Forrester oil consumption

Is anyone else having this problem? Is it time to start yet another class action lawsuits suit against Subaru?

Go to your dealer and demand an oil consumption test! That is 3X the acceptable level of oil use.

Complain directly to Subaru of America as what you are being told is BS.

But don't tell Mark as he thinks this problem was fixed years ago ;)

I seem about that test online so I asked if they could do it for me. They said I don't know what I'm talking about. Only test like that is done on coolant. Then they wanted to charge me $64.99 for an oil change. I said it's NOT due until 6000 miles and the car at the time had Just 3000. Only when I started getting loud in the showroom did they decide to change the oil on the house, and say bring it back in 1200 miles so they can check how much it burned this next time. They said if the oil light comes on again DONT ADD OIL. That's terrible and goes against everything I've ever been told. Also this shitting is STILL MINE so burning the motor out is not a thing. Terrible BUISINESS Subaru. Bad enough there cars are gas guzzlers, but now they drink more oil then gas

Go to another dealer if you can. The oil consumption test should not cost anything including the oil change! It does sound like they are doing an oil consumption test of sorts as the interval is 1,200 miles and it should not use more than 1/3 quart. Keep an eye on the level and if it drops near 1 quart low take it back in regardless of the miles. They can do the math. You really do need to complain directly to SOA and explain the whole thing to them. I did and eventually got a new engine.

I'm hoping that's what they're doing. I thought they said come back after 1200 miles because that's what I told them every 1200 it needs a full quart. 2 so far. Then the y did the oil change said bring it back after 1200 for them to check it. That's when they said drive it and even if the oil warming comes on just keep driving until 1200 at which point bring it to them. I left it home today. . I really hate that vehicle now. I drive my Mini which is awesome. Good in gas (43mpg) and DON'T burn any oil. Hell my 1997 Saturn wagon didn't burn a drop off oil at 187,000. My Subaru is a 6 speed manual they also tried to tell me manuals do that. Maybe there Subaru manuals. Only vehicles I've ever owned that burned oil were my old VW Vanagons but they were real old with lots and lots of miles, and air cooled motors. Thank you everyone for your help. I'm gonna go back to this dealership in 1200 miles and see what happens. I will keep you posted. If I get no where...I will go to another dealer. This one is where I bought my vehicle and at least an hour away from my home. I also tried SOA weekend then holiday.... Tomorrow for sure!

Do not keep driving it with the oil light on!!!!!!! They will blame you for engine damage! If the light comes on call SOA for further instructions.

My oil burnt completely dry at 2200 and the dealer said it wasn't an issue. I called corporate who dictated to the dealer to do an oil consumption monitoring. The last 1200 miles he only needed to add 1/3 of a quart and said taht was fine. He told the staff to put in the computer that it needed minimal oil... I am back on the phone to Subaru.

If your car uses excessive oil again ask for another oil consumption test.

Is there any update to this thread? I'd love a 6mt Forester, but only with a reasonable amount of oil burning... Then again, if 5w-30 mostly alleviates the problem for 6mt, would it be a problem one can live with?

Daughter bought a 2017 Forester - oil light came on at 2,400 miles, went through 3 months of BS from dealerships, new short-block, still burned oil, took to other dealership, they traded in with discounts amounting to payments-to-date on 2018 model. Now 2018 model has flashed the oil light at 1,700 miles in, car is back at dealership, SOA says need to test to see if consumption is excessive etc. This company is producing and selling non-functional vehicles to mis-informed millenials based on the social do-good buzz and lots of flashy advertising. The cars drive well but the engines are either poorly designed, poorly built, or both. We are lawyering up.

I am having the same problem. Bought a 2018 Forester 6 Speed and oil light came on at 4000 miles. I am pushing the dealership and will be getting a lawyer if needed.

Call SOA and make sure they know of your problems. One quart (assuming) in 4,000 miles is really not that bad and does not exceed Subaru's standards for oil consumption.

I had the same problem with my 2018 forester. They did two oil consumption tests and oil light kept coming on every 2500 miles. They wanted to do rebuild the low part of the engine and i refused. I did not want it to hurt my resale value. I ended up in the end with a brand new Forester that Subaru of america agreed to. I love the car and hope that Subaru takes care of their problem. Subaru still has a oil consumption issue. Be patient and don't lose your temper. Fight for a new car. Stevyn

So sorry this is happening. I bought a brand new 2017 Forester and had an oil consumption issue like you're describing. This isn't normal, although I was told that it was time and time again and continued to fight with the mechanics. They actually told me it was because I drive a manual (I drove a manual for years before buying a Subaru and it didn't consume oil). They replaced the short block less than a year after I bought the car, but I continued to have the defect with the new short block. After more arguing, I am in the midst of replacing my vehicle now with Subaru of America. It has been an absolute nightmare... can't wait for it to be over and just hoping my new 2018 Forester does not have similar issues.

So now we are on our third new car, this one runs out of oil too, SOA has the NDA out for us to sign before they will fix or replace this one. How can a company stay in business selling junk like this?

Don't count on them doing anything for you.... They won't

get the oil consumption test from the dealership and CHECK THE DIPSTICK BEFORE YOU LEAVE! and take a photo. the dealership may purposefully overfill it to skew the results.

I have a 2013 impreza and had 3 oil consumption tests done before the 60,000 mile warranty was up. Each time it burnt enough oil in under 3000 miles that the dipstick was bone dry but the dealers would never let me look at the dipstick with them "not protocol". My 60000 mileage warranty expired so I stopped even trying and now I have 107000 miles on my car and now it burns about a quart every 1500 miles. I just found out about the class action lawsuit the other day, called subaru, and they wont even look at my car since i don't have repair records and preferred to always work on my own car. I will never own another subaru. This has serious been a nightmare. My 95 wrangler ran better and the freaking engine fell out once.

I had the same problem with a new 2015 Forester. It is NOT normal no matter what they say. The things they told you are so similar that you could have been with me when I was getting the same BS. Also the fraudulent over-filling of the oil after complaints, which they also did to me, is happening to too many owners in too many places to be a coincidence. This smacks of a corporate fraud, similar to Volkswagon with their emissions. I get rid of the car before it got any worse. Suburu is pandering to everyone who loves the outdoors and animals, but those people are not stupid and sooner or later the company will have to deal with this.

had the same problem 2011 forester in australia cost us 5000 dollars to fix rest assured they will not help u. so after 6 years same problem. we dont have lemon laws like u guys so they expect u to suck it up. good luck hope u all get a worthwhile resulution regards

Great thread here and highly enlightening. I have a 2006 Subaru that I have driven across the country with no problems other than my universal joint, which was not unexpected. I was planning to buy a MT 2018 Forester before July 2nd but after reading these blogs I guess I will go look at Mazdas or VW's

Just purchased a Certified 2015 Subaru Forester with 51,487 miles. after 1,931 miles my low engine oil light came. Engine was down a quart. This car is clearly broken in. This oil consumption is excessive in my book. I have to admit I was pretty shocked when I learned that they recommend a 0W-20 oil. That's a pretty "runny" (thin viscosity wise) oil. We had a 1999 Subaru Legacy and a 2004 Subaru WRX (manual transmission) and never had this kind of oil consumption even after 100,000 miles. Our 2015 Forester has a manual transmission but I can't understand why that would cause excessive oil consumption.

I have a 2017 manual transmission Forester and have had to do 6 consumption tests where they monitor the amount of oil burned in glumps of 1200 miles... well.. I have been told my car needs a new "heart" (engine) Contacted Subaru USA. Got a song and dance about a one time deal of 1500.00 owner loyalty towards a new car - which is what the dealerships give and they would extend the warranty on the car (um.. they have to when they replace a part) SOOOOO not happy with Subaru USA. the person I talked to also said that I should take my car to a different dealer to trade in because they wouldn't know about the engine replacement - they check the flipping vin. They will all know. Really bad advice. shady. I called my sales guy he was appalled. We will see what the dealer comes up with. I want a new car. Not one with a new engine.

I am glad you posted this I was just almost sold on buying one, now I won't. I don't need that aggravation. I would rather go with the Kia.

Good lord! Randomly came across this info! Two seconds from buying a Subaru! Don't need this kind of problem! Back to Honda!

I have a 2018 forester and it is using oil also. I have 14000 miles on it and have had to take it in 3 times for them to add oil in it between oil changes. They did an oil consumption test and said it passed yet I am a quart low again and need to go have them add again.

I have a 2013 Subaru Forester (used which I purchased in 2015) and I WISH I would have seen this thread before. I never received notification about their class action and I was left fighting with Subaru of America who said they would only consider an oil consumption test if I submitted all of my maintainer to see if it was owner error. Bullshit. A full synthetic oil change should last longer than 2000 mi. Fed up with Subaru and I won’t buy another one.

