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, Feb 11, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AWAY FROM TRAFFIC, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPAIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,900.
Visibility, Feb 9, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MPH, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING SOUND DETECTED. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,011.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 1, 2021
THE WINDSHIELD GLASS OF MY SUBARU FORESTER 2019 MODEL IS HIGHLY PRONE TO CRACKING. IT IS JUST OVER 10K MILES. IT HAS A 12 INCH CRACK OUT OF NOWHERE. I CANNOT IDENTIFY THE REASON FOR THIS CRACK AS I DID NOT HEAR ANY ROCK-HITTING SOUND WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. THERE MIGHT BE A ROCK OR OTHER SMALL OBJECT HITTING MY WINDSHIELD. BUT THE SOUND MUST BE TOO GENTLE TO NOTICE.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 30, 2021
SPONTANEOUS CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. STARTED AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AND PROGRESSED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD TO THE EDGE OF THE MIDDLE LEFT SIDE.
Engine, Jan 29, 2021
WHISTLING OR WHINING NOISE COMING FROM A/C SYSTEM AFTER HAVING A/C OR HEAT RUNNING. THIS CONDITION IS FROM THE EXPANSION VALVE ACCORDING TO SUBARU OF AMERICA. DEALER STATES A NEW EXPANSION VALVE FOR THE A/C SYSTEM IS COMING BUT NOT YET AVAILABLE.
Electrical system, Jan 26, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOWS FAILED TO FULLY CLOSE WHICH CAUSED MOLD TO DEVELOP INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GATEWAY SUBARU (30275 WINNER BLVD, DELMAR, MD 21875, (410) 896-3800) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WOULD BE NO ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 24, 2021
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY AND STONE HIT MY WINDSHIELD, CAUSING IT TO CRACK.
Visibility, Jan 22, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, A SMALL PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER HUNTER SUBARU (220 HUNTER AIRPORT DR, FLETCHER, NC 28732, (866) 536-3409) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE WINDSHIELD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,537.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 13, 2021
HAD TO REPLACE WINDSHIELD 2 TIMES IN 15 MONTHS. WINDSHIELD CANNOT WITHSTAND SMALL CHIPS-THEY RESULT IN LARGE CRACKS THAT REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. NORMAL DRIVING ON FREEWAY, SURFACE ROADS.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 12, 2021
WINDSHIELD BROKE WITHIN DAYS OF BUYING THE VEHICLE. NO KNOWN ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. CRACK FORMED WHILE DRIVING AND HAS BEEN THERE EVER SINCE
Visibility/wiper, Jan 12, 2021
WHEN DEFROSTING MY CAR AFTER A RECENT SNOWSTORM, I NOTICED THAT A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE WINDSHIELD JUST BELOW THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER. IT APPEARS THAT A SMALL ROCK/PEBBLE HITTING THE WINDSHIELD CAUSED THE CRACK, BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER HEARING A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD NOT DONE ANY HIGHWAY DRIVING IN THE DAYS PRIOR TO NOTICING THE CRACK EITHER. ATTACHED PHOTOS SHOW THAT THERE WAS ONLY A SMALL CHIP (IE NOT A BIG CRATER) AT THE IMPACT POINT, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT WHATEVER HIT THE WINDSHIELD MAY HAVE BEEN SMALL AND DID SO AT RELATIVELY LOW VELOCITY. GIVEN THAT CRACKED WINDSHIELDS ARE A COMMON ISSUE WITH NEWER SUBARU VEHICLES, I BELIEVE THAT THIS CRACK IS THE RESULT OF POOR QUALITY WINDSHIELD MATERIALS AND/OR POOR WINDSHIELD DESIGN. THE CAR IS ONLY ~2 YEARS OLD, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HAD ANY SORT OF CHIP/CRACK TO A WINDSHIELD ON ONE OF MY VEHICLES.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 9, 2021
