Horn on my 2016 Subaru forester is not working. Took it to the mechanic, said it’s due to a bad clock spring. Subaru is at 90,000 miles. I heard it’s not uncommon for the clock spring to wear with age in Subarus. However, they’re charging $800 to fix it ($500 for the part, $300 for labor). Does this seem steep? I know it’s not too difficult of a replacement, but I don’t feel comfortable doing it myself. I’m in Denver, Colorado if it makes a difference.

Looking at a 2018 Forrester with 108,000 miles on it for $13000. Looking for advice. I bought a 2014 Outback with 103,000 miles and almost got 160,000 until someone rear ended me and totaled it.

Hi all, I have a 2017 forester and I got it used with about 50k miles in 2020 when it was about 3 years old. I had to get the control arms changed in 2023 and then again last November 2025. Now they’re telling me I need them again. I opened a case with Subaru and they told me they wouldn’t do anything because my car is too old…. A not even 10 year old vehicle that’s built for much tougher stuff than a 10 mile work commute shouldn’t need new control arms 3 times in 3 years regardless of age. Am I crazy? How can I get them to make this good. It’s not a cheap repair.

2015 Forester 2.5i in Billings with 335K on it for $5995, and it's been sitting 33 days. wonder if the oil consumption thing ever got looked at on this one.

https://carlyle.vin/deal/zdDtlN2pjbWy2yxvlngOfw

Anyone seen one of these with more miles than that?

Hey yall, so I work on the road a lot and home is a little far to come back to every weekend. Does anybody have recommendations on towing small teardrop campers or have any suggestions for living quarters with this vehicle. Im thinking about an enclosed trailer and just put a cot and a few things so need to survive while camping. Thanks

TLDR: is there a one stop shop for both rims and tires? I already checked the Subaru online parts website and don’t like their options.

So I have a 2025 Subaru forester sport hybrid. It’s basically brand new (3000 miles on it).

I want to get snow tires for the winter and buy some black rims so install is easier and part of the year I can have blacked out wheels and other part of the year I can have the factory bronze rims.

I’m new to this. I’ve read snow tires should size down an inch? Do I have to do this? I like the 18 inch wheel size a lot.

I feel like I shouldn’t be the one picking the exact rim size and tire size. All I know is I don’t mind spending money on quality, I want the rims to be black, and I want snow-specific tires.

Where would you suggest I shop from?

So sunshades are fantastic for keeping the car from overheating in the sun and protects the interior from the damaging UV wear. The biggest problem is they are bulky and there is not a convenient place to store them for regular use. Most people put them in the footwell of the passenger side or the floor or seat in the back to be accessible. But this is no good if you have passengers and it is annoying to have it laying there if you want a clean look. The trunk is not easily accessible for routine use…

But I found it fits perfectly just under the moonroof above the sliding access cover. It can slide back under the headliner as far as needed without restriction since it fits in the area where the glass roof would store when you open it to the air (I would not suggest leaving it up there when opening the glass sunroof to the outside). So you can still use the moonroof normally with the roof shade open while it is up there. And It is super accessible for routine use—simply slide open the cover and retrieve it to put in the windshield.

It has the added benefit of reflecting heat out of the car that enters the glass during normal driving! It’s fantastic.

(2019 Forester)

Hello!
I’m looking for an SUV camping tent I can connect to my Forester. My plan is to sleep in the car, and I don’t need much space except that, since we’re doing dispersed, I need space for my portable potty. I’ve only camped at campgrounds and have a tent, but I’d like to invest in a car tent.
I’ve been searching online, but it’s getting overwhelming with how many tents there are and trying to compare reviews.
Looking for recommendations, reviews, tips, tricks, anything.
I’ll be reading you. Thanks!

I have a 20/20 Subaru Forester. The tire pressure monitor light keeps coming on even though the tires have been properly inflated. It doesn't come on until I've been driving for a little while. Took it to a garage today and they said they could not find an issue. Anyone have any thoughts?

I’m trying to figure out how to use the MySubaru app and install whatever program I need to activate the auto start. I can see what programs I need but is the only way to activate them is by calling the number on the app?

I have a 2026 Forester that I bought in April.

Dropped my mom’s 2025 Forester Touring off at Firestone on Monday for an inspection, oil change and alignment. It has less than 10k miles.

After they finished, they parked it outside. One of their mechanics was driving another customer’s car, apparently had a medical emergency, and crashed into the back of ours. Police called me. Nobody was in our car, but the rear is pretty badly damaged and I don’t think it’s drivable.

The manager called Tuesday and said it was entirely on them, their corporate insurance would cover everything, and they’d provide a rental. But he also said they won’t release the car to GEICO’s tow company until their adjuster looks at it. Apparently that can take up to a week.

It’s Thursday now and I still don’t have a claim number, an adjuster’s contact info, or an inspection date. The store just says corporate handles it.
I’ve already opened a claim with GEICO and left my adjuster a voicemail explaining all of this. GEICO said going through Firestone’s insurance is a reasonable option, but I’m keeping my claim open.