I had this problem with 2014 Forester. Subaru had sent a letter saying there was this problem and they would replace engine if before 100,000 miles. I had bought 2014 new and had engine replaced at 97,000 miles for this. One dealer did oil consumption test, said it was fine (I'm driving around and adding oil when the light comes on), another dealer did the test and told me engine needed to be replaced. Love the Forester, but will not buy another since this problem apparently hasn't been fixed.

I have a 2016 Forester with a manual transmission and have NOTHING but problems with oil consumption issues! Do not buy one! 1st time and last time owner here! First time was 3500 miles on it! Light popped on low! Over a quart low that time! I burn about 1 - 1/1/2 quarts between changes!! I have owned Fords, Chryslers, Hyundais and VWs. They never used up oil between changes. I've had 3 consumption tests done. 1st i caught them over filling it! 2nd one I caught them topping it off after I took it back! I had pictures of the dip stick before I took it back and it was between dots. After they took it back to the bay the oil mysteriously went to the top dot! 3rd one I was 3/4 low after 1200 miles.

I spoke with a master mechanic not affiliated with Suburu. If I understood him correctly that the oil rings are springy, due to trying to get more efficiency or emissions or something, and that they let oil slip through and it usually takes a while to "seat" in, but they won't always. As a comparison, old oil rings in cars were much stiffer. that is the gist of it.

Basically true.

Hi y’all. Wow. After 2 complete and two partial oil consumption tests - one dealership didn’t know how to do the test or told me it was fine so they wouldn’t have to deal with it - and a new shirt block, my 2915 Forester was just down to nothing on the dipstick. Regardless of what’s causing the problem, it’s still a problem/defect that - at least in my car - was causing blue smoke from the engine. I u sees tans that that type of oil leak can damage/ruin the engine over time. It seems like it is time for another class action lawsuit. I live in NC were there aren’t tight lemon laws. I figure I’ll just dump my Subaru for a Honda or mini. I would, however, like the masses to know about this problem so they can make informed decisions about how good Subaru really is - not very, IMO. Hmmm. I wonder if, with help from a good writer/editor friend I could get something into/onto the NYTimes editorial page. Just the facts, you know. So other people aren’t out $5k (like the person in Australia) while Subaru keeps raking in the dough for a problem they know exists but won’t fix. Anyone know another way to get the word out that this problem still exists. Maybe twitter? Yeah -that should work. I’ll be back to add my handle I. Case y’all want to pass it on. Thx!

Sorry for my typos (above). I didn’t catch autocorrect’s mistakes.

I have a 2017 subaru forester ... just wait the problems are just getting started. After only 2400 miles my engine light was low. Brought it in to the dealership, they opted to do an oil consumption test ... and it PASSED. This was of course, before I knew they overfilled the the oil. It continued to burn through all the oil every 2400 miles. Finally, after 9 months of fighting with them - basically every time I brought it in to the dealer they told me it was in a "break-in" period. Finally, they repeated the oil consumption test and lo and behold it failed miserably and they replaced the short block. It continues to burn through ALL the oil - below the minimum line at approx 5000 miles - oddly enough this time the "oil light" did NOT come on. I let the dealership know ... and we are back in the "break-in period". So in addition to this my car is having intermittent start issues. They can't find the issue so basically they are sending me out with a car just over a year old ... burning through and oil and the possibility it may or may not start. I agree ... subaru is putting out a highly inferior product and are basically playing a numbers game.

In late 1984, I bought a brand new 1985 Subaru GL10 wagon, it burned a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or so. I took it to so many dealerships & no one could fix it. There was no lemon law back then. The car was totaled in an accident a few years later, good riddance! After over 30 years, Subaru hasn’t figured it out. I doubt they ever will but people keep buying them anyway . I was thinking of buying one again but after reading so many of these posts everywhere, I guess not...

Hey all. Funny story my now wife had a 2015 Forester and Subaru told her the same thing. We were driving from SC to NY for Christmas and the low oil light came on. I said what the heck is that all about and she said oh Subaru told me thats ok its normal to burn a Qt of oil per 3k miles. I said um no that is not normal for a modern vehicle. turns out as you all are pry not aware that this is a common problem for several of Subarus vehicles. Needless to say it was a lease and at the end of the lease it went back for them to deal with. We now own a Wrangler. No reason at all a 2015 vechicle of any brand should be burning oil under 150k plus. Its insane to me that a class action isn't already going on this subject.

This has been interesting -- just learned from a friend with a '13 Outback 2.5L engines with CVT about their oil consumption issues, so checked our identical '14. With 81000 miles, have never had any problems and when checking the oil, have never noticed excessive use (have never had to add any between 7500 mile oil changes) I just went out and looked - down about 1/5th below the full mark in about 3000 miles. You have to wonder why some engines burn oil and others don't? And we know some other 2.5L owners of various years and have not heard of the problem. Also, I don't know how much "extra" oil they can over-fill on a flat four engine safely, as on the old flat four Volkswagen not much extra oil raised the oil level to where the crankshaft struck the oil, causing it to froth into a foam with air. This lead to a starvation of lubricant which would then cause the engine to seize up - total disaster.

I have been around and worked on engines all my life - we have a Subaru and it is burning a quart every 1200 to 1500 miles. I see no where in these post that indicates anyone asked for a compression test? If the oil is not leaking it is getting cylinders somehow and being burnt. To me that is a piston ring or over pressurization of the crankcase problem. No new car should use that much oil.

The thing everyone here seems to not understand is that you are not Subaru of America's (nor any other car maker) customer; the dealer is the manufacturer's customer. Though I haven't owned a Subaru, I have had warranty issues with other brands, and the "1-800" number to the manufacturer has always led to: "Well, the dealer is an independent businessman - we can't tell him what to do." Manufacturer warranties seem wonderful, but ultimately, it's the dealer who must perform the work, and he would rather service "cash customers," and will likely say almost anything to avoid performing expensive warranty work for a lower rate of compensation.

I had a Forester 2015 that went dipstick dry every 3k almost on the dot, Subaru performed the oil consumption test and I "Passed" but I told them I'd see them in another 1200 miles when it went empty, that car fell under the Oil consumption class action lawsuit that was issued for 2011-2015's. I now have a 2017 which is not included in the prior class action law suit, and at 26,000 miles it's going dipstick dry once again (before 5k). The dealer readily did an oil consumption test, but this time when it "passed" I was told it was normal and just to put some oil in it. It was definitely difficult watching my advisor tow that Corporate line about how "oil starts to break down at a certain mileage and it's completely normal....to run out blah blah yada yada." Really guy? *Sigh*

Hi All, I'm considering a change from my outback to a 2018 CVT Forester. Does anyone have any updates on whether the oil consumption issue is specific to manual tranmissions at this point? I'm really to the point of buying a CRV, but would consider the Forester if this issue was specific to manual. Thanks

Update - after going through (literally) 3 or 4 of the manual transmission Subarus, spending countless hours on the phone with idiots at Corporate, getting the runaround from local dealerships in Austin and Dallas, arguing herself blue in the face with more idiots at Corporate, and finally signing an NDA that she would not post or discuss anything about the situation, my daughter has received an automatic transmission version of the car that seems to be holding oil. So our experience, in summary, is that only the manual version was impacted by this situation (although she only has owned one automatic), that the dealerships are required to follow a script that makes them try everything they can to refute claims against the vehicle, and that Subaru Corporate is both fully aware of the situation and almost totally non-responsive - when called on the second however they reach Olympian levels of denial, self-congratulation, aggressive blame of the owner for poor driving habits, and complete lack of responsibility for any possibly shortcoming of their uber-cool and socially sensitive ("woke") vehicles. I would recommend an AMC Pacer over this vehicle, or possibly even a cut-down pine board with roller skate parts tacked on the ends. Never seen anything out of a hitherto reputable car company like this - I truly do not understand how they remain in business, nor how they believe that the reputation of the Japanese car industry as a whole can withstand their blatant lies, lack of quality, and complete disregard for customer service.

Thanks for the update and I'm sorry to hear about your experience with Subaru. Even if this issue doesn't pertain to the CVT Forester I'm probably going to pass on Subaru given the volume of these kinds of experiences I'm reading about online. Awful.

Subaru made you sign a non disclosure agreement? The problem must be far worse than is generally known! That is absolute desperation!

