First. Ask when was the timing belt done. That's usually a $1k+ job and if they don't know or it was never done that's the first big expense you will have. It should be done every 100K. And if it snaps good-bye engine.

The 2010 Subaru Forester has an EJ25 series engine which are known to have head gaskets which fail. Look for moisture around the heads and check the coolant reservoir level. Ask if those have ever been replaced.

Subaru has an All Wheel Drive system, which I'm sure you know, but that system includes the transmission as well as front and rear differentials. The Transmission Fluid and gear oil should be changed at predetermined intervals. Ask if those have ever been done. Poorly maintained trannys like to slam into gear.

Check for rust if you're in the rust belt. In the upper rear wheel wells, where the rubber runs into the rear doors, likes to collect dirt and salt and rust. And at that age check the exhaust and make sure its not rotting off.

Subaru's are great cars but they like their maintenance. Its not a FWD Civic, you have more gear boxes which need to be tended, two mufflers to replace if they are bad, etc, etc. But if you're okay with that, you'll have an reliable car which is more capable than most other vehicles in many situations and has a great safety record.

 

@Syphers47 Thank you for your response, I'm currently driving a 97 mercury mountaineer. It's basically falling apart, I'm hoping that this possibility with the 2010 forester will be a good budget swap for a little while.

 

Welcome, @spring92585 !

Here's a site that lists tons of potentially useful info on all Subarus. Links to older models are on the left of the page:

Cars101.com, Research Subaru specifications and changes year by year.

Mike

 

check the oil level, take it for an extended test drive 100-200 miles, then check the oil level again. if you lost any oil, don't buy it

 

I love Subarus, but with the familial head gasket problems and the need for timing belt replacement, they often make for a really bad used car purchase when they have over 100k miles on them (unless you are buying a known car from a family member or trusted friend). If you just need a driver, you might do better to stick with a 2WD car like a Honda or Toyota and you can probably get something newer and with fewer miles for the price of the Forester.

 

I don't think the 2010 is prone to head gasket failures like earlier model years were but it still a good idea to have a look. The best advice I can give the OP is to have a PRE-purchase inspection by a mechanic of YOUR choice, preferably one familiar with Subarus.

One potential problem unique to the 2010 for part of the production run - a weld fails/breaks on the driver's seat cushion frame which results in the driver's seat cushion sinking to one side. So check out the driver's seat cushion to make sure it is tight to the frame and not leaning to one side (door or console side).

 

Every EJ25 engine with an open deck (aka non turbos) is prone to head gasket failures. My '09 needed new head gaskets at 70k miles (while it was under the extended warranty I bought).

If you are set on the car, the idea of having your own independent (and Subaru-aware) mechanic do a thorough inspection is really worthwhile, but it seems that recently there have been a few people on this forum who have paid good money for an older Forester and had major, expensive problems with it. If you move to a 2011 model, you end up with the newer FB engine and through 2014 or 2015 they were oil burners. So this just feels like a bad time to be buying a pre-2015 Forester used and as much as I like Subaru and Foresters, I am doing my best to be honest and logical.

To repeat, 2010 and older Foresters need timing belts changed at 100k miles and will probably have head gasket failures; 2011-2015 Foresters have the new FB engine which was a chronic oil burner until Subaru revised the piston ring materials.

 

Every EJ25 engine with an open deck (aka non turbos) is prone to head gasket failures. My '09 needed new head gaskets at 70k miles (while it was under the extended warranty I bought).

But doesn't the 2010 have the improved multilayered steel (MLS) head gasket which significantly reduces the chance of a head gasket failure? My 2010 has 239k miles and still has the factory head gaskets which have never leaked externally or internally (verified with oil analysis).

 

My '09 which I bought new also had the "improved" MLS gaskets and they began leaking before 70k miles. My son has the car now and it's got 160-170k on it now and the replacement gaskets done by the dealer are not leaking as far as I know.

When I bought mine, I remember reading that Subaru had "fixed" the HG problem in 2004, or 2006, or 2009, or whatever, but changing gasket materials was not a solid engineering fix. And once the cars had a few years on them, you could see the Consumer Reports and carcomplaints stats catch up to them. And my best observation was my well-maintained '09 developing HG leaks at 70k miles. edit--my '09 did have a stick so the engine probably had more RPM and throttle variation than it would have if it had been an automatic. Just like the FB oil burning is worse with sticks, the EJ cylinder wobble would also be exaggerated more with the way a stick shift runs an engine.

