2000 Subaru Forester Transmission Problems

Your transmission is slipping, meaning when you press the gas pedal, the engine revs but the car doesn't move forward — you just hear a high-pitched shrieking sound. This problem started gradually over a month but has gotten worse to the point where the car isn't safe to drive, especially on slopes where it rolls backward. Your mechanic suspects a loss of transmission fluid pressure somewhere in the system. Fixing this will likely require a transmission fluid pressure diagnostic, fluid top-up or replacement, and possibly internal transmission repair or seal replacement.

Your manual transmission is slipping out of gear while driving at speeds between 35-55 mph, forcing you to re-engage it to continue. This is happening intermittently rather than consistently. The transmission will likely need inspection and internal repair or replacement to fix the shifting mechanism.

Your transmission keeps popping out of fifth gear, causing you to suddenly lose speed on the highway — a dangerous situation that puts you at risk of being hit from behind. This problem recurred about a year and a half after your mechanic tightened the mainshaft nut (a $417 repair), and now fifth gear is unusable for highway driving. Fixing this issue typically involves removing the transmission and replacing or properly securing the mainshaft nut and related transmission components.

Your transmission sometimes delays or refuses to engage when you shift into Drive, especially after multiple start-and-stop cycles throughout the day. The car may take seconds to several minutes to move forward, though Reverse gear works normally. A dealer replaced your transmission fluid and filter in 2007, but the problem persists even when fluid levels are adequate. A transmission specialist should diagnose whether this is a valve body, solenoid, or internal transmission issue requiring professional repair or potential transmission replacement.

When you shift your Forester into Drive, the car won't move right away—it sits for several minutes before suddenly jerking forward into gear. Reverse works fine and engages normally. This delay in Drive engagement is a known issue affecting many Subaru owners with similar model years.

IF I PLACE MY 2000 SUBARU FORRESTER INTO DRIVE IT WILL NOT MOVE, IT WILL SIT THERE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL SUDDENLY IT JERKS FORWARD INTO GEAR. PLACE INTO REVERSE IT WORKS WELL, MOVES IN REVERSE. PLACE INTO DRIVE, LIGHTLY PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT WILL JUMP FORWARD INTO GEAR! PLACE INTO DRIVE WAIT FOR IT TO MOVE: IF I AM ON AN INCLINE IT WILL ROLL BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS DEPENDING ON THE SLOPE, OTHERWISE I CAN SIT THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL JERK FORWARD. SUBARU STATES THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE; LATER THEY STATE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS. HOWEVER, VISIT SEVERAL REPUTABLE CAR REPAIR FORUMS ONLINE YOU WILL LITERALLY SEE HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS WITH THESE SAME PROBLEMS POSTING FROM 2004-PRESENT. ALL CUSTOMERS HAVE SUBARU FORRESTER'S OR OUTBACK'S. ALL CLAIM THIS HAZARD! SOME CUSTOMERS STATE A TEMPORARY FIX: REPLACE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FOR A FEW WEEKS/MONTHS THESE PROBLEMS WILL DISAPPEAR. ALL MEMBERS OF THE FORUMS STATE THAT THEY WITHIN WEEKS/MONTHS HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, MANY JUST GAVE UP ON THEIR CARS BY TRADING THEM IN. I FIND THIS HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE! WHO ELSE WILL THEN PURCHASE THESE SAFETY HAZARDS? GOOGLE ON: SUBARU, TRANSMISSION OR SUBARU JERKING FORWARD INTO GEAR MY AUTOMOBILE HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF! THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED AND MY AUTO HAS LESS THAN 65,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN VERY DILIGENT IN DOING ALL THE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICES ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS MANUAL AS WELL. I SEE THAT 5 OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON YOUR SITE. PLEASE, PLEASE INVESTIGATE INTO THESE ISSUES. IT'S A HAZARD TO HAVE A CAR BE PLACED INTO DRIVE AND THEN NOT MOVE FORWARD UNTIL YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR OR IT MOVES FORWARD AFTER 2 - 30 MINUTES OF WAIT TIME! PLEASE REVIEW THE POSTS ON SEVERAL FORUMS TO SEE THAT MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SUBARU CARS. IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE. OTHERWISE THESE CARS ARE WONDERFUL! *JB

