[slothman]

Subaru acknowledged there were CVT complaints and warranty issues,

I doubt they would have extended the warranty to 10 years if there were large scale systemic issues such as Ford has with its dual-clutch PowerShift transmissions. Having to replace millions of CVTs would likely bankrupt the company. Plus, the extension seems to be only in North America. It hasn't been extended in Australia, perhaps because we're a nation of early adopters of new tech, or in Europe afaik.

 

[Mcflip78]

I was looking into buying a pre-owned certified 2017 Forester until I saw the posts on carcomplaints.com
Seems this particular year suffers from transmission problems. The shuddering and jerking sounds pretty serious. The stalling after accelerating also sounds pretty serious.

Anyone with this particular year can throw some input? I like the car, but it sounds too unsafe to drive and I don’t know how much the warranty will cover if anything goes wrong.

I think you will be fine. Subaru's in general are pretty reliable. From reading on this forum, the main issue I've seen with the 2017 model year was the A/C suddenly not working anymore. I have a 2018 and have had it 2+ years. Haven't had any issues, knock on wood.

 

[Da More-ster]

How long have you had it for? And how many miles on the clock?

Just over 2 years and 43k miles on the clock. Only gripe would be the paint. Wish I would have done full frontal and fender PPF on delivery. I have Focused my modding on reliability upgrades. EGR delete, PVC catch can, upgraded intercooler, reflective heat taped intake track, compulsory danoz clamp upgrade, CVT cooler w/bypass install, Mocal oil cooler, diff fluid and CVT drained and filled with amsoil at 30k miles and will be done again at 60k.

 

[ForesterBill]

Also I hear every 30k miles I should change the transmission fluid?

SOA recommends an inspection "I" of the CVT fluid every 30k miles. However Subaru defines "I" as "Inspect, correct or replace" so the requirement to change the CVT fluid is subject to much debate and interpretation even among Subaru dealers. Some even say it's a lifetime fluid. Interestingly, Subaru Canada requires a CVT fluid change at 100k km (62k miles) to maintain the extended CVT warranty. So that leads me to believe that it is a good idea to have the CVT fluid changed at 60k miles in the US under normal driving conditions.
Note, however - SOA says that if you tow the CVT fluid should be replaced (not simply inspected) at 25k miles. So if you see a tow hitch on a Forester that you are considering keep this requirement in mind.

 

[FozzieBalou]

You should not be worried about buying the Forester - for quite a few reasons...

• as a CPO (Certified Pre Owned) - that means that the vehicle has been well maintained and fits the requirements of Subaru to be considered CPO. This also should mean that the dealer has gone over the vehicle systems with "a fine tooth comb" and any repairs or requirements needed to be a part of the CPO program.
• As a CPO, you get the remainder of any warranties AND can easily get the Subaru extended warranty that covers so much.
• As mentioned - places like 'carcomplaints.com' are just for that - Complaints. Same with the NHTSA website - it's where people go to whine & complain about this or that. Subaru has sold MILLIONS of CVT equipped cars since the transmission was spread across the line over half-a-dozen years ago. The CVT has found homes in many models (and this is at least just in North America).
  • Forester
  • Outback
  • Legacy
  • Impreza
  • Crosstrek
  • WRX
  • Ascent
  • other models in other parts of the world...?
• There have been millions of miles on CVTs since that time and for the hundreds or thousands of those that may have had some type of failure, there are hundreds of thousands more without a single issue.
• The CVT in 2017 is pretty much the same as the previous years - just with different computer controls that "add" a felt shift point. This was done mostly due to the "feel" that owners/drivers were complaining about - they were coming from a traditional multi-gear transmission (4, 5, 6, 8 speed) and coming in to a transmission with an infinite number of "gears" (the ratio) and seemingly had NO shift point. You didn't feel a change in the ratio - it was infinite and smooth.
• Have there been some failures? Sure. As mentioned - every manufacturer has had some type of failure or another on most (all) of their models. Subaru is no different. And just like you can have failures on a CVT, you can also have failures on a more traditional automatic transmission. Many times, it's related to sensors in the transmission causing faults and not really a big failure. (side story - I have a 1994 Chrysler Town & Country minivan with the "ultradrive" A604 computer controlled transmission - a transmission rife with complaints and failures. Most of the failures were related to a sensor that would get dirty and throw a fault. Dealers would drain the transmission, clean the sensor, refill and - bam - all was good. Until the next time...)
• The extended warranty was more about 'goodwill' to the owners and not about a known issue. It was piece of mind. Look at Hyundai and Kia that offered 10 year/100k mile warranties for a while now. It's not because Hyundai or Kia are garbage cars (at least not any longer) it's just a selling point - an offer of "feel good" given so counter any bad press that the cars have received over the years.

