Standard equipment

The Subaru Forester, in turbo or aspirated versions, has been on sale in Australia since 1997 and came with 5 and 6 speed manual transmissions, single or dual range, as well as 4-speed and CVT autos in later models. These are all durable products that with proper servicing will run smoothly for 200,000 kilometres or more, as long as they are not abused. Scheduled logbook services by Subaru Gearboxes Australia/ADS will get maximum life and reliability from your Forester auto transmission or manual gearbox.

The earlier model Forester turbo uses the same 5-speed gearbox as the early WRX, and of course suffered similar problems. For these failures, the same solutions apply. All Drive Subaroo can build revised and strengthened 5 speed and 6 speed gearboxes to suit any model Forester.

The most common fault in the Forester driveline, like the Impreza, is centre diff or viscous coupling failure. Customers complain of a binding resistance while cornering or a whining or whirring noise in a straight line. This is where in-depth knowledge of engineering advances is critical. Non-specialist mechanics often misinterpret symptoms of viscous failure leading to expensive exploratory repairs that fail to solve the problem, or unnecessarily extensive repairs, such as replacing the entire transmission. With Subaru Gearboxes Australia/ADS you get accurate diagnosis and appropriate repairs with ADS revised components. Instead of replacing the entire transmission for a single internal component, we offer several viscous coupling replacement options that can save you a lot of money, with the added security of knowing that with our engineering revisions, you will have a permanent and reliable repair.

The 4EAT automatic fitted to the Forester also has some known issues, but Subaru Gearboxes Australia/ADS have addressed these with revised transmissions that are more durable than the originals. There are no known issues with the Forester CVT but Subaru Gearboxes Australia/ADS recommends fitting an Auto oil cooler to the vehicle for longevity.

Replacement Options

We offer either repairs using selected used or new OEM parts, or replacement gearboxes built to suit your budget

Subaru Gearboxes Australia/ADS offers different build levels for the Subaru Forester dual range and single range transmissions; from daily use to off-road applications. If a replacement gearbox or automatic transmission is indicated we offer a choice of  reconditioned or inspected used assemblies. Subaru Gearboxes Australia/ADS produces rebuilt and remanufactured transmissions at three build levels; rebuilt, reconditioned or remanufactured, to suit your budget. For more robust applications we also offer hybrid strengthened 5-speed manual gearboxes or 6-speed conversions. For peace of mind an industry-best warranty is offered with each build level.

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