THE 2000 SUBARU FORESTER, WHEN SHIFTED TO "D", "3", "2, OR "1" WILL NOT GO FORWARD. IT WILL ALWAYS GO WHEN IN REVERSE! WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL DEALERS THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED (AT THE TIME THE CAR HAD 70K MILES AND WAS 5+ YEARS OLD - JUST OUT OF WARRANTY). THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WELL KNOWN TO SUBARU DEALERS. TO MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM, I MUST TAP THE ACCELERATOR, AND WAIT AND WAIT 1 SECOND TO 30 SECONDS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WILL ENGAGE. A YEAR AGO, THE TRANSMISSION WAS DRAINED, FLUSHED AND THE FILTER REPLACED, THAT HELPED A LITTLE. THE SERVICE WRITER SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF WARRANTY A SHOULD BE REPLACED, HE ALSO SAID THE WARRANTY SPECIFIED THAT BEFORE 40K MILES THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE DRAINED, FLUSHED, AND THE FILTER REPLACED. AFTER READING THE 2000 WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE BOOKLET (MSA5M0001W, ISSUED JUNE 1999), PAGE 42 (2000 MY FEDERAL SPECIFICATION VEHICLES) AND PAGE 43 (NOTES) I FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS IN ERROR. ITEM 10 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID IS AN "INSPECTION (I)" ITEM ONLY AT 30K, 60K, 90K, AND 120K MILES. PAGE 43 "NOTES 4 AND 9" ARE SPECIFIC, REPEAT SPECIFIC, TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ITEM 10). NOTE 4 DESCRIBES "SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS", BUT ONLY TWO OF THEM "APPEAR (NOT SPECIFIC TO ITEM 10)" TO PERTAIN TO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID, "C. DRIVING IN DUSTY CONDITIONS" AND "G. TOWING A TRAILER" - I AND MOST OTHER OWNERS DO NEITHER. AND AS FOR NOTE 9, THE NOTES STOP AT 8, - 9 IS MISSING -, THE CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE OF INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND NOTES (PAGES 44 AND 45) ALSO HAVE NOTE 9 MISSING! INTERNET CITATIONS ATTRIBUTE THIS HESITATION PROBLEM TO A SOFTWARE PROBLEM (THIS YEAR WAS AMONG THE FIRST YEARS TO HAVE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL - THEY MENTION) A PERVASIVE AND CONTINUING PROBLEM THAT SUBARU IS ATTEMPTING TO AVOID. THE APRIL 2005 CONSUMER REPORTS (PAGE 92 RELIABILITY SCORES) ALSO DOCUMENTS THE HIGHER INCIDENCE OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE 1999 AND 2000 FORESTER.

THE PROBLEM ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A DELAY WHEN SHIFTING THE CAR INTO DRIVE. THIS WAS ABOUT A 1 SECOND DELAY, AFTER WHICH THE CAR WOULD ENGAGE INTO DRIVE, AND THEN RUN AND SHIFT FINE. BUT THEN, THE DELAY GOT WORSE. ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WAS 2 SECONDS, THEN THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER GO INTO DRIVE AT ALL. AFTER EVALUATION, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE 5 OF THE 7 SOLENOIDS REPLACED IN THE SUBARU. THIS WAS ON A TRANSMISSION THAT WAS 5 YEARS OLD, WITH ONLY 80000 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED SUBARU ABOUT THE INCIDENT, AND THEY SAID THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT ME THINKING THAT 80K ON A TRANSMISSION BEFORE REPLACEMENT WAS ODD, IT WAS JUST MY OPINION. I INFORMED THE LADY ON THE PHONE THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE COMPLAINTS, THEY WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE ONLINE. SAME THING, OVER AND OVER, ONE PERSON HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AROUND 70K! I GOT NO RESPONSE FROM SUBARU ABOUT THE ISSUE, I WAS TREATED RUDELY, AND THEY BASICALLY HUNG UP ON ME. I DID INFORM THE ATTENDANT THAT FOR MY RECORDS I WAS RECORDING THE PHONE CALL, AND SHE THREATENED ME, SAYING THAT TO DO SO WAS ILLEGAL. I LOOKED UP THE LAW IN NEW JERSEY ABOUT RECORDING PHONE CALLS, AND AS LONG AS ONE PARTY CONSENTS TO THE CALL (ME BEING THE PARTY), THE PHONE CALL COULD BE RECORDED. HERE'S THE STATUTE: "IN ADDITION, AN INTERCEPTION IS LEGAL IF THE INTERCEPTOR IS A PARTY TO THE COMMUNICATION, OR ONE OF THE PARTIES HAS GIVEN PRIOR CONSENT, SO LONG AS NO CRIMINAL OR TORTIOUS INTENT IS PRESENT." I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL SOLENOIDS FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I ALSO HAVE A WRITTEN REPORT ON THE FINDINGS BY THE MECHANIC ON WHAT THEY FOUND. THE REPAIR COST AROUND $2200. HOPEFULLY, SOMEONE OTHER THAN SUBARU WILL LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM.