HELLO, WINDSHIELD CRACKED AGAIN ON MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING SOUND AFTER I STARTED THE ENGINE AND A HUGE HORIZONTAL CRACK APPEARED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. PLEASE SEE THE PICTURES ATTACHED BELOW. IT IS A SECOND SUDDEN WINDSHIELD CRACK IN TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP! THIS ISSUE IS BECOMING A REAL FRUSTRATION DUE TO THE POOR QUALITY OF THE GLASS AND UNREASONABLY HIGH COST TO REPLACE IT AND RECALIBRATE THE EYE-SIGHT. I AM AWARE THAT THE NEW CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST SUBARU COVERING THE NEW FORESTER SK 2019+ FOR THE SUDDEN WINDSHIELD CRACKS. THAT PROVES THAT I AM NOT ALONE. WHAT ARE THE REASONS WHY THE RECALL WAS NOT ISSUED YET? PREVIOUS WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED BY SUBARU DUE TO A WELL-KNOWN GLASS DEFECT THAT TRACES BACK TO 2015. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. BEST REGARDS, ML
Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 5, 2021
CAR STALLS SOMETIMES WHEN TURNING FROM ONE STREET INTO ANOTHER STREET, ABOUT ONE TIME IN TWENTY.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Jan 4, 2021
SUBARU FORESTER 2019 MODEL CRACKED WINDSHIELD BY IT SELF.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 3, 2021
THE WINDSHIELD INEXPLICABLY CRACKED ALONG THE HEATER ELEMENT AND SPREAD UP INTO THE MIDDLE RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD, WHILE IN MOTION ON A FAIRLY EMPTY INTERSTATE.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 3, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO REASON
Visibility/wiper, Jan 2, 2021
WITHIN A YEAR OR USE MY WINDSHIELD UNEXPECTEDLY APPEARED CRACKED ONE DAY IN PARKING POSITION.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 2, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WIFE HEARD A POP AND FOUND THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.
Other or unspecified, Jan 2, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED TO WHERE IT NEEDED RPARE WHEN JUST ON A DIRT ROAD
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 30, 2020
THE CAR HAS 12600ISH MILES. THERE ARE NO ROCK CHIPS, ETC. THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY WHEN WE PARKED LAST NIGHT AND NOW THERE IS A 6 INCH CRACK COMING FROM THE BOTTOM CENTER. THERE WERE NO INSTANCES OF ROCKS, DRIVING OVER BUMPS, ETC.THE CAR DIDN'T HAVE A CRACK WHEN WE PARKED IT LAST NIGHT AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN DOES TODAY.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Dec 28, 2020
SATURDAY, DEC 26, AROUND 2:30-3PM I WAS LEAVING ESTES PARK COLORADO, DRIVING DOWN A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD. AT THIS TIME I WAS APPLYING MY BRAKES AROUND THE CORNERS AND , CONSTANT ON/OFF FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. DURING ONE OF THESE BRAKING MOMENTS ON A CORNER MY CAR ACCELERATED INSTEAD, AS I'M APPLYING THE BRAKE, FOR 1-2 SECONDS. IT'S LIKE A LURCH FORWARD INSTEAD OF A BRAKE. THEN IT CORRECTED ITSELF AND DID NOT DO THIS AGAIN. I ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS PHENOMENON WHEN DRIVING IN THE SNOW IN 2019. IT OCCURRED 3-4 TIMES WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE SNOW APPLYING THE BRAKE FREQUENTLY. THE CAR WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY LURCH FORWARD WHILE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. EACH TIME I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS I WAS DRIVING WITH ECO MODE ON, PRESSING THE BRAKE FREQUENTLY FOR A DURATION OF TIME. IT'S AS IF THE CAR GETS CONFUSED OR IS TRYING TO SWITCH GEARS. THIS IS MY FIRST AWD VEHICLE.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 28, 2020
I HAVE HAD MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER FOR 18 MONTHS. I HAVE 15,500 MILES AND SUDDENLY MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM CENTER TO 13" UP TOWARDS THE DRIVER SIDE. I DO NOT SEE AN IMPACT ON GLASS. NO APPARENT NOISE OF ROCK OR DEBRIS. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 44 DEGREES AND RAINING. I TRAVEL THE SAME ROUTE TO WORK FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS WITH NO APPARENT SIGNS OF CONSTRUCTION OR LOOSE ROAD MATERIAL. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU DEALER WITH NO CALL BACK. I HAVE READ SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF EMINENT DANGER OF VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO A FRACTURE LIKE THIS. NOT TO MENTION MY OWN LINE OF SIGHT THAT COULD BE IMPAIRED.
