2002 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 236

Automatic transmission WARNING Do not shift from the "P" or "N" position into the "D", "3", "2", "1" or "R" position while depressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause the vehicle to jump forward or backward. D Shift into the "P" or "R" position only after the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting while the vehicle is moving may cause damage to the transmission. D Do not race the engine for more than five seconds in any position except the "N" or "P" position when the brake is set or the tires are on blocks. This may cause the automatic transmission fluid to overheat. D Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving positions into the "R" position or vice versa until the vehicle has completely stopped. Such shifting may cause damage to the transmission. The automatic transmission is electronically controlled with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed. CAUTION NOTE Immediately after a disconnected battery is reconnected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic transmission operation is somewhat unusual. This results from erasure or invalidation of data which the on-board computer has collected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most appropriate times for the current condition of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while. 7-14