Subaru - Forester :: Mouse Nest Under The Hood Somewhere Behind The Glove Box
I have a 2004 Subaru Forester with 68,000 miles. I have a mouse nest under the hood somewhere behind the glove box. This is the third time this has happened. When I put the air conditioning on, the car sounds like it's ready for takeoff at the nearest airport. Someone suggested putting mothballs under the hood; doesn't work.
View 2 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2001 - Smoking From Catalytic Converter Area
I'm getting smoke from the catalytic converter area on my 2001 Subaru Forester. The smoke smells of rubber or oil. I've only noticed it after the car has been driven up a long, steep incline of at least a couple of miles. I've never seen it happen after normal highway driving. The car runs fine, gas mileage is good, CE light is not on, 85K miles, regularly serviced.
View 2 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2005 - Noise From Compressor / Pulley Area
This is my first Subaru, and I absolutely love the vehicle; however, because of it, I'm very new to its mechanics. I bought it used from a friend, and I've been driving it for three weeks now, now this noise has come up and I want to verify what needs to be fixed before I start taking things apart. Perhaps you all know what noise this is coming from the compressor/ac idler pulley area?Here are a couple of videos.
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In case it does somehow matter, one of my knowledgeable friends asked me if it makes more noise when I turn, and the answer is no. Also, the noise does not come through the speakers, and from what I understand, that eliminates an alternator problem.
Subaru - Forester :: Sloshing Sound Under The Car Towards Rear (cargo Area)?
Well, we let my son take our 2009 Subaru Forester across the country to college, and of course, the car seems to be having issues now. He says he is hearing a "sloshing" sound under the car towards the rear (cargo area) whenever he stops or goes over speed bumps. He insists that he has looked under seats and in crevices for loose items with liquid in them, and nothing. He also hasn't noticed (yet) any spots on the ground under the car.
View 6 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2011 - Rattle At Start Of Acceleration
My 2011 Forester makes a rattle sound each time I accelerate either uphill or on level ground. The sound is reminiscent of the pinging sound from cars from years ago when we were told to use a higher octane gas. It's only at the start of the acceleration, not continuous. The sound seems to come from below the car, either under the hood or under the body, not inside the passenger compartment. Most websites say loose heat guards, but this would mean I'd hear the rattle throughout the acceleration, wouldn't it? Brought It to the dealer twice and they couldn't hear anything. No surprise. I hear it with my 2013 Legacy also.
View 1 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2009 - Rattle And Vibrating Door Panel
I've spent a lot of time and money putting in nice speakers and audio equipment in my 2009 forester. I also got all of the rattles and vibrations out of the interior except for the passenger side door. I've used sound dampening and checked everything I can, but somewhere on the door panel there is a vibration that I can't find. So, the only thing I can think of its too seal the various seams on the interior of the panel with something. .. caulk or glass sealant?
View 10 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: High Pitched Squeaking Noise Coming From The Area Near Front Left Of Car
What is causing this strange noise. I have an old 1998 Subaru Impreza that runs well but has this mystery squeaking noise coming from the area near the front left of the car. It seems to happen most on cold, dry days, and I can hear it when the car shakes, but only when it is driving, never at rest. I can usually make the noise if I let up on the gas while still in gear, and it happens sometimes while going over bumps, but typically only if the bump only affects one side of the car. If I am accelerating quickly or braking, the noise usually doesn't happen. It also usually only happens when I am in gear and have the gas pedal pressed, but it can still happens on bumps even if the car is in neutral, the noise is usually much quieter if the car isn't in gear.
I can't tell if the noise is coming from inside or outside of the car, but it seems to be louder inside and I can't hear anything from outside when driving through a parking garage with my windows down.Now this noise first appeared a few days after I got my clutch plate, fly wheel and axles replaced several months ago but I haven't been able to find anything on my own and the shop said they didn't see anything that could be causing it.I have included a recording I took while driving, if you listen its the high pitched squeaking. So far the only thing I have done is checked the sway bar and bushings and those are all in good condition and covered in lube.
Subaru - Forester :: 2009 - Transmission Started Hiccuping?
I have a 09 Subaru Forester (automatic) with 56,300 miles on it. Within the last 100 miles, the transmission has started 'hiccuping' as it changes gears. Also, when the car is cold and first started up, as I drive the rpms rise to around 3k when switching gears; sometimes holding there for anywhere from 3 seconds to 12 seconds before finally changing gears. As the car warms up, this problem disappears, but the 'hiccuping' continues. I took it to the dealer and they flushed out the transmission fluid, but problem still persists. I called the dealership asking for a new transmission because it is still under warranty, but they refused. They are going to check pan for metal shavings, and if they're present then they'll replace trans. If not, then they will replace other parts until problem is fixed.
