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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

What owners actually said

833 reports
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

10,000 miles · Apr 14, 2022
Visibility

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the front windshield cracked. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

NHTSA ODI #11460717

Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2022
Visibility/wiper

It did not take more than one week after buying my new 2019 Subaru Forester in November 2019 when the windshield cracked for no reason. Due to the cost I have not replaced the windshield even today. I just read that there is a court case that forces Subaru to replace my windshield but requires me to file with a complaint throug…

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It did not take more than one week after buying my new 2019 Subaru Forester in November 2019 when the windshield cracked for no reason. Due to the cost I have not replaced the windshield even today. I just read that there is a court case that forces Subaru to replace my windshield but requires me to file with a complaint through the NHTSA. Please accept this as my complaint.

NHTSA ODI #11460209

Mileage unknown · Apr 4, 2022
Visibility/wiper

I have only had my car for about a month and already there are three chips in the windshield that weren't present when I bought it. The latest one appeared today.

NHTSA ODI #11459555

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

14,000 miles · Mar 31, 2022
Power TrainCrashInjury

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the car wash waiting for his turn, the vehicle accelerated suddenly and unintendedly, and crashed into a concrete brick wall. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a whiplash, laceration on the left arm, muscle injuries in the back, sk…

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The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the car wash waiting for his turn, the vehicle accelerated suddenly and unintendedly, and crashed into a concrete brick wall. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a whiplash, laceration on the left arm, muscle injuries in the back, skin abrasion on the upper arm, Skull laceration. The contact was pinned in his seat by the shoulder strap of the seat belt. The contact was transported to the hospital with the assistance of the emergency units. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where it was totaled. No police report was filed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

NHTSA ODI #11459168

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 23, 2022
Visibility/wiper

The windshield on my 2019 Subaru has cracked for the second time. This has taken away many of the safety features that comes with the car due to the cameras not working properly or not at all. This second time it cracked its cost me money through my insurance company. No one has physically seen my windshield except me. I curren…

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The windshield on my 2019 Subaru has cracked for the second time. This has taken away many of the safety features that comes with the car due to the cameras not working properly or not at all. This second time it cracked its cost me money through my insurance company. No one has physically seen my windshield except me. I currently have photos with Progressive and they’re still reviewing my claim. This happened once before when a cement crew had sawed cement fibers into the side of my car and just so happened to crack the windshield in the process. But the angle from which they were spraying the cement fibers didn’t make sense at the time. Then it cracked a second time and I looked online. I found the lawsuit and other people complaining online about their windshields as well. The second time it cracked, I do not know how. I came out to my car to find an impact point and spider cracks coming from it. I’m thinking a rock hit it on the highway but didn’t fully crack until it snowed or something.

NHTSA ODI #11457930

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