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!
A Happy Camper, Overall
Timber, 02/21/2009
2003 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
It has been a wonderful vehicle thus far. I bought it for the AWD, and I feel really safe driving it in the snow and ice. I don't ride in the backseat, but I've heard from my passengers that it can be a little tight if you are over 6'0". The cargo room is just perfect for what I need it for. I enjoy finding new places to hide/store things. The front windows are rather noisy when driving at high speeds, but overall, I have been very pleased with my purchase. I did my research and it has paid off.
Piston Slap
Duke, 01/29/2009
2003 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Bought the Subie a month ago with 62K on the OD. The boxer engines are prone to piston slap and mine was no exception. I bought it stipulating that the piston slap would be remedied and it was (valves were adjusted).The car does what it's supposed to do - gets you around with decent gas mileage and sure-footedness in inclement weather. This suv is 6 years old and I am confidant I will still be driving it 6 years from now.
Totally reliable, but a bit spartan.
Jon P, 04/23/2010
2003 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
I did a great deal of research on mid-size SUV's and narrowed my choices to the 2003 CRV or the 2003 Forester. After 4 years and 45K of driving I think I may never buy anything but a Subaru again. The car handles any weather condition you can throw at it with ease. Snow, rain, ice, sub-zero temps. The car behaves well in any element. Most importantly though the car just runs well with no major mechanic or electrical problems to date. Certainly there are some minor, mostly aesthetic and comfort changes I would welcome. However this car has earned my trust and has been an excellent ambassador for the Subaru line-up. The best vehicle purchase I have ever made.
The little red car that could
Wendy S. Delmater, 01/16/2019
updated 07/21/2023
2003 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
We loved our old 1999 Subaru so much we drove 4 hours each way to get a newer one, a 2003 model. When we found it on the internet we said to ourselves, "Surely someone else must have scooped it up before us." But we called and checked and it was still available. REVIEW: Like all Subarus it has incredibly good handling and instinctive instrumentation. This one had the largest of the engines for that model, and the gas mileage suffered a bit (23 mpg instead of 27 for our older one) but wow, can this thing move! We had the same minor problems with this as the last one: annoying wind noise from the side mirrors and a factory radio that was only good for static when the engine was running. We'll replace the radio, and learn to live with the wind noise. Edited to Add: A year later this car is everything we had hoped: reliable, attractive, and a real workhorse. Comfortable on long trips, too! Two years later we've had no maintenance issues with it and people think it's a much newer car. We still love it. Three years later it continues to be a stylish workhorse. In our fourth year owning it our main problems were replacing a tire and having a body shop fix a sideswipe. 4th year owning it: We love hauling trailers full of firewood with our 2003 Subaru, because it can pull almost 2000 pounds with its heavy duty truck chassis over uneven ground with its all wheel drive. It's a reliable car. Five years: It's burning a bit of oil. We will probably replace the engine like we did for our 1999 Subaru Forester, which we still own.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
superroo
roopower1, 05/31/2002
2003 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
Hi. Just purchased a 2003 Forester XS auto. Love it-in spite of paying too much. Never buy a car for your wife on your anniversary. Compared to my 1981 Subaru Brat, I have no complaints about power! Plus you can drive Forest Service roads at 65 mph and pretend you are Tommi Makinen in the SWRT WRC. Visibility is great, lots of room (haven't sat in the back, just the 2 of us). The auto-climate control is nice, go for the upgraded speakers if you like quality sound (the base is so-so). First tank of gas-got 25.1 mpg on 50-50 mix city/highway. No defects noted, no problems noted in first 500 miles.
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