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2019 Subaru Forester

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Forester years

Owner complaints for the 2019 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

468 reports with mileage · 365 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 370 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 134 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 106 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

37 crash reports11 fire reports16 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

134 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 16, 2022
Electrical System

UNKNOWN. There is some sort of battery drain issue causing the battery to die and prevent my car from starting. The battery has been tested independently at two different locations, both of which found the battery was operating properly. My mechanic checked for anything causing any phantom power drain from the battery and could …

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UNKNOWN. There is some sort of battery drain issue causing the battery to die and prevent my car from starting. The battery has been tested independently at two different locations, both of which found the battery was operating properly. My mechanic checked for anything causing any phantom power drain from the battery and could not locate anything. The tow truck operator told me they've been seeing and issue with Subarus where very new cars are having their battery die when there is no reason for it to.

NHTSA ODI #11469582

Mileage unknown · May 23, 2022
Electrical SystemStructureUnknown Or Other

The car has a power assisted hatchback. When it fails to latch, the power is completely drained from the car, and there is zero indication of this happening, until the next day when an attempt is made to start the car. We've been stranded twice in our car and twice on the road. It's all due to the robotics not getting a signal t…

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The car has a power assisted hatchback. When it fails to latch, the power is completely drained from the car, and there is zero indication of this happening, until the next day when an attempt is made to start the car. We've been stranded twice in our car and twice on the road. It's all due to the robotics not getting a signal to stop trying to keep it open. We notified the dealer twice by April of 2021. The second time they replaced the battery and we failed to convince them that this was a symptom, not the cause per many TSBs. In March of 2022 we were traveling and the hatch failed to latch. It would beep all the time. We took it to another dealer in Baton Rouge, who ordered a latch back in Atlanta. We drove it hundreds of mails beeping. The electrical system failed the next morning - again. We got the car started, made it back to Atlanta, and had the latch replaced by a 3rd dealer. Our original dealer says we are not eligible for the replacement hardware/software fix in the robotics (as distinct from the latch) to stop parasitic draining unlike identical cars made in this year. We do not trust this car until it's fixed.

NHTSA ODI #11465745

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2022
Electrical System

Car battery drained. Have had to call AAA twice. Have now purchased another battery and it failed to auto start when I attempted to cross the intersection.

NHTSA ODI #11462345

30,000 miles · Apr 14, 2022
Electrical SystemCrashFire

The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH on the interstate, a deer jumped in front causing a crash. All the air bags deployed, and immediately soon after a fire was coming from the hood. The contact and two children in the rear passenger seat were able to exit the vehicle sa…

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The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH on the interstate, a deer jumped in front causing a crash. All the air bags deployed, and immediately soon after a fire was coming from the hood. The contact and two children in the rear passenger seat were able to exit the vehicle safely. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. There was a police report was filed. There were no injuries or medical reports. The vehicle was consumed by the fire and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ODI #11460731

Mileage unknown · Apr 1, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineStructureCrashFire

Car caught fire after a relatively slow (less than 35 mph) collision with a Chevrolet Tahoe. Other vehicle was driveable, my Subaru Forester caught fire.

NHTSA ODI #11459286

Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2022
Electrical System

The battery drains when the car is not driven for 5 days or more. This newly-engineered battery was necessitated to support the auto-stop-start feature on the car. The battery was replaced on 1-26-2021. On 3-30-2022, the car would not start again after not being driven for 5 1/2 days and had to be jump started. The dealership…

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The battery drains when the car is not driven for 5 days or more. This newly-engineered battery was necessitated to support the auto-stop-start feature on the car. The battery was replaced on 1-26-2021. On 3-30-2022, the car would not start again after not being driven for 5 1/2 days and had to be jump started. The dealership says the battery is fine but I have to rearrange my life to drive this car every 5 days for 30 minutes. The battery is in the car and can be inspected. There is no fix or workaround available other than driving the car. This battery drain leaves me unsuspecting that my car will not start and I am stranded while I have to wait for hours for roadside assistance. There were no warnings even though I have a paid Starlink subscription that has my email and cell phone on record.

