2019 Subaru Forester

THE VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRIC MIRROR WHERE THE BACK CASING WAS BROKEN. WE WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE WERE TOLD IT WAS A COSMETIC ISSUE ONLY AND THEY ORDERED A MIRROR FOR US. WE LEFT AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING IN A DRIVEWAY TURNED OFF. THE INSURANCE INSPECTOR IS SAYING THE FIRE STARTED IN THE WIRING IN THE DOOR. THE MIRROR OPERATED 100% WITHOUT ISSUES, IT APPEARS MOISTURE FROM RAIN GOT INTO THE MIRROR WIRES WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE.

I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR INFREQUENTLY IF AT ALL FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS AS THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN SHELTERING AT HOME - THIS IS PROBABLY THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STRESS ANY CAR HAS EVER BEEN PUT UNDER. THE LAST TIME I USED MY CAR WAS OVER A WEEK AGO AND OTHERWISE IT'S BEEN SITTING IN MY APARTMENT'S SMALL, OUTDOOR PARKING LOT DOING NOTHING AT ALL. WEATHER FOR THE LAST WEEK HAS BEEN EXTREMELY MODERATE IN THE HIGH 60S FAHRENHEIT AND NO WIND AT ALL. THEN I WENT OUT TO MY CAR TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING AND INSTEAD FOUND A GIANT CRACK EXTENDING ACROSS HALF MY WINDSHIELD AND CURVING DOWN UNDER THE BOTTOM "SEALED" EDGE. THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE AS I HAVEN'T EVEN USED IT. EVEN BEFORE THE CURRENT IMMOBILITY, WITH A 7 MINUTE SUBURBAN COMMUTE THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH GOING ON WITH A CAR SUPPOSEDLY BUILT FOR TOUGH CONDITIONS.

PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN DC OF 2018. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAD A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES DATING BACK TO AS EARLY JUNE OF 2019. THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO GET SERVICED. MY FIRST RED FLAG. THEN THE BATTERY RANDOMLY DIED WHILE WAITING PARKED IN DECEMBER (TEMPERATURE THAT DAY WAS ABOVE FREEZING). AFTER THAT INSTANCE, I HAD SEVERAL MORE DEAD BATTERY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. FAST FORWARD TO 2 WEEKS AGO WHERE AGAIN MY BATTERY DIED, I GOT THE CAR JUMPED AND THE BATTERY KEPT DYING THE NEXT DAY. RECENTLY HAD A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED BY THE DEALER (TUESDAY) AND AGAIN THE BATTERY DIED THE NEXT TIME I WENT TO START THE VEHICLE! THE CAR ALSO HAS OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES REGARDING THE START/STOP FEATURE. I'VE HAD INSTANCES WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND I HAD TO MANUALLY RESTART IT. THE CRUISE CONTROL SPEED CONSTANTLY VARIES. THE CAR DOESN'T ALWAYS RECOGNIZE WHEN I PLUG IN MY PHONE. IT SEEMS THAT ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE CAR SIMPLY DON'T WORK AND ARE NOT RELIABLE. SUBARU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR ALLOWING THIS DEATH TRAP OF A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND A 2019 SUBARU FORRESTER TO ANYONE LOOKING TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT AN EXPENSIVE HEADACHE SINCE THE MOMENT I PURCHASED IT. THE IRONY OF IT ALL IS THAT I TRADED IN MY OLD 2014 SUBARU FORRSTOR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT HAD "ELECTRICAL ISSUES" ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND I WAS BETTER OFF GETTING A NEW CAR. ME, BEING NAIVE TRUSTED THEIR ADVICE AND DROVE OFF WITH THIS 2019 HUNK OF PROBLEMS. I HOPE THIS MESSAGE SERVES TO ANY PROSPECTIVE BUYER OF ANY SUBARU VEHICLE TO DO THEIR OWN HOMEWORK IN REGARDS TO WHAT THEY ARE PURCHASING.

THE BACK LIFT GATE WILL RANDOMLY STOP OPENING. THIS HAS ONLY BEEN TESTED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, IN PARK WITH EITHER ENGINE RUNNING OR SHUT OFF. IT WILL SOUND 3 SHORT BEEP/TONES BUT WILL NOT FUNCTION APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE LIFT GATE BUTTON IS PUSHED IN EITHER THE INTERIOR CONTROL, THE KEY FOB CONTROL, OR THE ACTUAL BUTTON ON THE LIFT GATE. THE ONLY THING THAT FIXES THE ISSUE IS TO DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RECONNECT IT. THIS FIX IS TEMPORARY AND THE LIFT GATE WILL AGAIN HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN DISCUSSING WITH THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE.