Used 2017 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
Used Forester for sale
Disappointed in 2017 Forester Quality
NC Stoney, 02/25/2019
updated 08/26/2019
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
We had a 2004 Forester for 13 years, and it was reliable and interior held up well so we bought a 2017. After two years and 22K miles we are extremely disappointed in the quality of the interior and the CVT/performance. We only have one 9 year old child. The light gray fabric is impossible to keep clean, which wasn’t a problem on our ‘04. The front of the rear seat is already showing wear on the fabric. The front has really cheap plastic floor mat holders that will probably break soon. The carpet between the floor of the rear seats is showing wear already. The plastic center console that houses the 2nd display rattles. We miss the auto transmission since the CVT really lags when you pull out into traffic or get in the highway. Also at MPH speeds ending in 5, the transmission slows/speeds up for some reason. This model is a lot quieter but due to the interior quality issues and CVT we are considering selling our ‘17 already and getting out while we can. Aug’19-we had the condenser go out at 27K miles, which after some research is a common issue. After all these issues in 2 yrs we sold this while we could.
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try it, you'll want to buy it
DONNA jb, 10/06/2016
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
17 of 19 people found this review helpful
the climate feature is wonderful never knew how much I was fiddling with it to be comfortable, visibility very good, drives and rides really really nice,
- Performance
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DECIDED ON A FORESTER
DAVID STETTLER, 09/16/2016
updated 09/21/2017
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
26 of 30 people found this review helpful
It was an exhaustive search. It boiled down to a Forester, Jeep Cherokee, or Mazda CX-5. All wheel drive is an extra option on both the Mazda and the Jeep. The jeep was out first based on cost with options and the extremely poor reliability rating at Consumer Reports. The Mazda drove like a sports car, but the cost added up fast with options and I didn't like not being able to get heated mirrors unless you stepped up to the top of the line trim level which put you in the low 30k cost area and added options I didn't want. The Mazda had a lot of great electronics, but lets face it, in 5 years they are all going to be like like in-dash VCRs. The Mazda's reliability rating was way below the Subaru, the Mazda was harder to see out of, and since the only traction tests I saw on line were Mazda productions and the only thing they highlighted on was acceleration on a snowy hill from a dead stop and the wheels always turned to the right, I was skeptic about the drive system as well. That and in the test the Subaru driver always seem to be pushing the accelerator hard to make a slip. The only test I would believe is if they chained them both together on a snowy field and did a tug-of-war. I went with the Subaru since I wasn't in the market for a sports car and needed something that would deal well with a Minnesota winter. I got what I wanted for 26k, a time proven all wheel drive system, heated seats, heated mirrors, rear defrost and wiper, and easy to see out of when snow clouds your view and it comes standard with a nice power moonroof which was an extra option on the Mazda. I still have bluetooth, sat radio, and a bunch of entertainment features I don't even care about.
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Sorry I bought this 2017 Subaru Forester
C Gibson, 10/20/2016
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
44 of 52 people found this review helpful
I had it 5 days & brought it back to the dealer as brakes were squealing & my husband noted the front passenger brake was hot. I was told by dealer mechanic I should have not just stopped by, but should have called to make an appt. I had the car 5 days!!! Car just didn't feel right. Told there was no problem. Then the following week, 5 or 6 days later the check engine light came on & I called for appt. Told me bring it right down. Told there is a problem with O2 sensor software & Subaru has no fix for it yet...that they're working on it. I could feel a lack of power when that engine light came on, but am told that the car is ok & that I should bring it back to have the engine light reset if it comes back on again & that they'll call me when Subaru has a software fix. Brakes still make noise & the engine still feels like it gets a slight "buck" or "bounce" in it. I feel I was sold a product by Subaru when they knew there was a problem with it. Mechanic told me they had another 2017 Forester will the O2 sensor issue as well. I told them I wanted Subaru to take this car back. I was told the dealer manager would call me & he never did. I'm afraid to take this car any long distance. I bought it brand new based on reliability reviews. I bought a new car because I didn't want problems with a used one. Should have bought something else! I will never buy another Subaru. I sure miss my 2011 Nissan Xterra Pro 4x! I gave it to my son & NEVER had a problem with it.
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Terrible. Will never purchase from Subaru again.
Matt, 09/20/2018
updated 03/25/2022
2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
*Everything in my review is of my own personal opinion and experiences.* I had really high hopes for this vehicle, it being the first *new* car I've owned. Sadly it was a complete disappointment. The safety features are solid however, here are the areas it fails miserably. Transmission: Incredibly sluggish for a CVT. the gearing designed to simulate actual shifting is terrible. It is so awful that at low speeds the vehicle will jerk you around rather than driving smoothly because it can't decide if you are driving in its fake 2nd or fake 3rd gears. Additionally it appears that the transmission either slips or cannot decide whether it is time to engage when you hit the gas suddenly from a stand still. This is particularly dangerous if you need to accelerate in order to avoid a collision. Interior: The ventilation system is cheap. I had my vehicle detailed professionally about a month after purchase, during this detailing the vent direction adjusters snapped off. When questioned about what happened the professional showed me on one of them how easily they came off. At first he didn't realize that they were breaking and assumed that they detached easily. Air Conditioning system is incredibly weak. When questioned about why the system performed so poorly, the dealer explained that they made it weaker so they could try and get more mpg. Seriously if it's in the upper 90's outside you're going to be sweating in this car. Within the two years of owning the vehicle I have had to get an entire seat bottom replaced because the seat belt/airbag interlock was somehow shot. Apparently the system is so sensitive to moisture that high humidity can cause it to fail. A car seat should be expected to withstand a certain amount of moisture, especially so with one geared toward the Outdoorsy types. Electronics: The Bluetooth interface is slow, unrefined, and honestly looks like a failed app developer created it. Whoever tried to make this work needs to find a different career path, my nephew has built more user friendly interfaces in Minecraft. Update for 2021: This continues to be a disappointing vehicle. Further, working with Subaru for maintenance schedules has proven to be extortive. They attempted to charge me $80 to replace a non LED bulb for the license plate lamp that had been burnt out. I replaced the bulb with an LED for less than $12 myself. The wheel bearings have failed more than once in the 5 years I have owned this vehicle which from discussion with mechanics is actually normal for their products. It's rather annoying to be constantly fleeced out of pocket for maintenance repairs on a vehicle that was purported to be incredibly reliable. In my experience this has been far from the case. I highly recommend buying from another vehicle manufacturer, this product is not worth it. Update 2022 Still a turd wagon. Do not buy.
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- Technology
- Performance
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- Comfort
- Reliability
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