Has anyone any idea of whether the 2016 Foresters are afffected by the oil consumption problem?
Asked by Subie04 Oct 12, 2015 at 07:32 PM about the 2016 Subaru Forester 2.5i
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Has anyone any idea of whether the 2016 Foresters are affected by the oil consumption problem as I was considering trading my '04? I noticed in the owners manual online that it is stated as normal to use a quart every 1200 miles, e.g. replace all the oil before the scheduled oil change. This would seem to be institutionalizing the problem to avoid liability? I also noticed the official Subaru site FAQ says the Forester comes from the factory with dino oil and 5W-grade is recommmended, yet the manual specifies 0W20 synthetic? What gives with this inconsistency, local dealers will not respond? The manual and dealers give a list of conditions of vehicle which could cause high oil consumption, and if this is generally the case, a new car would have to stay parked in the garage.
9 Answers
0W-20 synthetic oil is the required oil for optimum engine performance and protection. Conventional oil may be used if synthetic oil is unavailable. If 0W-20 synthetic oil is not available, 5W-30 or 5W-40 conventional oil may be used if replenishment is needed but should be changed to 0W-20 synthetic oil at the next oil change. AND TO BE KIND TO THE ENGINE CHANGE IT EVERY 6000 MILES...SO > IN A COLD CLIMATE...5- 30...HOT...5-40 W.....THATS IF IT WERE MINE !
The 2015's burn oil like you are a Saudi prince! Since the 2016's use the same engine and water thin oil I would say there is a good chance you will get an oil burner.
lookingforgood answered 8 years ago
What about changing oil right away? I wanted to buy one too...
Perhaps the original poster can provide a link to their claim that Subaru uses dino 5w oil?
Bought a 2016 Forester with 5 miles on it, oil light came on around 2500. Took a year of going back and forth with Subaru and they finally replaced short block. Put 6,160 miles on it since June and was getting ready to take it in for its first change since the replacement and the oil light came on. Thankfully we were close to a dealership for top off. Car did not register on the dipstick initially and then when it did, it was 1 1/2 quarts low. This is b.s.! I've never owned a new car and this has been a nightmare, the two used Subies I owned before this burned no oil. Seems like things haven't changed since the class action suit.
Congratulations you own a Subaru! Change oil every 5,000 miles and the problem won't be quite as bad.
2016 Forester. bought it new and the oil light came on in the middle of a trip at 2500 miles. Took it in for an oil consumption test. They said it was within their specs. In the middle of another trip the oil light came on again at close to 15,000 miles. I am now in the middle of another oil consumption test. Subaru of America chastised me because it had been over 6 months since the last oil change. I thought we were going on miles not time!! I had just hit my oil change mileage when I was on the trip. I will NEVER buy another Subaru. They have a problem-they know it but don't change anything to fix it.
They lied. The standard Subaru has set is one quart in 3,600 miles. I hope you are changing your oil at 6,000 miles or more frequently. I too am on my last Subaru.
As the original poster, I did ultimately purchase a 2016 Forester, and have had no excess oil consumption issues over the last 2 years. Just the usual electrical power steering and throttle disconnection, requiring restart (reboot computer?). I checked the 2018 Model Year Owners' Manual and they no longer have the statement to bring your car back for checking if you consume over a quart every 1200 miles. This suggests less than this is normal....However they still make the generic disclaimer that if you start and stop often, drive fast or idle you could consume more. Hence they may be getting slightly better... Also notice here in Canada various car dealers are prescribing much shorter oil change intervals than recommended by the mfr. or necessary, apparently a recent CBC Marketplace undercover investigation found this was to mainly to get cars back to the service department more often so they could find other "necessary" repairs. http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-oil-changes-1.4563014 Apparently many dealer service departments have commissions with quotas like $1K/car, I found this happened when I brought my previous model in for a recall and they came up with $1500+ "faults" which were bogus. In short, if you don't want to be overcharged read your owners manual before buying or bringing your vehicle in, and double check what the dealer says is needed, visually. I now do my own servicing as a consequence.