By the CPO Forester with confidence. Know that it's been reconditioned to as close to a "like new" status as possible. It has a clear and defined service record and is as close to new as you can get. Opt to get the Subaru extended warranty (not some 3rd party thing) for an extra feeling of security. The extended warranty covers pretty much everything (except wear items) for the period you buy and usually you have just a small deductible to pay for any covered repair. If you have a failure - you get it fixed.

 

[Big Jon]

I have 46K miles in 3 years on my 17 Premium, zero issues.

 

[grobma]

The only problem I've had with my 2017 Touring is the A/C condenser went (a known problem with this model) on the hottest day of the year. Dealer knew right away what it was and fixed it quickly and under warranty.

 

[Boostio]

Bought a 2017 Touring XT certified from a dealer about 2 months ago and I'm thrilled with it. Such a joy to drive, and its definitely already got it's own personality. At this rate the 'certified' part of the exchange won't mean much, but as they say 'you pay to play'.

 

[Bib]

I was looking into buying a pre-owned certified 2017 Forester until I saw the posts on carcomplaints.com
Seems this particular year suffers from transmission problems. The shuddering and jerking sounds pretty serious. The stalling after accelerating also sounds pretty serious.

Anyone with this particular year can throw some input? I like the car, but it sounds too unsafe to drive and I don’t know how much the warranty will cover if anything goes wrong.

The fact is Subaru’s are not Honda’s or Toyota’s o have owned three and have had major and very costly problems with each

 

[New_brick_84]

Mine has been trouble free. Driven daily on a short commute (before COVID) and on road trips in the mountain West—uphill both ways. Abused on forest service roads. Still pretty low miles on it at 25,000ish. I did buy the extended warranty to cover eyesight issues down the line.

What kind of eyesight issues?

 

[phaedrus]

bought mine in August 2016 and have been very happy - such an upgrade from my 2003 which was not doing well.

only issue was a recall on CVT fluid, but it was only a tiny bit low and not a big deal at all. CVT was a little weird getting used to, but I did. I've also only driven manual trans cars prior to this purchase.

 

[FozzieBalou]

Even Hondas and Toyotas are not Hondas and Toyotas any more. Most manufacturers are having quality issues due to this supplier or that supplier (takata airbags?)...

Honda has a huge issue with CRVs and oil loss... Toyotas have had issues with Camry and Corollas.

Fact is - no manufacturer is perfect and no manufacturer ever has no issues on any number of models over the years.

What Toyota and Honda have over Subaru is an economy of scale and so suppliers are more than happy to give them volume discounts on this part or that part and Subaru (as a much smaller company) has to search around for the best price and may get less-than-perfect parts provided to them.

And as vehicles continue to get more complex, with more features and more accessories that did not even exist 10 years ago (such as automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, self-parking, etcetera etcetera etcetera - costs of repairs will continue to climb. And as long as people continue to sue companies at the drop of a hat, prices will continue to go up simply based on overhead costs and it's a never ending cycle.

As said - the 2017 Forester will be a fine car for you.

 

[Irishcooper]

I have a 2017 XT, just hit 40k. Only issues were the AC condenser and twice I had sensors go. I opted for the 10 year 100,000 mile extended warranty before I hit 36k. Great car, does everything well. I am very religious about oil changes and general maintenance. So far so good.

 

[Kean]

Yeah.... I agree @FozzieBalou. I've owned two Subarus (3 with the new one) and while I only had one costly repair (HG on my wife's '08 Forester), I have to take the age and mileage into consideration. .....it had about 175,000 miles on it at the time.

I've also owned both Honda and Toyota products. Both were great and really had no issues while we had them but then again, they didn't have the mileage put on them that our Subarus had.

Hell, even my Dodge I've had for 10 years and 100k miles I expected to have some issues but it has proven to be essentially trouble free and one of the best cars I've owned over the last 35 years.

Sure, reputation can be a general indicator but you have to take other things into consideration as well. Sometimes you just never know. As far as Subarus, I've never regretted a purchase and doubt we will with my wife's new 2020 Premium either.

