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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHEN DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, THE GPS GIVES AN AUDIO COMMAND "EXIT RIGHT AHEAD", BUT IT IS NOT FOR THE NEXT EXIT. IT IS FOR ONE OR EVEN TWO EXITS LATER. THIS IS VERY MISLEADING AND NEARLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE WHEN WE REALIZED THAT WE SHOULD NOT GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, WE VEERED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SUBURU SHOULD REPROGRAM ALL THE GPS SYSTEMS ON THIS MODEL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Sep 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD DELAMINATED FROM THE INSIDE, FROM THE ATTACHMENT, WHERE THE REARVIEW MIRROR WAS MOUNTED AND CAUSED THE REARVIEW MIRROR TO DETACH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE FITZGERALD COUNTRYSIDE SUBARU DEALER LOCATED AT 27365 US HWY 19 N, CLEARWATER, FL 33761, WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE CORPORATE WARRANTY, PER THE POLICY OF SUBARU OF AMERICA, THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT A DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,900. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,900 |
| Sep 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD A SMALL PEBBLE HIT MY WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT THE CREATE A SMALL CRACK. I HAD TO GET IT FILLED SINCE TO REPLACE TO WINDSHIELD WOULD REQUIRE CALIBRATING THE EYE SIGHT SENORS. OTHER NORMAL DERBIES HAVE HIT MY CAR ON THE ROADS TO AND HAS CAUSED ALOT OF SCRATCHING ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO BE VERY THIN OR NOT THAT STRONG. WHEN THINGS TO DO HIT THE WINDSHIELD I DON'T GET THE SAME FEELING OF SAFETY I DO IN OTHER CARS. I GET THE FEELING THE WINDSHIELD WONT HOLD UP TO ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT BASED ON HOW FRAGILE IT FEELS AND SOUNDS WHEN THINGS HIT IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Sep 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | A CRACK HAS DEVELOPED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD. NO IMPACT OCCURRED WITH ANY OBJECT. INTERNET RESEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE IN TORQUE NEWS DATED 20 JUN 20 BY DENIS FLIERL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,152 |
| Sep 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE WINDSHIELD HAS 3 CHIPS AND A 12 INCH LONG CRACK RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY FOR 3 CRACKS THE LAST CHIPS IS FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Sep 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SOMETHING WENT VERY WRONG IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE WINDSHIELD. WITHIN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS, I NOTICE VERY SMALL DEFECTS (SMALL, PINPOINT SIZED FRACTURES) IN THE WINDSHIELD. NOW, I HAVE A 20 INCH CRACK THAT GROWS 1 INCH EVERY DAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD SEEMINGLY CRACKED SPONTANEOUSLY (NO OBSERVED IMPACT WITH PROJECTILE LIKE A STONE). VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT MODERATE SPEED (~45 MPH) WHEN CRACK "POPPED". NO IMPACT FROM PROJECTILE WAS HEARD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| Sep 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I STARTED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY, WANTED TO BACK IN TO PARK, GOT OUT OF THE RUNNING CAR TO CHECK SOMETHING, CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND ME AND THEN TRIED TO GET BACK IN BUT THE CAR LOCKED ITSELF. I HAVE MY KEY ON ME BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO OPEN THE CAR, THE KEY DOESN'T WORK. I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR MANUALLY AND THAT DIDN'T WORK EITHER. I'M STANDING NEXT TO MY LOCKED, RUNNING CAR. IT'S AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. HAD MY BABY BEEN IN THE CAR, IT WOULD BE LIFE THREATENING! THIS IS ABSURD! THIS CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AND IT'S SCARY. THIS SHOULD BE A LAWSUIT. THIS IS A HORRIBLE MISTAKE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED STAT. I'M EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND DISAPPOINTED WITH SUBARU. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,041 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ABOUT 12" LONG, FROM THE BOTTOM UP INTO THE VIEWING AREA WHILE SITTING IN A DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,300 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WHEN DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY A PEA SIZED PEBBLE STRUCK THE VERY TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD, WHERE IT ADJOINS THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY A 16 INCH CRACK APPEARED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE PEBBLE WAS SO SMALL, A NORMAL WINDSHIELD SHOULD NOT HAVE CRACKED. I BELIEVE THE WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE. IT WILL COST OVER $1200 TO REPLACE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,000 |
| Aug 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2019 SUBARU FORESTER WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED BY ITSELF DURING DRIVING IN A HOT DAY. NOTHING HIT THE WINDOW THE TIME IT HAPPENED. REVIEWED DASH CAM AND CONFIRMED NOTHING HIT THE WINDOW. CIRCULAR CRACK WHICH CAN BE BARELY FELT FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT DEEP ALMOST INTO THE 2ND LAYER OF GLASS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,000 |