VEHICLE POPS OUT OF FIFTH GEAR, INTO NEUTRAL, ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 12 TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS.*AK

REPEAT PREMATURE FAILURE OF REAR AXLE BEARING. REAR AXLE BEARING ON BOTH SIDES BECAME NOISY WHEN CAR WAS 35K MI (12-09-02) DEALER REPLACED BOTH UNDER WARRANTY WITH SAME OEM SUBARU 28016FC001. REAR AXLE ON LEFT BECAME VERY NOISY AGAIN AROUND 57K MI, ESPECIALLY ON FREEWAY AND HIGH SPEED. TOOK IT TO DEALER AGAIN (06-22-04). THIS TIME, DEALER (SCHUMAN CARRIAGE MOTORS INC., DBA SUBARU OF HAWAII, ALSO DBA AS WAIALAE SUBARU) DISMISSED NOISE AS FROM TIRES, REFUSED TO HONOR WARRANTY, AND CHARGED US AN UNDISCLOSED $96 "DIAGNOSTIC FEE". UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AT DEALERSHIP CAUSED GREAT EMOTIONAL TRAUMA TO MY WIFE. SHE SUBSEQUENTLY WAS DIAGNOSED BY MEDICAL DOCTOR OF SHINGLE LIKELY INDUCED BY STRESS AND LEAVING HER UNABLE TO WEAR EYE CONTACT LENSES EVEN TO THIS DAY. OTHER CAR GARAGES LATER CONFIRMED THE LEFT REAR AXLE BEARING IS THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. FOUND A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED IT WITH A SUBARU 28015AA0050 ROLLER BEARING (03-26-05) MECHANIC TOOK IT THE DEFECTIVE BEARING APART. SIGNS OF IRREGULAR WEAR ON THE BEARING CASING IS VISIBLE.

WHEN ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE IT MOVED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

MY 2000 SUBARU FORESTER HAS PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES. *AK

ON A COLD START, GENERALLY THE VEHICLE WILL GO FORWARD WHEN SHIFTING IT INTO DRIVE, BUT AFTER IT IS WARMED UP IF YOU STOP THE ENGINE AND THEN TRY TO GO AGAIN, IT WON'T ENGAGE IN DRIVE BUT IT WILL GO IN REVERSE. I SEE ON SUBARU'S SERVICE BULLETINS, ON THE WEB, SHOW THERE ARE PAGES UPON PAGES OF THE SAME HAPPENINGS. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE INTERIOR SEALS OF THE TRANSMISSION ARE ALLOWING FLUID TO LEAK BY DECREASING FLUID PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION PREVENTING IT FROM OPERATING PROPERLY, SOMETIMES LEAVING US STRANDED. THE VEHICLE IS A SUBARU FORESTER 2000, OTHER VEHICLES WERE SAME MODELS AND WERE ALSO INCLUDED 1999 MODELS. MY QUESTION IS SHOULD THIS BE HAPPENING IN CARS JUST FOUR YEARS OLD?*AK

CLUTCH SHUTTER, THROUGH ALL FOUR GEARS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE VEHICILE IS COLD. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BROUGHT IT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING STANDARD TRANSMISIONS FOR 40 YEARS AND NEVER HAVE I EXPEREINCED THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE SUBRAU HAS A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH AND FOR SOME REASON REFUSES TO CORRECT THE SITUATION .*AK

THE VEHICLE'S POWER TRAIN ASSEMBLY FAILED AND CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO MAKE A CHATTERING NOISE. *NLM

BEGAN NOTICING AND COMPLAINING OF CLUTCH CHATTER AT 20,000 MILES. MENTIONED AT EVERY SERVICE VISIT AND TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT WAS NORMAL OR THAT THEY ADJUSTED THE CLUTCH. CAR WOULD BE FINE FOR A MONTH AND THEN CHATTER WOULD RETURN. PARTICULARLY OCCURS WHEN COLD AND TRYING TO ENGAGE IN FIRST GEAR. TOLD AT 44,000 MILES THAT THE CLUTCH WAS WORN AND NEEDED REPLACING. WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CHATTER THEY NEVER RESOLVED, THEY KEPT SAYING THAT WAS NORMAL AND THE EARLY WEAR MUST BE DUE TO MY DRIVING. REPLACED THE CLUTCH AND ONCE AGAIN, A FEW MONTHS LATER CHATTER RETURNED. ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE FLYWHEEL AS WELL SINCE 99% OF CLUTCH CHATTER IS CAUSED BY THE FLYWHEEL SURFACE. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHO AGAIN SAID THE CHATTER WAS NORMAL AND WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CAR STILL JERKS WHEN I SHIFT INTO FIRST WHEN IT IS COLD, MAKING IT VERY UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER TO DRIVE. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****764329

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL UNIT FAILED FROM LACK OF LUBRICATION, SUBARU STATED THAT INDEPENDENT FACILITIES MISTAKENLY DRAINED THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID INSTEAD OF ENGINE OIL DURING OIL CHANGE BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF PLUGS, THE DIFFERENTIAL PAN AND OIL PAN NEES TO BE PROPERLY LABELED. NLM

CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE ON A 5-DEGREE INCLINE, AND IN IN 1ST GEAR. 10-15 MINUTES LATER, CONSUMER HEARD CAR ALARM GOING OFF & SAW VEHICLE HAD ROLLED BACKWARDS, DOWN SLOPE INTO BUSHES. *AK