NHTSA ODI #11459156

Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2022
Electrical System

In my Subaru Forester, my battery continues to drain while the car is off and locked. I am unable to start the car in the mornings when I go to work because of this. To get the car to start, I am constantly jumping it. I was not at risk. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The component has not been inspected b…

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In my Subaru Forester, my battery continues to drain while the car is off and locked. I am unable to start the car in the mornings when I go to work because of this. To get the car to start, I am constantly jumping it. I was not at risk. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance agency. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms. The car is a 2019 and only has 33k miles on it.

NHTSA ODI #11459095

Mileage unknown · Mar 28, 2022
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Battery keeps on dying and doesn’t hold charge. Vehicle has less than 8000 miles on it. 3 weeks ago my vehicle was parked in my garage for one week while I was on vacation and the battery was dead and needed to be jump started. Last week My vehicle was in the garage for 8 days and would not start again and needed to be jump star…

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Battery keeps on dying and doesn’t hold charge. Vehicle has less than 8000 miles on it. 3 weeks ago my vehicle was parked in my garage for one week while I was on vacation and the battery was dead and needed to be jump started. Last week My vehicle was in the garage for 8 days and would not start again and needed to be jump started. Then 4 days had passed since the vehicle was jump started and this morning would not start again. Each time it was parked in my garage with nothing running inside, but the battery keeps failing. I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow to review.

NHTSA ODI #11458603

Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2022
Electrical System

I purchased a used 2019 Forester in the summer of 2020. By September 2021, I was having electrical issues - the car wouldn't start and the battery died. I had the car taken to a dealership, they replaced the battery and the alternator (they told me that the alternator was defective and broke the battery). I got the car back in O…

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I purchased a used 2019 Forester in the summer of 2020. By September 2021, I was having electrical issues - the car wouldn't start and the battery died. I had the car taken to a dealership, they replaced the battery and the alternator (they told me that the alternator was defective and broke the battery). I got the car back in October 2021. In December 2021, I had just driven for 2 hours and stopped to get gas. When I got back in, the car wouldn't start - the battery was dead again. This time, the AAA person who came to get me took a look at it and said that he thought it might start if he tightened the bolts for the electrical wires leading to the battery. That seemed to fix it. It's now March 2021. Yesterday, I walked outside to find my car battery dead again! I jumped it, and drove it around to allow the battery to recharge. I went in somewhere for dinner, came back out over an hour later, and it started. Today, it's dead again! This appears to be a consistent problem with Subaru vehicles.

NHTSA ODI #11457536

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2022
Electrical SystemPower TrainService Brakes

The failure is affected by the braking system and control logic of the ignition key switch, gear shift and emergency break button. A coffee cup at the drive through collapsed spilling coffee. Through a sequence of moves I found myself rolling out of the drive up line, across the parking lot right towards the sidewalk and high…

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The failure is affected by the braking system and control logic of the ignition key switch, gear shift and emergency break button. A coffee cup at the drive through collapsed spilling coffee. Through a sequence of moves I found myself rolling out of the drive up line, across the parking lot right towards the sidewalk and highway on the other side. The engine was off, the brakes would not function, I could not move the shift lever and the ignition key would not re-start the car! I had no control or ability to change anything in the span of 10 seconds. Only the landscaped run of bushes at the edge of the parking lot saved us. At the drive up window the car was in neutral. I could not change the position of the shifter if I had my foot on the break as we were rolling. Nor could I restart the engine with my foot off the break and rolling. At the end of the roll when stopped I think the shift lever was in the reverses R position. Despite several tries I could not operate the emergency break. There were no warnings from the smart car system. I was able to test out a few sequences that would cause the same circumstances. I did not go to the dealer yet, there were no police involved or damage done other than hot coffee on me and my front seat. Engineers designing "smarts" in new vehicles have over-engineered the controls creating a major overall hazard because the systems are too complicated. More training for new car owners is not a solution. Up until the 21st century cars had a true emergency break that could be operated by hand or foot to apply the rear emergency brakes. Now they are all operated electronically with a button, which is not available unless the car is running. This is not just a problem with our car. It is a problem with most autos built today, domestic and foreign. Somewhere along the line we lost our focus on what an emergency brake is for.

NHTSA ODI #11456404

Official recalls

3

21V263000 · Suspension:rear

Apr 15, 2021

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-21.

19V856000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)

Dec 2, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the short block engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUW-08.

19V065000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Feb 6, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: None of the affected vehicles have been sold yet. Subaru has notified dealers and they will inspect the steering gearbox, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUC-88.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Forester problems