Goodbye, adios, a la prochain etc.

[jingaloonies]

2 years of Forester ownership & totally fed up, so time to head back to Skoda, from whence I came.

Bought an ex-demo diesel from dealer near Edinburgh in Oct 2017. Since then, 4 trips back there for repairs under warranty.

1.     Aircon flexi hose replaced

2.     Aircon condenser replaced.

3.    Both front bottom arm rear bushes replaced.

4.   Section of exhaust fractured at flange, replaced.

All visits needed a 100 mile round-trip, fuel at my cost. To be fair, no quibbles about work as long as I had full (any or non-Subaru) service records, which I did. Courtesy car available as & when, all work completed quickly so I was back under way again.

However, very disappointing from the reliability point of view, since I bought my first ever Scooby on that reputation, along with the space & load carrying ability I need.

Recent test drives in Skoda Karoq & Kodiaq are leading me back there, quality of fit & finish, along with driver & passenger friendly bells & whistles make the driving experience way ahead of Scoobies. Maybe I had a bad'un, but back to Skoda I go. 10 years of Skoda ownership,3 yrs in Octavia estate & 7 yrs in Yetis. 2 yrs in 140 L&K + 5 yrs in 170 Elegance & other than regular services, only faults were a failed sunroof control switch & failed heater element in driver's seat, so nothing compared to 2 yrs of Forester ownership.

Adios & I have no intention of going anywhere near Scoobies again, I still have at least 15 yrs more driving left, but by then, maybe all our diesels will have been taxed to the hilt to get us off the roads. Nissan Leaf etc. just don't do it for me, not enough load room or range.

Anyone else had similar problems with Foresters, I'd be very pleased to hear?

[Colin.K]

I too, after 3 1/2 years of Forester ownership, have decided that enough is enough. We have had issues with the air con condenser, replaced under warranty after pointing out posts on this forum, 3 visits to the dealer to have a creaking rear door strut replaced, and the final nail in the coffin has been repeated dilution of the oil due to failed regeneration attempts. My main concern throughout has been the poor service received from the Eaglesham based dealer. The rear door strut was only replaced after I formally complained to Subaru UK about the lack of service I was receiving.

I have since found a more local dealer whose service has been second to none, has convinced me to stay with Subaru ( awaiting delivery of an XV ), and advised that the diesel Forester that we had should never have been sold to us due to the low milage we do. The last point was most annoying as the salesman who sold the car to us was well aware that the 3 year old Yeti we traded in had done only 21k miles  since new.

We are really dissapointed in having to change the Forester as it has been a great, and on the whole reliable vehicle. I'm sure that had we been advised to purchase a petrol version I would not be changing the car at this time.

Hopefullystaying loyal to Subaru will be a decision I dont live to regret!

[Mr B]

^

yes the modern diesel is useless for annual mileage under 15K in my opinion .

If you want reliable and proper built buy a 20yr old subaru ,

I own 4 of them and they 100% hassle free .

[Peroni]

It is well known that the newer, diesel forester is a bit of a dog. Best to do thorough research before buying an unfamiliar model of car. I find Honest John web site pretty good as a starting point. 

A shame you have both had bad experiences. An exhaust and suspension bushes I would regard as "wear" or "consumable" items; i.e. check the condition before you buy and knock the cost of replacement off your offer if they are on the way out. Mind you, The air con & exhausts failing on a 3 year old car is very poor though and shouldn't happen. The build quality on my 2010 Forester nowhere near as good as the CRV I had before but it is a much better drivers car and so far has been great in a woodland setting pulling trailer loads of logs out of the woods on no track.

If your going Skoda, I would avoid any diesel engine. Diesels are heading for very expensive depreciation soon. ( Some dealers I spoke to saying they will not be buying any after 2020) Doing 7k/yr you are spending more than you would running a petrol, clogging up your DPF and spraying particulates around your home streets. Best buy the excellent 1.2 turbo petrol.

Dealers are a dodgy bunch in the main. Passing on cars they have purchased & polished and hoping not to fix any faults.  Private buy you can grill previous owner, check the state of their home & garden to see their attitude to maintenance and get a couple of grand off.