I came to an agreement with Subaru. I, too, had to sign an NDA so I am hesitant to give details. However, I'd just like to say to those experiencing an oil consumption issue - PLEASE check the oil diligently, save ALL records of you going to get it checked/complaints when it's low, and RESEARCH YOUR STATE'S LEMON LAWS. Reach out to your state's consumer protection office and do some research on the laws. Mine are very strict and were very helpful in making sure there was no economic loss to me. Cut to now - I currently have a new manual 2018 Forester. Thanks to y'alls comments I have continued to be diligent about checking the oil because I realize this is a recurring issue. It is brand new, 2,000 miles in and my car is a quart low. I've learned from my past experience so I first took the car to an independent mechanic to document that it's low incase they argued with me like they did with my 2017 (the mechanics let me videotape them checking the oil and they said on the video I was a quart low). Then I went to Subaru. They did agree it was a quart low without argument and said they would start an oil consumption test. HOWEVER, when they came back out with the car I asked them to show me the oil level before I left. Lo and behold it was over by 1/4-1/2 quart. They told me the engine may be hot from them driving it from the back... sure, okay. So, I said alright I'll wait 20 minutes. 20 minutes later the oil was at the exact same mark. I made them go back and take out the extra oil and show me again that the oil was only at the 2 dot mark before I left. They aren't stupid and they know what they're doing. I'm sure this test will show the car is consuming oil and they will first offer to replace the short block like they did with the 2017. If, like with the 2017 my car continues to consume oil even with a new engine, then I will be inciting the Lemon Laws and requesting all of my money back from Subaru rather than a new replacement and I will go buy a freaking reliable car. I can't tell you enough how much this thread has helped me. I would have never thought about them overfilling the oil without reading 2015SubforStick's and GuruVXV1K's comments and would have most likely been screwed. So, thanks and I hope this info helps someone, too.

Also bought a 2018 Forester. At 1200 miles the low oil level warning flashed on the smart display. I had to add 2 quarts of oil to get any indication on the dipstick. Took it to the dealer to check for leaks and none were found. At 4100 miles I had to add another quart. Calling SOA!

Just a note. Proper oil level checking means waiting 5 minutes for the oil to run down and then check the oil level., Waiting a long time may show it over filled. Subaru has run into a brick wall with the oil consumption thing and is now silencing their customers in return for repairs or financial relief? WOW!

Subaru oil issue- So it is obvious there is a problem with the Subaru's using oil. We have been told that a oil consumption test must be done. I was curious as to what this test consisted of. So I called the dealer while my gal was on the way to have this test done. This test consists of them changing the oil and you have to check the oil until it get's low- then drive back to the dealer and have them confirm it is low on oil. One question I had was who was responsible for continuing to drive a engine low on oil. They do not pull the spark plugs and see if they are dark in color - they do not run a compression check on the cylinders- they do not check the crank case pressure. Chevy Lumina's have an issue with the intake gasket leaking- as soon as it starts to leak the engine starts to burn oil. I do not hear the best but I can hear a miss in the Subaru, a leaking intake would cause a miss. I would like to know what their quality control is finding with the engines they are pulling out?

I'm in and damn boat! 2013 forester less than 80k miles and burns through oil. Dry before it 3k miles.. I've a never had this even with used cars. Sitting in dealership with engine failure. They have done all the maintenance. Contacted on the class action info literally my make and year and VIN fits criteria but Subaru HQ say it doesnt ?? And referred me back to the site. I'm so frustrated who purchases a new car and expects to dump thousands a year... we have had other issue along the way too. Always told it's normal the oil thing. Dont know what to do at this point

I had bought my 2014 Forester new...somewhere along the line Subaru sent me a waranty for the engine. I stuck it in my file drawer and forgot it...The oil problem happened about 1200 miles after an oil change which started somewhere in the upper 80,00 mile range. I took it to the dealer I bought it from. They ran the consumption test. All OK they said..meanwhile I again had to add oil about 1200 miles after change. I was in the process of moving and took it to another dealer near where I was moving...They ran the oil consumption test and told me I needed a new engine. Subaru knew the problem and had extended the warranty on the engine.( Which I later found in my file drawer). I told the service person about my previous experience. He was not happy to hear that. After the new engine was installed the alternator went because of misfiring or something (I am mechanically challenged!). This was the second alternator for the car. Luckily I had bought an extended warranty. I was concerned about expensive repairs after 100,00 so it now is on the new dealer's lot with an "as is" sign. The dealer I bought the car from is a few miles down the road from Subaru's corporate office in New Jersey.

Yikes guys - these stories keep pouring in. I'm looking forward to reviews on the 2019 Rav4 in a few months. The CRV is out of the question for me. Not with their oil dilution & lack of heat in winter, problems people are reporting. I can't live with those issues in my cold Ontario climate. The Forester/Outback engine issues are a darn shame - for years I was really looking forward to trying out their product after hearing how awesome they are in bad weather (rain or snow). I need to hear/see consecutive years of a vehicle being mostly problem free before considering it. Subaru really seems to be having its issues - and/or lack of money to fix the problem? I don't know - I'm not taking my chances. It's really disgusting how some of you have been treated by some dealerships as well - this of course, is not unique to Subaru but still a shame.

12,000 + miles on our MT 2018 Forester. No problems. Great car ... so far. Will post if anything comes up.

My son( with his 2012 Forester)just came back from Boston for wedding. On way home engine started clicking. Immediately took to dealer. They said engine low on oil. Light never came on.NEVER had this problem with our 08 Forester. They changed oil at dealer And told him come back 1200 miles, charged him $120. I will follow up on this crap.

That oil change was a major rip off. Complain to SOA.

I own an automatic 2010 Subaru Forester. I have been happy with it and never had any problems with the oil level until after 70,000 miles. My oil light has never come on, but in between my next to the last oil change and the last one, the engine started clicking and the dipstick said it was dry. I had to add three quarts. After the last oil change, I checked it after a month and it was still fine. Then I checked it two months later and it was two quarts low. I am now having the oil consumption test done and my car has 80,000 miles. No warranty. While I was at the dealer getting this done, another lady came in for her 1200 mile oil consumption check. She has an automatic 2015 Subaru Forester and it has 70,000 miles on it. I have owned several other cars in the past (none were Subarus) and none ever needed this test before because if there was an oil problem it was usually leaking oil somewhere. I asked the gal at the service desk if they had a lot of people who come in because of losing oil and she said there are usually two or three a day. Then she said some are because of leaks, not oil consumption. To me, this indicates a real problem with this issue and she told me that anything I get done to the vehicle I will have to pay for. After checking on the internet and seeing this thread, it seems to me like Subaru definitely has a problem.

2016 Forester 2.5 with 35,000 and excessive oil consumption: 1 qt per 2000m. No leaks and no visible smoke. Otherwise great car. Would trade-in for another but fear the same problem with another boxer.

My 2014 Forester CVT has 120,000 miles on it. I religiously change oil myself every 10k miles with Valvoline Synthetic 5-20w. From the time it was new until now, it has burned a bit too much oil. I used to have to add a quart between changes, now I add 2. I have owned far too many cars to think this is normal. Just something I put up with at this point. We always keep a quart in the car just in case. My wife liked the car, but given how widespread the Subaru oil problem is, we will probably not take a chance on Subaru again.

"Reneging on terms of court settlement" I called Subaru to confirm my 2014 Subaru Forester was part of this settlement. But you did not clear it with the Service Manager at Dean Team in St. Louis though, Jeff Price, let me know that they were not in the business of giving away free oil changes and I'm not eligible. Well that wasn't a good start so I asked him to call Subaru to confirm this is part of a SETTLEMENT. He wouldn't, I was trying to scam them. The owner had to tell Jeff that if the owners wanted to do this and Subaru wanted to do this then Jeff's opinion didn't matter. Well he started the oil test after being dressed down and apologized after Subaru confirmed I was right all along. The oil test is drive 1200 miles and come return for part 2. When I came back the oil was low but Jeff quickly told me it wasn't a problem. I would have to lose a quart of oil during this 1200 miles to be eligible for the repair and I had only lost one ounce. How do you know how much I lost thinking this was some kind of scientific test. We looked at the dip stick was the reply. And you can tell how many ounces of oil I lost from the dipstick? Yep, we are specially trained said Jeff. Another call to Subaru, Jeff isn't right. It isn't a quart of oil in 1200 miles it is one third of a quart. I offered to send my video checking the oil myself but Subaru indicates it can only be verified by one of the service managers. So my car has dropped two quarts of oil in the last 6 thousand miles but I'm screwed.

My Subaru Forester 2018 MT is doing great on oil. *knocks on wood* I tend to do more stop and go traffic with an occasional 300 mi round trip to and from Cleveland. So... not sure if that's been helping my odds, but I'll take it.