Steering, Lane departure, Dec 28, 2020
I NOTICED A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH SUBARU'S LANE KEEP ASSIST SAFETY FEATURE: WHEN DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY OVER AN AREA WHERE THE DOTTED LINE HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER WITH DARK PAINT (BY ROAD WORKERS TO COVER IT UP FOR A NEW LANE TO BE PAINTED) LANE KEEP ASSIST REGISTERED IT AS A LINE THAT STILL EXISTS AND FORCEFULLY STEERED ME INTO THE LANE ON MY LEFT. TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN THAT LANE, I FORCEFULLY TURNED TO THE WHEEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. LUCKILY I AM A HEALTHY MAN WHO WAS ABLE TO STEER MYSELF BACK INTO MY LANE, BUT IT TURNED MY WHEEL WITH ABOUT THREE TIMES THE FORCE OF REGULAR LANE ASSIST: I THINK MANY PEOPLE INCLUDING YOUNGER PEOPLE AND THE ELDERLY ARE AT AN EVEN HIGHER RISK LEVELS IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL LIKE I DID. IT WAS A MUCH MORE FORCEFUL TURN THAN SUBARU'S REGULAR 'NON-URGENT' LANE KEEP ASSIST. THERE WERE NO VISUAL OBSTRUCTIONS PRESENT THAT THE EYESIGHT CAMERA WAS PICKING UP: IT WAS REGISTERING THE OLD LINE THAT HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THIS A SAFETY RISK FOR ANY TYPE OF ROAD WORK THAT PAINTS OVER LINES DURING CONSTRUCTION OR REPAINTING, BUT THIS ALSO POSES AN IMMEDIATE DANGER TO LIFE AND HEALTH TO PEOPLE DRIVING ON ROADS WITH LINES THAT HAVE BEEN PAINTED OVER AND LEFT IN THAT CONDITION. THE COMPUTER REGISTERED THE DARK LINE, MEANT TO VISUALLY COVER UP THE OLD PAINT, AS A WHITE LINE! I CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE AND NOT JUST INCIDENTAL WITH ME. I FOUND A POST ON A SUBARU FORUM WHERE TWO PEOPLE DESCRIBE THE SAME SITUATION I HAD. I WILL LINK THAT BELOW. HTTPS://WWW.ASCENTFORUMS.COM/THREADS/LANE-KEEP-ASSIST-MALFUNCTION.9530/ I TRIED REACHING OUT TO SUBARU BUT THEY DID NOT REPLY. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO MY SUBARU DEALER WHO ONLY CHECKED FOR RECALLS. I NEED THIS TO GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE HERE. THEY PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE.
Other or unspecified, Dec 26, 2020
26,000 MILES ON MY CAR NO REAL REASON AS TO WHY MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. BUT IT DID, THERE WAS NO WINDSHIELD CHIP. IT JUST DECIDED TO CRACK. REALLY FRUSTRATING WHILE OUT OF TOWN. COSTS $1200.00.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 24, 2020
MY FORESTER HAVE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT ANY REASON. NO STONE HITTING NO CHIPS. JUST BROKEN WHILE IT'S PARKED. IT'S DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.