The open deck design on the EJ25 is simply an unstable design in terms of head gasket life; the thin, unsupported cylinders wobble around under the head and eventually the gaskets will fail. Some gasket types will do better than others.

Any 2010 Subaru that is for sale will be more likely to be a problem car; the good ones are usually sold to family or friends. And moving to 2011 or the next couple years puts a buyer into the oil-burning early FB engine era.

Our '17 uses zero oil, so there's that. So far, it's just blown up the AC condenser, but that's a common supplier thing.

 

The open deck design on the EJ25 is simply an unstable design in terms of head gasket life; the thin, unsupported cylinders wobble around under the head and eventually the gaskets will fail. Some gasket types will do better than others.

Also it's my understanding that the design of the boxer engine, where the head gaskets are continuously (with engine off) saturated in engine oil and coolant, results in more rapid degradation of the head gaskets.

 

All engines stay full of coolant (which is hot and pressurized when you turn an engine off), and when you turn off a Subaru engine, the oil drains into the oil pan but more slowly than it would in an inline engine.

The bottom cylinders in WWII era radial airplane engines did fill up with fuel when the planes sat, but that was an earlier design

Subaru did not have widespread gasket problems with its EJ20 or EJ22 engines because the cylinders were smaller in inside diameter (and thicker) and each cylinder made less power during combustion. Likewise, the 6 cylinder engines, all semi-closed deck engines (the turbo blocks), and the new FA/FB engines do not seem to be much of a problem with regard to head gaskets. The FB engine is still open-ish deck but because the bore is MUCH smaller (with a longer stroke) the cylinders are thicker.

I do recall reading that leaky Subaru batteries somehow make the coolant more acidic somehow, and that kind of thing might be an issue, but the simple example of the EJ22 not having HG problems and the EJ25 having them for its whole life shows a weak design point. I believe it would have been cheaper for Subaru to use semi-closed blocks on the normally aspirated EJ25's in the long run, despite the higher initial cost.

Here's an article with some photos that show open vs semi-closed deck blocks: Our Blogs Technical Articles Subaru Closed Deck vs Open Deck blocks

 

All engines stay full of coolant (which is hot and pressurized when you turn an engine off), and when you turn off a Subaru engine, the oil drains into the oil pan but more slowly than it would in an inline engine.

The bottom cylinders in WWII era radial airplane engines did fill up with fuel when the planes sat, but that was an earlier design

Subaru did not have widespread gasket problems with its EJ20 or EJ22 engines because the cylinders were smaller in inside diameter (and thicker) and each cylinder made less power during combustion. Likewise, the 6 cylinder engines, all semi-closed deck engines (the turbo blocks), and the new FA/FB engines do not seem to be much of a problem with regard to head gaskets. The FB engine is still open-ish deck but because the bore is MUCH smaller (with a longer stroke) the cylinders are thicker.

I do recall reading that leaky Subaru batteries somehow make the coolant more acidic somehow, and that kind of thing might be an issue, but the simple example of the EJ22 not having HG problems and the EJ25 having them for its whole life shows a weak design point. I believe it would have been cheaper for Subaru to use semi-closed blocks on the normally aspirated EJ25's in the long run, despite the higher initial cost.

Here's an article with some photos that show open vs semi-closed deck blocks: Our Blogs Technical Articles Subaru Closed Deck vs Open Deck blocks

You've provided a distinct service with the amount of technical info in your posts here. Thank you. Not too many people are aware of the cylinder wobble however if you are anything technically good at this stuff, the first time you see Subie blocks sitting around in a shop and they are of the various designs, you will soon hone on on those cylinder walls with no support which will get you to thinking and asking questions. That's actually how I learned, I did not have the great article you included here which perfectly shows the differences. I did not boost power in my standard 2.5 for that reason. Been around motors since the late 60s and am very inquisitive and have learned the hard way on lots of experiments. Anyway, again, thank you.

 

Personally, I would not recommend one from a car lot.

