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/wiper, Apr 6, 2023
The front windshield on my 2019 Subaru Forester has cracked for no apparent reason. The crack arcs upward from the base of the driver's left side near the wiper blade through the middle part of the lower center windshield approximately 20-22 inches. The crack occurred while the car was parked overnight outdoors. There is no apparent impact damage. The crack appears between the inner and outer layers of the windshield and cannot be physically felt. I have attached four photos of my vehicle's windshield that illustrate the placement and the length of the crack.
Other or unspecified, Apr 2, 2023
Thermocontrol valve failure. Part failure common to this vehicle make and model. Part has been repaired at this time. However Subaru is aware of the part failure reference service bulletin DTC # P2682 & P26Ax** / Thermo Control Valve – Design Change. Number: 09-80-21. Date: 02/28/2022. I believe this should be a recall as it is a part failure. If valve fails while closed prevents vehicle operation and can cause unexpected vehicle breakdown in traffic.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 27, 2023
Spontaneous Windshield Crack on Subaru Forester he windshield of our vehicle spontaneously cracked without any apparent cause or visual impact. At the time of the incident, there was no visible debris, rocks, or other potential hazards on the road that could have caused the crack. Additionally, the vehicle was not involved in any collisions nor exposed to extreme temperatures or conditions that could have contributed to this occurrence. The sudden appearance of the crack has raised concerns about the integrity of the windshield and the overall safety of the vehicle. We kindly request an investigation into this matter to determine the cause of the crack, and if it is determined to be a manufacturing defect, we request the necessary repairs or replacement of the windshield at no cost to us. Furthermore, we would appreciate any additional guidance on how to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Visibility, Mar 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, upon starting the vehicle, the contact noticed there was a crack on the driver’s side windshield that was approximately 8-inches long. The contact believed that the crack was caused by the dramatic change in the weather. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Power train, Mar 19, 2023
The Thermo Control Valve had went out. When the valve went out, the Subaru Eyesight became disabled. This also turned off the forward collision, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane departure, and rear cross traffic warning and braking. Subaru has a service bulletin, 09-80-21, stating the issue.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly unintendedly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to regain control of the vehicle. The contact stated that approximately 10 minutes after the first failure, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
Suspension, Electrical system, Engine, Mar 9, 2023
March 9, 2023 at 7 AM, I was driving in Philadelphia and traffic had slowed slightly and I was going 5 MPH, coming to a stop in traffic when my car completely "froze", and all the lights on the dashboard came on and it said "auto start disabled" and my car would not move. I tried to hit "start/stop" button but nothing worked and I tried to hit my blinkers so I could warn the cars behind me, but nothing worked in the car and it was stalled. This was the situation for 4 full minutes. I am lucky the cars behind me were paying attention and did not hit my car when it abruptly stopped like that with no warning at all. I am really concerned about this car's safety. This issue occurred to the same car in 2021 and I made an incident report then as well. The dealership said it was due to a faulty hood sensor which they replaced but the same exact thing happened a few times in 2021. I think there is some problem in the car's wiring or electrical system that is not being addressed. This is unsafe and a safety hazard for me and other cars on the road. Subaru needs to address this.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Feb 21, 2023
Auto safety systems compromised with illumination of check engine light and engine temp warning light. Subaru dealership service department determined problem with Thermo Control Valve. Engine was not overheating as the vehicle was being driven in winter time, February in Alaska. Only indication of problem was indicator lights and reduced heat from cabin heat system. Vehicle went into "limp" mode as soon as warning lights illuminated, disabling advanced safety systems.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 9, 2023
A small rock chipped the windshield and unlike other windshields, it grew into a crack extremely quickly all the way across the windshield I feel like there is a problem with the Subaru windshields as this occured to other people with Suburaru vehicles I feel like the windshield glass is very thin to have the spread and spidering go across so fast.
Engine, Feb 9, 2023
Thermo Control Valve went bad only after 4 years of owning a car. I do mostly highway driving put very little stress on the car. I think thermo Control Valve going bad just within 4 year. I suspect the parts to be faulty and it has some design flaw.
Electrical system, Feb 4, 2023
Apparently the electrical system drains the battery when the car is not being used. If I let my car sit for 3 days the battery will be dead when I come out to use it.
