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leroy, Never owned a Forester, only OutBacks, but if one fit my needs, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The oil consumption issue is over blown and you're not likely to stumble onto a Subie that has it. I've owned 4 different OBW LTD's since 97 and not one has used a drop of oil between changes. The eyesite feature should prove to be a godsend if you are an easily distracted driver, particularly in stop and go traffic, or you have teenage drivers. Never had a car with it though, and don't know what that option would price out at. My present OBW has the CVT. Love the gas mileage, and the flappy paddles help with slowing down and saving the brakes. There is a very slight hum with it though. Drive one and see if it would bother you. I don't find it objectionable and hardly notice it, and I'm pretty fussy about noises that shouldn't be there. Pull the shifter to the left and you're in Manual and the paddles do all of the shifting. Leave the shifter to the right and its in Automatic, no paddles required, but ...... you can use the paddles to downshift, and if you get on the gas quickly enough off a corner you can paddle shift up through the gears, until you back off the gas, where the CVT will go back into Auto mode all by itself. Put some dedicated winter tires on the car and it is almost unstoppable in the snow and ice. Just be sure to go narrower than the standard tire size by at least two sizes. That way you'll cut through the snow rather than ride up on top of it at speed and aquaplane. My OBW runs 225's most of the year, except in winter where I drop down to 215's. It makes all of the difference in the world!

jseabolt, Just a thought, I don't know for sure since I've never had a fuel pump out of any subie I've ever owned. Some fuel pumps that are inside the gas tank of modern cars have a filter on the intake tube. Is it possible that yours could be partially plugged, and at various fuel levels the unit sucks up floating debris to momentarily cut the fuel supply?

martyap, There are several YouTube video comparisons of Subies versus the CRV and many others with AWD. Watch a few of them, particularly the ones showing how the various AWD systems work on roller ramps, and then see if you're still interested in the CRV. Don't get me wrong. Honda makes a hell of a car, and I'd own one in a heart beat if their AWD system was as good as what Subaru makes. As for EyeSight, I have no experience with it, so no comment. Good Luck in your shopping.

soopsoop, I have done these kind of upgrades on various makes and models over the years, and it comes down to whether Subaru made a one size fits all harness or not. Do some research on your car. Obtain a wiring diagram for your year or a FSM showing where harnesses and relays/switches are located. I know that Subie FSM's are available online for free, as I have had them for each of the previous OBW's I've owned, as well as my present 2012. Then search around your headlight harnesses to see if the fog light harness connectors are there, and just taped up out of the way. Search under the dash where the foglight switch is located on an 06 (part of the turn signal stalk?) for the same connector to the switch. Check the fuse box for the needed relay and fuses. Then if the wiring harnesses are there, track down a wrecked Imprezza of the same generation and get the needed fog lights, switch/turn signal stalk, and relay/fuses, and have at it. I've put power seats and power windows into cars that weren't originally equipped that way, but the wiring harnesses, etc., were always in the doors or under the seats before I jumped in and considered the upgrade. Do some homework. Good Luck!

occ4me, I just spent 10 minutes searching the web and found that the power window fuse/relay on a 1992 Loyale is under the carpeting on the driver's side under the seat. For what its worth, it may be true. One way to find out. Good Luck!

thegoodshepherd, I've messed with electronics and autos for over 45 years and I detect in your post a possible cause for your problem, and a fix. You give no clue as to year and model Subie (this is a MUST if you want some help in future, because it narrows down what the issue can be) this is from, but I suspect its a common issue with electric switches for door locks, power windows, tv remotes, etc. It says to me that perhaps the switch itself may be dirty, and just needs its contacts cleaned up, so that it scrolls through its sequence properly, rather than stalling at its first step in the sequence. If it were my car, I'd pull the center dash surround (around the vents and the radio/HVAC controls). Behind it will be the screws that need removal for the radio (usually just two or four) and then pull the radio unit as far out of its recess as its wiring will allow. Reach in behind and disconnect its two or three wiring harnesses, and remove it from the car. On the work bench either unclip the front face plate , or unscrew it from the radio, after pulling the two round knobs first. (They may just stay in place and the face plate comes off with them still in place.) You may well find the the face plate will be able to be separated from a printed circuit board (there will be a ribbon cable from the circuit board back to the main radio chassis). It should give you enough room to see the individual button switches behind each large plastic switch on the faceplate. Choose the button switch for the large switch plate that's not switching correctly, and spray electrical contact spray cleaner into the button switch, and cycle the switch 10 or twenty times. Repeat and then give the switch 10 minutes for the fluid to evaporate before you connect the wiring harnesses to the radio (if you removed them), turn on the key and check the switch. I've found 9 out of 10 times that I can fix a switch in this manner. Of course, there may be a cold solder joint on the circuit board, or a fritzed capacitor or resister that is the cause and the switch may be fine, but its a good place to start. Take it slow, and you should find its an easy procedure if you look and think first. Good Luck!

