Subaru Forester has a timing belt.
Yes, and it must be replaced every 105,000 miles. Warning: This is an interference engine.
The 2.5 litre four cylinder engine in a 2000 Subaru Forester has a timing BELT
The timing belt on a 2003 Forester should be done at around 168k km or 105k miles. The auto-tensioner may also have to be changed as well as the idler rollers. A Subaru dealer will usually ask around $180 for the belt, $200-225 for the tensioner (if it needs to be replaced). You are looking at a good $500+ for the job if they don't run into problems.
My dealer told me the 2012 Forester 2.5 (non Turbo) has a timing CHAIN. No belt to replace.
Every 60,000 miles is recommended!
It goes by mileage ....100,000 miles is recommended
You don't "set" a timing belt. There is no adjustment, either it's right or it's not. You change a timing belt at whatever interval Subaru recommends for your Forester. --Ken
Follow the recommendation in your owner's manual.
It has a timing belt that must be replaced every 105,000 miles.
it was most likely installed incorrectly or you had a pulley seize up
There is no set time or mileage. It should be replaced when it leaks or becomes noisy or ALWAYS when replacing the timing belt. You should consider them to be a set, when one needs changed, so does the other. They are cheap compared to the labor expense of changing them. The water pump is powered by the timing belt and takes just an extra few minutes to change when doing the timing belt. I speak from experience since I had to pay for the job twice when the water pump of my '96 Outback went bad within weeks of replacing the timing belt. Good luck! --Ken