Also, another important question: If I had the transmission fluid replaced, would it be possible that they may have cleaned out any metal shavings, and when they check 100 miles later, there wouldn't be any? I'm worried that I'm going to get screwed because they eliminated any metal shavings and when they go to look again none will be there because there hasn't been enough mileage put on the car to make them appear again. I do not know enough about cars to know if this is even a possibility. They refuse to honor the warranty until they go through a checklist of possible repairs, and I'm nervous that list will run out when I hit 61,000 miles and warranty runs out.
Subaru - Forester :: 2000 Started Shaking At Higher Speeds
My 2000 Forester recently started shaking while driving at highway speeds or while under engine load (hills, accelerating, etc). My first thought was that it was a problem with the alignment so I took it to my local tire shop. The car has 164K on it and has been without a Subaru specific mechanic since my last guy got fired a year ago, though I am trying to get an appointment with the only other Subaru mechanic in the area, outside of the dealership.
The tire shop found an issue with cupped tires (naturally they'd want to sell me tires) and told me that my passenger side rear CV joint was bad and they'd have to replace the axle. Since this sounded credible for the symptoms it was showing and they found me an axle, I told them to go ahead and replace it.
When I got it back the first time, I didn't see any great improvement in the shaking. I also noticed that they'd forgotten to put the bolt back into the bottom of my shock absorber. o_O When I brought it back to them, they fixed the missing bolt and agreed to keep it for a week to troubleshoot where else the shaking might be coming from. In the process, they replaced spark plugs and wires (which it probably needed anyway) and did an oil change, but the shaking is still there after all their tinkering. They suggested the problem may be in the timing and that I should have that checked out.
I don't think they're right about that. The vibration feels (to me) even more like a CV joint problem now than it did before. It shakes more violently and at slower speeds the longer it runs so by the time I get to work (40+ miles) it's almost constant. It stops shaking when you pop it into neutral and let it coast suggesting it's not timing or alignment - and making me think even more that it's something to do with the drive train.
Subaru - Forester :: 2005 - CEL Came On - Cruise Control Started Blinking?
I bought a 2005 subaru forester xt a cohple months ago and then the CEL went on and the cruise control started blinking. The car also shook horribly. Long story short, and $2,300 later, i got the "head gasket set, water pump, timing kit, oil&filter change, " etc... Fixed. Question is, I am driving to Colorado from Maine in about two weeks. How long do subarus last after such repairs? Think ill get a few years out of it? Or should I sell it and buy a more reliable car before the trip out there.
View 11 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: Transmission Stutter When Slowed Down To About 10mph To Turn And Started To Accelerate
When my 06 Forester was still under warrantee I brought it to the dealer to diagnose a "stutter" in the transmission after I had slowed down to about 10mph to turn onto a street and started to accelerate. They could not find anything wrong and so I have lived with it until recently when I decided to try the local tranny shop that has a good reputation. They could not find any problem although at first they thought it might be engine related (mass air flow sensor), but that was ok.
View 2 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2012 - Rain Is Leaking
I purchased a 2012 Subaru Forester on May 15th, and now have a leak issue after heavy rains. I've brought the car into the dealer twice now (three times if you count having to bring it in the day after purchase to have a dial fixed) and they're saying they can't find or recreate the issue even after running a hose on it, and I'm extremely concerned and frustrated (honestly regretting buying the car at this point, though I do love it).
Both times I have noticed this happen, the car has been parked in torrential downpours either all day at work or overnight at home, and rain somehow seeps in and collects somewhere inside above the driver’s side, where it sits until I drive the car. It does not leak until the car moves - water does not leak to my knowledge when the car is parked.
Once the car moves from a parked position and I take a right turn, the water dumps out in about 1-3 occurrences onto my left foot (not a constant flow or predictable dump) – the water does not leak until the car is in motion and has turned right.
The dealer says they think the heat shield may be missing a grommet or something along those lines, but I don't know why they aren't able to check this to see if that's the case and fix it. They claim that they've only seen something like this once before, and it fixed itself (in other words, the person never came back after the first occurrence). It's happened to me twice now, and I know it's going to happen again, and I can't keep bringing it back over and over (and don't think I should have to).
Subaru - Forester :: 2006 - Check Engine Light Came On And Cruise Control Started Flashing
I just bought a 2006 Subaru forester with 130K miles. Recently, the check engine light came and at the same time the cruise control started flashing. I brought it to the mechanic who said I had a bad catalytic converter. The car seems to be running just fine and now a day later the engine light is off.
View 3 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2012 - Metallic Sound When Passenger Side Door Is Opened
I have a 2012 Forester. When I open the passenger side door first thing in the morning to put my stuff in the car and then close the door - there is a loud metallic noise. It is not repeatable at that time.When I open the driver's side door after work (or about 8 hrs after the first time in the morning) and sit in the car, I get the same noise. Again, it is not repeatable at that time.The dealer says, they cannot recreate the noise but I am getting it regularly every day.I live in Central Texas, the Forester is in the garage at my house and in the garage at work.I am currently at 27,500 miles.
