Overview & Reviews

The 2001 Forester receives slight alterations to the front and rear fascias, a new Premium Package, and upgrades to the interior.

• SUV style, car-like ride and handling, functional interior.

• Limited rear-seat room, not a true off-roader.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 108.00

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  Started out well then downhill - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By Harstar - November 16 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle was nice until the warranty expired. Within 500 miles of the 36000 mile expiration, I had to replace the stereo and the MAP sensor. The lid of the center dash compartment doesnt close right. Check engine light started coming on in regular intervals which mechanic said was 02 sensor and after another 2000 miles it was running so roughly that it needed a major tune- up. Less than 100 miles later the coil went on it. It is still not running right. Mechanic is puzzled and I am frustrated.

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  Decent SUV alternative, but. . . - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By rmay483 - October 2 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our Forester L for about 2 years now. Overall, its a decent vehicle. Handling is very carlike and stable, the interior is reasonably quiet, and the space and layout make it a great camping/outdoor vehicle (which is how we use it). Our main problem has been a faulty oxygen sensor that has been replaced THREE TIMES. Not an expensive fix, but is very irritating. One more and the Lemon Law takes effect. Also the rear hatch shows small rust-colored spots in the paint that the dealer claims are caused by road/brake dust. Ive never seen that in any other vehicle Ive owned. Otherwise its been dependable and useful in snowy Michigan.

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  Problems galore - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By subpain - August 27 - 1:40 am

  This car has serious problems with the axle and wheel bearing assembly. I replace the Rt rear bearings in 2005 @33,000 mi, the Rt & Lt rear bearings in 2006 @ 46,000 mi, and this month the left rear bearing @84,000 mi in 2010. The front axles have both been replaced in the last 2 yrs, one twice. now the O2 sensors need replacing. the head gasket was recalled and replaced. It is hard to believe I am driving the same car and the same model as those with glowing reports.

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  Ill never buy another Subaru! - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By lizlubee - May 26 - 2:33 am

  My Forester was purchased new and always received scheduled services and oil changes. It had very low mileage (<97,000 miles) and was in terrific condition (or so I thought). I recently learned it had a leaking head gasket (a notorious Subaru problem), 2 bad rear wheel bearings, and leaking oil pan. It also needed a new catalytic converter according to my mechanic. Well, any car that disintegrates before 100,000 miles is not worthy of my attention so I (in very short order) traded it in. I now have a 2014 Mazda CX 5 which is ten times the car my old Forester ever was!

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  A very reliable car - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By Bill - April 30 - 7:50 pm

  I bought this car new in late 2000. It has performed very well during that time. The 2.5 liter boxer engine provides sufficient power to maintain interstate speeds even while climbing some steep Appalachian Mtn. highways. The best feature of this car has been its utility. Weve loaded, hauled, and towed many different items with the Forester ... it has a lot of cargo room for its size class. My two biggest complaints have been: 1) outside of a large city, its difficult to find a quality garage to service the car 2) when in use, the cup holders block/prevent the use of the climate controls (I know thats picky, but after five years of ownership ... its really annoying).

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  Dont buy a Subaru - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By dontbuyasubaru - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy this heap, nothing but trouble from day one. Check Engine light came on, took it to dealer (Car Mart Subaru in Wilmington) charged for 30K service when the car had 20K miles in order to fix light (came back on and is still on). AC is so-so. Wheel bearing replaced at 30k. Last week the rear view mirror fell off! Im going back to Honda, Ill never buy another Subaru,very poor customer relations/support.

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  Avoid 2001 manual Foresters - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By disappointed subie - April 11 - 1:03 pm

  There must be something about 2001 manual Foresters. We had all sorts of trouble with our 2001 manual L model. Almost from the start, we had problems with shudder and gear grinding/engagement. Since 2001, weve gone through four new clutches, two TSB services and a total transmission replacement. They were all covered under warranty, but not without a lot of grief, letters to Subaru headquarters and, most recently, a month of the Forester being in the shop. When the transmission started grinding again (six weeks after the transmission replacement) we decided that was the last straw. We traded in the Forester for a new Honda Accord EX V6 coupe. Were keeping our Outback, tho.

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  Solid but better service please... - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By kalsank - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Drives well and is made well. Lots of decent features in the S model. Ideal for NW driving conditions (rain/snow).

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  pretty nice but a few interior problems - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By phuntley - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I like this car a lot overall, however, there are few problems with the interior design that I take issue with, especially the placement of the drink holder. The car drives well (handles really well on muddy roads), it holds a lot of cargo with the seats down, and the gas mileage is really good. Plus, all the compartments hidden throughout the car are really fun. I havent had any problems with the engine or anything functional, and Ive put 30,000 miles on it in little over a year.

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  Subarus Forever! - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By Silversoobiegirl - November 1 - 4:23 am

  I bought a brand new 2004 Impreza in April, 2004. My parents loved mine so much, they decided they wanted a Forester. So, we bought one together! This car is amazing. It does things my Impreza cannot: lugging mountain bikes, skis, large objects, its GREAT. It handles very well in snowy weather, and is fabulous.