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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.

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
10,000 miles · Mar 13, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD CONSTANTLY GETS CHIPS IN IT FROM ANYTHING. AFTER A 2000 MILE ROAD TRIP THE WINDSHIELD HAS HUNDREDS OF TINY CHIPS IN IT.

NHTSA ODI #11317928

1,800 miles · Mar 13, 2020
Visibility/wiper

SPONTANEOUS CRACK IN WINDSHIELD 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING

NHTSA ODI #11317918

200 miles · Mar 13, 2020
Visibility/wiper

MONDAY OCTOBER 21ST I WAS DRIVING 65 MILES PER HOUR ON US 23 WHEN I HEARD A NICK ON THE WINDSHIELD. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER I NOTICED A CRACK GOING FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD TO THE MIDDLE. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED INSURANCE COVERED IT BUT I HAD TO PAY $200 DEDUCTIBLE. I HAVE HEARD OF MANY SUBARU FORESTER WINDSHIELDS B…

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MONDAY OCTOBER 21ST I WAS DRIVING 65 MILES PER HOUR ON US 23 WHEN I HEARD A NICK ON THE WINDSHIELD. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER I NOTICED A CRACK GOING FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD TO THE MIDDLE. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED INSURANCE COVERED IT BUT I HAD TO PAY $200 DEDUCTIBLE. I HAVE HEARD OF MANY SUBARU FORESTER WINDSHIELDS BREAKING IN THIS MANNER.

NHTSA ODI #11317917

9,532 miles · Mar 12, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD CRACK SIGNIFICANTLY. VERY LIGHT STRIKE BY SMALL DEBRIS.. TRAVELING ON I65 NORTH IN TENNESSE NEAR KENTUCKY BORDER.

NHTSA ODI #11317693

Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2020
Visibility/wiper

THE WINDSHIELD ON THIS VEHICLE HAS CRACKED 3 TIMES IN 9 MONTHS. ANY TIME ANY SORT OF SMALL PEBBLE HITS THE WINDSHIELD, IT CRACKS. MOST RECENT SMALL CRACK SPREAD FOR ABOUT 12 INCHES ALMOST INSTANTLY. NEVER HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN IN A VEHICLE BEFORE.

NHTSA ODI #11317445

8,000 miles · Mar 10, 2020
Visibility/wiper

MY CAR WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE WIPERS. IT WAS STATIONARY AND THEN I NOTICED A CRACK ONE MORNING. I USUALLY PARK MY CAR IN MY GARAGE.

NHTSA ODI #11317428

12,161 miles · Mar 10, 2020
Unknown Or Other

WE PURCHASE A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER ON MARCH 29, 2019. SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WE HAVE HAD THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD. ON APRIL 3, 2019 A STONE HIT THE WINDSHIELD THAT REQUIRED US TO SUBMIT A CLAIM TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANY FOR REPAIR. IN NOVEMBER 2019, WE WENT INTO THE GARAGE AND NOTICED …

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WE PURCHASE A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER ON MARCH 29, 2019. SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WE HAVE HAD THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD. ON APRIL 3, 2019 A STONE HIT THE WINDSHIELD THAT REQUIRED US TO SUBMIT A CLAIM TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANY FOR REPAIR. IN NOVEMBER 2019, WE WENT INTO THE GARAGE AND NOTICED A LARGE CRACK IN THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD WHICH WENT FROM THE BOTTOM TO TOP. THERE WAS NO CLEAR EVIDENCE AS TO HOW THE CRACK OCCURRED. DON'T REMEMBER ANOTHER STONE HITTING THE WINDSHIELD THE CRACK JUST APPEARED. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO COVER UNDER THE VEHICLE WARRANTY SO WE HAD TO SUBMIT IT TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS YEAR IN JANUARY 2020 ANOTHER STONE STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD AND WE HAD TO SUBMIT A CLAIM TO OUR INSURANCE FOR IT TO BE FIXED. HAVING OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES, WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH A WINDSHIELD OR TO HAVE A WINDSHIELD REPLACED. WE HAVE NOTICED OTHER INDIVIDUALS ON THE INTERNET EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS WE ARE HAVING WITH THEIR SUBARU WINDSHIELDS. ARE THE SUBARU WINDSHIELDS DEFECTIVE? THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

