2012 Subaru Forester - Engine replacement or time to say goodbye

Asked by dndlyon Aug 19, 2019 at 08:01 PM about the 2012 Subaru Forester

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hello - in the middle of a cross country move, and my 2012 Subaru Forester
started knocking. Dropped it at the dealership today and they say the oil was
low and there are metal shavings in the oil. The last oil change was less than
500 miles ago, and the dealership where I am moving from found no issues -
I've not noticed any oil puddles under the car, and it doesn't have a history of
oil loss like this. The dealership (where I'm stuck right now) couldn't tell me
why this has happened.

We still have about an 800 mile drive before we get to our final destination.

I'm waiting on a quote for a rebuilt engine, but have no idea what the issue
is. The car has over 200,000 miles on it. Would you replace the engine with
a rebuilt or would you trade? How long can you expect a rebuilt engine to
last? I know it's all a best guess, just looking for some opinions while I'm
waiting. Thank you!

5 Answers

Dylan. I had the SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME. Just moved to MT, took my 2012 Subaru Forester, with a fresh oil change across the country. Made it 3 hours from my destination and the knocking started which within a minute turned into full blown engine failure. Got stranded for a bit. Left the car behind at a Subaru dealership for now. Can't do anything at the moment. This should NOT happen to a Subaru customer. I have 120,000 miles on the car. I was taken advantage of my lack of Subaru knowledge at the car shop. They didn't tell me about the oil consumption problem. I had to find out myself and stay on top of it. Not sure what to do. Engine replacement is expensive. Not sure if I should replace it, and invest in a 7 year old car with no other issues. Or just buy a junker.

Finding your postings about the 2012 Subaru Forester was interesting. I bought this car for my son, who took drove it about 600 miles to work at a summer camp. A month later, on the way back to Ohio, the car was making a knocking sound and before my son could get to a safe place to pull over, the engine was shot. I had to bus my son home but the car is still in PA. I still owe $8K so I have to fix it. Learning this particular engine has an oil consumption issue is frustrating because this problem will still be there even if engine is replaced. There was even a lawsuit against Subaru which granted consumers an additional 30k miles on their warranty. I don’t know what to do. I’m so angry and frustrated. I chose Subaru for my son because of their reputation for longevity and safety. That was a mistake.

The manual, which is rarely read, mentions the consumption rate. The dealership should be informing new owners about this. I am surprised that the check oil light didn't come on.

Does anyone bother to check the oil level or do they just wait for engine destruction?

1 people found this helpful.

yes we check the oil level but it burns so incredibly fast when highway driving and using the A/C that we cannot get our heads around how much oil this car burns. It is really crazy.

Your Answer:

Forester

Looking for a Used Forester in your area?

CarGurus has 1,375 nationwide Forester listings starting at $3,495.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Chris W
    Reputation
    11,360
  • #2
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    9,750
  • #3
    Nick Eidemiller
    Reputation
    6,210
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Outback
55 Great Deals out of 1,103 listings starting at $3,495
Used Toyota RAV4
111 Great Deals out of 2,857 listings starting at $2,949
Used Subaru Crosstrek
46 Great Deals out of 1,369 listings starting at $5,995
Used Honda CR-V
157 Great Deals out of 4,953 listings starting at $440
Used Toyota 4Runner
20 Great Deals out of 517 listings starting at $6,825
Used Subaru Impreza
30 Great Deals out of 654 listings starting at $5,995
Used Mazda CX-5
70 Great Deals out of 3,265 listings starting at $6,990
Used Subaru Legacy
15 Great Deals out of 210 listings starting at $3,495
Used Toyota Highlander
37 Great Deals out of 814 listings starting at $8,495
Used Toyota Tacoma
43 Great Deals out of 684 listings starting at $9,975
Used Toyota Camry
44 Great Deals out of 1,140 listings starting at $3,900
Used Nissan Rogue
127 Great Deals out of 4,950 listings starting at $3,495
Used Honda Pilot
33 Great Deals out of 792 listings starting at $2,495

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.