.....btw, if I had a dime for everyone that has tried to guarantee me I'd have problems with this or that, I'd be a rich man. Trouble is, that's not a fight you're going to win. .....not right away at least and I'm certainly not going to come back a few years later just to say someone was wrong.

 

[aelfa]

What kind of eyesight issues?

No specific concerns other than general expense fixing complex electrical systems of today’s cars. I’d do the same for any brand with drivers‘ assist technology.

 

[maskinner56]

I was looking into buying a pre-owned certified 2017 Forester until I saw the posts on carcomplaints.com
Seems this particular year suffers from transmission problems. The shuddering and jerking sounds pretty serious. The stalling after accelerating also sounds pretty serious.

Anyone with this particular year can throw some input? I like the car, but it sounds too unsafe to drive and I don’t know how much the warranty will cover if anything goes wrong.

We don't have a 2017, but we do own a 2015 Limited which is very similar of course. It is our first Subaru. I can certainly attest to the jerking and shuddering whilst accelerating either from a stop or at speed. To me, this is THE most frustrating thing about this vehicle. I wouldn't call it a safety issue, just incredibly annoying. Yes, we've had it in several times to our Subaru dealer, but they were, unfortunately, unable to duplicate the issue. Years ago, the dealer performed an "upgrade" flash to the control module, but the drivability (shuddering) remained. There is a whole laundry list of things that have failed on this vehicle to a degree much earlier than I would expect for a relatively modern car. These issues have all been repaired or replaced under the original and then extended warranty. All I have to say is that thank god we bought the extended warranty. None of these other issues I've mentioned were dangerous or safety-related, but this along with the shuddering CVT leads me to believe I won't be purchasing another Subaru.

 

[Plefloch]

Check consumerreports.org, a non-profit which samples 10000s of cars annually for reliability.

 

[Marty03]

(Forgive the relatively long post here as I have a lot to say about this subject)

First, always take anything you read on the internet with a grain of salt, including this. Nobody goes to carcomplaints.com to brag about how awesome their car experience has been. You can find complaints from every single make and model ever made there. No car is perfect. The question is, is it statistically relevant? The answer is a solid "NO".

The only statistically relevant data that's publicly available that I'm aware of comes from Consumer Reports. If you plan on spending thousands on a used car I would highly recommend investing a few dollars (USD $10-40 USD) for a digital subscription. From there you can look up dozens, if not hundreds, of of used car options to consider and compare/contrast vehicles based on your wants and needs, including reliability.

If you don't feel safe about the car, then don't buy it!

To answer your question specifically about the 2017 Forester: Consumer Reports says the overall reliability is just average showing the climate control system as the most common problem area. The transmission, which has a 100K mile warranty BTW, appears to be very reliable for the year model. You will however, find a lot of people on this forum report CVT issues. Are their reports accurate and valid? I'll bet YES. Are they statistically relevant? No -Because this forum has no way of accurately tracking or reporting across the thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of owner experiences with the product. Just the ones who voluntarily post.

Best of luck!

Nicely put!! 👏🏼

 

[Rongonza]

I was looking into buying a pre-owned certified 2017 Forester until I saw the posts on carcomplaints.com
Seems this particular year suffers from transmission problems. The shuddering and jerking sounds pretty serious. The stalling after accelerating also sounds pretty serious.

Anyone with this particular year can throw some input? I like the car, but it sounds too unsafe to drive and I don’t know how much the warranty will cover if anything goes wrong.

subarus have always had problems with automatic transmissions.
best way to solve it is buy a subaru in manual they are very robust and last forever.
plus a few years back they had Japco CVT transmissions in them.
Japco is a company owned by nissan that makes the worst transmissions for any car.
they are part of the reason nissan is going bankrupt, and since renault bought nissan around the year 2000 nissan quality which used to be good has fallen greatly to the level of only a little bit better than fiat which has the worst quality of any production car around.

stick with a manual you will be happy, my subaru has 280,000 miles on its 5 speed manual and still going strong.

 

[FozzieBalou]

The CVT in the Forester has NEVER BEEN supplied by JATCO (the company partially owned by Nissan, as well as Mitsubishi and Suzuki.

It was a Subaru design that first started with the tiny "kei" car Justy in the early 90s. That particular design did have issues when hitting higher mileage and was unreliable at those higher mileage.

The CVT introduced in the Legacy/Outback in 2010 and is one of two varieties currently offered by Subaru - the TR580 and TR690 that is often referred to as the "high torque" CVT that was offered with the XT and the newer Ascent and Outback XT Turbo.