Just about to write a check for $36K for a Subaru Outback 2.5i Touring model. Gorgeous car in Cinnamon Brown with Java Brown Leather interior. Years ago, I bought an Outback shortly after 2000 and had it for about 8 years and had to get rid of it because of hitting a deer at night. Wanted to get another Subaru, but instead bought a 2008 Honda CRV-LX. Now with 123,000 miles and NOT any problems. So started to look at new cars. I deserve a new car after 10 years! Live near Cleveland, Ohio and loved the capability of the Subaru in the ice/snow slippery roads we have here. But my local mechanic advised me to look closely at the Subaru oil consumption problem, since he has had to deal with this problem for a customer with an Outback. He "mixed up" his own formula of oil that has nearly solved his customer's Subaru oil consumption problem. After reviewing ALL the entries on this website I can summarize what I have learned. 1. I will NOT be buying ANY Subaru product now. Will hopefully see this issue discussed in Consumers Reports (which I have subscribed to for over 20 years). CR tours the Subaru brand as "Much Better Thank Average" in reliability 2. Mostly with Foresters (not sure why, maybe because they sell a lot of them?) 3. No mention of this in automatic transmissions cars (most comments do not mention the transmission). But if transmission is mentioned, it is manual. Not sure why. 4. The “dealer trick” of doing an “oil consumption test” is falsified frequently with overfill at the start or not letting the customer see the dipstick when it is “checked” by the dealer. 5. Subaru is desperate. Company and dealer often force the customer to sign an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) in order to get a new engine or new car. That is a DESPERATE company for sure! If you sign an NDA, you got to watch what you put on the internet/twitter (AKA Stormy Daniels). 6. Many times the “low oil level” light does not come on, even when the engine is dry of oil. Then the driver hears a ‘clicking” noise and the engine needs to be replaced. So is Subaru altering the level at which their “low oil level” light comes on to cover up the oil consumption problem? By the time the engine starts to fail, the owner might be out of warranty. 7. One receptionist at a dealer admitted to a customer that brought in a Subaru with this oil consumption problem that they had “2 to 3 customers per day” that came into the dealership with this problem. I WILL NOT BE WRITING A CHECK FOR 36K FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL SUBARU OUTBACK!!!

Subaru of America has been excellent for me and my family. This thread is just full of people that have had problems, and you aren't hearing from the thousands of people who have had no issues. Subaru of America will pay for oil consumption issues per the lawsuit. This happened to my mom and she was satisfied. I have a 2014 forester CVT and have had no oil issues. Although, my AC stopped working after 44,000 miles, over my 36,000 waranty, and SOA replaced it for free since it was a bit early! Solid company will definitely buy again

Next step will be signing a NDA before you but one.

Went in for an oil change to my mechanic at 3,000 miles for my 2012 Subaru Forester. My mechanic insists they need to happen more frequently than 7,500 miles, or even 6,000 miles which is now recommended. Prior to going in, the car started to make a terrible noise which ended up being terribly low oil when my mechanic checked. He recommended I look into this with Subaru. My make/model/VIN was a part of the lawsuit. So I had Subaru do their "oil consumption test". They have you drop your car off, and then they mess with it and fill the oil up and tell you to drive 1,200 miles. The paperwork doesn't say how much oil they put in - just that it's "full". Then after you return 1,200 miles later, they say all looks good without telling you how far the oil dropped. They're then OFFENDED you would ask for the oil levels to be documented somehow, you know, because it's their word you're taking on this. When you come back in after 1,200 miles, they take your car for 20 mins to check it out. Assume it's too hard to pop the hood and show you in person where the oil level is at? Sounds like a scam to me and an easy way to avoid a potentially expensive repair. What kind of a test is "we put oil in and then just tell you how we feel about where it's now at - trust us".

Also, who are these users that would come to a "subaru oil consumption" thread to post about their positive experiences? Seems legit...

So grateful to have found this thread. Thought I was going crazy or doing something wrong when my 2015 Forester 2.5 Touring (automatic transmission) started at 50,000ish miles to burn a quart of oil every 1,500-2,000 miles. Oil light would come on and I’d go buy another quart of oil. After my light coming on this past weekend - in the midst of an hours long nighttime drive home with my two young children from Thanksgiving weekend - and having to stop at a random gas station to pour a quart of suboptimal oil into my car in the dark so I could make it home - I’m officially enraged. I’ve immaculately maintained my car at Subaru dealerships. This is my first Subaru and I have been in love with it - until this matter started. When I mentioned the first two oil light occurrences at my last regularly scheduled maintenance appointment, the mechanic acted like it was all in my head. I had been hoping to get their new Ascent in a year or two - now I’m pulling together all my maintenance records related to this Forester, and at the same time starting to research other brands. Has anyone considered a change.org petition to publicize this - or a second class action suit for later models (ie. after 2015) Subarus? Thank you all for sharing.

Chicago. Take your car to a Subaru dealer and demand an oil consumption test. You may get a new engine from Subaru.

Anyone in Canada experiencing similar problems with their 2018 6speed MT Forester? I have had the oil light come on twice now, and have now lost confidence in the 2 dealerships I have dealt with. Anyone ready to start another class action? I’m in. :-(

You don't need a law suit to get a new engine. Complain directly to Subaru.

I don’t want a new engine. I want the new car in perfectly good working order that I purchased. Major work like a new engine could affect resale value. Why should I suffer the consequences when it is Subaru’s shoddy workmanship and poor ethic that is the real problem? They need to be exposed. “Quality in motion” and all that!!

I guess I'm the newest member of the oil burning club! My 2013 Forester was 2 quarts low and my mechanic told me to bring it to Subaru. They ran the oil consumption test-no charge and found that I burned 1quart of oil (1200 miles). I have 70,000 miles and they will be replacing the bottom part of the engine. While it's not great to have the problem, my local dealer (sayville NY) was professional and will be taking care of it. Question, did anyone get a car rental paid for? The repair will take a couple of days and the dealer doesn't offer loaners (ever).

I bought a brand new 2017 Subaru Forester manual transmission in April of 2017. Left the lot with 12 miles after the test drive. At 1750 my oil light came on. Brought it into the dealership and they said it must not have been topped off correctly when purchased. I drove it and at around 5500 my oil light came on again. I called Subaru of America and they told me that it sounded like the dealership was doing their jobs by following their protocol. I expressed I was unhappy at that time. Anyway, I brought it in and did an oil change (even though my oil change was not due until 6000). They checked the pan and nothing was leaking so they sent me on my way. At around 10500 miles, my oil light came on, again! Started oil consumption test at that point. Brought it back in just a bit over 1200 miles and they said nothing was wrong. At 15000 miles, guess what happened.....you guessed it! Oil light came on, AGAIN!!! Did another consumption test. I called Subaru of America, yet again, and told them what was going on. I was very upset. I told them if anyone asked me how I felt about my Subaru I would tell them I hate it. I can’t beleive I have been in and out of the dealership as many time I have been in there in under 16000 miles. This is not why one buys a new car. My old car, 2004 Honda CR-V that had nearly 200000 miles didn’t have these problems (I wish I still had it but it was totaled in a wreck). Anyway, when I brought it back after that 1200 mile drive, they deemed it to consume mass amounts of oil and put a new engine in it. Alright, cool, right?!? Well, 5000 miles in, on the new engine, yep, the f#ckin’ oil light came in, yet AGAIN!!!! I checked my dipstick and there was absolutely no oil on it. I brought the car into the dealership. After they checked it out, and the dude at the counter do me that my car consumed a quart and a half in 5000 (on the new engine). WTF? I’m at a bit over 21000 miles on my car and on my 3rd consumption test. If this fails and this new engine is deemed to consume excessive amounts of oil, they said they would replace the engine. Wait, three engines in less than 23000 miles on a 2017 car? I don’t want a new engine, I want a new car and that being said, I don’t want another Subaru! I am so bummed out! I do t even know what to do. I think my next step is to contact a lawyer. Right?

They over filled mine to compensate It’s a 2019

WTF1977. Apparently you never check the oil level? You need to start doing that. Subaru will not give you a new engine seized up due to your never check the oil level. The oil consumption you are having is around the Subaru standard of a quart in 3,600 miles.

oilbrner2013. I got a new Forester as a loaner car. I have also had rental cars when a loaner was not available when my engine was being replaced.

The car is new it came like that it only has 1k miles

Keep an eye on it and good luck. This is the first complaint I have seen on a 19.

