Complaint volume
831 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2019 Subaru Forester Complaints
831 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Subaru Forester, grouped by component category.
831 Total complaints
35 Crash reports
11 Fire reports
15 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 35 crash reports, 11 fire reports, 15 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 467 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 13,263 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2019 Subaru Forester?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2019 Subaru Forester
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2019 Subaru Forester complaints?
35 Crash
11 Fire
15 Injury
1 Fatality
37 Towed
11 Medical attention
What are the most common 2019 Subaru Forester complaint categories?
VISIBILITY/WIPER 346
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 98
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 73
ENGINE 35
VISIBILITY 32
POWER TRAIN 11
STRUCTURE 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 10
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 10
831 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2022 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the car wash waiting for his turn, the vehicle accelerated suddenly and unintendedly, and crashed into a concrete brick wall. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a whiplash, laceration on the left arm, muscle injuries in the back, skin abrasion on the upper arm, Skull laceration. The contact was pinned in his seat by the shoulder strap of the seat belt. The contact was transported to the hospital with the assistance of the emergency units. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where it was totaled. No police report was filed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 14,000 |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Battery keeps on dying and doesn’t hold charge. Vehicle has less than 8000 miles on it. 3 weeks ago my vehicle was parked in my garage for one week while I was on vacation and the battery was dead and needed to be jump started. Last week My vehicle was in the garage for 8 days and would not start again and needed to be jump started. Then 4 days had passed since the vehicle was jump started and this morning would not start again. Each time it was parked in my garage with nothing running inside, but the battery keeps failing. I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow to review. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The windshield on my 2019 Subaru has cracked for the second time. This has taken away many of the safety features that comes with the car due to the cameras not working properly or not at all. This second time it cracked its cost me money through my insurance company. No one has physically seen my windshield except me. I currently have photos with Progressive and they’re still reviewing my claim. This happened once before when a cement crew had sawed cement fibers into the side of my car and just so happened to crack the windshield in the process. But the angle from which they were spraying the cement fibers didn’t make sense at the time. Then it cracked a second time and I looked online. I found the lawsuit and other people complaining online about their windshields as well. The second time it cracked, I do not know how. I came out to my car to find an impact point and spider cracks coming from it. I’m thinking a rock hit it on the highway but didn’t fully crack until it snowed or something. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I purchased a used 2019 Forester in the summer of 2020. By September 2021, I was having electrical issues - the car wouldn't start and the battery died. I had the car taken to a dealership, they replaced the battery and the alternator (they told me that the alternator was defective and broke the battery). I got the car back in October 2021. In December 2021, I had just driven for 2 hours and stopped to get gas. When I got back in, the car wouldn't start - the battery was dead again. This time, the AAA person who came to get me took a look at it and said that he thought it might start if he tightened the bolts for the electrical wires leading to the battery. That seemed to fix it. It's now March 2021. Yesterday, I walked outside to find my car battery dead again! I jumped it, and drove it around to allow the battery to recharge. I went in somewhere for dinner, came back out over an hour later, and it started. Today, it's dead again! This appears to be a consistent problem with Subaru vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | The failure is affected by the braking system and control logic of the ignition key switch, gear shift and emergency break button. A coffee cup at the drive through collapsed spilling coffee. Through a sequence of moves I found myself rolling out of the drive up line, across the parking lot right towards the sidewalk and highway on the other side. The engine was off, the brakes would not function, I could not move the shift lever and the ignition key would not re-start the car! I had no control or ability to change anything in the span of 10 seconds. Only the landscaped run of bushes at the edge of the parking lot saved us. At the drive up window the car was in neutral. I could not change the position of the shifter if I had my foot on the break as we were rolling. Nor could I restart the engine with my foot off the break and rolling. At the end of the roll when stopped I think the shift lever was in the reverses R position. Despite several tries I could not operate the emergency break. There were no warnings from the smart car system. I was able to test out a few sequences that would cause the same circumstances. I did not go to the dealer yet, there were no police involved or damage done other than hot coffee on me and my front seat. Engineers designing "smarts" in new vehicles have over-engineered the controls creating a major overall hazard because the systems are too complicated. More training for new car owners is not a solution. Up until the 21st century cars had a true emergency break that could be operated by hand or foot to apply the rear emergency brakes. Now they are all operated electronically with a button, which is not available unless the car is running. This is not just a problem with our car. It is a problem with most autos built today, domestic and foreign. Somewhere along the line we lost our focus on what an emergency brake is for. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | In June 2020 a rock on the highway hit my windshield and by the time I had arrived at my destination, the crack had grown to over 6 inches in length, so a replacement was required. It was replaced by safelite in July 2020 (limited staff due to COVID). In April of 2021 my windshield was again struck by a rock from the highway and, while it started as less than 4 inches in length, quickly grew to over 6 inches within a matter of days. Since this would be the second time replacing my windshield and I still needed to commute 30 minutes to work via the highway for another couple months, I withheld reaching out to Safelite to get my windshield replaced until I could move residence and not have to take the highway every day. It was replaced in July of 2021. This ended up being the wise decision, as between April 2021 and July 2021 the windshield sustained two more cracks, for a total of 3 well over 6 inches each. Yesterday, March 10, 2022 my windshield was once again struck. This time it looks like if it were hit with a baseball bat, but I was on the highway, so it may have been a bird. I am aware of a current lawsuit against Subaru for weak windshields on 2017-2020 vehicles, which my 2019 Forester falls into, so I can't help but wonder if it's just really bad luck, or a bad lot of weak/defective windshields. I know Safelite fixed them instead of Subaru, but I am under the impression that they were made by the same manufacturer that supplies the windshields to Subaru. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Driving vehicle in a busy intersection and all of a sudden the electrical power went out. Battery is completely drained. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the battery had drained while parked overnight on several occasion. The contact had experienced the failure approximately seven times. The battery would be jumpstarted and the vehicle would operate as needed. The low battery warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The dealer replaced the battery on one occasion however, the failure persisted. The contact became aware online that there was an electrical issue with the vehicle that prevented certain electrical functions from going into sleep mode once the vehicle was turned off, causing the battery to become drained. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 600. | Crash: No Fire: No | 600 |
| Feb 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I was sitting in park w/ac on and heard a crack looked up, initially saw nothing a few minutes later I saw a crack that has continued to spread. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My 2019 Subaru Forester experienced an unexpected (random) activation of the pre-collision avoidance automatic breaking feature. While driving on a major city road (dry, sunny, typical Arizona conditions) at approx 40-45 mph the system activated despite there being no obstacle (car or otherwise) anywhere near the vehicle. The nearest car was at least about half a mile ahead. The break force applied was the strongest I have experienced in 24 years of driving. This is not the first time I have experience this issue in this specific vehicle. A similar occurrence happened more than a year ago. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | While the vehicle was parked in a driveway, the windshield developed a 10 inch crack in an upside down "J" shape, originating from the bottom edge of the windshield. There were no debris impacts in this area of the windshield and no "pitting" is visible that would have compromised the structural integrity of the windshield. There have been multiple class-action lawsuits related to the issue of cracking windshields and in my opinion this should be investigated and considered for a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Repeated battery failure issues. Vehicle has had to be jumped anytime the vehicle has sat more than eight hours since approximately 01/18/2022. Vehicle has been taken to an auto shop where battery and alternator test was done. Battery has been determined to be okay, simply in need of a charge. Alternator also okay. No indicator/warning lamp or message was given prior to initial or subsequent failures. Vehicle is driven for extended periods of time each day which allows for the battery to be charged. Battery drain occurs when the vehicle is parked and turned off. Key fob kept away from vehicle, doors securely shut, no lights or accessories left on. Repeated battery failure has resulted in my being stranded until someone is available to jump the vehicle. Safety concerns of being stuck away from my home, in freezing temperatures, and/or alone at night. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Windshield cracked for no reason. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | There is a software problem which caused the alternator to not charge the battery correctly, causing the battery to go bad prematurely. The battery was just a few months outside of it's warranty, with it needing to be jump started frequently. It was tested at an Autozone then at the Subaru dealership confirming the bad battery. Subaru dealership confirmed the software malfunction that caused the problem. However, the software update needed was never done and was never communicated as a need. I have always taken the car in for all maintenance and this software update should have been done by Subaru. There was no warning signal/message other than the battery dying multiple times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The car battery in my 2019 Subaru Forester drained completely overnight. The car was stuck in the garage and I could not go anywhere. I had to call for roadside assistance to get the car jumped. The battery power was at 0%. I had driven the car over 1 hour the day before, so it should have had good power stored. It appears to be parasitic power drain that happened overnight. There were no warnings given by the car that the battery power was low. The safety concern is what if I had been in a remote location and this had occurred. That scenario could have produced far more dire results. After the jump, I drove to the Subaru service department and had the battery checked. The Suburu Service Department is denying that any car component is draining the battery. They blamed my situation on ‘human error’, which it was not. There are existing lawsuits against Subaru regarding this same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | cracking in windshield without any impact | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | A very small ding in the windshield turned into a full size crack quickly. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Windshield cracked around September 10 of 2021. Forward warning went off at times since crack. I had windshield replaced and new windshield cracked 4 months later. I must pay $500.00 deductible. Now the crack on new windshield is 3 weeks old and has spread to approximately 15 inches. Windshield must be replaced again. Forward safety now goes off at times as with previous windshield when it was cracked. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Over the weekend, the check engine light came on and I lost heat in my vehicle instantly (like flipping a light switch) after already driving with full heat for about 30 minutes. In addition to losing heat on a zero degree day, the vehicle also lost the capability to circulate and redirect coolant to the engine properly, causing a significant reduction in engine temperature causing it to run nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit less than optimal running temperature. Upon research, the only logical explanation was the failure of the "thermo control valve" which was added to the Subaru lineup starting in 2019, and this was just confirmed as the cause of this incident by the dealer. While coolant issues previously were managed easily in other vehicles, or a slow reduction in the ability of the heating system, having an electronic component control the diversion of coolant in the car for cabin heat and engine heat control seems to be harmful, not only potentially to the engine, but causing the heat to instantly stop to someone that may not be dressed to deal with it while driving in zero degree weather can cause potential significant health problems. This part should not be the sole source of control, let alone be failing without warning after a mere 3 years. In addition, a quick search online provides no information on the product, but many threads of individuals experiencing similar issues, as well as comments that Subaru has recognized it was originally inadequately built and have since produced a more Hardy product to replace them with. The other issue with this part, is that it is below the intake which needs to be removed to replace it. While the intake and other coolant system items are mentioned under warranty, this part is never mentioned. For this being a new addition starting in 2019, it is deeply concerning that there are many accounts for this, with no official messaging from Subaru, for such a critical part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery Failure for the second time since purchase. Yesterday, 2/1/2022, I took my Subaru in due to the battery they replace about 15 months ago went dead two days ago. I was able to jump start to get back home. After sitting in my driveway after getting home two days ago I trie to start my car and again the battery was almost depleted. Not enough energy in the battery to start the car. Summary: Twice within a period of less than three (3) years I have brought my 2019 Subaru Forester in for service due to a dead battery that left me stranded. The battery, both incidents, was able to be jumped started to get home and also into Subaru for service. Both incidents Subaru Service initially said the battery was tested and OK and did not want to replace the battery. First incident: After 2 - 3 days I was back again to service for drained batter and they replaced with new battery. 13 - 15 months later the same exact battery drained and would not start car. Again, service said battery tested OK and would not replace, but my service advisor agreed to replace the batt This is the second time the battery was almost totally depleted and would not start the car. The first battery, that was part of the original purchase, died after owning the new car for about one (1) year. The first incident, I was able to get the car in for service after jumping the battery. The service tech said that the battery tested OK and Subaru would not replace the battery. Two or three days later the battery dies again. This time Subaru put in a replacement battery. Second time same incident, I took into Subaru service and again the tech said the battery tested OK. I then discussed with the Service Rep. and she agreed to mark the battery bad and to have the battery replaced with again another new battery. I asked about the issue of parasitic battery drain, which I learned about searching the web, and I assumed that they tested for this issue, but unsure if this was done. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Crack in windshield that came out of nowhere and just keeps expanding | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Battery 620 CCA. Batter is 28 months old. Inspected by dealer. Dealer determined low battery voltage unknown cause. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My front windshield spontaneously cracked, originated from the center inside/below the visible site line under the rubber edging. This happened in the beginning of January when there was a combination of bitter cold and heavy snows. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield cracks very easily. It has cracked on my 2019 Subaru Forester Premium trim two times in the last two years. This is just from the normal debris flying off the road. The first incident happen in Aug 2020, Second January 2022. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Small rock hit windshield while highway driving and created an impact point in the bottom-center of the windshield, affecting eyesight and requiring a replacement per Subaru dealership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |