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.
Visibility, Jun 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she saw a 2–3-inch crack on the lower passenger’s side windshield. The contact stated that the crack had since expanded to approximately 16-inches. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,205.
Electrical system, Jun 16, 2022
UNKNOWN. There is some sort of battery drain issue causing the battery to die and prevent my car from starting. The battery has been tested independently at two different locations, both of which found the battery was operating properly. My mechanic checked for anything causing any phantom power drain from the battery and could not locate anything. The tow truck operator told me they've been seeing and issue with Subarus where very new cars are having their battery die when there is no reason for it to.
Steering, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 15, 2022
The lane keeping assist even when shut off prevents lane changes. A truck drifted into my lane and I had to use extreme force to steer over the car. The collision assist will randomly brake at high way speeds, also while off. The brakes will get squishy, not properly engage and make funny noises while the parking collision is off as well.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 15, 2022
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM PASSENGER SIDE "A" PILLAR 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN FROM THE TOP ACROSS PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS SAFETY FACTOR THE CRACK ALSO RENDERED THE CAR'S ADAS "EYESIGHT" SYSTEM INEFFECTIVE.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 12, 2022
We have owned the 2019 Subaru Forester for approximately 3 years and have had to replace the windshield FOUR times due to cracking (some that have occurred without noticing a chip from an object from the road. When we purchased this vehicle, the dealer suggested we purchase a fairly expensive extended warranty for the windshield without disclosing that the Forester (and other models) have a much greater tendency to crack and the manufacturer recently went to a windshield what was much thinner to save money. When we purchased this vehicle I was focused on purchasing one for my daughter to use to finish medical school and to get her started on her own. Man, was I mislead on reliability of Subaru! With regard to safety, I would say that safety is at risk anytime a windshield is cracked. This can and does impair vision, etc. Subaru should be made to replace the windshield with one that is thicker and more sturdy to reduce the constant cracking that we and others have encountered.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 6, 2022
There is a stress crack in the bottom, middle of the windshield that appeared out of nowhere.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 2, 2022
for the second time in less than 8 months the windshield has spontaneously developed a significant crack though driver's sightline that requires the windshield to be replaced at outrageous expense.
Power train, Engine, May 27, 2022
My 2019 Subaru Forester Sport only had 41,000 and the thermal control valve on it failed. The engine is running really cold and sometimes without warning certain safety feature shutoff as a result. There were no warning signals before it failed but when it went out the check engine light came on as well as about 5 other warnings. I had it diagnosed at Young Subaru in Ogden, UT. After doing some research I found that this specific part recently underwent a design change due to this malfunctioning. I’ve found several other Subaru owners that are having the exact same issue where the safety features are completely disabled as a result of this poorly manufactured part. This part needs to be recalled asap before it can continue to cause more damage to the engines or the people who drive these vehicles
Other or unspecified, May 25, 2022
Front windshield spontaneously cracked in my 2019 Subaru Forester. Car was parked in a parking lot when there was a popping sound and then a crack appeared starting from the bottom corner of the passenger side. NO impact marks on the exterior or interior. The crack has since spread to the center of the windshield. Based on Internet searches, there is a known issue with windshield cracking in Subarus. Subaru's "Customer Advocacy" department refused to pay for the repair (over $1300), claiming that the photos showed an impact mark and therefore it was the customer's responsibility. However, the Subaru dealership (Ramsey NJ) that did the physical inspection and took the photos said they saw NO impact marks. I invited Subaru Customer Advocacy to send someone to physically inspect the car; they declined. Subaru refuses to stand by their product. Instead of recalling the vehicles at risk and replacing the windshields at their cost, Subaru runs the risk of accidents caused by the spontaneous windshield cracking which could lead to bodily harm and/or death. And even with an actual case of spontaneous window cracking, Subaru claims to "see" impact marks in photos, when it is impossible to tell from photos alone, and refuses to conduct a physical inspection. Action should be taken against Subaru to ensure the safety of consumers purchasing their vehicles. Subaru should be required to issue a recall or at minimum cover the cost of replacing windshields that spontaneously crack. The spontaneous cracking occurred on 5/7/22. I brought my car to a Subaru dealership and spoke to Subaru's "Customer Advocacy" department on the same day. It took nearly 3 weeks of calls to Subaru for them to offer me a $750 coupon "as a one-time goodwill gesture" to cover half the cost of the repair. Subaru's customer service is unacceptable and their reluctance to take responsibility is a public safety issue.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, May 25, 2022
A crack appeared in my windshield on the passenger side starting from the bottom side slanting towards the middle of the passenger's vision. I do not recall anything hitting my windshield. In researching a replacement cost I read a lot of complaints from Subaru customers who had to replace their windshields, some several times, because of thinner glass used by Subaru. Several reports included the 2019 Subaru Forester with low mileage. I have a photo as I plan to have it repaired soon. I have not yet contacted my Striver dealer nor Allstate insurance agent. Please note: I loaded my 6mb photo but had to delete it to be able to continue.