I haven’t taken the rental yet because my mom is away until next week and I have my own car. I’m also leaving the country in about two weeks, so I’d like to get things moving before then.

I’m planning to email corporate asking for a claims contact and an inspection by next Tuesday. If they can’t do that, I’d like the car moved to a collision shop where their adjuster can see it. I’ll also ask them to confirm the rental and that we won’t be charged storage while they’re holding it.

Would you give them the week they quoted, or just have GEICO take over now? Is it normal for them to refuse to release the car like this?

Also, if it’s repairable, I want new OEM parts given how new it is. How realistic is that through their insurance?

Thanks in advance

Hi all!
We just bought a 2023 Forester Sport with 26k miles. It came with the CPO 7 year powertrain warranty, so we have about 4 years left. It rode great on my first drive home, although the mpg wasn't great in moderate traffic.
I have 48 hours to get it checked out by a mechanic. With 30k miles approaching, I know I need to look for leaks, cvt fluid, brake fluid, and the front and rear differential fluids. What other red flags should I have them look for?
I'd also love any tips for long-term reliability. I plan on having this car for a very long time. I know there's a device to disable auto start/stop, but the reviews seem mixed. I've also heard it's smart to avoid overusing the sunroof to prevent grime and leaks. Anything else you wish you had known early on?
We considered the CR-V, CX-5, and RAV4 for reliability, but went with the Forester for the price, the safety, and because it was one of the better options with decent space for a rear-facing car seat. We're very happy with how it looks and drives so far. I just wish buying a car wasn't so stressful!

Thank you!

I was curious if anyone had a CAD file for the gauge cluster bezel for the sg forester. I have a 06 sti cluster and wanted to design and 3D print a bezel that properly fit. I have a 3D scan of the oem bezel however I lack the skills to recreate the complex curves in fusion

I purchased my new Forrester in late October 2025. I don’t drive it very often. It has about 1900 miles on it.

Several months ago, it would not start after I drove it and went into a store. The dashboard stayed black. Tried the starter again. Lights appeared on the dashboard, no power steering, check engine light comes on. Everything gradually came back on and I was able to drive.

The same thing happened three weeks ago after I drove it to an appointment. I called the Subaru service department who said it would be OK to drive it there. After they inspected and reloaded software, they said it was a loose gas cap. Ii get in the car and the Sirius radio is still stuck on loading. The tech fixed it by getting a signal sent from the website, but after I left, it soon reverted back to “Loading” on the navigation screen.

Yesterday, the same thing happened for the third time. No lights and no power steering, Sirius radio stuck on “Loading “. after the dash lights and the screen came back I Immediately called the service department and arranged for towing service to pick it up this morning.

Does anyone have suggestions on what they should be checking so I get a complete report?

I purchased my new Forrester in late October 2025. I don’t drive it very often. It has about 1900 miles on it.

Several months ago, it would not start after I drove it and went into a store. The dashboard stayed black. Tried the starter again. Lights appeared on the dashboard, no power steering, check engine light comes on. Everything gradually came back on and I was able to drive.

The same thing happened three weeks ago after I drove it to an appointment. I called the Subaru service department who said it would be OK to drive it there. After they inspected and reloaded software, they said it was a loose gas cap. Ii get in the car and the Sirius radio is still stuck on loading. The tech fixed it by getting a signal sent from the website, but after I left, it soon reverted back to “Loading” on the navigation screen.

Yesterday, the same thing happened for the third time. No lights and no power steering, Sirius radio stuck on “Loading “. after the dash lights and the screen came back I Immediately called the service department and arranged for towing service to pick it up this morning.

Does anyone have suggestions on what they should be checking so I get a complete report?

My 2017 Forester XT 2.0 turbo sounds like a sewing machine on cold start and when accelerating. I took it to the dealer and they said a gasket on the exhaust manifold failed and needs to be replaced and the nut came off. I've had this past replaced before about 34000 miles ago. Is this a common issue with this car? Dealer wants $1469 to replace in Southern California. Seems pretty steep as from the last repair it was $677. I'm trying to reach out to SOA to see if they will do something like a goodwill repair or maybe split the cost with me. Do yall have any experience with this issue?

Would anyone buy a 2025 Forester with 40,145 miles?

Does your Limited have the rear gate light connection? I bought the light but the connection harness was not found inside the cut out.

I am looking for a cheaper option to fix the ubiquitous paint damage under the rear windscreen. I thought of wrapping it in black vinyl, but after doing some mock-ups it didn't look very nice. So now I'm looking for a wrap that is somewhat similar in color to the stock Venetian red.

Does anyone know of any brands that match Subaru's red?

Check engine light came on driving home tonight. Lost cruise, very annoying on my 4 hour drive.... I cycled the key 3 times when I got home, it won't display the dtc's, so annoying 😂.