I bought a 2010 a few years ago with over 200,000km.
It has done everything I've asked of it; Moved me across the country twice, taken me on road trips through snow storms and backcountry roads, and it has been my daily driver.
However, it's starting to show it's age; The head gasket is cracked (luckily not leaking into a cylinder), the exhaust is leaking and interior bits are starting to break.
If I had the time and space to work on it myself I would most likely keep it, because it really is a great car, but it's slowly becoming more of a liability.

I second YOGeorge, unless you personally know the previous owner it's just not worth buying used.

 

You're welcome...I am an old guy with extensive mechanical experience (old days drag racer, autocrosser, and enthusiast) and am basically a tech writer. But looping back to the OP's issue with a 2010 Forester, any Subaru with an EJ25 engine in it is going to be getting on in years.

If I knew the status of timing belt and head gasket history (as from a prior owner I trust) I would not have an issue--but do realize that any 2010 car is going to have a lot of tired systems on it. You're going to be dealing with A/C leaks and tired compressors, thin brake rotors, and possibly other under-body rust issues.

And, moving to 2011 puts you into the early FB25 engine/oil burner problem potential. I would not hesitate to recommend nice 2015/16 and newer Subarus at this point in time because once they got the oil burning thing down on the FB, it's a great engine. Our '17 has not used any oil between 6k mile changes and gets WAY better gas mileage than my '09 with a stick.

Because Subarus are desirable, used prices tend to be high on them as well....so if you do have a major repair needed and if you have taken a big loan out on the car, you're not gonna have a couple grand to put into your engine.

I think my bottom line is that 10-year-old used cars of any kind can be tricky because of their age and mileage, along with the possibility of prior damage or abuse. And because Subarus from, say, 2014 back have some potentially expensive "extra" problems with FB oil burning or EJ head gasket problems, they are a larger risk than, say, Honda or Toyota cars. But if you really need the tough off-road potential, Subaru always wins. Good luck to the OP in finding a good long-term car.

 

I would pass on it.... too many miles, to many owners, to much maintenance unknown.

 

Stay away from High Mileage Subaru's.

Look for engine shake or rough idle. Put a glass of water on the dash and if it shakes a lot stay away. Other problems on high mileage Subaru's are wheel bearings and CV Axels. Check the rubber boots on the Axels. We expect some boots to be broken but that lets in sand and eventually it will wear out the bearings, very expensive to replace. Drive the car and listen for noises when you turn the wheel.

Valve cover gaskets, in my experience Subaru engines always have a oil smell to them but the valve cover gaskets are a huge contributor. Oil consumption is higher on these engines too so that is something you need to keep a eye on.

The one that I dislike most about Subaru's are the transmissions. They always want to stay in the highest gear possible and are slow to downshift. One reason for hunting for the higher gears is these engines are not very fuel efficient so the car likes to stay in higher gears to save fuel. This is a problem when pulling into traffic, mine will sometimes stay in 2nd gear when pulling out, not good.

I have a 2005 Turbo XT (180k) and I can say from experience Turbo's are a very complex engine and when they have problems it is difficult to nail them down. What I am saying is many problems you hear are normally aspirated engines but turbos have their share too and due to the complexity the repairs are difficult and more expensive. U literally have to remove the intake manifold to get to some sensors. I do my own work and can say from experience this is absolutely the most difficult engine I ever worked on. The clearances are tight.

If this is your 1st Subaru I can say this. Subaru's are a love hate relationship. Somethings you will love some things yo will absolutely hate. It is the hates that often outweigh the loves.

 

Look for engine shake or rough idle. Put a glass of water on the dash and if it shakes a lot stay away. Other problems on high mileage Subaru's are wheel bearings and CV Axels. Check the rubber boots on the Axels. We expect some boots to be broken but that lets in sand and eventually it will wear out the bearings, very expensive to replace. Drive the car and listen for noises when you turn the wheel.

My 2012 had issues with the wheel bearing and the CV axles, early on. But this was the result of poor road maintenance here in WV, rather than the car, itself. Furthermore, good aftermarket parts and a little know-how, you're looking at ~$300.

 

Hold on now. Other than regular maintenance items (timing belt, cv axles, etc), the only major repair item might be the head gasket. Local shop charges about $1,100 for that repair.

I’d say if you get it checked out, you like it, and you price it for the potential HG failure, you should have a nice dependable vehicle.
Anything can go wrong, even in a low mileage vehicle. Just have some cash on hand, in case something goes wrong, and enjoy the car.