← 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 · Jan 16, 2023
Electrical System

First, the driver's side window would not go up when rolled down, but instead went up and down on its own, until I stopped the car and restarted it. A few days after that, on Friday, January 13, 2023 while on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light. All of a sudden beeping started happening, the "Eyesight" light came …

Read full complaint

First, the driver's side window would not go up when rolled down, but instead went up and down on its own, until I stopped the car and restarted it. A few days after that, on Friday, January 13, 2023 while on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light. All of a sudden beeping started happening, the "Eyesight" light came on, other things were showing, and the car died. I was too freaked out to notice anything else. I put the car in park and restarted it, and it was fine. Today, January 16, 2023, the exact same thing happened when I was stopped at a traffic light, again on a very busy highway. I am extremely worried and will be contacting the dealership tomorrow.

NHTSA ODI #11502071

Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2023
Visibility/wiper

Windshield was found cracked after parked for no apparent reason. Crack starts at the passenger side A pillar and goes 10 inches inward.

NHTSA ODI #11501708

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2022
Engine

2019 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD ILLUMINATED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.

NHTSA ODI #11498539

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2022
Engine

The Subaru Forester 2019 Thermo Control Valve (TCV) fails. It is responsible for cabin temperature but also engine temperature and can result in overheating. There are numerous reports that this is a frequent problem and dealerships want to charge $1200+ to replace. It is certainly a design flaw and should be issued for recall. …

Read full complaint

The Subaru Forester 2019 Thermo Control Valve (TCV) fails. It is responsible for cabin temperature but also engine temperature and can result in overheating. There are numerous reports that this is a frequent problem and dealerships want to charge $1200+ to replace. It is certainly a design flaw and should be issued for recall. Mine is available for inspection and has been inspected by the dealership. It was first detected by a check engine light.

NHTSA ODI #11498516

Mileage unknown · Dec 21, 2022
Forward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

There have been multiple incidents where the automatic collision braking system has almost caused me to be in an accident. Although it can be turned off, you must remember to do it manually each time you turn the car on. The dealership has not offered a choice to have this dangerous feature permanently disabled. In this inciden…

Read full complaint

There have been multiple incidents where the automatic collision braking system has almost caused me to be in an accident. Although it can be turned off, you must remember to do it manually each time you turn the car on. The dealership has not offered a choice to have this dangerous feature permanently disabled. In this incident, traffic in front of me started to slow down significantly, and I started to make a lane change into the left lane which was open. In the middle of the lane change, the brakes slammed on, which meant if anyone was approaching in the left, they would have to quickly slam theirs on to not rear end me. It is honestly very scary to find yourself suddenly not in control of your vehicle when a human is better able to interpret a constantly evolving situation than a computer system. Case in point, the last time I was scared half to death, the brakes slammed on while I was driving unobstructed as a car pulled out from a store far ahead of me into the lane to my right. I was in the middle lane. At no time was the car crossing into my lane. It had just started to pull out, and my brakes slammed on. If the person behind me didn’t think fast, I would have been hit. There have been lawsuits against Subaru’s eyesight feature because it misinterprets items like trash cans or cones as obstacles. The braking system is going to cause serious harm to someone, and I personally am tired of almost being in accidents because the car brakes without warning. I don’t know at this point what to do to get it disable. Safety features aren’t supposed to cause harm.

NHTSA ODI #11498372

Mileage unknown · Dec 18, 2022
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

The engines shut down or stalled on me while driving completely. It did not accelerate when I was trying to move the car off the road. the engines sputtered / shaken , all the lights came up on the dash board, smokes started to come out of my engines. this problem is similar to the recent Subaru recall on the fuel pump. Plea…

Read full complaint

The engines shut down or stalled on me while driving completely. It did not accelerate when I was trying to move the car off the road. the engines sputtered / shaken , all the lights came up on the dash board, smokes started to come out of my engines. this problem is similar to the recent Subaru recall on the fuel pump. Please add 2019 Forester on your list of recalls. This is a serious and dangerous issue, i could have been killed if I was dring on the freeway. I was lucky it shut down on a little local street when I was dring slow , about 30 - 35 mpg. Imagine if this happened on the freeway, it could have created a chain reaction , and a lot more people will be involved, and deaths might be involved. Please add Subaru 2019 forester sport on your list immediately because deaths involved. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI #11497910

Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2022
Visibility/wiper

Random crack in lower passenger side windshield area. Nothing hit windshield. Appeared during the day as temperatures warmed up. Crack goes from the bottom to the center.

NHTSA ODI #11497788

Mileage unknown · Dec 16, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine

The Thermo Control Valve has stopped working It causes the engine to overheat while drive. The windows fog up in the cold making it hard to because the defrost does not work Yes by an independent service center No No the engine light came while I was drive.

NHTSA ODI #11497782

Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 2022
Electrical System

Battery drain quickly. Overnight battery drain. Car driven for over 40 miles and the following day the battery is drained and won't start. Car left for one week with out driving - battery drained and won't start.

NHTSA ODI #11497436

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine

Car stalls out sometimes when running while stopped. This is not the stop/start system. Also, driver door power window will sometimes raise and lower on its own.

NHTSA ODI #11496876

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