Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 029605 | 09/09/2005 | 10016869 | 2.5l remanufactured sohc short block release. *tt | 10/13/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 02 | 02/01/2006 | 10019343 | Rubbing mark on timing belt. subaru. *tt | 03/09/2006 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 26279 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 subaru forester. the contact stated that the engine exhibited a loud, unusual noise when the vehicle was first started or when driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer inspected the engine and advised that that the engine manufacture was a factory defect and would need to be replaced. the engine was replaced but the head gasket then began leaking. the manufacturer was made aware of the defect and denied assistance with repairs to the vehicle because the warranty had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 26,279 and the current mileage was 83,300. | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 26279 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 subaru forester. the contact stated that the engine exhibited a loud, unusual noise when the vehicle was first started or when driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer inspected the engine and advised that that the engine manufacture was a factory defect and would need to be replaced. the engine was replaced but the head gasket then began leaking. the manufacturer was made aware of the defect and denied assistance with repairs to the vehicle because the warranty had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 26,279 and the current mileage was 83,300. kmj | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 26279 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 subaru forester. the contact stated the engine made a loud noise when started, and while driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer inspected the engine and stated that the engine was a factory defect, and would need to be replaced. the engine was replaced, but was experiencing a new failure. the engine head gasket was leaking. the manufacturer was made aware of failure, and denied assistance with the repair, because the vehicle warranty had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 26,279 and the current mileage was 83,300. li | |||
| 11/22/2010 | 101570 | ||
| Frontal impact while striking a deer at this speed should have deployed both air bags. the air bag light sometimes would remain on, but mostly it was off. from what i have found through other complaints is that this year vehicle is known for this issue, but a recall has not been issued. is it going to take a death to force subaru to correct this issue? the other issue found while repairing the vehicle is that both head gaskets are seeping coolant, the drivers side is seeping more just like the recall describes on 1999-2002 models. even though this a 2003 it was purchased in the fall of 2002, subaru failed to contact me and advise me to add the $1.44 coolant additive to save the head gaskets. how is a consumer supposed to know these little details? now the vehicle has too many miles for them to care, sticking me with the estimated $2000 repair. | |||
| 05/14/2008 | 52047 | 1 | |
| Noticed anti-freeze odor after vehicle had been run and turned off. did not see any leaks. problem continued several weeks before noticing several leak spots on garage floor, so made appointment with mechanic who knew immediately it was a head gasket problem. we purchased the car new in october, 2002 and have maintained it according to the maintenance schedules. the vehicle had 52,000 miles on it when we spent $1300 to repair a problem that subaru of america knew about and has known about for some time. we never received any notice or recall of any kind relating to this problem. subaru of america should make some sort of restitution to its customers for this manufacturers defect. *tr | |||
| 03/03/2008 | 1 | 11/01/2002 | |
| 2003 subaru forester problems with cylinder head gasket. consumer states there are several internet complaints about this defect. she states that the estimate cost for repair is about $1500.00 to $1600.00 dollars. *kb | |||
| 06/29/2007 | 1 | 12/18/2005 | |
| Latches on the forrester cannot be opened unless you have a key fob. there is no way to access the tailgate without the battery operated fob. if you have a child that gets into the car without your knowledge, or if there is an accident and the doors will not open from the side. how will you get out the back--there is no way to even access with a key from the outside. if you are in an accident and you loose track of your fob too bad, you can't get out from the back. i myself carry dogs in crates in the back of the forrester. had i realized that when i have crates, or any other large item in back you do not have access to the back, i would have never purchased the car. i believe this is a safety issue. i called the dealer and asked how to open the back of the car and they said you have to remove a panel. if you are on fire--you have to wait to get the panel off to get the door open, but if you can't get to the back because of dog crates, baby carriages, cribs, playpens etc. how would you get out. i would like to give a written hard copy report. 2. subaru knows there is a problem with the headgasket? manifold gasket that there is a defect. when it goes bad, you make the fix it will never happen again--why does the owner have to foot the bill when i was told, by the mechanic, that in fact subaru knows this and it is only a matter of time before the gasket will go, but once you make the correction it will never happen again. *tr | |||
