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, Jul 18, 2020
VEHICLE COMPLETELY DEAD FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. NO WARNING. I TAKE 27 MILE EACH WAY TRIPS SEVERAL LIMES A WEEK AS WELL A DAILY SHORT 3MILE EACH WAY TRIPS. THIS SAME PATTERN OF DRIVING WITH BOTH A FORD ESCAPE AND A HYUNDAI FOR MORE THEN TEN YEARS. THIS SUBARU FORESTER HAS LESS THAN 12,000 MILES. NO LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON. THERE WAS A SOUND THAT I HEARD LAST NIGHT THAT I OCCASIONALLY HEAR THE WHURR NOISE AND A KLUNK AS I EXITED THE FORESTER. I ALSO HEARD A WHIRRING SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT SOUND AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK THURSDAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE A VACUUM PUMP THAT I THOUGHT WAS A FUEL EVAPORATION RECOVERY SYSTEM. IT WAS A HOT DAY AND I HAD THE A/C RUNNING AS I DROVE.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 14, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY
Visibility/wiper, Jul 7, 2020
COMPARE TO MY PREVIOUS 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THIS 2019 SUBARU FORESTER IS VERY EASY TO GET CHIP IN THE SAME ROUTE OF GOING TO WORK FROM HOME. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHIP OR CRACK ON 2016 SUBARU FORESTER'S WINDSHIELD BUT I NOTICED THIS 2019 FORESTER'S WINDSHIELD HAS A LOT CHIPS ON THE WINDSHIELD AND COMPLAIN TO DEALER IN JUNE 2019 AND THEY TAKE A LOOK BUT SAID IT IS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND REJECT TO REPLACE IT. AT THAT TIME, MY CAR ONLY HAS AROUND 2100 MILES. RECENTLY MY CAR GET HIP BY ROCK AND THE WINDSHIELD IS START CRACKING FROM THE CHIP. IF SUBARU WANT TO HAVE THE SELLING POINT FOR EYESIGHT AND USE THE CHEAP WINDSHIELD TO SAVE THE TOTAL COST OF CAR AND GIVING CUSTOMER MORE PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. I WAS VERY UPSET THEY DID THAT AND LOSING MY TRUST TO THEM.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 3, 2020
JUST GOT ANOTHER CRACK ON WINDSHIELD.. NOTICED TINY STAR 3 INCHES FROM RIGHT SIDE ..WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY .WITHIN MINUTES IT SPREAD TO A 2 FT CRACK . REPLACING WINDSHIELD FOR THE 3 RD TIME . CAR HAS ONLY 8200 MILES ON IT . APPARENTLY WINDSHIELDS ARE DEFECTIVE . VERY UNHAPPY . TAKES HOURS TO RECALIBRATE WINDSHIELD AFTER REPLACEMENT .
Visibility/wiper, Jul 2, 2020
WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, OUR WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING, WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING STRIKE WINDSHIELD, BUT ASSUMED IT WAS A PEBBLE. WE HAD IT REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP. ONE MONTH LATER, A PEBBLE DID MAKE A DING ON WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. WHILE THAT DING WAS BEING REPAIRED (FILLED), THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED... THUS, NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.
Electrical system, Jun 25, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GPS WAS PROVIDING UNSAFE DIRECTIONS WHEN DRIVING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PREMIER SUBARU WATERTOWN, 795 STRAITS TURNPIKE, WATERTOWN, CT 06795, AND WAS INFORMED THAT SHE WOULD NEED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000.
