he experienced cold start:
 
It is normal for PZEV which tries to throw exhaust back into catalitic converter. What convinced me, he explained it will stop the roughness if you hit the gas or if you shift to N -- both of these I have experienced. He said many complain.
 
Only happens with PZEV 4AT.
 
He also said impossible for engine to do anything abnormal without setting lights/codes.
 
I am now convinced it is normal. Hope this helps you.
 
Am interested in your experience with dealer.
 
Bill
#3401 of 3630
Re: 2009 Forester reliability in CR- why just average? [maybesubie1] by bikerguy3
Jun 30, 2009 (10:56 am)
Reply

Replying to: maybesubie1 (Jun 29, 2009 7:21 pm)

I concur with the other posted responses... most of the issues that are negatively
impacting the '09 Forester reliability ratings are related to it being a new 1st-year
model.
 
I bought my '09 Forester X M/T w/ Premium Package when shipments first arrived
(Feb 08). I now have about 15K miles on the vehicle.
 
While I've been fortunate and not experienced most of the problems
posted/reported, I've had one minor issue (rattle from inside door) which I fixed
myself; and one major issue which was undersized plastic film rear fender
protectors which required (under warranty) repainting and upgrading of the plastic
film (which Subaru phased into all production vehicles by mid-2008). To their credit,
Subaru did step up and repair my Forester under warranty with no hassle.
 
I also upgraded the not-so-great (IMHO) stock stereo system.
 
The only "nagging" concern I harbor is with the long-term durability of the
body/paint. Only time will tell, but the exterior appears to be very thin and
lightweight (compared to other vehicles I own/have owned)... hopefully there
will be no issues down the road.
 
Based on my ownership experience to date, I am confident the Forester will prove
out to be a very reliable vehicle. And for me the feature mix is unbeatable - ie I
wanted inclement weather performance (AWD), big sunroof, manual xmission, good fuel economy, SUV/wagon stowage capacity, and reasonable purchase price.
The '09 Forester delivers on this and more!
 
Good luck with your purchase decision...
#3402 of 3630
Re: 2009 Forester reliability in CR- why just average? [maybesubie1] by maybesubie1
Jun 30, 2009 (5:14 pm)
Reply

Replying to: maybesubie1 (Jun 29, 2009 7:21 pm)

Thanks all. I would not be looking at a turbo, so the engine problem doesn't bother me too much. I have heard concerns about the paint- not a big deal. Also not looking for a premium audio system. Glad to hear that most of the issues are minor and may get ironed out as they get into the 2010's.
#3403 of 3630
fuel cost comparison by kurtamaxxxguy
Jun 30, 2009 (6:28 pm)
Reply
Forester X cost for 10,000 miles of driving;
$2.69 gal 22 mpg
$1222
 
Forester XT cost for 10,000 miles driving;
$2.99 gal 20 mpg
$1495
 
Outback H6 cost for 10,000 miles driving:
$2.69 gal 18 mpg
$1494
 
These are all 2010 models being compared.
Interesting that fuel expense for the Outback H6 is similar to the Forester XT.
#3404 of 3630
Re: fuel cost comparison [kurtamaxxxguy] by ateixeira
Jul 01, 2009 (9:46 am)
Reply

Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Jun 30, 2009 6:28 pm)

The new 3.6l H6 runs on regular fuel. So it uses more fuel, but the fuel itself is cheaper than the premium the turbos want, so it balances out.
 
The CVT Outback 2.5i is rated at 31mpg highway, mama-mia! Ultra-tall highway gearing gets the credit for that, it's chugging along at 2000rpm at 80mph.
 
That makes me want to sample a Forester CVT...it's lighter, maybe 32mpg? Sign me up!
#3405 of 3630
Re: fuel cost comparison [ateixeira] by saedave
Jul 01, 2009 (12:29 pm)
Reply

Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 01, 2009 9:46 am)

That makes me want to sample a Forester CVT...it's lighter, maybe 32mpg? Sign me up!
 
But at what price? I would not be surprised at higher production cost for the CVT than the 4-speed's guts which is probably a high volume production JATCO unit.
 
Does anyone know who actually builds the CVT belt assembly? It would be no surprise if it is JATCO with parts shared by Nissan and Toyota.
#3406 of 3630
CVT belt drive by kurtamaxxxguy
Jul 01, 2009 (4:18 pm)
Reply

Replying to: saedave (Jul 01, 2009 12:29 pm)

Does anyone know who actually builds the CVT belt assembly? It would be no surprise if it is JATCO with parts shared by Nissan and Toyota.
 
Several articles said the Subaru CVT's chain is licensed and sourced from the same company building Audi's CVT's (it does not use a belt - the chain has much greater strength and wear resistance). The rest of the CVT is built by Subaru.
 
The 5-speed auto is probably the same one Subaru has used in the past with a few updates. I've read it's sourced from Nissan and is in limited supply.
#3407 of 3630
subaru reliability by kurtamaxxxguy
Jul 01, 2009 (7:22 pm)
Reply
Those wanting to report their Forester's reliability, especially those with XT's, might want to visit the truedelta.com website and give them your service history.
They ask very few "personal" questions.
 
I don't work for them, BTW.
#3408 of 3630
Re: CVT belt drive [kurtamaxxxguy] by saedave
Jul 02, 2009 (5:48 am)
Reply

Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Jul 01, 2009 4:18 pm)

The 5-speed auto is probably the same one Subaru has used in the past with a few updates. I've read it's sourced from Nissan and is in limited supply
 
Subaru has previously stated that it is a JATCO 4 speed modified by Subaru to five speeds. I believe the modification process is the bottleneck.
 
If the CVT chain and pulleys are common with Audi why the seemingly low torque capacity? Or is there a fore-and-aft dimension increase that is incompatible with the six cylinder in the chassis?

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