Power train, Service brakes, Feb 2, 2023
Driving uphill when the car suddenly jolted, lost power, and all warning lights became illuminated. All safety features were disabled as well. The sudden stop almost resulted in being rear ended and the car was barely drivable afterwards. Diagnostic trouble codes: P26A6, P2004, P2005, P060B, P0191, P24B9, P2200, P2400.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 23, 2023
The windshield cracked and spiderwebbed.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 20, 2023
The windshield cracked for no apparent reason. It was parked in the drive way and just cracked out of nowhere.
Visibility, Jan 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact on the windshield that might have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,500.
Electrical system, Jan 16, 2023
First, the driver's side window would not go up when rolled down, but instead went up and down on its own, until I stopped the car and restarted it. A few days after that, on Friday, January 13, 2023 while on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light. All of a sudden beeping started happening, the "Eyesight" light came on, other things were showing, and the car died. I was too freaked out to notice anything else. I put the car in park and restarted it, and it was fine. Today, January 16, 2023, the exact same thing happened when I was stopped at a traffic light, again on a very busy highway. I am extremely worried and will be contacting the dealership tomorrow.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 13, 2023
Windshield was found cracked after parked for no apparent reason. Crack starts at the passenger side A pillar and goes 10 inches inward.
Engine, Dec 22, 2022
2019 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD ILLUMINATED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.
Engine, Dec 22, 2022
The Subaru Forester 2019 Thermo Control Valve (TCV) fails. It is responsible for cabin temperature but also engine temperature and can result in overheating. There are numerous reports that this is a frequent problem and dealerships want to charge $1200+ to replace. It is certainly a design flaw and should be issued for recall. Mine is available for inspection and has been inspected by the dealership. It was first detected by a check engine light.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 21, 2022
There have been multiple incidents where the automatic collision braking system has almost caused me to be in an accident. Although it can be turned off, you must remember to do it manually each time you turn the car on. The dealership has not offered a choice to have this dangerous feature permanently disabled. In this incident, traffic in front of me started to slow down significantly, and I started to make a lane change into the left lane which was open. In the middle of the lane change, the brakes slammed on, which meant if anyone was approaching in the left, they would have to quickly slam theirs on to not rear end me. It is honestly very scary to find yourself suddenly not in control of your vehicle when a human is better able to interpret a constantly evolving situation than a computer system. Case in point, the last time I was scared half to death, the brakes slammed on while I was driving unobstructed as a car pulled out from a store far ahead of me into the lane to my right. I was in the middle lane. At no time was the car crossing into my lane. It had just started to pull out, and my brakes slammed on. If the person behind me didn’t think fast, I would have been hit. There have been lawsuits against Subaru’s eyesight feature because it misinterprets items like trash cans or cones as obstacles. The braking system is going to cause serious harm to someone, and I personally am tired of almost being in accidents because the car brakes without warning. I don’t know at this point what to do to get it disable. Safety features aren’t supposed to cause harm.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 18, 2022
The engines shut down or stalled on me while driving completely. It did not accelerate when I was trying to move the car off the road. the engines sputtered / shaken , all the lights came up on the dash board, smokes started to come out of my engines. this problem is similar to the recent Subaru recall on the fuel pump. Please add 2019 Forester on your list of recalls. This is a serious and dangerous issue, i could have been killed if I was dring on the freeway. I was lucky it shut down on a little local street when I was dring slow , about 30 - 35 mpg. Imagine if this happened on the freeway, it could have created a chain reaction , and a lot more people will be involved, and deaths might be involved. Please add Subaru 2019 forester sport on your list immediately because deaths involved. Thank you.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 16, 2022
Random crack in lower passenger side windshield area. Nothing hit windshield. Appeared during the day as temperatures warmed up. Crack goes from the bottom to the center.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 16, 2022
The Thermo Control Valve has stopped working It causes the engine to overheat while drive. The windows fog up in the cold making it hard to because the defrost does not work Yes by an independent service center No No the engine light came while I was drive.
Electrical system, Dec 14, 2022
Battery drain quickly. Overnight battery drain. Car driven for over 40 miles and the following day the battery is drained and won't start. Car left for one week with out driving - battery drained and won't start.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 10, 2022
Car stalls out sometimes when running while stopped. This is not the stop/start system. Also, driver door power window will sometimes raise and lower on its own.