I’m reading all this about the previous year models burning oil. I’m guessing with the 2019 models they over filling them a bit to compensate for the fast burning oil. Anyone else with a 2019 model seeing that their oil is over filled a bit

Very similar experience with my 2012 Forrester (auto), with some added lore .... I drive 350+ mi/wk so I check the oil every couple months, on all my cars. Forrester didn't use any until around 90,000, whereupon I pulled out a bone dry dipstick one winter AM in 2016. Dealership said not to worry, bring it in for an oil change, they'd take a look. I noticed it burning maybe a quart of oil per tank - dealer said not that abnormal (!) especially in the winter. Told me to keep track of how often had to add oil for the next 6 mo, if it continued they would do a consumption test (free of charge!). Well, the consumption got REAL bad but like an good doobie I waited 6 months before bringing it in. By then I was adding 1 qt/ 200 mi. I brought it in for the consumption test, so they filled it and told me to bring it back after 1200 mi. I told them I would have to add 6 qts by then, they told me to not add anything until 1200mi or the oil light came on. Not being THAT stupid, I punted on the consumption test, so they declared they couldn't do anything. About then I got my class action lawsuit notice (Forrester oil consumption) in the mail, so I return to the dealership lawsuit notice in hand, asking for the awarded 'fix'. While discussing it the service tech asked me why I didn't bring it in for its 3000mi oil change, so I told him it was only 7000 mi ago, the oil was synthetic, and besides no oil in the car ever gets older than 1000mi before it is burned away. Well, he told me this was "the reason its using oil" and why I was now ineligible for the 'fix' Well, I loose my mind so the Service Dept. head is called and he takes me in his office and offers to work a deal with SOA on my behalf - SOA would pay for the materials for the fix, if I agree to pay for labor. I ask about the fix, which turns out to be a new engine. After a little digging, he tells me the engines aren't exactly new. In fact, they aren't even what you would call 'refurbished'. What the dealerships are doing is taking the oil problem engines from some cars, doing a little work on them (what he wouldn't say, but it does not qualify as 'refurbish'), then putting them in the next car as part of the class action 'fix'. If I had issues with the new engine, just bring it in and they would try another engine. More surfing the net reveals replacing the engine is a very common occurrence with very little success - and unlike most of those, I would be paying for the labor. I decide to see what I could get for a trade in and the sales guy at the same dealership laughed in my face "I'm not touching a car with an engine like that" So I bring the car to my friend's mechanic, who has worked on cars forever, and he tells me the issue is the 0-20 oil. He claimed that the Forrester was losing sales to Toyota and Honda because of MPG, so one cheap, quick trick to bring the MPG up is to use really light oil, i.e. 0-20. Subaru knew this light oil would blow by the rings eventually so they R&Ded something (ceramic coating?). The coating works well until it wears off after 80K or so mi. The catalytic converter also went at this time, due to all that oil blowing through it. His recommendation? Live with the consumption, but use 5-30 oil, which I have been for the last 20K mi. Oil consumption has dropped 4x. He replaced the cat(s) for ~$1200, which he told me would get me to my next state inspection. The car has a lot less power, which he told me was due to all the carbon deposits from the burning oil. Also causes engine knock. He recommended Seafoam every other tank, which seems to be controlling the issue so far. I should have 200K on it by that next inspection, at which time I am willing to call this experience not a win but maybe a draw. If your car is not using oil yet, sell it ASAP. I have told this story at work here and at least two coworkers have dumped theirs for pretty good $$$ (2013 & 2014). If you are already using oil and cannot unload it, I can't say go against your manf. recommendation of 0-20 oil, but I did last year and am surviving OK. Just check the oil a LOT and keep up with the Seafoam. Also, I buy 93 gas to keep the knocking down.

Hi, I'm from Qc canada and i just went to the dealer two days ago because of the oil warning light that came on while driving. I put in a liter of 10w30 to be sure just after the light. I bought the 2018 6mt touring new in august, i put 1.5L of oil in it in september (around 5000km on it) to put it full. Since I was at 8800km they offered me to do the oil change. When i took the car back, i took a picture of the dipstick like Ralf. It was overfilled a lot, for me it's not a coincidence. So i'm now at 9400km and the overfill is already halfed... I estimate the oil consumption of my car to be about 3 liter / 10000km. It's unbelievable. This can just result in a non functional car before 100000km... I will go see the dealer again when dipstick will be at the middle. I will ask for a full refund or a car with a different engine, like the Ascent since I need more seats anyway. I could do the math for a upgrade without the shitty seller trade in value. I don't take very well the overfill after the oil change. Too bad because it's a great car and no more new manual SUV AWD around here in canada. And I surely won't keep a brand new 32000$CAD + tx car that suck more oil than my '93 b2600....

And the dealer started a "oil consumption test". They told me that tha car should not burn more than 1 liter each 6000km. Sorry for the metric measure and the english !

One liter in 6,000 km is equal to 1 quart in 3,600 miles.

My '09 Forester will hit 240,000 miles tomorrow. The engine was fine until 225,000 miles, when it started to leak a bit of oil. It's a 'tiny' leak, according to everyone who has looked at it. The cardboard on my garage floor doesn't agree, but I check the oil a lot now and add as needed. However, I decided against buying a new 2018 or 19 Forester b/c of the oil issues on the newer cars, as well as the silly side mirror issue (reflection of air vents), plus the lack of updating anything. I test-drove every other SUV in its class and have decided on the Mazda CX-5. I haven't gotten it yet, but it's so luxurious compared with my 09 Forester Limited (which is loaded, and which I love). I am keeping the old Forester around, and hope it lasts another 10 years. ;) That'll probably be my only Subaru, though.

Sebastien, I am also in Canada. My story is almost identical to yours. I am now in the process of doing my oil consumption test, but unfortunately I did not check the oil at the beginning of the test. Now I know. I would be interested to hear if you get any success with getting a new vehicle. I have been to two dealers and have not been terribly impressed with the response from either, so would love to know if you get a better response. Good luck! It sucks to buy a new vehicle only to find out that the engine is problematic.

GuruB4XBN I will keep following this thread and submit info on my case. I will use the car a lot on the holidays so the oil will keep burning fast I think. Personally I'm not ok with the 1 quart in 3600 miles, I really think it's a lie to sell this car saying "oil change each 10000km". Since I live far from city it was an important argument for me. I had a 2008 outback and a 2003 legacy and they never used that much oil, even with high mileage on them. So the "boxer engine" argument is really bullshit. I will never accept a new engine in a car less than 10000km... Especially after reading the other stories here.

Sebastien, I agree that this is complete BS. This is the 4th manual Subaru in my family, and absolutely the last. It is so disappointing to be lied to by mechanics that we have been dealing with for years. They clearly all have the same lies to feed to once loyal customers. It is a shame, as I have loved all of the previous Subarus, but after this experience, I am totally done with them. The car was not cheap, and was to last for several years, but at this rate I keep hoping that a snow plow backs into it in a parking lot!

Bought a 2018 Forester 6MT. Followed a break in procedure incorporating 70-100% load with varying throttle once the engine had reached operating temperature. Oil level has not changed on dipstick. The cvt does an excellent job of using higher load relative to the engine speed. Many manual transmission drivers do not drive in this manner or understand. Very satisfied so far with performance, efficiency and balance of this car.

If thinking the problem of the oil being consumed is due to a driver not knowing how to drive a manual transmission correctly then that wouldn’t explain why this is my 5th manual car and I’ve never had the problems I’m having with my 2017 Subaru Forester.

WTF1977, No that is not at all what I am saying to you. I am saying that many manual transmission drivers do not achieve a proper level of load on the engine at varying rpms especially in the 1500-2000 rpm range early enough in the engines life for the rings to seat as best as possible. Or have the ability to understand that. While this is your 5th manual transmission vehicle this may be your first manual transmission vehicle that it needs proper loading to exercise and seat the rings. Drive around and observe the calculated load on your engine as you drive. Keep in mind the automatic keeps load 70-100% frequently at any rpm when accelerating. Given the 6 speed manual and rev hang and driver input and smoothness, it may be more difficult than realized. That is the key difference I posted to try to bring awareness to. I genuinely hope this is helpful to somebody

Sorry to not agree with the "wrong driving" of manual cars.... The 2018 forester i own is my 18th car, and only 4 of them were automatic. I drive around 30000km each year since 14 years, i think i know how to operate a car. I followed the "break in period" as with each off my other new cars. I had some lemon and really high mileage cars too. I own 7 different cars for my business right now and even with the employee that drive them on small gravel road with cliffs and all I never saw such oil consumption problem.

And if Subaru sells manual cars that need "special driving skills", they should inform their customer before selling them. MT253 I love everything about this car excepting the totally anormal oil consumption and the shitty touchscreen software (or hardware).

Sébastien, never meant to accuse drivers of driving incorrectly. Just bringing awareness to a driving style promoting ring seating. Have a great day

I own a 2013 Forester Limited automatic that I bought used with 40k miles on it. It now has 67k on it. I knew of the oil burning issues before signing the papers. Mine burns oil, I have done the consumption test, but have chosen to just manage the issue. Seems as though those that have the short block replaced either continue to have a consumption issue or suffer from a 2-3 miles per gallon drop in fuel efficiency. Besides, I do not want some dealership tech tearing apart a flat-four engine; not exactly an easy feat. I notice that mine uses more oil during the summer months, which may be a result of my driving habits during those months (mostly short trips, engine not getting fully warmed up; therefore, running at a cold operating temp). During this time, it uses about 1 quart every 2000 miles. In the winter, when I am driving much longer distances on a daily basis, the consumption drops to 1 quart/3000. I use 5W-20 synthetic to try to decrease the cold operating temp oil consumption theory; no difference. I will try 5W-30 synthetic at the next oil change to see if there is a difference. I change oil every 6000-7000 miles. I do not consider the oil consumption to be a big deal, but I understand how others are upset. As mentioned many times in this thread, the oil consumption is related to piston rings that never quite sealed correctly in years 2011-2016...though, seeing many 2017+ cars makes me wonder if they ever did get this problem under control. For those with Outbacks, they use a 2.5 engine as well, but it is not the exact same engine, so oil consumption is not quite the same. Those with Foresters older than 2010, the engine was updated in 2011, and this is where the problem started. This thread indicates that manual transmission Foresters seem to be far more prone to oil usage than their automatic counterparts. Interesting, never knew that.

