BRIGHTLINES Aero Cross Bars Roof Racks Luggage Rack Replacement for 2014-2018 Subaru Forester (2014-2018 Subaru Forester)

After a 1,000-mile drive in our 2016 Forester with a Thule Force XT XL mounted on these crossbars, I'm starting to realize that the 150-pound weight limit was a bit of a gamble. The cargo box weighs 47 pounds and has a load capacity of 165 pounds, which we were on the verge of exceeding. So, call it a 200 lb load on these crossbars that meant we were 133% load capacity. I would have been more concerned if I had realized this while driving, as I watched the crossbars flex up and down in high winds at 85 mph. "The roof rails are designed to carry loads (luggage and roof rack) of not more than 150 lbs (68 kg)," according to my Subaru owner's manual. "I see that the 2019 Forester raises this to 176 pounds (80 kilograms). " br>br>So, kudos to both BRIGHTLINES and Subaru for withstanding my abuse of their stated load capacities. It would be interesting to learn about the safety margins built into these components, but I'm not going to take any chances!.

Ocean Bautista

| Oct 24, 2021

This was a perfect match for our 2016 Subaru Forester. I'm not sure if it's as strong as factory parts or can hold as much weight, but it handled our two 40-pound kayaks and mounting hardware with ease.

Adeline Carrillo

| Mar 23, 2021

Rather than paying a fortune for OEM parts from the manufacturer, I purchased these on Amazon. Once installed, they work just as well as they did before. It can be a bit of a pain to put them on; I'll probably just leave these on all the time (even though one of them blocks the moonroof) because the instructions aren't great and the bolts seem a little soft and I'm afraid of stripping them. The bolts are also supposed to have Torx heads, but they actually have hex heads, according to the instructions. It's not a big deal, but it does make them a lot easier to steal. I suppose I can't complain about the price.

Zaniyah Pace

| May 29, 2021

It only took about 10 minutes to complete the installation. It's easier to tighten these down if you adjust the width first. These are well-made and appear to be quite durable. Toss the allen wrench in your glove box and check tightness after a few uses; I had no issues, but it's always a good idea to double-check. This has no effect on the moon roof and produces no audible noise. I would buy it again.

Marcos Wright

| Sep 07, 2021

Because they weren't listed as fitting a 2017 Subaru Forester, I took a chance on them. However, prior to purchasing, I did some research and discovered that the OEM Subaru crossbars (at the dealer for over $200!) were not available. 2014 fit- Foresters for the year 2017. These fit perfectly on my 2017 Subaru Forester 2, as you can probably tell by the five-star rating. Premium version of the 5i The allen wrench (also known as a Torx head screwdriver) is included, and the installation took 15 minutes. Now that I've properly sized these puppies, it'll only take me 5 minutes to put them on the next time. When I'm not transporting bikes or kayaks, I'll take these guys off to get my 30 mpg!.

Mathew Ward

| May 04, 2021

If the company and its service were given their own rating, they would easily receive a 5/5. br>br>Anyway, here's the deal with the product:br>They look exactly like Subaru's OEM Aero rails. They have a similar feel and are rated for the same amount of weight. The bolts used to secure them, as well as the construction of the holes for the bolts, are just half the price, and I believe this is where they cut corners. The nuts and bolts are as follows: br> br>It appears that getting OEM-certified is a crap shoot. Torx bolts in the style of or generic hex bolts The Torx bolts have the advantage of being a little more difficult to unscrew for someone who doesn't have a Torx driver, adding another (albeit very thin) layer of security to your roof rack. It's not a big deal if you're replacing OEM rails because you can reuse the Torx bolts from your old, broken rails. br>My first set of these rails came with Torx bolts, but the replacement I received (more on that later) came with generic hex bolts. I didn't mind because I already had the bolts, but keep in mind that your mileage may vary. The rails, or more precisely, the holes in them: br> So these things have a total of 6 holes: Two on each side to hold the top brackets in place, for a total of four, and one on each side to secure the bottom bracket by simply going straight through. The bolts that secure the brackets in place appear to be simply drilled and tapped/threaded on both sides. This appears to be flimsy, as there is no nut or similar welded on the inside, only a few extruded aluminum threads. Even if you're aware of this and extremely cautious, you can easily remove these. This is how it went down for me. The front bar was solid and did not have this problem, so it's possible I just got a bad one. Which brings me to my next point. The business: br> br>I notified AGPonline about the problem, and they promptly sent me a replacement with a pre-paid shipping label. For the defective bar, I paid for a return shipping label. It arrived in less than three days, and they handled everything quickly and professionally. I'd give them a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars. br>br>Summary: br>br> br>Product itself is okay, 3/5; it's an OEM replacement, so it's half the price, but when compared to the original OEMs, it's clear that they're just a little less expensive. quality in terms of feel and construction, as well as possibly quality control. The company on the other hand appears to stand by their product 100% and handles issues quickly and easily. br>br>Bearing in mind the foregoing caveats, I would enthusiastically recommend this product and company to a friend.

Mack Mora

| Sep 13, 2021

My wife owns a 2014 Subaru Forester and wanted to use the roof rack to transport kayaks. This product came with reasonably clear installation instructions (a B grade unless you are not at all handy), and installation was simple; it took me about 20 minutes because I wanted to get it right the first time and ensure that they would stay secure under a load at highway speeds. They've been in place for a few months now, and there have been no issues with carrying the kayaks or noise from the highway when loaded or unloaded. With these, I anticipate a long life and minimal hassles.

Aubrielle Robertson

| Jun 14, 2021

From unboxing to completion, the entire process took about 20 minutes. There are no gaps between the mating parts of the bars and the rail they attach to, indicating that this is a high-quality product. I'm not sure what Subaru OEM cross bars look like, but I'm guessing this is what they use. All I need to do now is install the bike trays, and I'll be good to go. Because the trays I intend to use are designed to attach to Thule (square) and/or Yakima (round) bars, that will require some engineering on my part.

Journi Sawyer

| Dec 27, 2021