Hi, new member here.
The short version is that we're looking for a good mechanic somewhere reasonably near the upper valley VT/NH.
The longer version is that the dealer we bought the 2014 Forester from in Claremont NH has changed hands, and the formerly (I thought) good service department has completely changed. I was really shocked they wanted to charge for everything they looked at, without fixing. I walked out of there today minus $271 and they hadn't fixed anything. It was going to be a lot more for them to look at other stuff -- more expensive diagnostics before they even start to fix.
In the summer we tried the White River Subaru for the first time. They had the car for the whole day of the appointment and didn't even look at it that day (they had "some engines that just weren't going back together") Brought it back on another day and they didn't look at the main thing we wanted fixed, the AC (which I fixed myself by removing a shim from the clutch on the compressor). Probably won't go back there.
The even longer version is that we have a pretty loud noise coming from under the car, somewhere middle front or back -ish. The noise rises in pitch with speed and doesn't depend on engine revs. It's a 2014 Forester with 6 speed stick. The Claremont dealer thinks it might be transmission or viscous coupler. There is also a bad back wheel bearing they found and want $650 to replace. Seems a bit high to me. But the wheel bearing is not the noise we are really hearing or worried about, I don't think. It really is coming from right under the car, doesn't change with turn direction. The noise gets going around 25 mph is pretty bad at 50, seems to be less awful at highway speed but that may be because my hearing is less sensitive at the higher pitch, or there is more tire/ wind noise at higher speed so it's harder to tell.
Anyway, looking for someone to trust to fix it...
The short version is that we're looking for a good mechanic somewhere reasonably near the upper valley VT/NH.
The longer version is that the dealer we bought the 2014 Forester from in Claremont NH has changed hands, and the formerly (I thought) good service department has completely changed. I was really shocked they wanted to charge for everything they looked at, without fixing. I walked out of there today minus $271 and they hadn't fixed anything. It was going to be a lot more for them to look at other stuff -- more expensive diagnostics before they even start to fix.
In the summer we tried the White River Subaru for the first time. They had the car for the whole day of the appointment and didn't even look at it that day (they had "some engines that just weren't going back together") Brought it back on another day and they didn't look at the main thing we wanted fixed, the AC (which I fixed myself by removing a shim from the clutch on the compressor). Probably won't go back there.
The even longer version is that we have a pretty loud noise coming from under the car, somewhere middle front or back -ish. The noise rises in pitch with speed and doesn't depend on engine revs. It's a 2014 Forester with 6 speed stick. The Claremont dealer thinks it might be transmission or viscous coupler. There is also a bad back wheel bearing they found and want $650 to replace. Seems a bit high to me. But the wheel bearing is not the noise we are really hearing or worried about, I don't think. It really is coming from right under the car, doesn't change with turn direction. The noise gets going around 25 mph is pretty bad at 50, seems to be less awful at highway speed but that may be because my hearing is less sensitive at the higher pitch, or there is more tire/ wind noise at higher speed so it's harder to tell.
Anyway, looking for someone to trust to fix it...
