← New search

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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

833 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 2023
Visibility/wiper

Windshield has developed a 14 inch crack from HVAC unit on bottom of windshield. Replacement windshield also developed a 20in horizontal crack.

NHTSA ODI #11526137

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2023
EngineForward Collision AvoidanceFuel/propulsion System

Driving home for 15 minutes. parked on left turn lane, slight incline. when traffic light turned green, i stepped on the gas and the engine stalled. I remember seeing "eyesight disabled" warning light come on. I put vehicle in park, shut it off, and turned engine back on. I was able to drive home. possible system failure - fuel …

Read full complaint

Driving home for 15 minutes. parked on left turn lane, slight incline. when traffic light turned green, i stepped on the gas and the engine stalled. I remember seeing "eyesight disabled" warning light come on. I put vehicle in park, shut it off, and turned engine back on. I was able to drive home. possible system failure - fuel system, auto/stop feature? yes, available to inspect safety - 5:30pm heavy traffic on 4 lane highway0. blocked traffic turning left. no where to pull over. have not taken vehicle to mechanic or been inspected. I saw no warning lights prior to vehicle stalling, or experienced any engine anomalies.

NHTSA ODI #11525953

Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2023
Engine

The auto start/stop occasionally malfunctions where the auto stop turns on as expected but then doesn't turn off when you try to use the accelerator. It has happened when a red light turns green the car stalls, displays an error message and you have to restart the car to get moving again. This recently happened to me at a very b…

Read full complaint

The auto start/stop occasionally malfunctions where the auto stop turns on as expected but then doesn't turn off when you try to use the accelerator. It has happened when a red light turns green the car stalls, displays an error message and you have to restart the car to get moving again. This recently happened to me at a very busy intersection and was very dangerous.

NHTSA ODI #11525909

Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2023
Forward Collision Avoidance

First problem was eyesight was not engaging. Had diagnostics run and they said there was no problem. That problem continued. Second problem was when I was sitting at a red light. When the light turned green and I started to go, Eyesight engaged and totally shut the car off. It had to be placed in Park and restarted. Dealer said …

Read full complaint

First problem was eyesight was not engaging. Had diagnostics run and they said there was no problem. That problem continued. Second problem was when I was sitting at a red light. When the light turned green and I started to go, Eyesight engaged and totally shut the car off. It had to be placed in Park and restarted. Dealer said they have never heard of this. Internet says it's a problem. I had contacted Subaru headquarters after 1st incident. They paid for diagnostics, but would not respond after I contacted them to say it continued. Dealer and headquarters blew me off.

NHTSA ODI #11525444

70,000 miles · Jun 2, 2023
Visibility

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, she noticed an L-shaped crack on the driver's side windshield starting at the base of the windshield going upwards the top of the windshield. The contact stated that the temperature was not a hot or humid day when the windshield cracked. …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, she noticed an L-shaped crack on the driver's side windshield starting at the base of the windshield going upwards the top of the windshield. The contact stated that the temperature was not a hot or humid day when the windshield cracked. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #11525086

Mileage unknown · May 30, 2023
Electrical System

The Starlink Infotainment system started to continually reboot despite any attempts to reset it. With the car shut off, the CD player began continuously spinning up then winding down. This drained the battery. I had to pull a fuse labeled BACKUP to prevent this from happening. This has rendered the backup camera unusable.

NHTSA ODI #11524377

Mileage unknown · May 25, 2023
Engine

I was driving my 2019 Subaru Forester on 5/16 and it was operating normally that morning with no visible warning lights. I got back into the car later and it started fine. While getting onto a local highway, accelerating to highway speeds, multiple warning lights including the check engine light turned on. I was subsequently …

Read full complaint

I was driving my 2019 Subaru Forester on 5/16 and it was operating normally that morning with no visible warning lights. I got back into the car later and it started fine. While getting onto a local highway, accelerating to highway speeds, multiple warning lights including the check engine light turned on. I was subsequently unable to accelerate and needed to coast to a stop on the closest off ramp, fortunately avoiding an accident. After turning the vehicle off and back on again the check engine light was still illuminated and the car would only make short lurching movements. I needed to have the car towed to a local Subaru dealership (Maita Subaru in Sacramento, CA) and they diagnosed it as a problem with the engine's thermo control valve. This was replaced under warranty and the vehicle is now working normally. The dealership told me this is a known issue with 2019 Foresters and that they've repaired other vehicles under similar circumstances. Multiple other owners have detailed similar experiences on an online forum as well. There does not appear to be a recall but this is a serious safety issue.

NHTSA ODI #11523826

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2023
SuspensionCrash

I was driving up hill making a curve, suddenly the car went out of control slide all the way to the left. the car ended it up hitting some rocks, I was lucky that nobody got hurt, just my car was damage. I towed my car to a collision center, and I learned that THE REAR STABILIZER BRACKET WAS DAMAGE which was a recall WRD-21. …

Read full complaint

I was driving up hill making a curve, suddenly the car went out of control slide all the way to the left. the car ended it up hitting some rocks, I was lucky that nobody got hurt, just my car was damage. I towed my car to a collision center, and I learned that THE REAR STABILIZER BRACKET WAS DAMAGE which was a recall WRD-21. this issue was address and suppostly was fixed by Subaru dealers but OVER TIME MAY LOOSEN AND INCREASE RISK OF A CRASH. Probably I will never find out if THE REAR STABILIZER BRACKET WAS MALFUNTION AND COUSE THE ACCIDENT. But I wanted to report it. Hopefully NHTSA looks into this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11523653

67,000 miles · May 23, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the temperature control valve (TCV) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed o…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the temperature control valve (TCV) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000. The consumer had to get the vehicle repaired due to this TCV valve issue all the security systems were not functioning causing safety issues.

NHTSA ODI #11523515

Mileage unknown · May 14, 2023
Visibility/wiper

Windshield cracked for no reason. I was sitting next to the car for 2 hours, when I arrived at location windshield was perfect, when I got in to leave it was cracked. I never was more than 10 feet from car and nothing hit it.

NHTSA ODI #11521900

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