You need to find out how they are doing the oil consumption test. I've found that the oil is overfilled past the full marker on the dipstick by about 1/2 the space between low and full markers immediately after an oil change. Hope this helps explain why everyone is "passing" even though they are replacing several quarts between oil changes. Ask the dealer how to properly check the oil on your subaru and you will find that over 75% of them don't even know.

I have just completed the oil consumption test on my 2013 Forester and it failed. So kudos to my dealer, which was Classic Subaru in Sandy Springs, GA. When I brought my car back for the check they did not even hesitate or try to hem and haw about it. They started the paperwork right away to get it fixed. I will echo the warning that you should definitely check the oil level yourself and take a picture both when the test starts and ends. It may be that the technician is just not familiar with how the test should be done, so best to make sure it starts out right. And the attached picture tells the entire story about how much oil consumption is too much. Pay special note of the dip stick drawing on the right.

(Please see above post for history) I brought my 2017 back in after the oil consumption test was up and it FAILED!! They wanted to put yet another new engine in my car. I said no and left with my Forester. I had already had a case open with Subaru of America so I called to chat with them about it. They got back to me and told me to bring the car into the dealership because it was going to need a new engine regardless if they decided to buy it back or not. I said i didn’t have time and that I wanted to wait to see what they were going to offer first. I was afraid if I took it in and they replaced the engine then Subaru would only offer me just that. I don’t want a new engine since this would be my third, with only 24,000 miles, on the car. The gentleman at SOA said they would get back to me in the next couple of days, once they evaluated my case and after he checked into California laws. I said no problem and that I too, had also been looking into those same laws. After hanging up the phone, I got a call back within 10 mins. and the same gentleman said he was sorry and dint realize my case had already been evaluated and that they were going to offer the buy back from me. I am going to send in my buying contract and other paperwork to them today and I will keep you posted on how this all unravels. P.S. for those who claim I don’t check my oil or that I don’t drive my car correctly, the fact of the matter here is that I have a crummy Subaru. I don’t think subaru would offer me my money back if I was just a bad driver who didn’t check their oil. Also, I’m not saying all Subaru’s are bad but the one I have sure is! I know how most of you car enthusiasts love to defend your beloved rides! I really do wish I could be on that side because minus all the problems I’ve had with this car, I do love it.

I previously posted here about becoming aware of my car’s problem. Sure enough, my car just failed the oil consumption test. My dealer was pretty prompt about the contacting Subaru of America for next steps. I was offered to have my car’s small engine block replaced for a $500 deductible. Has anyone else had to pay $500 to have this done?? I don’t think anyone else has mentioned a deductible. Is this my dealership, or SOA asking for this deductible? My other question is if this part replacement will solve the problem. Based on reading others comments, it seems that it may or it may not. Also, my dealer confirmed something I’d read in this thread... that the replacement is not ‘a new engine’, but rather, something like a refurbished small engine block that will be new to my car. (I’m not a car expert, so apologies for probably somewhat misstating this.) I loved my Subaru and thought I had joined the ranks of Subaru lifers... until all this :-(

When they buy a car back they deduct for the miles you have driven. A lot!

The first time this issue occurred on the car was at 1700 miles. They can buy it back as if it only had that amount of miles on it. I would like to think, if they were a standup company, they would not even bother deducting those off of it. I also am not opposed to bringing an attorney into the situation if they’re not going to be fair. Then they can also pay them for their services.

Chicagomom: I just had the repair done. Subaru paid for everything, no deductible. They also paid for the oil change/ consumption test and the Hertz rental for 2 days as they don't have loaners available. Link: https://jalopnik.com/subaru-settles- lawsuit-over-oil-burning-cars-1752805682

I am having the same issue with my brand new 2018 Forrester 6 speed manual. I agreed to the driving monitor because I have nothing to hide but the monitor box has now broken a 6th time! I called service and told them I am done with the monitoring. I will finish the 2nd step of the oil weight test. I know the tech personally so I know it's not them trying to get money out of me, it's all under warranty and they give me a loaner. I also know its out of the service department hands and he is following what corporate is telling him to do but this is getting ridiculous! My 2012 Outback with high mileage was fine until 100,000 miles when the oil started to burn but I expected that. Of course the head gasket is now blown at 140,000. I expected better from Subaru!

Now Subaru makes you have a monitor? These people are pathetic! Anything to avoid responsibility! Never buy a Subaru!

Marcy. I feel for you and I hope it all works out. One thing. Paying for gas is reasonable, you would be using gas in your car anyway. Don't let them blame the transmission as it was SUBARU that built the car and the transmission!!!

Last update on my case, the oil test passed... I tried to explain to them the overfill they done but they ignored it completely ! So I just traded the forester for a new Ram (I need now 6 seat anyway), I lost 8000$ of value in 12000km. I was just tired of thinking about oil, depreciation and all. I hope the next owner will have more time and energy than me. I will never buy a Subaru again. Thank you for your advices and good luck with your cars !

I had a 2001 Forester 5-speed manual. Put 213,000 miles on it before I sold it. Had the original clutch. I never had to check the oil it used so little. Only problem back then was the head gaskets.

If you keep the car for some reason switch to 5W20 or 5W30 synthetic oil. It may slow down the oil consumption to acceptable levels. I am using 5W20 with no issues. I may go to 5W30 in the future.

I bought a 2011 Forester. Oil Consumption was high, ending up blowing the motor at around 150,000 miles. Replaced with a used motor, which continues to burn oil. Requires anywhere from 2-3 Quarts between oil changes. I like the idea of trying a heavier synthetic oil. Has anyone else tried it?

The manual for my 2010 outback states that 5-30, 5w-40, 10w-30, 10w-40, 10w-50, SAE 30, SAE 40, 10w-50, 20w-40, and 20w-50 engine oil can be used. When my 2010 outback started using oil, I upgraded from 5w-30 to 10w-40. It now has 168,248 miles and can go without adding oil between oil changes. Do the newer models use the same engine as my 2010 outback? I noticed the newer manuals call for 0w-20 or whatever, but is that mechanically necessary or is Subaru trying to fit in with the others they use 0w oil, or is this some kind of epa crap? If newer models use the same engine then would there be any harm in putting 10w-40 in them? It might solve the problem.

Thin oil equals oil consumption

The grade of the oil to use depends on where you live. I cold regions use a lower viscosity oil, in hot regions use higher viscosity. Yes, oil consumption of engines these days is lower then it was 30 years ago. That being said, a boxer motor like the one in the Subaru does not have as dry cylinder liners as in-line and v-engines due to the horizontal positions. The same is true with the gravity oil drainage from the rocker head cover. In return for the higher oil consumption, you get a longer engine life. As long as there is no blow-by and the engine oil shows low carbon content, just add some oil once a while and enjoy this nice vehicle and don't worry.

Does anyone know if there is another class action lawsuit coming to cover the same issue with later year models? I have a 17' that has the issue and it seems that many others are still having the same issue. It seems that Subaru has completely ignored the original problem and continued to use the same motor with the same issues after the original lawsuit.

I'm so glad I took the time to research this problem. I'm on Subaru #6.. an 08 Forester LL Bean. Never uses a drop of oil @ 143K.. None of my Subies have ..head gaskets, well that's another story. I'm scheduled to meet with my local dealer on Wed. to crunch some numbers on a new one..I really thought this problem was solved. So sorry to hear of all the problems you folks are having. I don't have a clue as to what I'll shop for now.

2019 Forester now to 12000 km and our 2016 at about 80000 km. Not an issue at all with either. Not sure if we have had more reliable vehicles (the 2019 still is a jury out thing but so far, so good and the comfort/ride is better than the x5 I replaced).

I purchased a 2018 Forester (standard transmission) in September 2018 and at 7200km, the engine light came on today. It had virtually no oil left in it. Not impressed. The dealership said to make note of it and they will check it out at the 10km service It's a little concerning but the info in this thread is good to know.

