I’ve got a 2009 Subaru forester with 107,000 miles with an automatic transmission. The car shifts hard in every gear. What could the problem be?
If your car has the 4 speed automatic, as most foresters of that era do:
The Subaru 4EAT is a super reliable gearbox and issues only typically occur at very high mileages. These transmission have been in use since around 1990 until being recently phased out to be replaced by the horrendous Linetronic. Usually they’re good for about 150,000 miles.
They’re simple and a lot of guys know how to work on them correctly.
FIRST, make sure that your transmission oil is clean and that it’s completely full.
A lot of the time the value body just gets clogged up with all sorts of contaminants, cleaning it often helps.
First go to a place where you can get your car scanned to know all of the different gearbox related trouble codes.
First off Subaru has never been known to make a solid automatic transmission. Have you kept up on fluid/filter changes per the owners manual? If it’s slipping gears/ shifting hard every time you drive it there’s a good chance you have reached the only a matter of time stage. What I would do is add Lucas stop slip in it and see what happens. But it’s only a band aid for what is a high probability to come. I’m sorry my friend.
That gearbox isn’t the awful Linetronic that’s the solid 4EAT.
I don’t know how solid it is my friend if what he’s saying about it shifting hard for every gear is true. @Dan
That year was a Jatco automatic
@USAFdozerpilot
*Old* Subaru trannies are better built then new Toyota ones. I constantly see TG-80SC and U760s breaking down before 120,000 miles.
@Kerem I doubt that it would have a Jatco. Never have I ever seen a Subaru with a jatco. All I saw, in my years fixing them were 4EAT, 5EAT and the 2 different terrible CVTs they got going on.
@dan
We are in the united states. All Subaru automatic transmissions are made by Jatco, unless its a CVT, where it is made by Subaru.
"Subaru motor vehicles have used manual, conventional automatic, and continuously variable (CVT) transmissions. Subaru manufactures its own manual and CVT transmissions (for non-Kei cars). Since the 1970s, all Subaru conventional automatic transmissions have been Jatco designs adapted to Subaru specifications.[citation needed] Since the 2014 model year, the conventional automatic transmissions in North American-spec Subaru vehicles have been replaced with Lineartronic CVTs (with some exceptions such as Outbacks with the 3.6 liter engine)." - Wikipedia
But then again, it doesn't matter, either way someone who knows what to do should help the topic starter, whose Subaru Jatco transmission is falling apart.
Yes, turns out that the 4EAT is based one the Jatco JR402E. Huh, never noticed that.
THE JR402E ARE BEEFY! That’s what makes the Skyline R32 go!
That’s why the old ones are so good!
For a second I though you ment a Jatco CVT and not the good old jatco automatics powering cars like the Skyline, 80s pathfinder and the 240SX.
@Kerem I cross referenced it with my manual on that transmission and yep the 4EAT is designated as Jatco EC8, and looking at schematics and part numbers it is relayed to the JR402 (that I sadly never had the opportunity to work on)
ANYWAY, it doesn’t matter cause the Jatco designed 4EAT is the transmission I was talking about and yes, it’s Uber reliable.
It’s the 4 speed automatic but it is the sport edition I think. I bought it 3 years ago at 65,000 miles and even then it shifted hard. I bought it from the dealership so I’d assume that they would change the fluids. How often should I change the fluid?