extria, Forget about JD Powers reports on initial quality when buying a car. What you need to look at is Consumer Reports of reliability several years down the road. Guess which make is at the VERY bottom of the list and has been for years? ..... Jeep. And right behind them is Chyrsler. Every year the makes and models shuffle up and down a bit, but Subaru always finds itself in the top 15 percent as being reliable and costing less to maintain, as well as anything made in Japan. If you want to make it an even better purchasing experience, forget buying new, and buy a two year old Forester that screams Pride of Ownership. Let someone else pay for the big depreciation that ocurrs in the first two years. My wife and I upgrade our cars about every 4 or 5 years, and we always buy used that are about two years old. We beat the depreciation of a new car, and are always able to afford a much upgraded model that, while we could well afford to purchase it, we couldn't really justify the added expense as a first year model. My Bride loves her Lexus, and I get the Subie "get you anywhere in the snow mobile without any white knuckles driving" car. We always drive fine looking and well maintained vehicles without paying through the nose for them.

extria, I've owned 4 OutBack LTD's since 1997, a 1997, a 2004, a 2007, and my present 2012. I obviously voted for the OutBack instead of the Forester. Note that while I'm 6 foot 2, my Bride is only 5 foot 2, and she enjoys driving the Subie, especially in winter, when her Lexus stays in the garage. Don't take anyone's opinion on which model to buy. They are both terrific for what you are considering. Both have exactly the same engine and transmission, the Forester is slightly smaller and thus easier to park and get into tight places, while the Outback has more interior and rear passenger room and can carry slightly more cargo. Take my advice: go to a Subaru dealership and test drive each vehicle with the same equipment on it that would work for you. Do at least an hour's drive with each, taking time to park them somewhere where you can fold down the rear seats and check them out for dog use, and passengers. Try parking each of them, adjusting the seats up and the steering to your liking, etc. Make your own informed decision afterwards. And yes, the Forester will be cheaper to buy, about the same to maintain parts and service wise, and maybe , just maybe a little less expensive at the gas pum,p since its slightly smaller and weighs less. You really can't go wrong with either car. We look forward to having you join the Subie family. Good Luck!

PROVIN1327, You've done 50% of the job already. If you can reach down and flip the door, then that function works. Get under the dash and look for what actually moves the door. I suspect its cable or vacuum. Either way its easy enough to trace back to the HVAC switches. Either the cable has come loose at one of its two ends, needs refastening, or the cable needs replacing because its broken. If its vacuum operated the same applies. The tube has come off one end or the other or has split and is leaking vacuum and needs replacing. Pull the center dash trim around the vents and radio/HVAC. Undo the two/four screws holding the HVAC console, pull the entire unit out 6 inches or so, far enough to check the rear of the blend switch. Then you'll have your answer and will know how to fix everything. The blend switch itself may need replacing. Hit a wrecking yard to get what you need. Good Luck!

stevo f, That all depends on what year, model and mileage your car is. But basically, no. Same deal as the front, but if the rear rotors don't come off after you have the calipers and their mounts off, you'll have to go to the backing plates and back off the emergency brake shoe adjusters to get the rotors to clear the shoes. Check YouTube for examples.

thosl, We really need a year, model and mileage to really nail it down in future. My guess is that the power window switch contacts are dirty. Get some electrical contact spray cleaner at an outo supply store. Then pull the switch from the door and spray a good dose of cleaner into its crevacies and cycle the switch back and forth 10 or so times. You might have to repeat the process a couple of times. Then WAIT 10 minutes for the cleaning fluid to evaporate before turning the ignition on and trying the switch. If that doesn't do the job, you may have to get another switch off eBay or from a wrecking yard. Then the window motor would be next in line if that doesn't solve the issue. Good Luck!

