So, just keeping this topic alive. I found this thread while searching for additional information on my 2000 Forester transmission issues. This pretty much detailed my issues to a "T". I have a 2000 Forester with 72K miles on it. I bought it 1.5 years ago and it only had 48K on it (little old lady owned it). In the past 6 months, it has become more symptomatic. Monday evening, she went to the dealer service center. Today, they called me to say that she needed a new transmission, to the tune of 4100.
Impressive as it sounds, I pointed the Service Manager to this thread. He read it and agreed that is was worth a shot. A couple of hundred dollars as opposed to 4100. I will get her back tonight and hopefully this will help her out.
Glad I found this thread, and even more so that the Service Manager didn't rule it out...... Hope to come back with good news like the rest of you folks.
Chris