Equipment, Other or unspecified, Jun 25, 2020
THE GPS SYSTEM IS UNSAFE. IT SAYS "EXIT RIGHT AHEAD", WHICH WOULD IMPLY THAT YOU SHOULD EXIT AT THE NEXT EXIT. BUT IT SAYS THIS WHEN THE EXIT PROGRAMMED IS THE 2ND OR 3RD EXIT. MY WIFE TRIED TO EXIT AT THE NEXT EXIT, AND THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE, SHE REALIZED THAT IT WAS WRONG AND SHE SWERVED BACL ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. SUBURU HAS TO REPROGRAM THE GPS SYSTEM SO THAT IT DOESN'T SAY "EXIT RIGHT AHEAD" WHEN IT ISN'T THE CORRECT EXIT. THEY SHOULD THEN ISSUE A RECALL AND REPROGRAM SUBURU OWNERS GPS SYSTEM FOR FREE. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 25, 2020
I FIRST NOTICED A SMALL NICK IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BACK IN FEBRUARY 2020. IN JUNE OF 2020, IT TURNED INTO A CRACK THAT RUNS 1/2 THE LENGTH OF THE WINDSHIELD. I'VE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE NICK AND CRACK. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 24, 2020
WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING, SECOND WINDSHIELD NOW DEALERSHIP DISCLOSED THAT MY WINDSHIELD IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND BREAKS EASILY ALSO ABOUT THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR
Visibility, Other or unspecified, Jun 22, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKING. *TR
Visibility, Other or unspecified, Jun 22, 2020
IN JUNE 2019, 2 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER, A VERY SMALL ROCK HIT THE BOTTOM OF MY WINDSHIELD AND IMMEDIATELY CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD 6 INCHES, WHICH IS ABOVE THE LEGAL ROCK CHIP REPAIR LENGTH. SO I WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. I WAS ON THE I-15 FREEWAY DIVING 80 MILES PER HOUR, THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 22, 2020
BEFORE I REACHED THE 20K MILES MARK, I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. IT SEEMS ANY SMALL BEAD OR ROCK CAUSES THE WINDSHIELD ON THIS MODEL TO SHATTER VERY EASILY. I HAVE OWNED AN OLDER SUBARU MODEL THAT I HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THE SAME ROADS WITHOUT ANY ISSUE. BECAUSE OF I-SIGHT THIS WINDSHIELD IS EXTRA EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE AND VERY DIFFICULT TO REPAIR IF IT IS IN THE WAY OF THE I-SIGHT CAMERAS. $1,600 FIX. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 21, 2020
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NEXT THING I KNEW THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK THAT FORMED ACROSS MY WINDSHIELD. I DIDN'T SEE OR HEAR ANYTHING AND THEN SAW THE CRACK SPIRAL. WHEN I LOOKED THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY SMALL CHIP IN THE BLACK AREA OF THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT CHIP IN THE BOTTOM CORNER TURNED IN TO A CRACK AT LEAST HALF AS LONG AS THE WINDSHIELD.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 15, 2020
DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY I NOTICED A SMALL PEBBLE, NO BIGGER THAN THE VERY TIP OF MY PINKY FINGER COMING TOWARDS MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDSHIELD. IT HIT THE UPPER PART OF MY DRIVER-SIDE WINDSHIELD. UPON IMPACT THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE DAMAGE. LESS THAN A MILE DOWN THE ROAD A VERY VISIBLE GROWING CRACK WAS OCCURRING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. NATURALLY, I HAVE HAD CAR WINDOWS CRACK IN THE PAST, THERE WAS SOMETHING STRANGELY BIZARRE AND DANGEROUS ABOUT THIS CRACK. UPON ARRIVING 2 HOURS LATER AT MY DESTINATION I WAS GREETED BY MY FATHER WHOM I REITERATED THE ACCOUNT TOO. HE SEEMED ASTONISHED BY THE SIZE AND DEPTH OF THE CRACK THROUGH THE GLASS. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 15, 2020
I HAVE A SECOND CRACKED WINDSHIELD ON MY FORESTER, WHICH I HAVE OWNED FOR 19 MONTHS, AND HAS JUST OVER 23,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IN BOTH CASES, I NOTICED THE CRACKS AFTER GOING OUT TO START THE CAR IN THE MORNING. THOSE MORNINGS, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE LAST TIME I DROVE THE CAR, AND I COULDN'T THINK OF A NOISE I HEARD, WHICH YOU WOULD TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH A FOREIGN OBJECT HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. NOTHING. NO MATTER HOW FAINT. THE FIRST CRACKED WINDSHIELD HAPPENED AT JUST OVER 10,000 MILES, AND THE SECOND HAPPENED AT 19,500 MILES. I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS AN ENGINEERING ISSUE WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA. I VOICED THIS CONCERN TO THE EMPLOYEES AT SUBARU, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT IS WAS NOT AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWO CRACKS STARTED WITHIN 4 INCHED OF EACH OTHER, BY MY ESTIMATE, SLIGHTLY LEFT OF CENTER IF LOOKING AT IT FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, AND NEAR TO BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS MATTER. *TR
Visibility, Jun 15, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
Other or unspecified, Jun 14, 2020
PURCHASED NEW JAN.9,1919.ON JUNE 13,2020 CAR WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, OFF WITH WINDOWS CLOSED.MY WIFE OPENED DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO REMOVE AN ITEM.WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR, THE HATCH BACK WINDOW SHATTERED SPONTANEOUSLY.WE WERE AND ARE SHOCKED.SPOKE WITH OUR SALESMEN WHO REJECTED OUR CLAIM FOR DAMAGE.
