Overview & Reviews

Redesigned for 2009, the Subaru Forester compact crossover SUV is bigger and more beautiful inside and out.

• Standard all-wheel drive, spacious cabin with ample cargo space, comfortable ride, capable engines.

• Outdated four-speed automatic transmission, handling could be sharper.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 217.00

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  so far disappointed - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By me2 - November 13 - 12:13 am

  If you are short (53") you may have trouble with the brake pedal - its very soft and high, and if you try to rest your foot on it (like us shorties have to), it starts to brake immediately - very hard on your legs! And just 2600 miles on it, on a long road trip, the cruise control just stopped working, the "cruise control" warning light started blinking, the "traction control OFF" light came on, and the "check engine light" came on - cant bring in until next week - heaven knows what is going on - still had 300 miles to get home with car loaded with kids and gear.

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  Not Thrilled - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Jim Porter - September 3 - 12:43 pm

  I am very disappointed with the features of this vehicle that are not working properly. The radio has poor reception and Subaru keeps telling us that it is a setting that needs to be changed on the radio itself, Unfortunately that is not the problem. When you fade just to the rear speakers the radio barely comes in at all and the reception is poor on any setting. The rim design on the 2.5X Limited is also poor the vehicle is sold as an all wheel drive for snow and other types of bad driving conditions, however when it snows more than 4" snow gets in the inner part of the rim and freezes over night causing the vehicle to shake excessively at 40 plus mph. We are being told to purchase other rims.

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  Disappointed - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Renee - August 4 - 3:46 pm

  I have been disappointed in this vehicle! The insulation in this vehicle is poor. The heater works wonderfully but just about freeze my legs on the driver side. The dealership installed an electronic start and I believe they have messed up the electrical system as nothings seems quite right. What about the mileage. I am seeing 15-18 and I now have 4000 miles on this vehicle and am NOT speeding. I left my keys in the car and turned OFF yet in less than 3 hours my car battery was totally DEAD. This certainly cant be a safety feature to have a battery lose charge this quickly. I agree about the noise!

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  Engine concerns - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Disappointed - June 27 - 1:26 am

  Have the same minor complaints as others re: poor interior materials, poor stereo, no tinting on windows (base model) and oddly, low-positioned passenger seat. Major concern is with performance of the PZEV engine. When accelerating in order to pass on the freeway, will sometimes get stuck and rev wildly for a few seconds. As though its in idle and Im revving the engine. Corrects itself when I back off of the accelerator. Am not in control of the speed of the vehicle when this happens. Very disconcerting and dangerous. Will be taking in to dealer, but am not hopeful due to regulations of PZEV and the ECM. May cut my losses soon and sell. Very disappointed with engine performance.

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  Do not buy a Turbo! - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Shelly - March 27 - 5:30 am

  Bought an 09 Forester XT limited. With only 900 miles, the car died going down interstate. Had it towed to the dealership to find out the engine was blown and the service people had seen 5 of these, all with less than 1000 miles!! Since they are new, it will be a minimum of 2 weeks to maybe get an engine delivered, probably a month. I owned 3 outbacks and loved them, but this is unacceptable. Save yourself the headache, time and energy and buy a different brand!

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  Dissatisfied - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Dissatisfied - January 26 - 9:43 pm

  This is the 7th Subaru that I have either owned or leased (5 owned and 2 leased) and this the worst experience I have had so far. The initial concept is good, but the end product definitely needs improvement. I drive 30,000 miles a year in MN. Poor windshield wiper design (front and back), build quality needs to be upgraded (had a water leak in the vent system and now I have major mildew problems. Poor placement of heated seat switches, auxiliary outlet plug, and IPOD plug. Heat is either off or on with poor modulation. Poor design on center storage/cup holders. Needs a five speed transmission; hunts for gears all the time. Buy an Outback. Forester missed the mark, at least for now.

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  Overpriced Tinker Toy - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Very disatisfied - July 25 - 3:10 pm

  I dont want to offend all the Subie cultists out there, but what are they smoking! Spare yourself the agony of shelling out $28 grand for this overpriced tinker toy. All the reviews Ive read sound like they came from Subaru employees. The ride is bad and noisy over 35 mph and off residential streets. The non turbo 4 cyl - 4 speed downshifts constantly when trying to enter the interstate or climb a small grade, almost got creamed by an 18 wheeler. Seats hurt if you drive over 1 hour,cheap thin sheet metal, interior materials, noise from the back storage bins when hit bumps. Only had 3 months - someone hit my door with theirs, made golfball size dent, didnt happen on my American SUV.

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  Three years of ownership - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By jassdsu - April 2 - 3:02 pm

  I recently sold my 2009 XT Forester. When I bought the subaru I was passionate about it like most Subaru owners. Love- that’s what makes a Subaru right… We recently sold the car after owning it for three plus years. Likes- the sleek design, fun to drive. Dislike- poor MPG, small fuel tank, and overall carrying capacity. With the Turbo model you have the same size fuel tank as the regular non turbo- the problem is your mpg is only 22 to 23 mpg, I’m not sure what the size of the tank is but its insufficient and requires filling up on a regular basis. Road trips would require extra stops to get gas- I’m not exaggerating- it’s a real design problem. The panels on the outside of the car

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  Buyers beware - another blown engine - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By SoxFan - December 6 - 12:33 am

  Ive owned 3 Subarus now but this might be my last. The engine blew on my 2009 Forester XT yesterday. Unfortunately this appears to be all-too-common with this years model. Its at the dealer now and everyone has been great so far with the warranty replacement. Still I cant help feeling remorse with a car thats not even a year old. If this is truly a problem across the model then Subaru needs to step up and address it proactively before they have more stranded motorists.

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  Percussion section - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By JW in SETx - August 1 - 6:06 am

  I bought this car after extensive research and what a thrill to have after almost 10 years. Everything was great for about 450 miles when back end started rattling. Dealer had it 5 days and couldn’t fix it or trade, Subaru wouldn’t cover it because it’s a “normal condition” of this vehicle but thanked me for bringing it to their attention so that "even though this is of no comfort to you," others may not have to experience the same defects. Now at 6K miles rattles in back end, right front door, glove compartment, dashboard, in the roof. Mileage at 18/23 is also disappointing and at 6k miles having power steering problems. It’s now on the market, live and learn! Wipers work great!