Hey everyone,
Looking for some advice on an issue with my 2018 Forester XT. A few days ago, I was driving on the highway when I started hearing a knocking sound. It got worse, so I pulled over and had it towed to a local mechanic. He checked the oil—level was fine—but the engine sounded really bad. He suggested taking it to the dealership for a more thorough check.
The car has about 83,000 miles on it. Dealership ran diagnostics but didn’t find anything, so now they’re saying they need to tear the engine apart to figure it out. They quoted me $1,800 to take it apart and another $1,800 to put it back together—before even talking about repairs.
I’m trying to figure out my next move. We’ve got a growing family, and I was already thinking about upgrading, so maybe this is my sign to just trade it in. But I really like the car and don’t want a new car payment. Just trying to figure out if it’s worth fixing or if I should cut my losses.
Would appreciate any advice…
- Anyone else had this kind of issue with a Forester XT? What was the fix?
- Does this quote seem normal? Should I shop around?
- Any chance this could be something minor and not worth tearing down the engine?
- Should I get another opinion first? If so, what should I ask another mechanic?
- Any tricks to lower repair costs or see if Subaru would help cover it?
- If I trade it in, has anyone been in this situation? Did you get a decent offer?
Any advice or personal experience would really help. Thanks!