I still have seen no one with CVT having this concern. Seems to only be manual transmission cars

I feel myself very fortunate. I have a 2011 Forester with mt. I started burning oil about 2 years ago. Took it to my local dealership when I started hearing knocking and they told me the engine needed to be resealed for $3200. Mind you, they knew about the class action lawsuit, but didn't inform me. I then took it to an independent who told me to put in a quart of oil every 750 miles. So far, the engine ran nearly 20K additional miles without issue. Fast forward 2 years. I develop a problem with the driver's seat frame and decided to contact SOA with concerns. During the course of the conversation, I told them about oil consumption issues. SOA told me to take to dealer (I took to a different dealer, though in same ownership group) for consumption test and mention the CSA from SOA when making appointment. Long story short, at 7.5 years and 95K miles, I just failed the oil consumption test. I'm supposed to get a new short block next week. As relieved as I am to finally be receiving a new short block, I am furious that the first dealer tried to steal $3200 from me for an engine reseal when this occurred after the class action settlement came into force. Stay tuned. Hopefully this will have a happy ending. FWIW, my wife's 2014 Forester with a MT has so far evaded the oil consumption issues.

It isn't just a manual transmission. My problem with 2014 Subaru was a CVT. Also, be aware you don't get a "new" short block". It is one that they have rebuilt so you don't know how many miles were on it before it ends up in your car. Just be careful dealing with SOA. If they wanted this to be done right you would not see so many posts. They make it obscure, hide behind unclear language and hope it just goes away. Like we will replace the short block sounds to all of us that it will be with a new component but that isn't what they said and that isn't what they are going to do. Don't assume they will do the right thing as you imagined.

jodyhow. You do get a new short block. Early on they tried rebuilding but there were too many failures.

Just to update on my experience. I have had my new short block for about 1500 miles and it is working fine. My gas mileage has taken a small hit of about 1mi per gallon but that is small price to pay to have this fixed. My dealer charged me absolutely NOTHING for the repair so don't let anybody try to charge you for this. If they do, go to another dealer.

I have a 2014 Forester on its 4th short block. Oil light on this block just came on early for the first time. Starting an oil consumption study to see if short block 4 also fails. Nothing but runaround from Subaru Canada for producing a POS car. For those of you in Canada, there is a Canadian class action lawsuit but I think it’s gotten stalled...maybe for lack of people who are aware.

I bought a 2018 Subaru Forester, partly on the basis of CR recommendation. A total Mistake. The car burned oil at 5k and i caught the dealer overfilling the crankcase. A letter to Subaru HO resulted in a blow off. I switched dealers and they say they have to "Monitor & Test" for oil consumption over 2 service periods of 20 k klm. This is a substandard prod & co. Definitely Not Recommended. btw, i am in Canada

My daughter got such a run around with her 2015 Legacy from the Corporation. 1500 miles per quart was not excessive. They sent her a Subaru bag for her troubles. Of course it would be a costly fix regardless of who the payer would be. She traded on an Audi and is living happily ever after. I never thought that car was very exciting to drive but we were considering a Subaru for our next car. Not any more. It’s not a good consumer experience to have oil disappearing in a relatively new car, be told it’s normal, and wondering how bad it will be in the future. No Subaru = Return to Happiness.

So far, the new short block seems to be working. I've driven over 1K miles without any oil consumption. That said, I sent a very nasty email to the dealer and cc:'d SOA about the fact that I was lied to with the original estimate. Dealer wants to talk, but since I didn't take the bait with original repair, I'm not looking for compensation. I told them to write me. So far, no written response. SOA was actually really helpful throughout the process.

I just started the oil consumption 1200 mile test with the dealership. 2014 Forester 81,000 miles. Oil light came on and no oil was registering on dipstick. We were thinking of getting a new Forester. Not now!

Well, 22000 on our 2019 Forester inclusive of two cross country trips and no oil issue whatsoever and we are running on the factory recommended 0W with two changes under the car’s belt to date. We love this car and feel that either Subaru has addressed this issue with the new model or our driving habits don’t lead to an issue ...the latter seems unlikely.

My 2011 Subaru Forester started making loud noises in Oct 2017. The Subaru dealer said that its normal for the car to burn a lot of oil and that we should change the oil every 5000 miles instead of the 7500 miles which they had told us previously when they told us to switch to synthetic oil. The problem kept coming back and I realized recently that the car burns an excessive amount of oil and is low at around 3000 miles. I recently found out online about the excessive oil consumption class action lawsuit in 2016 so I made an appointment with Subaru Livermore CA for an oil consumption test. The test confirmed the car burned 2 quarts every 1200 miles so it would be empty before the prescribed 5000 miles per oil change (which is short compared to most modern cars). I talked to Subaru of America and they said they would cover 50% of the repair leaving us with a $3000 balance. This is completely unfair. Subaru knew about this major problem with this model/year car because the lawsuit was settled in 2016 but because we trusted them and because no one contacted us about this we reported this a few months outside of the warranty. When we originally reported this it was well within the warranty. How is this our problem when they misguided us on purpose? They tell us that in the Oct 2017 service the techs noted the car was 3000 miles past previous oil change. The place where we get oil changes always mark down 3500 miles on it even with the synthetic oil. We always changed the oil at 7500 miles which is why it appeared 3000 miles past the sticker. Now we are stuck because we kept trusting Subaru. If this is a known issue since 2016 then why didn't they contact us to let us know, especially since we brought the car in for a loud sound and they found it was low or had no oil in it? Is it so many of us would find out after it is out of warranty so their bottom line would look better having to pay out less? We trusted them when they said to change to synthetic oil. Then we listened when they said to change the oil every 5000 miles. Now we have to add 1 quart every 600 miles and will be out $3000 to get it fixed, all because of their defect and hiding the issue? Anyone else have this issue?

I have a new 2016 Forester and have just learned that it has the same oil consumption problem which Subaru settled in a class action lawsuit. I am also learning that many 2016, 2017 & 2018 Foresters are still burning oil. The dealership is expecting me to pay between $3000 - $8000 to repair this so I am seeking out other owners that are dealing with this same issue. I have sent an email to Gibbs Law Group who handled the first class action suit, but have not heard back. I would like to hear directly from those people still having the oil consumption problem beyond 2015 - please reach out to me so that we can at least supply a list of affected vehicles, proving that the problem was not solved by Subaru. We need actual names and years of cars and a way you can be reached. You can put this info on Twitter - my handle is headsup@lowflyingomen Use #subaru_oil Please take time to do this so that Subaru can be held responsible. Thanks

GuruH4PCK, I am in the same boat as you. No mention of this situation was made to me by the dealership where I service my 2015 Forester, and the problem didn’t become fully evident until I was past warranty and conducted a bunch of internet research. I was charged $500 to get a rebuilt short engine block to repair this issue. I’d be interested in joining in a new/renewed class action suit and it seems there’s a great case for one. I’ve also reached out to the firms that handled the first lawsuit, and like you I haven’t heard back. If you open your Twitter handle to allow private messages, we could speak further.

I bought a 2017 5-speed manual Forester in February of 2018. The oil light came on before the first oil change. I checked the oil, put oil in it and drove the 80 miles to the dealership. The service department refused to attempt diagnosis of the problem. I was told to wait until the oil light came on again and then drive the 80 miles to the dealership. When I asked why, the service department told me it could be a sensor and repeated that I had to bring it back when the oil light went on. I took it in for its first oil change early; the oil light didn't go on before that. The dealership didn't check/report the oil level even though I told them (again) that it was using oil. I switched dealerships to one 40 miles closer. Told them the car used oil. They did my scheduled oil change and said nothing about oil usage. The next time, I asked them to check oil levels before the changed the oil. They didn't. I asked if I should bring it in early so that they could check/verify oil levels. They told me I could or that I could just wait until the next oil change. They also told me to wait until the oil light came on and drive it in, no appointment necessary. The oil light came on again just a few days ago, over 1,000 miles before my next oil change--while I was in the middle of a 40- mile round trip. The next day, when I checked the oil, it didn't even cover the tip of the dipstick. So I called to see if it was okay to drive it another 50 miles to their dealership. No answer, no return phone call. I called back and asked for the service manager. About 5 hours later, when he called back, he told me to add oil and schedule an oil change. And then they'll start charting how much oil it uses. After that oil change, I'm to bring it back in 1,200 miles. So, over a year later and with only 20,000 miles left on the warranty, I'm starting over. This service manager told me that some Foresters had an oil consumption problem "until 2014" and that they needed to follow Subaru's protocol. After reading all these posts, I don't have much hope. A friend advised me to trade it in and not say anything about the oil. I'm sure that's what the first owner did, but I won't do that. Anybody for another class action suit?

I have changed my setting to allow for direct messages, so try to send me a message. An update to my situation - the service manager has had me bring the car back in and he is going to contact Subaru on my behalf. I have also posted on Subaru's FB account and they asked me to message my VIN, Phone and email but haven't heard back. If this does not pan out, I am fully up for a second lawsuit. Apparently, you need a dealership backing you up. Not sure how far this one will go for me though. If anyone is looking to pursue this with a dealership, you should print out these threads and take them with you.