View 19 RepliesSubaru - Forester :: 2012 Auto Transmission Jerky - Sluggish Acceleration And Rough Start
I purchased a 2012 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium (automatic transmission) in November 2011 with 4 miles on it. Since the get-go it has had issues, but we thought that some of them might work themselves out as we broke the car in (which we were religious about). At the first oil change, we told the dealership about the issues we were experiencing and got the expected "the computer doesn't say anything is wrong" and "we couldn't replicate the problems" excuses. We were told to bring it back if the problems continued. Well, they've gotten worse. Here are what we are experiencing:
- Erratic shifting. I commute from the mountains to the city every day, so I need power from the car. Sometimes, when I'm heading down a hill and I tap the gas slightly to give myself a little boost, the car will suddenly downshift, even though it was sitting at 2500 RPM and didn't need to get any extra power beyond more fuel. Going up the hill is worse, as if you are not actively accelerating (including if you are trying to maintain a constant speed), it will upshift on you and you lose all power, so it will need to downshift to make up for this. It does this constantly for the entire drive home. Everyone who has driven this car in the mountains has experienced this.
- Jerky transmission. When the car shifts, it is super harsh and tends to throw you forward or back. Even when on flat ground it shifts roughly.
- Sluggish acceleration. If I give the car any more gas than I usually do, it hesitates before going anywhere. One day I needed to get over on the highway fast and floored it - it took the car about 2 seconds to respond. Then, yesterday, we were turning on to a highway from a side road and I tried to accelerate (gas about 1/2 way to the floor) and it didn't respond at all for about 5 seconds and the "Check Engine" and the traction control lights started flashing at me. We were on a paved road with no gravel, water, ice, etc and the traction control light began flashing on the straight, not while we were turning. There are also days when it feels like there is an anchor tied to the car and it just doesn't want to give me any umph at all.
- Rough starts. This is the really weird one as there is no rhyme or reason as to when it happens. Some times it takes the car several revolutions to turn over. Oddly, it's never on the really cold (under 20 degrees F) days, but it has happened when it is ~35 degrees and a couple of times when I have started it in the middle of the day to grab lunch and it is ~65 degrees out.
- Running rough. This usually happens after a rough start, but can also happen at other times. It just idles very rough and won't calm down. These are the days I have the worst time with the shifting issues.
I had a 2001 Forester that threw a rod, which forced me to get this car. Everyone who has driven both agrees that the 2001 was quicker, easier to drive, and had more gumption than the 2012. It also had less problems even though I purchased it used in 2005 (until the whole rod-throwing thing, of course). I really want to love my 2012 Forester, but I am so upset that, for the first time in my life I have a new car, and it runs terribly.
Accent RB (2012+) :: Rattle In Passenger Side Dash Area
I'm starting to be a little annoyed with a rattle in the passenger side dash area. I looked around to check if there was anything obvious, but I couldn't find anything...
I sometimes get that noise while driving over bumps, but oddly, I usually tend to get it when I accelerate and get the engine at a specific RPM (like some sort of resonance frequency issue?!?). What could cause this?
Tiguan :: 2012 SE - Rattle In Cargo Area When Driving On Even Moderately Rough Pavement
Our 2012 SE has an intermittent rattle somewhere in the rear of the Tiguan when riding on even moderately rough pavement. Ultimately I'll have to crawl around back there while my wife drives up and down a rough road to locate the rattle, I guess, What was the source of the rattle.
View 16 RepliesSubaru - Legacy :: 2012 - How Long Can A Car Battery Sit Without Being Started
I am currently on vacation, and will be here for another 2 weeks (3 total). I live in the midwest, and my car is currently parked at O'Hare Airport. I have a 2012 Subaru Legacy 2.5i with 42k miles, full synthetic oil, and a 3 year old battery. Will I have any issues when I go to start it upon my return home?
The car always seems to fire right up, and with these warmer temps, I am thinking I'll be ok, but thought I would ask. I just kind of want to know if I should be looking for someone to jump me when I get back to my car.
Last, in warmer temps, in the garage, with a good battery, how long can a car usually sit for without being started? Also, if I start the car and just let it idle for 5-10 minutes, will that recharge the battery, or do I need to actually drive the car and get my speeds above 60mph?
Subaru - Outback :: 2012 - Cruise Started Flashing And Warning Lights Came On
Two weeks ago I bought a new 2012 Outback. While driving in the manual auto mode, the cruise started flashing, the check engine came on, the traction control light came on and the brake light was on. The dealer said it was because I did not tighten the gas cap, letting air in. They reset it but a few days later it came back on again and this time they said it was miss fire code. Since they couldn't figure out the issue, they did the right thing and traded it in for another, identical 2012 Outback. Now, 8 days later, all the same lights have come on.
View 7 Replies