NHTSA ODI #11317250

6,500 miles · Mar 9, 2020
Visibility/wiper

DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED A CRACK FORMED ON THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED. LAST YEAR THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON I-45, DEALER TRIED TO FIX IT AND ENDED UP MAKING IT WORSE SO THEY OFFERED A FREE REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ODI #11317156

21,014 miles · Mar 9, 2020
Visibility/wiper

IN APRIL 2019 LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER I GOT A ROCK CHIP ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ON A 45 MPH ROAD. THE AUTO GLASS REPAIR SHOP WAS ALREADY CLOSED SO I PLANNED TO GO THE NEXT DAY FOR REPAIR. I CAME OUT THE NEXT MORNING TO MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED HALFWAY ACROSS BEYOND REPAIR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN T…

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IN APRIL 2019 LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER I GOT A ROCK CHIP ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ON A 45 MPH ROAD. THE AUTO GLASS REPAIR SHOP WAS ALREADY CLOSED SO I PLANNED TO GO THE NEXT DAY FOR REPAIR. I CAME OUT THE NEXT MORNING TO MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED HALFWAY ACROSS BEYOND REPAIR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. I'VE NEVER HAD A CHIP BECOME A CRACK WITHIN A DAY AND NEVER HAD ONE HALFWAY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I GOT THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED BUT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS I GOT A STARBURST CRACK FROM A ROCK ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE GLASS REPAIR SHOP WITHIN THE HOUR. THE FIX ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE AND WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK ONE DAY THE WINDSHIELD SPLIT ACROSS WITHOUT WARNING OR ANY PROGRESSION. MY SECOND NEW WINDSHIELD WAS INSTALLED LAST WEEK AND THIS MORNING I GOT A VERY SMALL ROCK CHIP ON A 30 MPH ROAD. BY THE TIME I DROVE LESS THAN 10 MINUTES HOME AND UNLOADED THE GROCERIES IT HAD STARTED TO CRACK. I WAS AT THE GLASS REPAIR SHOP WITHIN 2 HOURS RIGHT WHEN THEY OPENED TO HAVE THE CRACK REPAIRED BEFORE IT COULD SPLIT FURTHER. I FEAR WITH A REPAIR IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS ONE CRACKS TOO. IF SO, THAT WILL BE THREE NEW WINDSHIELDS IN LESS THAN 18 MONTHS WITH LESS THAN 22,000 MILES DRIVEN. NEITHER I OR MY INSURANCE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SUCH A WEAK PRODUCT THAT DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS AND FAILS TO MEET EVEN BASIC STANDARDS OF RESILIENCY AND QUALITY. THE INCONVENIENCE OF LITERALLY HAVING TO DROP EVERYTHING TO GET AN IMMEDIATE REPAIR ON ANY CHIP BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT WILL NOT EVEN LAST A FEW HOURS WITHOUT SPREADING. I'VE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A WINDSHIELD IN MY LIFE ON THESE VERY SAME ROADS. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PRODUCT OR IT'S A WAY TO EARN MORE MONEY ON OEM REPLACEMENTS SINCE WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE WITH THE EYESIGHT CAMERAS.

NHTSA ODI #11317091

6,000 miles · Mar 9, 2020
Electrical System

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE REAR LIFT GATE HAS NOT OPENED AS COMMANDED BY THE KEY FOB AND/OR THE DASHBOARD CONTROL. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC OVERRIDE OR MANUAL LATCH. THIS ISSUE LEAVES YOU WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE REAR CARGO COMPARTMENT. ON EACH OCCASION, THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI #11317087

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