| Aug 2020 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | WHEN DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE CAR LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS .HAD TO PULL OVER AND LET CAR SIT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES THEN RESTARTED CAR. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BUT IT HAD VERY LOW POWER. CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE LOW POWER AND HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. CAR HAD 38,467 MILES AT THIS TIME. CAR FREQUENTLY HAS A KICKBACK FEEL WHEN ACCELERATING. WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL IT HAS A DELAY RESPONSE TO MOVE. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS ALSO A NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR AXEL OF CAR SINCE CAR WAS PURCHASED. DEALER CONTINUES TO SAY IT'S A TIRE NOISE AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BELIEVE THE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 38,467 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | PARKED VEHICLE IN GARAGE. TWO DAYS LATER, FOUND A 2 FOOT CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. I SEE NO PLACE ALONG THE CRACK WHERE AN OBJECT MIGHT HAVE HIT THE WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,935 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM AN UNKNOWN REASON. NOTHING WAS HEARD OR SEEN TO HIT THE WINDSHIELD. WINDOW CRACKED ALMOST THREE FEET ACROSS | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME, THE WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPED A CRACK WITHOUT ANY PERCEPTIBLE IMPACT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 24,000 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED HORIZONTALLY OVERNIGHT AND EXPANDED FROM PASSENGER'S TO OF THE WINDSHIELD TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE. NO APPARENTLY REASON FOR THE CRACK DUE TO ANY IMPACT IN THE WAY THAT A NORMAL SAFE AUTO GLASS SHOULD HAVE (SEE PICS). MANY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER'S OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INCIDENT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Aug 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | RECEIVED A SMALL CHIP IN WINDSHIELD (APPROX1/16") FROM A WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A TINY TINY PEBBLE, ABOUT A WEEK LATER LEFT CAR OUT ALL DAY IN THE SUN. WHEN I APPROACHED THE CAR, I NOTICED MY 1/16" CHIP TURNED INTO A 15" CRACK. I.E ONE DAY IN THE SUN TURNED A 1/16" CHIP INTO A 15" CRACK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,786 |
| Aug 2020 | STRUCTURE | CRACKED FRONT WINDSHIELD | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,300 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO BE EXCEEDINGLY WEAK. IN THE LITTLE OVER A YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE I HAVE HAD 2 CRACKS IN MY WINDSHIELD AND 3 CHIPS . THESE HAVE OCCURRED ON A HEAVILY TRAFFICKED HIGHWAY THAT IS CLEAR OF DEBRIS . I HAVE OWNED OLDER SUBARUS BEFORE AND HAVE NEVER HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK OR CHIP. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET AND WINDSHIELD CRACKED VERY EASILY FROM A SMALL ROCK | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH 2019, AND A FEW MONTHS LATER THE WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKED, WITHOUT BEING HIT BY ANYTHING. THIS KIND OF WINDSHIELD HAS THE VISION SENSORS ATTACHED. WE TRIED TO FIX THE CRACK BUT THE FIX DID NOT HOLD, SO THE CRACK HAS EXTENDED TO AT LEAST 15 INCHES LONG. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | CRACK IN WINDSHIELD APPEARED OUT OF SEEMINGLY OUT OF NOWHERE - CAR WAS PARKED IN GARAGE, THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO CRACK THE GLASS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,400 |
| Jul 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY 2019 AND DO NOT DRIVE VERY FAR TO WORK. I DO VERY LITTLE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IN JUNE 2019, WITH LESS THAN 4000 MILES, WE WERE RETURNING HOME FROM A TRIP WHEN WE HEARD THE WINDSHIELD CRACK. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY A ROCK SO WE TURNED THE CLAIM INTO OUR INSURANCE. THEN YESTERDAY, WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD A TINY ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. TODAY THAT TINY PIT HAS CRACKED OVER HALF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE READ THAT SUBARU HAS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THEIR WINDSHIELDS FOR BOTH FORESTER AND OUTBACKS AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE YEARS 2017-2019. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES PREVIOUSLY AND HAVE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WITH NEEDING TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WITH VERY LITTLE TO NO DAMAGE CAUSING THE CRACK. IN ORDER FOR THE EYESIGHT TO WORK PROPERLY YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN APPROVED GLASS COMPANY AND THEN HAVE SUBARU CALIBRATE THE WINDSHIELD. THE COST TO REPLACE IS OVER $1200. SUBARU HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THEIR WINDSHIELD AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. I HAVE READ REVIEWS THAT OWNERS OF 2020 MODELS ARE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,011 |
| Jul 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |