Question 1

Issues with brakes in a 2024 Subaru Forester

Accepted Answer

Any time the brakes (or any other system of a car) start to feel different than they have done since you bought the car, there’s probably something wrong. If it was an older car, I’d suggest a brake fluid change as the first step, but that’s unlikely to be the reason in an almost-new car. The problem sounds like there’s air in the braking system (there should only be brake fluid, and no air) but, again, that’s a wild card in such a new vehicle. In any case, you’re doing the right thing by having the car independently tested. If the results come back suggesting a problem, you have good ammunition to get the dealership to fix this as a warranty matter. Make sure you get a written report from the mechanic detailing the braking system’s performance, and don’t be afraid to go over the dealer’s head to Subaru Australia’s customer service department.

Question 2

Cruise-control light is flashing even when not in use

Accepted Answer

Your car is trying to tell you that there’s something wrong somewhere and that it has disabled its cruise-control function as a result. A flashing cruise-control light in this vehicle is often accompanied by a check engine light, so make sure that’s not lit as well. If the check engine light is illuminated, then the flashing cruise light is the car’s way of telling you you won’t be able to engage cruise-control to avoid causing a bigger problem. But you could have a different problem with the cruise-control - perhaps a speed sensor or brake-light switch problem – that is forcing the car to disable the cruise function.

Question 3

Is it worthwhile using premium fuel in an engine that doesn't need it?

Accepted Answer

The short answer is no, the extra cost is not justified in a vehicle that does not require premium unleaded. While some premium fuel products do contain detergents to help keep an engine internally clean (which is the basis of the claim you heard) the major difference (and the reason PULP costs more) is to do with the octane rating of the fuel. Put simply, engines in a higher state of tune require this higher octane rating to produce their potential and well as avoiding internal damage. Your Subaru, meanwhile, is tuned to be quite happy on standard 91 RON ULP, and filling it with the more expensive premium brew is a waste of money. You might gain a small improvement in performance and/or economy, but not enough to offset the higher per-litre price of PULP, and probably not enough to even notice.

Question 4

Is my 2021 Subaru Forester Sport classed as Luxury?

Accepted Answer

Technically, as far as local car-industry definitions go, your car is a member of the light commercial class of cars, and in the medium SUV sub-category. Whether you think it's a luxury car is up to you and will largely depend on your expectations and previous experiences. Luxury is a tricky thing to define and as cars gain more and more standard equipment and refinement with each passing year, what passed for luxury a few years ago might now be considered a run-of-the-mill vehicle. There was a time when velour trim and intermittent windscreen wipers were the preserve of luxury cars, but that won't cut it these days when the cheapest cars have those things and much more as standard.

Question 5

What's a good hybrid car to buy?

Accepted Answer

The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply. Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.

Question 6

What options do I have after my 1998 Subaru Forester suffered loss of power?

Accepted Answer

Okay, let's tackle your questions one by one. The advice you've been given by two repairers doesn't really gel. For a start, you have a mechanic telling you it's an electrical problem, and an electrician telling you it's a mechanical problem. Sounds like neither of them know what's up here. There's a big difference between an engine that has no spark and an engine that needs a complete rebuild, in both dollar and effort terms, so you need to get an independent assessment of what's really wrong with the thing and go from there. If, for instance, it's a simple case of needing new spark plugs or coils, then it's worth fixing. If the engine is indeed toast, then a new one is probably going to cost more than the value of the entire car. Which brings us to your second question. Given that a 1998 Forester is probably a $3000 to $5000 car in good working order, you're not sitting on a gold-mine. While you could potentially make more by wrecking the car and selling it in pieces, you have the hassle of physically separating the car and selling it piece by piece with cleaning, packaging and mailing the parts one by one. Then there's the fielding of hundreds of emails and phone calls, not to mention the hassle of having a dead car in your driveway for as long as it takes to sell all the bits. Even then, you'll eventually have to have the carcass taken away. The alternative is to sell the car to a wrecking yard to handle that side of things, but you'll be lucky to be offered more than a few hundred dollars to have the car picked up and removed. The option, to answer your third question, would be to have the car electronically scanned, find out precisely what's wrong with it and make an informed decision from there. If the thing is fixable, great. But if it needs a new engine, it might be time to think about a replacement car as spending thousands on a 25-year-old car that will certainly be showing wear in other areas, doesn't really stack up.

Question 7

Does my 2012 Subaru Forester have a timing belt or timing chain?

Accepted Answer

Subaru's EE20 diel engine is an interesting one as it was claimed to be the world's first turbo-diesel engine with Subaru's trademark boxer layout (where the cylinders run in pairs, opposed to each other (like an air-cooled Volkswagen). The brand has switched from timing belts to timing chains and back at various points in its engineering history, but the EE20 in your car is from the point in history where timing chains were in vogue at Subaru. As such, the timing chain should last the life of the engine and not require periodic replacement as a timing belt does.

Question 8

What type of oil should I put in my 2022 Subaru Forester petrol engine?

Accepted Answer

The recommendation from the trade is to use a fully synthetic 0W20 or 5W30 grade oil. As the grade suggests, this is quite thin oil, but it allows the oil to flow easily when it's cold and, therefore, reduce wear. Modern engines like the Subaru's have many intricate, tiny oilways associated with the variable vale timing mechanisms, so a thinner, easier-flowing oil is often what's needed. The flip-side is that modern engines with low-tension piston rings (for better fuel economy) are apt to drink a little oil between oil-changes. So you need to keep an eye on the oil level on the dipstick to avoid running the engine low on oil. This isn't a Subaru-specific thing, but applies to many modern engine designs. What you'll spend on oil will be more than offset by the fuel savings a modern engine can provide.

Question 9

How do I improve the door/inside security of my 2006 Forester?

Accepted Answer

The experience over the decades has been that the more you do to make a car secure, the more damage the bad guys will do to it in the name of gaining access. Making the door locks harder to remove will lead to the crooks using a bigger screwdriver to pop the locks out, or simply lead them to smash a window if they really want to get inside. When cars were easy to steal without the key, many did, in fact, disappear overnight. But now the coded ignition key is required, many car thefts now begin with an aggravated burglary so the thieves can get hold of that key, terrorising the owners in the process. It's a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless. The best advice is to park the car somewhere secure or at least under a light source (a street light can make all the difference). And, of course, never leave anything you value inside the car. That's not always easy, but, again, it's a fact of life.

Question 10

Why is the battery in my 2021 Subaru Forester going flat and how do I fix it?

Accepted Answer

A: If the reason the battery is going flat has anything to do with a fault within the rest of the car, then yes, I would imagine the problem – and the subsequent battery replacement if the battery is damaged – would be a warranty issue. The body computer in modern cars can do curious things with the electrical systems and accessories fitted, and that can sometimes result in a flat battery. Subaru is not the only brand with this problem, but flat batteries caused by it are definitely not the sort of statutory wear and tear issues that normally exclude a battery from any warranty claims. It would be the same with tyres, brakes and clutches. Normally, when these components wear out its deemed normal wear and tear and is not covered by the car’s warranty. But if a tyre, clutch or braking system fails because of a manufacturing or materials fault, then the new-car warranty should cover it.

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