This was posted by GuruHDGJR - but it is not showing up in the thread. So I am reposting it here. "I bought a 2017 5-speed manual Forester in February of 2018. The oil light came on before the first oil change. I checked the oil, put oil in it and drove the 80 miles to the dealership. The service department refused to attempt diagnosis of the problem. I was told to wait until the oil light came on again and then drive the 80 miles to the dealership. When I asked why, the service department told me it could be a sensor and repeated that I had to bring it back when the oil light went on. I took it in for its first oil change early; the oil light didn't go on before that. The dealership didn't check/report the oil level even though I told them (again) that it was using oil. I switched dealerships to one 40 miles closer. Told them the car used oil. They did my scheduled oil change and said nothing about oil usage. The next time, I asked them to check oil levels before the changed the oil. They didn't. I asked if I should bring it in early so that they could check/verify oil levels. They told me I could or that I could just wait until the next oil change. They also told me to wait until the oil light came on and drive it in, no appointment necessary. The oil light came on again just a few days ago, over 1,000 miles before my next oil change--while I was in the middle of a 40- mile round trip. The next day, when I checked the oil, it didn't even cover the tip of the dipstick. So I called to see if it was okay to drive it another 50 miles to their dealership. No answer, no return phone call. I called back and asked for the service manager. About 5 hours later, when he called back, he told me to add oil and schedule an oil change. And then they'll start charting how much oil it uses. After that oil change, I'm to bring it back in 1,200 miles. So, over a year later and with only 20,000 miles left on the warranty, I'm starting over. This service manager told me that some Foresters had an oil consumption problem "until 2014" and that they needed to follow Subaru's protocol. After reading all these posts, I don't have much hope. A friend advised me to trade it in and not say anything about the oil. I'm sure that's what the first owner did, but I won't do that. Anybody for another class action suit?"

If anyone wishes to add their name to a list, you can email me at jc.wms.69@gmail.com. My car is currently at the dealer again and I believe he is trying to build a case for a new engine. If this fails, I am taking this to SoA in New Jersey. I know it is unusual to post your private email, but I am livid that Subaru is still screwing customers. Please put in the subject line - "Another Unhappy Customer" That way, I'll know it's not spam.

My update re a "new" 2018 Forester = manual. Noticed the oil level down at 5 k km At 10k km, caught the dealer overfilling the crankcase. Switched dealers and they have to start the oil consumption test all over again at 20k . A letter to the HO ceo just got a blow off letter in response. Took it in for the 30k km service but i did not trust them. Had an outside garage drain the oil and then put it back in - they said it was down 2L. Subar says it was down "about 1 L" They have now changed the oil consumpt test. This is truly a Co & product I want nothing to do with ......

KELLY--Your dealership's telling you to make note of oil loss and that they'll check it out at the next maintenance, sounds awfully shady. To everyone, I stumbled across some language in Subaru's maintenance booklet that concerns me. It seems these caveats could be what they're using to deny that the vehicle uses excessive oil. I haven't checked my 2017 manual, but here's what the 2015 manual says: "(from the 2015 owner's manual) Some engine oil will be consumed while driving. Under the following conditions, oil consumption can be increased and thus require refilling between maintenance intervals: > When the engine is new and within the break-in period > When the engine oil is of lower quality > When the incorrect oil viscosity is used > When engine braking is employed > When the engine is operated at high engine speeds > When the engine is operated under heavy loads > When towing a trailer > When the engine idles for long periods of time > When the vehicle is operated in stop and go and/or heavy traffic situations > When the vehicle is used under severe thermal conditions > When the vehicle accelerates and decelerates frequently Under these or similar conditions, you should check your oil at least every 2nd fuel fill-up and change your engine oil more frequently. If your oil consumption rate is greater than 1 quart every 1,200 miles or 1 liter every 2,000 kilometers, contact your Subaru dealer who may perform a test under controlled conditions."

My 2018 Forester had the same problem. Every 1000 miles it would consume 1 quart of oil. Luckily I am good at documentation, and took photographs every time it was low. I worked with my dealer and Subaru of America. They had me do 6 oil consumption tests. Each time the car failed, but the dealer would not do anything and neither would Subaru of America. I went to my Attorney General (Washington State), and filed a lemon law suit against Subaru. That got their butts moving, and they bought back the car. Long story short: Subarus consume oil. The dealers and SofA know this, and they have measures to take action for consumers, however you have to be pushy and document.

My 2018 Forester has the same problem. We just did an oil consumption test at the dealers. Dealer over filled the oil and we are taking it back tomorrow so they can do a fair oil consumption test. The low oil light has come on twice since we bought it. It has 30,000 miles on it now. This is our first time buying a new car. I will never buy a Subaru again and I will tell family and friends not to either. Subaru of America and Subaru of Catonsville are untrustworthy.

I reported it to the BBB and on various forums so others know about this.

2018 Forester 2.5 w/ 6MT here. My first three oil changes were done as part of oil consumption tests. Light would come on, dipstick would be dry, I’d take it in and demand the test. Same dealer, Irvine Subaru, passed the car the first two tests, on the third test performed, at another Subaru dealer, the car failed. Having the short block replaced and am now working with an attorney.

Have a 2015 Forester at about 40,000 miles started using 1 quart every 3000. Dealer did oil consumption test and it failed. They put in a new short block. Now 20,000 later it again is burning oil. Going back to dealer to see what they will do and going to call SOA. Not a happy owner!!!!!!

2013 Subaru Forester 123K, synthetic oil changes done every 3K. Purchased the car at the time of the lawsuit so it wasn't yet publicized. We were a four Subaru family and I have sung their praises so three friends have purchased Subaru's. I feel like an idiot as mine is sitting at the mechanic while i look for a new engine. 3 cylinder is toast due to complete ring fail. Have been adding 1 quart every 500 miles increasing from 1 quart every 1500 miles a year ago. Dealer won't even discuss helping and SOA says too bad, out of warranty. I bought a Subaru because of their stellar reputation, reliability, and safety as my last engine (VW Tiguan) blew due to a design flaw and i had to sue them to get any compensation. Looks like I'm in the same boat again.

I also have a 2015 Subaru Forester with 132K and despite regular oil changes, it has been low on a few occasions and almost run dry on two. At no time have I had a check oil light come on. Our local Subaru dealer talked about doing an oil consumption test, but apparently my vehicle doesn't qualify, so it would be up to me to pay for the test and any work that is recommended. I am not a happy camper. I did considerable research before buying a Subaru; have friends with older Subarus that have upward of 500K on them and no problems; and I just paid off the car. I am now looking for a replacement and it won't be another Subaru, since they don't seem to have fixed a problem that has been around for just shy of a decade, and don't seem particularly worried about fixing it.

I am the owner of a 2018 Forester with manual tranny. I have owned Subaru's 5 preciously and all got 40+ miles to the gallon only my 73 DL used oil but it had 120K and used a 1/5th of a quart between oil changes. My 2018 is burning a quart between every oil change. On the first two attempts to get the dealership to do something they stated this which was according to Subaru of America a lie not their words "We cannot do anything until the vehicle reaches 30,000 miles and is broke in". Subaru of America stated to me that they can do an Oil Consumption Test at 500 miles if it is using oil. I was a mechanic for over 25 years mostly Ford dealerships, in my opinion, and courts in Ohio have certified me as a Professional Mechanic, NO oil burning is okay. The result of Oil Consumption is simple all new vehicles are equipped with a Catalytic Converter to reduce emissions, the direct result of OIl Consumption is the Catalytic Converter is converting that oil the engine is burning into Carbon, this is filling it up, further reducing flow which in turn increases fuel consumption, lowers engine power by increasing back pressure of exhaust gases. In short a VERY bad thing. Subaru is aware and continues to ignore the problem. They have settled in years before on Class Action lawsuits and will follow with this again if one gets going. There is a need for another Class Action, this time add fuel consumption and no settling, they should be forced to fix the issue on ALL cars on the market.

My 2014 Forrester was burning oil early on. I took it in around 14000 complaining about burning a qt every 1400 miles. They made me come back 4!!! times to change oil. After the second they said no problem but then I went back again and contacted SOA who facilitated. I got a short block at about 40 000 miles but then it was using a quart every 2000 miles which was way better than it had been doing.Now at 93 000 (still under warranty) its using 1 qt per 1200 miles and I am back doing consumption test. I hate this car. I also had to replace the clutch at 70 000, the usb port disintegrated at 45 000 and a headlight low beam quit working at 50 000 (had to replace the wiring harness), ridiculous. Don't buy one of these pieces of crap!! Somehow Subaru has hoodwinked us into thinking their cars are great. They get crappy mileage, are tinny. The whole all wheel drive is a terrible idea even though everyone does it. Nice if you are in higher elevation but get a 2 wd car or a real 4wd.