I had a 2019 Outback that gave me non-stop battery and radio headaches. Finally got that sorted, then a week later someone rear-ended me and totaled it. Now I’m eyeing a 2021 Forester but wondering if anyone’s had battery drain problems with it? What are the pros and cons so far? Appreciate any advice.
Everyone’s gonna have their own opinion, but I love my Forester. Haven’t had to spend anything outside of normal wear and tear. If you keep up on maintenance, it’ll treat you well. Only risk with used is you don’t always know how the last person treated it, so bit of a gamble sometimes.
Got my 2021 Sport in December 2021, sitting at 28k miles now. Zero issues except I’ve had to replace the windshield 3 times… it’s kind of fragile.
scofield said:
Got my 2021 Sport in December 2021, sitting at 28k miles now. Zero issues except I’ve had to replace the windshield 3 times… it’s kind of fragile.
Was that rocks kicking up or did it just crack randomly?
@Unclewaffl3s
All rock hits.
scofield said:
Got my 2021 Sport in December 2021, sitting at 28k miles now. Zero issues except I’ve had to replace the windshield 3 times… it’s kind of fragile.
Did your insurance cover those replacements?
@DEONTE
Yeah, but when I switched insurance companies, all those windshield claims counted against me, which is ridiculous. Always double-check that windshield coverage is part of your plan.
scofield said:
@DEONTE
Yeah, but when I switched insurance companies, all those windshield claims counted against me, which is ridiculous. Always double-check that windshield coverage is part of your plan.
Same here, I had three windshield claims switching from Geico to Progressive. Got dinged for each one.
Been driving a 2021 Limited since August 2021. It replaced my 2020 Forester that saved me when I got T-boned by an Escalade. No major issues so far except the usual windshield chips from rocks. Sitting at 41k miles now. Keep up on regular maintenance and it’ll be solid. Hope you find one you like!
@Jane
Glad you walked away okay, thanks for sharing!
I’ve got a 2021 Touring I bought new—it’s been great. Only hiccup was a squeaky driver’s seat but they lubed it up during a service and it’s been quiet ever since.
Running a 2021 Sport with 47k miles. No issues so far, knock on wood. I keep up with maintenance pretty strictly. One thing to watch for—the 2021s had some older TCVs that caused problems in ‘19 and ‘20 models. Subaru extended coverage to 150k miles though, so they’ll fix it if it goes bad.
@Fife
Appreciate it, that’s super helpful.
@Fife
Is there any way to know if a specific car might have the bad TCV? Will Subaru replace it for free if it fails before 150k?
DEONTE said:
@Fife
Is there any way to know if a specific car might have the bad TCV? Will Subaru replace it for free if it fails before 150k?
Yeah, there was a bulletin floating around saying cars with VIN starting MH567225 and higher have the updated TCV. Anything under that might have the old one. And yep, if it fails before 150k miles, Subaru will replace it at no charge.
@Fife
Found that bulletin—looks like the one I’m checking out has a VIN starting with MH513, so I guess it has the old part. So I’ll need to wait for it to fail before they swap it out, right?
DEONTE said:
@Fife
Found that bulletin—looks like the one I’m checking out has a VIN starting with MH513, so I guess it has the old part. So I’ll need to wait for it to fail before they swap it out, right?
Yeah exactly. Unfortunately, they won’t replace it unless it fails. But at least they’ll fix it when it does.
I’ve got a 2021. Had a few issues but all covered by warranty. Tires wore out before 24k miles and battery died before 34k. Dealer handled both—battery problem is pretty well-known. If it’s still got the original battery, might be worth swapping it out sooner than later.
@Quinn
Good to know, sounds like Subaru’s being reasonable about covering it.
I really just want a car that’s safe, reliable, and doesn’t give me constant headaches.