JohnRhodes Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Hello, I am new to this forum and to the Subaru range. In January this year I bought a 2014 Forester 2.0XT Lineartronic and I am very pleased with it....apart from one issue which I hope some members of the forum will be able to help me with. The Satnav doesn't work properly. I already have a portable Garmin which on occasions has took me where I did'nt want to go but by and large was fairly reliable and stable. The Subaru factory fitted unit is on another level. Not only does it frequently take you to the wrong destination the screen has now started to 'freeze' and the only way it will unfreeze is pulling over, stopping the engine and then re-inputting the destination. The car is going back to the supplier at the end of the month for them to remedy the fault because as it is the Satnav is unusable. Has any other forum member had this fault? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Hi John welcome to S.O.C Unfortunately I've not got a built factory satnav so not had any issues and don't see many problems other than when people have tried to update the sat nav with a bootleg copy so I would have thought it will be with the device its self thats the priblem. But might have other members that have had a similar experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitman Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 In January this year I bought a 2014 Forester 2.0XT Lineartronic looks like a warranty issue to me so keep going back to the dealer till sorted as some times there are firmware opdates for these systems. call Subaru to check if there are any open recalls on for your Forester. i have seen these kind of issues with Kia and they had firmware updates after many customers complained Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay762 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Wotcha and welcome - not had a factory sat nav so unfortunately cannot contribute, hopefully the dealers can sort it for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 The sat-navs are Kenwood and usually are very good but it should be covered with your warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitman Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 most if not all Kenwood units are using Garmin as their GPS / SatNav system we have had many Kenwood DNX systems in our previous cars but i moved over to a Pioneer AVIC as these do sound better and are easy to hack, eh modify ;) SWMBO has a Chinese WinCE box in her current car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRhodes Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hi, Thank you for your comments. The car went back to the dealers to have the sat nav checked out. When I picked the car up the service people explained they had "put everything back to the default setting" When we tried the satnav on our way home it was clear that there had been a major upgrade of the unit. The screen clarity was first class; and up to now it takes me where I want to go. It is a big improvement. The disappointing thing was they tried to charge me £45 for the work. I firmly pointed out it was a warranty issue; I would pay the £45 but would contact Subaru and Trading Standards as soon as I left the building. They caved in. They said seeing as I had bought the car new from them they would let me have the work FOC. Wasn't that kind of them!!!! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitman Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 glad it's all sorted and enjoy your navigation :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I have a similar problem with my Forester XT purchased last March. Compared with the portable TomTom satnav that I used to use, the satnav in the Forester is unreliable and worse than useless. For example, the instructions to turn or leave a motorway or dual carriageway are spoken as you are passing the turn or slip road! I intend to ask the dealer to sort this out at its first service next month. Otherwise a great car to drive. I would be interested to hear if your satnav is now still working properly and if you have any further info re. How it was put right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I have an 05 Outback RN. Satnav works superb!.....must have changed something for the worse. Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRhodes Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Hi Merlin, You have made my day!!!! The Satnav is absolutely useless. It works, but when I compare it with the old portable Garmin (which I still have) it just doesn't measure up. Being blunt my wife and I have no confidence in the unit and frequently use the Garmin instead. I am pretty sure there are other Forrester owners out there who are having the same trouble but they will not be aware of this forum. Briefly, the main problems are..... the screen will freeze or go blank...this only seems to happen in hot weather. the instruction to turn at a junction happens too late with the result we frequently overrun turnings. on a "straight road" if you come to say a slight bend in the road you will be instructed to "turn right or left" on a number of occasions we have lost the satellite signal. This may not be the units fault but it doesn't happen with the Garmin. the screen is too small and is congested with what I think are unnecessary icons. It rarely takes you to your destination accurately and can miss it by literally miles. on one journey we had we hit congestion and was were directed off the motorway. The Satnav was unable to find the alternative route and insisted on sending us back in to the congestion. Illness over the last few months has delayed me taking the car back to the dealers which is a distance from my home but I have infact booked the car for them to look in to the problem. I will let you know the outcome. Finally, the car is excellent. I have no complaints at all in that respect. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Hi John, Thanks for posting your update regarding the XT satnav. Until I read this, I had high hopes my local dealer would be able to fix it; now I have very little confidence that they will! Mine exhibits most of the problems you describe and I am sure there must be other owners out there with the same. Although it is probably only the Harmon Kardon unit, which is faulty; other models than the xt may use a different product? My xt is due in the workshop at Ashburton Motors early next month - so we'll see what they say. I'll keep you posted. Merlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Best bet if removing the standard unit & throwing it in the bin & getting after market unit custom fitted Doubt ashburton MW will be any real help on the sat nav long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Not the bin........get it on eBay!! Sent from my Galaxy S 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRhodes Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Latest update on Satnav. I took the car back to the dealer on the 23th Feb 2015. I explained the issue(s) with the Satnav and then went back that afternoon to collect the car. I was told that they had road tested the Satnav on a journey in to Manchester. They could find no fault with the unit and they charged me £54.79....£46.80 for labour plus £7.99 for Courtesy Car Collision Waiver. I wasn't reimbursed for the fuel they used on the test drive to Walkden in Manchester, a distance of 24.5miles. I then asked to speak to the Workshop Controller. At this point let me emphasise I always deal with this sort of situation amicably...... I do not do bawling and shouting. I explained the situation to the manager who was sympathetic but adamant as there was nothing found it wasn't a warranty issue and the charge was justified. I won't bore you with rest of the conversation but basically there is an intermittent fault on the unit. And if it doesn't show its self when I take it to the dealer I will be charged £54.79 each time. I came home and went straight on the Subaru website and fired off an email to which I have no response. So Subaru, if you read this forum, which I suspect you will, perhaps someone could look at Case Reference Number 3900 and get in touch. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Disappointed to read that your latest visit to your Subaru dealer did not produce a good result. Seems a real shame to me that a great car is being marred by an unreliable OEM satnav. It seems to me that the problem lies in the software - so Subaru may need to refer the issue back to their supplier in order to get it resolved. It seems strange too that all the other owners out there are not reporting the satnav problems; perhaps they haven't worked ot how to use it yet?! As it's not very user-friendly, when compared with a TomTom or Garmin product we have been accustomed to using until now. Ashburton Motor Works told me on the phone that they were unaware of any problem with the 2014 Forester XT satnav; but I have asked them to check it out for me while my car is with them for its first service next week. I will post an update after then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 As promised, here is an update now my Forester XT is back from its first service. They road-tested the satnav and agreed with me that it was not working properly and would need to take the matter up with Subaru UK. Particularly obvious during the road-test were the verbal announcements happening as you are driving past the required turning! Just now I had a follow-up call, to let me know there is a software update available. So the car is booked back in for the SD Card to be re-programmed and for this to be installed at the end of March. I will post a further update after then, when I hope to find the software update has cured the various malfunctions we have endured up to now. Once the satnav is sorted, the XT will be an even better car to drive - verging on perfect in my opinion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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