| 12/16/2006 | 78000 | 1 | 06/29/2002 |
| Took forester into subaru dealer for 3k oil change; was told that almost all of my anti-freeze was gone and that the head gaskets were leaking, needing replacement at $1500. miles on vehicle: 78k, purchased 6/02 new, all maintenance performed at dealer per schedule. at this time, i'm looking into websites to identify if this is a problem that's systemic with this vehicle, and looking into alternative sources to fix vehicle to reduce cost. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/21/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 subaru forester - purchased new - currently has 55,000 miles on it. it was last serviced 3 months ago. at that time, nothing was mentioned about coolant problems or leaks. last week, on the turnpike, the rpm needle started swinging wildly and i lost power. i managed to get to the shoulder of the turnpike and shut down and by that time smoke was pouring out from the engine. the problem diagnosed is that the coolant had leaked at the head gaskets - a problem that i am now learning subaru has known about for some time. i have to replace the engine at a cost of at least $2600. i was never contacted by subaru or the dealership to inform me that this may be a problem although i consistently have received notifications about repurchasing an extended warranty. obviously, a 2003 vehicle with 55,000 miles on it has not been driven excessively. comments i have heard are that you're still breaking in the engine. *tr | |||
| 02/19/2009 | 64886 | 1 | |
| I purchased a new subaru forester xs in july 2003 and had it serviced regularly at now defunct subaru dealerships. while i was driving one day, the car suddenly overheated. the foreign and domestic auto service mechanic i was able to reach showed me that the engine was leaking coolant in 3 places, requiring a costly repair of the head gasket. i learned from him that this head gasket failure was a common problem with subarus. i had the car under warranty with subaru for 60,000 miles. at no time was i notified by the dealer from whom i purchased the car or by any subaru service center, that special coolant was required to mitigate this defect. i had the car repaired at a cost of over $2,000. *tr | |||
| 10/11/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| I had regular service done to my car at clay subaru of norwood massachusetts. the representative stated that the mechanic noticed some oil seepage from the head gasket. they recommended that i get the head gaskets replaced within a year. since that time i have monitored the oil level and have had to replace about a quart in between regular oil change intervals. i am concerned because i know this represents major engine work. they quoted that it would cost about $2,000.00 to replace the head gaskets. the car only had about 115,000 miles on it. it is a 2003 subaru forester that i purchased new in dec 2002. *tr | |||
| 01/27/2007 | 69000 | 1 | 11/20/2002 |
| Dealer advised the head gasket is leaking coolant and recommended repair which will require extensive labor. vehicle only has 69,000 miles. vehicle was purchased 20 nov 2002 and had a 60,000 mile/5 year power train warranty. servicing was done on a regular basis and vehicle has not been driven excessively. *nm | |||
| 01/02/2007 | 11900 | 2 | 07/31/2002 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2003 subaru forester. the vehicle | |||
| 04/14/2006 | 59165 | 1 | 02/28/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated there was a pining noise in the engine, when the vehicle was first started in cold weather. the noise stopped after two minutes. the dealership determined this was normal operating conditions, although there was a service bulletin instructing to replace the pistons. | |||
| 11/24/2003 | 400 | 1 | 08/21/2003 |
| Clutch jitter; started immediately: clutch was replaced under warranty at 11,900 miles. spoke with cousin in canada who bought the same car the same day. already has replaced clutch once and is having trouble again with jitter. vehicle stalls frequently upon cold start. computer was removed from vehicle and sent back to factory to be recalibrated at 11,900. *la | |||
| 07/18/2003 | 1000 | 50 | 12/20/2002 |
| When starting the engine first thing in the morning, the engine fumbles then stalls.*ak | |||
| 02/14/2003 | 1200 | 1 | |
| Intermittent stalling. *jb. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/15/2007 | 1 | ||
| Exhaust/fuel smell in interior cab during use in cold weather/ use of heater in 2003 subaru forester. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2007 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Strong fuel smell inside the cabin during cold weather. it gets so bad at times that it causes irritation in my throat and a burning sensation in my eyes. it also leaves a foul taste in my mouth that lasts well after i exit the vehicle. *tr | |||