bgambino, Years ago I had an 04 OBW and later an 07 OBW and had downloaded the factory service manuals for both, but have since deleted them. If you search hard enough you will find them online for free. If that doesn't work for you, get to a car audio store that installs systems themselves. They will have manuals to show how the needed panels come off for every make of car. Pay them to photo copy what you need, or they may just show you. As for replacement panels, check with the auto wreckers in your area.

nicholi2789, If the water was on the passenger side, I would suspect the HVAC box (heater/AC) drain was plugged and the water was backing up into the bottom of the heater box and leaking onto the floor. Coming from the driver's side, either the windshield seal has a leak, the door seal has a leak, the left front sunroof drain is plugged or the plastic drain tube has come disconnected or split. The only other source would be a metal panel on the upper firewall has rotted through (in behind the wiper mechanism). 1. If you have a sunroof start here to find the leak. 2. The windshield would be second. 3rd would be the door seal. 4. Rotted upper firewall. You may not see the water leak at all. It may be running in behind the plastic kick panel and behind the carpet and padding where you can't see it. Pull those panels and the carpeting back until you can see the steel panels. Then take a garden hose on medium pressure and start down low on the front door seam and move it slowly all the way up to the top of the glass, watching for water inside. Then repeat starting at the bottom corner of the windshield and move slowly up. Open the sunroof and blow the drain in the front corner or ream it out with a wire snake. Good Luck!

gentlemen, Age and heat have as much to do with timing belt failure as mileage does. So if the car is ten years or older and only has 60 000 miles on it, say, it would well be adviseable to pull the timing belt cover, rotate the engine, and check the belt out. My 25 year old 300zx has only 48 000 miles on it at present. Six years ago I pulled the timing cover, and after inspection, I changed it. Glad I did.

amithux, A few things to consider before you make up your mind. Your 2004 engine wasn't designed to use fully synthetic oil. It was delivered with ordinary 10w30 dinosaur oil with oil changes expected every 5000 km. Dinosaur oil is less expensive and will do the job well for the expected life of the engine. Synthetic oils are more expensive, and they say you can extend your oil changes to 7500 km. Here's the issue with using it in an older engine that it was not designed for. Frequently the synthetic oil, which they claim has better lubricating properties, will leak past engine seals, causing engine oil leaks where there were none before. Some people have found it necessary to keep adding oil between oil changes, where it was never necessary before they put in the synthetic. 5000 km oil changes, which includes the filter change, rids the engine of the oil pollutants, where the synthetic 7500 km changes keeps those same pollutants flowing around the engine for 2500 km longer. As for the 5w40 .... last time I checked, Israel didn't get any below freezing weather, which is where the 5w40 viscosity would be a necessity. Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on synthetic oil unless ......... the car manufacturer recommended and delivered the car with it in the crankcase. You are throwing your money away otherwise, in my opinion. In many cases a turbo engine would be a good candidate for synthetic oil. The oil companies have done quite a sell job on the sythetic oil advantages propaganda. Just like the car dealerships with their paint protection, and nitrogen fill for the tires. All of them unnecessary upsell profits for the company. But it is your decision to make. My advice is save your money for that next set of tires or a brake job.

relli1130, The 2006 would be my preference. It hasn't spent as much time in the winter salt (get it oil sprayed immediately when you buy it), and by that year Subaru had solved their head gasket issues. The previous generations' head gasket problems were almost unheard of by 2006. Prior to 2005, it was an issue that kept showing up in the forums frequently. If you can swing the money, go with the newer unit. Good Luck!

sonofbuster, The caliper can be refurbished, if it and the piston haven't been allowed to go too far in the corrosion game. The only way to know for sure is to pop the piston out of the caliper and clean it up and inspect it. To be really certain, you need to do this to all four calipers. The brake fluid is supposed to be flushed out and refreshed every 4 years at most, as water will invade and rust the pistons in their bores, and rot the brake lines from the inside. Then the pistons stick and won't release pressure evenly. Then brake issues arise. You can remove the caliper from its mount, slowly press the brake pedal repeatedly until the piston pops out (messy), or remove the caliper from the car and pop the piston out with compressed air (YouTube videos on this). Then inspect the seals to see if they are ripped/worn. If good, then clean the piston with 0000 (four aught) steel wool. Inspect closely to see if it has any rust pitting. If it has ... replace the caliper. If not, clean the caliper bore the same way and flush liberally with fresh brake fluid. Spread the dust seal over the piston and press it back into the caliper, sealing the dust cap in its groove on the piston. There is a YouTube video on using the air compressor to flap open the dust seal over the piston to allow you to push the piston back into the caliper. Trying to do it with your fingers can be a bit**, but it is possible. Replace that one rotor, or any others that look like it. I've done a hundred of these over the years. Its not rocket science, and I've never had one fail to work or even leak. Good Luck! If you do this to each caliper in turn, and clean/ lube the slide pins, and clean/lube the chrome clips that the pads slide in, you should be good to go after sucking out all of the old brake fluid from the MC, filling with new DOT 3 and rebleeding each wheel in order.