Visibility/wiper, May 24, 2022
I was driving on the highway and a pebble hit my windshield. It immediately cracked it.
Electrical system, Structure, Other or unspecified, May 23, 2022
The car has a power assisted hatchback. When it fails to latch, the power is completely drained from the car, and there is zero indication of this happening, until the next day when an attempt is made to start the car. We've been stranded twice in our car and twice on the road. It's all due to the robotics not getting a signal to stop trying to keep it open. We notified the dealer twice by April of 2021. The second time they replaced the battery and we failed to convince them that this was a symptom, not the cause per many TSBs. In March of 2022 we were traveling and the hatch failed to latch. It would beep all the time. We took it to another dealer in Baton Rouge, who ordered a latch back in Atlanta. We drove it hundreds of mails beeping. The electrical system failed the next morning - again. We got the car started, made it back to Atlanta, and had the latch replaced by a 3rd dealer. Our original dealer says we are not eligible for the replacement hardware/software fix in the robotics (as distinct from the latch) to stop parasitic draining unlike identical cars made in this year. We do not trust this car until it's fixed.
Visibility/wiper, May 16, 2022
Windshield - Randomly cracked while parked in garage (no rock or road damage). Windshield crack started at bottom middle passenger side, spread across entire windshield. Second time windshield cracked in same location with no evidence of rock or road damage. Windshield was replaced with OEM windshield when the crack happened again.
Other or unspecified, May 14, 2022
The battery drains while the vehicle is off. The car is frequently dead after being off for a short period of time, requiring jump starts and replacement batteries far more often than with a typical vehicle.
Power train, May 3, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated she turned on the vehicle, left it on, and exitto close the trunk, but after forcefully closing the trunk, the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact stated the gears were set on Park and the area was an inclined driveway. The contact stated the vehicle knocked her down but she was not injured nor needed to seek medical attention. The vehicle continued to roll into the woods and was detained by a tree stump. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an auto shop and was being serviced at the moment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Electrical system, Apr 26, 2022
Car battery drained. Have had to call AAA twice. Have now purchased another battery and it failed to auto start when I attempted to cross the intersection.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 24, 2022
One morning I went to start my car to go to work and I found a crack. The crack is coming from the bottom of the windshield.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 23, 2022
UNKNOWN. Don’t know how the windshield cracked. It starts at the top edge of glass, goes around the shaded part of windshield in front of rear view mirror and then down middle of windshield. From top to bottom it is 14 inches
Structure, Visibility/wiper, Apr 19, 2022
The front windshield developed a crack for no reason.
Other or unspecified, Apr 18, 2022
2019 Subaru Forester My windshield has spontaneously cracked twice (August 28, 2021, April 18, 2022) without being hit by any object. Windshield was replaced after 2021 incident and will again require replacement after today's incident. It has chipped and required repair on 2 other occasions.
Electrical system, Apr 14, 2022, crash, fire
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.
Visibility, Apr 14, 2022
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.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 8, 2022
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.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 4, 2022
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.
Electrical system, Structure, Engine, Apr 1, 2022, crash, fire
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.