Visibility, Visibility/wiper, Jun 13, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT 3,400 MILES. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 13, 2020
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A YEAR THAT OUR 2019 FORESTER'S WINDSHIELD HAS SUDDENLY CRACKED WITHOUT BEING STRUCK. TODAY WE WERE DRIVING AND HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A POP (PICTURE WHEN YOU POUR COLD WATER ON HOT GLASS) AND WATCHED OUR PREVIOUSLY REPLACED WINDSHIELD CRACK STARTING AT THE EDGE ABOVE THE DRIVERS SIDE EYESIGHT CAMERA AND TRAVEL TO THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR IS 13 MONTHS OLD AND HAS 10,500 MILES. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD OR DEBRIS IN THE AIR, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT OUR WINDSHIELD HAS SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE EDGE TOWARD THE CENTER, BLOCKING THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM. *TR
Visibility, Other or unspecified, Jun 12, 2020
WINDSHIELD IS FRAGILE. THE WINDOW SHIELD HAD ROCK CHIP IN THE FIRST MONTH I GOT THE CAR. AFTER 1 YEAR, I GOT ANOTHER ROCK CHIP THAT CRACKED IT SO BAD, A HUG LINE RUNS ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD MULTIPLE CARS BEFORE, THIS CAR IS PROBABLY THE MOST FRAGILE GLASS I EVER EXPERIENCE. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 11, 2020
MY FRONT WINDSHIELD RECEIVED A SMALL CHIP IN THE LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE SEVERAL DAYS AGO. TODAY, AFTER LEAVING THE CAR PARKED AND NOT DRIVING IT A LARGE CRACK HAS BEGUN PROPAGATING ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A LARGE CRACK GROW FROM SUCH A SMALL NICK BEFORE. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jun 10, 2020
A CRACK, LONGER THAN 16 INCHES, HAS DEVELOPED ON THE WINDSHIELD WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED. THERE WAS NO CRACK WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED IN ITS PLACE. IT APPEARS TO HAVE DEVELOPED WITHOUT ANY EXTERNAL INFLUENCE. *TR
Visibility, Visibility/wiper, Jun 2, 2020
WINDSHIELD STARTED A 6INCH CRACK WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE WIPERS WERE SITTING AT. IN ABOUT 12 HOURS, IT CRACK TO MORE THAN 12 INCH LONGER. ON DIFFERENT ONLINE FORUMS ABOUT SUBARU SUVS, THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD APPEARS TO BE A FREQUENT, COMMON, YET NOT ADDRESSED PROBLEM BY SUBARU. *TR
Visibility/wiper, May 23, 2020
PURCHASED USED 2019 SUBARU FORESTER FROM VROOM 4/07/2020. WINDSHIELD STARTING CRACKING HORIZONTALLY ABOUT DRIVERS EYESIGHT. CRACKING LINES VISIBLE IN PARALLEL LINES IN TWO AREAS 2" - 3" MOVING TO PASSENGER SIDE. NO HIGHWAY ROCK/PEBBLE DAMAGE NOTED ANYWHERE ON WINDSHIELD. TAKING VEHICLE TO AUTO GLASS SHOP TO CONFIRM IS CRACKS BECOMING A LARGER PROBLEM. CRACKS CAN BE SEEN WHEN FACING SUNLIGHT. *TR
Visibility, May 19, 2020
WITHOUT BEING HIT BY ANY ROCKS OR OTHER OBJECTS, THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK WHILE IT WAS PARKED. THE CRACK DEVELOPED FROM THE BASELINE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND IS ABOUT 9 INCHES LONG. *TR