shoebee2, There are all kinds of eBayer vendors selling the keyfobs for all vehicles. With careful searching you can find one at the price that works for you, as well as one who will provide the programing needed with the fob. I've purchased two over the years that way, one for an 07 OBW and another for an 98 Forester. Both worked like a charm and came with the programming needed. Pull the CD changer out and get a manufacturer and model number off of it. Then do an online search for its owner's manual, and that'll tell you if there is a remote that you need. That too, can most likely be found on eBay for very few bucks used. I've done this several times with various vehicle electronics. Good Luck!

The Dude, Before I traded my last OBW LTD (07) I asked the service manager at the dealership about how the new CVT's were standing up. His response at the time was that they had yet to have to do any repairs or replacements on a single one. That was late 2013. I bought my present 2012 OBW LTD in January of 2013, presently have 45 000 miles on it, and the tranny has never skipped a beat. I particularly like that even in auto mode I can still downshift with the paddles to slow the vehicle, without having to slide the gear shift into manual mode.

AdventureSubaru, Congrats on the new ride! Yup, I think like you, and am now on my 4th OBW LTD (1997, 2004, 2007, 2012), and I will continue to own many more before my younger relatives convince the doctor to pull my driver's licence when I'm 120 years old. What do you need to know about this latest generation? Not a whole lot. They're as dependable as houses and if the regular maintenance is kept up you aren't going to have any issues. The head gasket issues are all gone. Rust problems shouldn't ocurr where you live, so forget that. You'll find that the CVT tranny has a lot going for it. Put it into Manual mode and flip the paddles if you must. The best fuel mileage will come from leaving it in Auto and letting it do its thing. And even in auto mode, you can downshift the paddles to aid in braking. Likewise, if you've used the paddles to downshift to take a corner and accelerate quickly out of it, you can paddle shift up through to 6th gear (simulated). Do the paddle shift down to take a corner and then sloowly accelerate out of it, and the tranny will drop back into Auto mode "D" all by itself. Be aware of the electric parking brake, and the tool in the trunk tool kit, and the procedure for unlocking it if it seizes from lack of use (read the manual). My personal suggestion is to use it at least once a week to keep all parts working freely. I'm sure it'll be a cheap part to replace, if the parking brake motor iever goes south (wink, wink). Give me the old parking brake system instead. As for the ECO gauge .... dumb piece of junk! Put in a real coolant temperature gauge in its place! (Enough ranting.) You'll love the reclining rear seats and the extra rear leg room, and the fact that the cargo cover can be stored under the rear floor. Love the disappearing roof rack rails as well. Enjoy!

jseabolt, A month ago I removed the seat from my 1990 300zx and took it to a local automotive apholstery technician who works out of his home garage. He was able to match the leather side bolster of driver's seat. Took him about a week to get the matching leather in, and an afternoon to replace the section. Total cost was $200 CDN.

I agree! Splice in more wire and solder the connections and cover with shrink tubing.

nan797, I think you've already answered your own question. You've spotted several things about the car and the owner that are causing you concerns. Why would you take a chance? Personally I'd walk on that one.

mrwl8agn, Any time you post a question about your particular automotive problem, in order to give you a correct response, we need to know the year and model of your car. And if its mechanical in nature, the mileage and options of the car (4 or 6 cylinder, manual or automatic etc.) is helpful as well. You can appreciate that each generation of car and model is different. So, what have you got?

jsrober, The easiest way for you to do what you need is to run heavy guage wire from the battery through a rubber grommet in the firewall (one that already exists) to under the dash. Then by pulling and replacing the kick panel, door threshold panel, B pillar bottom panel, etc., route the wire under the carpeting on the inner side of the rocker panels to the rear side panels at the rear cargo area. Then you need to install some sort of wiring block/cigarette lighter socket to plug into in the side of the panel, or under the cargo floor out of sight. Be sure to install a 20 amp fuse and fuse holder right at the battery, easy to see and get to. Good Luck!