Used 2003 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
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Most reliable car I've ever owned!!!
spunkyhorn, 05/22/2012
2003 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon w/Premium Package (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
33 of 35 people found this review helpful
I absolutely love my 2003 subaru forester. It has never left me stranded and has required the least amount of repairs of any car I've owned. The only repairs that I've done on it are wear out parts like brakes and rotors. I've recently (105,000k) had the timing belt, water pump, and most of the fluids replaced just as a pre-emtive strike to keeping this vehicle running as best it can well into the 100k's.
Greatest Purchase I Have Made.
Bryan Martin, 02/06/2016
2003 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
25 of 27 people found this review helpful
This vehicle may be the best purchase I have made. The appeal of the Subaru Forester is vast. It meets the needs of many different types of drivers. This car performs very well in many different areas of importance when making a large decision such as a vehicle. The most important part of this car is its AWD (all wheel drive, all the time) component. This should be appealing to everyone as it gives the driver a greater amount of control and is much safer on difficult surfaces. It has plenty of storage space in the back and on the rack. This is especially beneficial for the recreational type. When you combine the all-wheel-drive, fuel efficiency, and price of the vehicle, there is no cheaper option for such a utility vehicle as this. The criteria for which I measured this car fall in line with the types of customers it would attract: - Small Families: This car is both cheap and spacious. It can accommodate a few kids along with groceries and other items in the hatchback portion. Along with the price being lower than many alternatives, it is very reliable. I have had no issues with it at all thus far. - Younger Drivers: The price and reliability of the Subaru are both important to this demographic as well. This car has also received a high safety rating. The AWD is also beneficial to this group of people. - Bad Weather Drivers: The all-wheel-drive is most important to us who drive in bad weather. Whether you are in Minnesota and need just a wintertime car to keep your main daily driver in good condition or you have an important job to do and need to be there under any circumstances, this car will work for you. To quality my critiques of this car, I must tell you that this is the 9th car that I have owned in 6 years of driving. I am a farmer; this leads me to be hard on cars both because of the work I do and the conditions that I am forced to drive in. This car has been the greatest purchase I have made. It has saved my lots of time as I have never been stuck in the blizzards or other terrible driving conditions I have faced. I urge those of you who need anything more than a fair-weather car to buy this vehicle. It has saved me a lot of money and I know it will for you too.
- Safety
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
03 Forester 2.5X
janderson5, 01/28/2010
2003 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
I totaled my 98 Camry in 06/09 & decided I needed an AWD or 4wd car. I looked at Honda CRVs, Toyota RAV4s, & Subarus. After much research & many test drives, I decided I like the Suby. I like my Forester, it's a good car. However, it's had some issues. Had to replace water pump due to leak from weep hole right after I got it, I replaced timing belt at that time too to save $ in the future. Now it makes whistling noises when eng revs to 3-4k rpm. Think its cat-converter, but cant fig out for sure got an extension on 80k fed war, but having difficulty with dealers. Hope once things are fixed it'll last 200k.
50,000 km and a huge bill
kloc, 11/12/2012
2003 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
36 of 41 people found this review helpful
Our 2003 Forester has been maintained by our dealer since purchased new in late 2002. From day 1 it has had a coolant leak, a fact that has been pointed out to the dealer at every scheduled service. The dealer, of course, could not find the source of the coolant lead until after the warranty expired, whereupon we were told that the head gaskets were leaking and the car had developed piston slap to the point where driving the car was ill-advised. The master tech told me that Subaru has told dealers to ignore the problem until the warranty expires. Last Subaru I will ever purchase; this was our 7th.
Just not a great car
karlou, 07/12/2013
2003 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
19 of 21 people found this review helpful
Have had the car for ten years (bought new) and almost 130K miles. Many problems from the start, not the least of which was the flames coming out the tailpipe towards the end of the first year. Has needed much maintenance and repair over the years, and one important fact about subarus - they rust. So surprised in this day and age how rusty this car has gotten, and I'm very good about washing the car (including underneath). Wind noise bad almost from the start, and three trips to dealership never got it better. Very cheap interior materials, now looking to finally get new and better vehicle. Never again a Subaru!
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