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Car Forum / Subaru Cars / May 20071999 Forester: What to Expect?
My husband and I just bought a new (to us) 1999 Subaru Forester. This is my fourth Subaru; I've been driving Subarus since shortly after college. (For well over 20 years.) Prior to buying it, I had a Suby Specialties in Monrovia, CA, check the vehicle out. It had suspiciously low mileage for a 1999 -- just under 45K. (You read that right.) The Carfax was clean, though, and the vehicle had apparently been part of a corporate fleet for its first seven years and was not driven much. Steve (the owner of Suby Specialties) also warned me about the first-generation DOHC engines used on 1998 and early 1999 Foresters, which he said have severe problems with blown head gaskets, and checked to be sure that this Forester had the second-generation SOHC motor instead. Other than the rear wheel ball bearing issue, does anyone here know of anything I should be looking out for with this car? It handles beautifully, is a joy to drive. :) Thanks!  SignatureCatherine (Hampton) Jefferson <ariel@spambouncer.org> The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> On May 23, 1:51 pm, Catherine Jefferson <spamt...@spambouncer.org> wrote: > My husband and I just bought a new (to us) 1999 Subaru Forester. > This is my fourth Subaru; I've been driving Subarus since shortly [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> > Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> keep an eye out for oil and coolant levels : 2nd gen 2.5 liters leak cooland and oil, too .....in the beginning externally but then through the fire rings, too :( -----------sorry to say that but i just traded-in my '00 outback ltd. to buy new toyota yaris sedan ( amazing appliance) and i will NEVER EVER go back to subarus...... just my $ .02 > keep an eye out for oil and coolant levels : 2nd gen 2.5 liters leak > cooland and oil, too .....in the beginning externally but then through > the fire rings, too :( i'd heard that the second generation engines had some issues with this, just nothing like the first generation engines did. Steve (the independent Subaru mechanic I go to) didn't think that this would happen before the car had 120K or 130K on it, even if I were one of the unlucky ones. (Apparently only about 15% of the second-generation engines has shown this problem.) I'm a fanatic about regular oil changes and fluid checks, so this will happen. > sorry to say that > but i just traded-in my '00 outback ltd. to buy new toyota yaris sedan > ( amazing appliance) and i will NEVER EVER go back to subarus...... > just my $ .02 I can understand that, given your experience. I haven't found anything in the Toyota or Honda lines that does what I like to do, though. My Subarus frequently go offroad in areas that would stretch the capacity of a Jeep or genuine SUV. I love the outdoors, and my husband is an archaeologist. It really is a pity that Toyota hasn't been interested in putting a good AWD on one of its sport wagons.... SignatureCatherine (Hampton) Jefferson <ariel@spambouncer.org> The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> On May 23, 3:34 pm, Catherine Jefferson <spamt...@spambouncer.org> wrote: > duszk...@apk.net wrote: > It really is a pity that Toyota hasn't been interested in putting a good > AWD on one of its sport wagons.... [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> > Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> actually Japanese Yaris sedan, called Belta over there ( not a wagon, though) comes in a AWD version; from what i was told the engine layout was (obviously) changed from transverse to longitudinal but it' still the same engine, i.e. 1fe-nz On May 23, 4:10 pm, duszk...@apk.net wrote: > On May 23, 3:34 pm, Catherine Jefferson <spamt...@spambouncer.org> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > layout was (obviously) changed from transverse to longitudinal but > it' still the same engine, i.e. 1fe-nz I have 1999 Forester ... purchased new. L series 5-speed. currently has 106K For the most part it's been a great car...here are the problems worth noting: Burned through a distributor cable on a long road trip. Probably isolated incident (we'd gone 16 hours straight in August) Had to replace the center diff at 95K due to the well-documented torque-bind issue. This little repair cost $1600 Otherwise it's run well. I too am fanatical about 3,000 mile oil changes and fluid checks and have pretty much followed Subarus recommended maintence sked. I am starting to actually see more 99s on the road than before, so I take that to be a good thing. I also replaced the radio and speakers because, well, they just s-- ked. Clutch is still the original as are my rear wheel bearings. > L series 5-speed. currently has 106K Okay, average mileage. Mine is an S-series and has automatic. > For the most part it's been a great car...here are the problems worth > noting: > Burned through a distributor cable on a long road trip. Probably > isolated incident (we'd gone 16 hours straight in August) > Had to replace the center diff at 95K due to the well-documented > torque-bind issue. This little repair cost $1600 I hadn't heard of this issue. Could you tell me more/point me to where this is documented? Thanks! > Otherwise it's run well. I too am fanatical about 3,000 mile oil > changes and fluid checks and have pretty much followed Subarus [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > ked. > Clutch is still the original as are my rear wheel bearings. Sounds good. :) Thanks! SignatureCatherine (Hampton) Jefferson <ariel@spambouncer.org> The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> On May 24, 1:22 pm, Catherine Jefferson <spamt...@spambouncer.org> wrote: > > L series 5-speed. currently has 106K > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> > Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> If you search the message boards for Torque Bind you should find what you need. Essentially it seems to be caused (at least what I've read AND what the dealer told me) by improper tire wear and inflation. If the tires do not ride evenly it puts undue stress on the AWD transmission and causes bad things to happen in the center diff. Mine had basically seized to the point where the car could no longer "shift power to the wheels that slip to the wheels that grip." I'm just glad the problem surfaced in summer, because if I had been on snow or something I think the whole drive train would have exploded based on my understanding of the problem. Bottom line: Keep close eye on tire wear and inflation. > If you search the message boards for Torque Bind you should find what > you need. Essentially it seems to be caused (at least what I've read [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > my understanding of the problem. Bottom line: Keep close eye on tire > wear and inflation. Ah.... I hadn't heard about this, but this is my fourth Subaru, and AWD cars are always sensitive to uneven tire wear. In fact, I replaced all four tires on this car a week after I bought it because one of them was defective. Hope it wasn't driven on that one too much. <wry grin> Thanks for the summary! SignatureCatherine (Hampton) Jefferson <ariel@spambouncer.org> The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> > My husband and I just bought a new (to us) 1999 Subaru Forester. > This is my fourth Subaru; I've been driving Subarus since shortly [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Thanks! Hello Catherine! I'm another NANAE poster who owns a 2000 Outback. You already got most of the information on the headgasket issues. The SOHC also has problems. You may want to have Suby Specialties or a dealer check the VIN against the recall list. I lucked out when one gasket went away last summer, and the extended warranty covered it all (other than the cam belt that I had them put in while it was apart). It was hard to believe that Subaru would honor that on a car pushing 8 years old with 98K miles at the time. > Hello Catherine! I'm another NANAE poster who owns a 2000 Outback. Did you hear Hacker X is back? <G> I don't post there much these days, but I lurk. > You already got most of the information on the headgasket issues. The > SOHC also has problems. You may want to have Suby Specialties or a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > was hard to believe that Subaru would honor that on a car pushing 8 > years old with 98K miles at the time. Been done. No recalls open on that vehicle. Suby Specialties is on the ball, and that's definitely something we both wanted to know. SignatureCatherine (Hampton) Jefferson <ariel@spambouncer.org> The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/> Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/> |
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