2019 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 833 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 37 involved a crash and 11 involved a fire. 21 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Suspension, rearApr 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.
Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V263000 on NHTSA.gov
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.
An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 19V856000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemFeb 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.
Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 19V065000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
833 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 18, 2022
Vehicle will not start after it has rained or if auto shut down occurs while it is raining. Vehicle has to be jump started if raining. Might start if “dried out” or left in dry conditions.
Electrical system, Sep 17, 2022
Battery has died
Electrical system, Sep 16, 2022
Part #21319AA010 COOLANT CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY. THERE IS A HUGE LINE 25 CUSTOMERS FOR THE SAME PART AT THE SUBARU DEALER I PURCHSAED THE 2019 BASE FORESTER FROM. CODE HAS BEEN READ. CODE P2682. VEHICLE HAS 50000 MILES. THE PART IS $435 PLUS INSTALLATION. NO LIGHT ON DASH, NO WARNING AT ALL BEFORE THE FAILURE CODE.
Electrical system, Sep 14, 2022
Something drained my battery completely dead (to less than 1V) overnight. The car was locked and the key fob wasn't near the car. In fact I keep it in a Faraday bag. The battery is less than one year old.
Electrical system, Sep 10, 2022
While driving, the vehicle stopped driving midride. I attempted to turn off the car and restart the car, but it had issues. This happened on 3 separate occasions. I believe the battery was being overdrawn. Two times this happened on the highway and I lost the ability to stay accelerated. I have had the dealer inspect it twice and they found no issues. Shortly after breaking down the third time, a separate car repair shop tested the battery and it tested good. The check engine light appeared and made mention of the Eyesight system.
Other or unspecified, Sep 8, 2022
We have had two windshields crack for no apparent reason in this car.
Electrical system, Sep 5, 2022
Battery constantly drains and fails to start the car almost from 2019 when I purchased the car. I’ve had to replace the original battery when the car was less than two years old and one year later the new battery has the same problem. No battery is able to hold a charge in this car and it continues to be a problem. Something seems to be draining the battery regularly. So that I won’t be stranded frequently, I needed to purchase a portable battery charger to start the car.
Power train, Engine, Sep 3, 2022
The problem cited below is on a 2019 Subaru Forester with 20,101 miles. The 'check engine' light came on when I started my vehicle as well as all the ADAS warning lights came on. All ADAS were inoperable. The car was drivable so I cautiously drove it to a Subaru dealership. While driving, I noticed the engine never warmed up. Running a cold engine causes an emissions problem and may be a violation of an EPA standard. The problem was diagnosed by the dealership as a faulty Thermo Control Valve Assembly, Part Number (21319AA010). Upon researching the problem on www.SubaruForester.org, I discovered over 240 similar postings about the same complaint on the same model car. I consider this to be a Safey issue with a potential of significant engine damage causing engine failure as well as making all the ADAS inoperable. Subaru of America is aware of the extent of this problem and should be made liable for recalling these vehicles and fixing this safety problem. The vehicle is currently (since Aug. 23, 2022) at the dealership awaiting a back-ordered part. I am currently negotiating with Subaru to have the part repaired under the 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. Please look into this issue since so many other owners of this vehicle are having this same issue. Thank You.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 29, 2022
A small pebble hit the windshield while driving on the highway and now there's a huge crack in it.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 24, 2022
Windshield cracked
Power train, Aug 24, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was in the park position in a parking space but was unsure if the shifter was in park when without warning, the vehicle rolled down a hill and crashed into a chain link fence and burial wall. No warning lights illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was needed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to schedule an appointment to have it diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Structure, Aug 11, 2022
Moonroof Cracks in the same spot randomly. 4 times now. Same exact area. No impacts.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Back over prevention, Aug 10, 2022
I recently bought this vehicle (used) with ~1900 miles. After 1.5 months of owning the vehicle, I suddenly had several warning lights as well as systems disabled within the vehicle. The first time this occurred I was about 2 hours into a drive, and suddenly my eyesight disabled, check engine light came on, cruise control disabled, lane departure disabled, collision warning and automatic braking disabled. After pulling over to inspect, I also realized my trunk would no longer open. I took it to a dealership who said it was due to low battery voltage—despite there being no spectacular incidents to drain the battery since I purchased the vehicle. They recharged the battery and the problem was temporarily fixed. However, once I retrieved my vehicle from the dealership the check engine light and disabled features were still prevalent. I once again had them recharge the battery—despite there again being no events causing the battery to drain—to which the problem was solved. Again, about an hour into my drive back home, the check engine light and features suddenly disabled. This is detrimental to my safety as a driver—as every safety feature suddenly disables without warning during my drive.
Engine, Aug 5, 2022
Thermo electro valve failed, tripping check engine lights in the dashboard. I was told that the vehicle was undrivable until the part, which has been affected by supply chain issues, can be acquired by the dealer.
Vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2022
2019 Subaru Forester 2.5L JF2SKAEC0KH576270 I use cruise control most of the time in all of my cars. Tapping the inc/dec button in my Subaru changes speed in 5 mph increments. This is very dangerous because my other cars use 1 mph increments. My use case is on long climbs I like to slow down my car 1 or 2 MPH as it works harder. When I double tap the Subaru it drops by 10 MPH instead of the expected 2 MPH. I want Subaru the update the PCM firmware to allow the user to switch to compatibility mode where single tap is 1 MPH and Long tap is 5 MPH.
Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 3, 2022
Braking for stop - brake pedal sinks, car accelerates ; requires extreme brake pedal push to stop car. A very unsafe condition. No warning or any dash board indication. Happened several times already.
Other or unspecified, Aug 3, 2022
2019 Forrester has dangerous windshield that is prone to chipping and cracking very easley
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Aug 2, 2022
Stopped at a red light. The Forester was in Auto Start/Stop mode and was in Stop. When I tried to start the Forester up again, it would not. A bell started ringing and all the warning lights lit up. I put the car in Park and and within a minute it started up again.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 26, 2022
vehicle stalled for no reason causing a dangerous situation, dashboard had 'eyesight' come on, possible crash avoidance feature ??
Electrical system, Jul 20, 2022, fire
My car started on fire while parked and turned off. The fire was electrical and appeared to be caused by issues in the main wiring harness under the console between the driver and passenger seats.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 18, 2022
The windshield was cracked. I heard a pop and then a 15 inch crack spread horizontally across the front windshield in a couple seconds. This is a safety issue because it impaired visibility and altered the integrity of the vehicle. I took pictures of it. It has not been inspected or fixed yet but I have an appointment to do so. There were no warning lights
Visibility, Jul 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked over night under a car port the next morning it was discovered that the front windshield had developed multiple cracks. The contact indicated that no objects had made contact with the windshield to cause the cracks to occur. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 6, 2022
I purchased my 2019 Forester brand new and have had minimal issues… most are just annoyances. However, this past weekend I got in my car and there was a spontaneous crack through the middle of the windshield. By the second day, it has expanded to halfway or past halfway across. The crack in directly in the line of sight. When looking into replacement, I realized this is a common issue. I have had cracked windshields before, but they are usually gradual and you have an opportunity to repair it. There was no chance of that since this just seemed to appear.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 5, 2022
Windshield started cracking. Affects EyeSight safety system.
Vehicle speed control, Jun 21, 2022
When parking the vehicle has experience unexpected acceleration. this issue has occurred 2 times in the last few months and thankfully I did not hit another vehicle or person. I called the dealer but unfortunately they informed me that unless this happens with a tech in the car they will not replace anything