Things to look for on 2017s

isaac004 · 2025-09-27T11:59:41-0400

j3rf said:
Those are two different bushings. Rear control arm bushing that cracks do not cause the wobble. That's the forward bushing and only way to see if that's worn is wiggle the wheel with the front off the ground or driving it around highway speeds around a slight turn.

Yep, we are talking about the same thing. I was only commenting on the front LCA bushings. You just lay down behind the front wheel, partially stick your head under the car, and have a good flashlight ready. Had mine replaced 11 months, the driver side front LCA bushing went bad based on the above symptoms at about 74k miles. The symptoms built up in the year leading up to replacement. $695 before tax is what I paid to have one LCA replaced with alignment.

2017SubeNewb · 2025-09-29T08:13:02-0400

YoGeorge said:
@bman400 the Foz has a stick so it's not a turbo. Turbos were auto trans/CVT only after 2008. And no Eyesight on sticks in 2017--I researched 2017's bigtime when I bought ours and drove/considered a stick, a low-end XT, and ultimately bought a regular 2.5i Premium.

With any stick shift vehicle, do some brisk shifts and confirm synchros are working well. There is a rev hang problem that made me NOT want a stick on 2017 after having rev hang on my '09. These are not fun to drive in a performance sense at all...pretty much agricultural.

Throwout bearings may be an issue--my '09 ate one early and my son had another one fail. You won't have to worry about CVT or Eyesight issues, so my main concern beyond that might be oil leaks/burning.

I think there were some people that had strange rusting on door seams on the edges of the doors and jambs. Ours does not have that problem but it's garaged.

There were some global AC condenser issues but those would have been fixed early on under warranty. Ours went in 2019.

I had an '09 with a stick and my son still has it with 203k miles; our '17 is a CVT and is up to 75k miles.

Washed my '17 thoroughly yesterday for the first time. Have had it a month. 28500 miles. Saw a few orange spots (rust colored) under the paint, or under the top clear coat. There were MANY areas of that black pigmented 'Armor All' that the dealer's detailing had over sprayed. Most came off with the wash and "scrubbing" with microfiber cloth. I'm pretty sure the rest will come off with a good wax job. The orange - not too sure about those.

Rumrunner · 2025-09-29T14:27:47-0400

doubleopinter said:
Also what is a Subaru clutch supposed to feel like?

butter

but seriously, drive a few more to be sure this one feels like the rest. I loved my 2011 5spd. & to be honest, it felt like all the other forester manuals. just a flick of the wrist & you were in & out of gears. but I'm sorry I don't remember how the clutch pedal felt, as to describe it. every manufacturer feels a little different. haven't driven it since 2015. I think that I don't remember because it was inconsequential & not a problem

cayankee · 2025-09-29T14:33:34-0400

doubleopinter said:
Hey all. I might be going to look at a 2017 manual tomorrow. Price is good, has 118,000km on the clock. I will bring my ODB reader but just wondering what else I should look for? It has a CARFAX with history going back to new so at least I know the oil was changed, not much else. I realize clutch may need to be done soon too. I'll check for obvious leaks and that kind of thing.

Edit: It's a 2.5

Thanks

With today's vehicles, a code reader isn't going to tell you much of anything. Only that a code has been generated, and that is evidenced by the "CEL" or "MIL" light being on. What you really need is a scanner that is bi-directional. It can poll each individual module and measure each response returned to the scanner. Higher end ones can even calculate compression test readings and a myriad of other data. It can give you a "heads up" on possible problems brewing in the future that haven't thrown a code yet.
The cost of a higher end scanner might seem expensive, but with repair costs being what they are today, it's just an added expense to car ownership. Personally, I'm thinking of upgrading to a Launch X-431 Pro 3 S+ V.5.0 that can also program keys and remotes, besides being able to change the cars behavior when it comes to auto-locking doors, and a ton of other stuff too numerous to list here. About a grand with all the bell's and whistles.

doubleopinter · 2025-10-01T16:22:48-0400

I found a 2018 that I'm going to look at, quite far away... It has 100,000km on it, one owner, but the main thing is I was able to get service history from Subaru on it. Things done

AC compressor replaced
Three wheel bearings (that leaves one!!) replaced relatively recently
Some other valve replaced
Leaky oil pan fixed
Belt replaced
Owner did all the services at Subaru
I think brake fluid replaced
Brakes done at some point

Also found out that the leaky exhaust issue TSB applies for something like 15 years or 240,000km.

No info about other suspension components but I suspect they haven't been done. Last time it was in was around 90,000km and she said it would be due for a D service. I wonder if that scared the previous owner away. Will have to have a good look at it.

Maybe I should call Subaru tomorrow and write all this down.

doubleopinter · 2025-10-04T08:40:56-0400

Well I bought the 2018. It drives really well despite having a couple issues. The car feels solid. Main thing is the AC compressor is getting replaced again. But this is being done by the Chrysler dealership that this car was at. It is what it is I guess.

What is it with the ACs with these cars.

Things to look for on 2017s

isaac004

2017SubeNewb

Rumrunner

cayankee

doubleopinter

doubleopinter

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