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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY CAR WAS PARKED OUTSIDE FOR A FEW HOURS AND A CRACK APPEARED GOING ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. EARLIER THAT DAY A ROCK HIT IT ON THE ROAD BUT THERE WAS NO CRACK, CRACK SHOWED UP HOURS LATER. VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS WHEN THE CRACKED APPEARED. IT WAS OUTSIDE AND A SUNNY DAY BUT ONLY IN THE 60S. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,200 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED STARTING ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND EXTENDED OVER A FOOT TO THE MIDDLE. NO IMPACT FROM ROCK OR OTHER ROAD DEBRIS OCCURRED WHEN CRACK STARTED. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | A FEW WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING MY BRAND NEW 2019 SUBARU FORESTER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THERE WAS NO ROCK OR ANY DEBRIS THAT FLEW TOWARDS MY WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK STARTED NEAR THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND ANGLED DOWN AND TOWARD THE DRIVER'S SIDE. IT STARTED AT ABOUT 6 INCHES AND PROGRESSED TO AT LEAST A FOOT LONG BY THE END OF THE TRIP. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 500 |
| May 2020 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES IN A SIX-MONTH PERIOD. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE HOOD AND THE THICKNESS OF THE GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE FAILURES. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION WHENEVER THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA FAILED TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE STOP/START FUNCTION WAS REACTIVATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE IDLED ROUGHLY AND LUNGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MOORE CHRYSLER JEEP FIAT (8600 W BELL RD, PEORIA, AZ 85382, 800-757-0140) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50 |
| May 2020 | SUSPENSION | EXTREME SWAY WHILE DRIVING. WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE YESTERDAY GOING FROM LINDALE, TEXAS TO DALLAS, THE WINDS WERE MODERATELY HIGH. HOWEVER THE VEHICLE HAD AN EXTREME SWAY AND WAS VERY EXTREMELY TO SAFELY MAINTAIN. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,800 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A LARGE CRACK WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MILES PER HOUR. THERE WAS NO ROCK CHIP THAT I COULD HEAR OR SEE. AS WITH OTHER FAILURES OF THIS TYPE, SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THE DEALER DO NOT WARRANTY THIS OR ADMIT TO WHAT IS CLEARLY A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL'S WINDSHIELD. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,500 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD HAS SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A LARGE (19") CRACK IN IT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WE BELIEVE SOMETHING VERY SMALL KICKED UP AND HIT IT THE UPPER CORNER DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING ON A FRIDAY, AND THERE WASN'T NOTICEABLE DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS PARKED A FEW MINUTES LATER, BUT THE FOLLOWING MONDAY MORNING, AFTER THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED GARAGE ALL WEEKEND, THERE WAS A VERY LARGE CRACK. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 3,000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAD IT FOR LESS THAN 6 MONTHS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THERE IS A CRACK/CHIP IN MY WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,100 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACK X2 IN NEW SUBARU | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THE TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM (RADIO-AM/FM AND SATELLITE) FREQUENTLY DO NOT WORK ON THE TOUCH SCREEN SYSTEM. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, TAKING THE KEY OUT AND REPEATING THE STARTING PROCESS OF THE VECHICLE DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT OCCURS ABOUT 1 OUT OF 3 TIMES STARTING AND/OR DRIVING THE VEHICLE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS ELECTRONIC SYSTEM IS GOING TO WORK OR NOT. SUBURU NEEDS TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE. IT HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, STATIONARY, OR DRIVING. IT MAY NOT WORK FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THEN STARTS WORKING AGAIN. | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,000 |
| May 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SMALL CRACK IN WINDSHIELD STARTING UNDER PASSENGER WIPER BLADE. NO SUSPECTED DEBRIS IMPACT. CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN DUE TO ONGOING PANDEMIC. HAPPENED WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,000 |
| Apr 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 55 MPH HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND DISCOVERED A LARGE CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. TOOK TO SUBARU DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND HAD WINDSHIELD REPLACED AND "EYESIGHT" GUIDANCE RECALIBRATED AT A SUBSTANTIAL COST | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,223 |
| Apr 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 55 MPH I HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND THEN DISCOVERED A LARGE DIAGONAL CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. TOOK TO SUBARU DEAL WHO CONFIRMED WINDSHIELD NEEDED REPLACING. REPLACEMENT AND RECALIBRATION OF "EYESIGHT" GUIDANCE SYSTEM PERFORMED BY DEALER | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,385 |
| Apr 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT ABOUT 4000 MILES | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Apr 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO ROCKS OR PEBBLES STRUCK THE VEHICLE. CRACKED ON WINDSHIELD APPEAR WHEN IT WAS PARKED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,906 |
| Apr 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | THE VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRIC MIRROR WHERE THE BACK CASING WAS BROKEN. WE WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE WERE TOLD IT WAS A COSMETIC ISSUE ONLY AND THEY ORDERED A MIRROR FOR US. WE LEFT AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING IN A DRIVEWAY TURNED OFF. THE INSURANCE INSPECTOR IS SAYING THE FIRE STARTED IN THE WIRING IN THE DOOR. THE MIRROR OPERATED 100% WITHOUT ISSUES, IT APPEARS MOISTURE FROM RAIN GOT INTO THE MIRROR WIRES WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | 30,000 |
| Apr 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING WHICH QUICKLY GREW TO 22 INCHES | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,900 |
| Apr 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | A UNKNOWN SMALL OBJECT HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHILE I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON A INTERSTATE FREEWAY WHICH CAUSED A LARGE CRACK. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 10,000 MILES ON IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Apr 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SECOND CRACKED WINDSHIELD AFTER ONLY 12,000 MILES. PEBBLE STRIKE ON FREEWAY DEVELOPED INTO HUGE CRACK IN ONLY A MATTER OF MINUTES. I WAS DRIVING SPEED LIMIT AND KEPT DISTANCE FROM CAR IN FRONT OF ME. PICKUP TRUCK PASSING ON LEFT MUST HAVE KICKED UP PEBBLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Apr 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR INFREQUENTLY IF AT ALL FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS AS THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN SHELTERING AT HOME - THIS IS PROBABLY THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STRESS ANY CAR HAS EVER BEEN PUT UNDER. THE LAST TIME I USED MY CAR WAS OVER A WEEK AGO AND OTHERWISE IT'S BEEN SITTING IN MY APARTMENT'S SMALL, OUTDOOR PARKING LOT DOING NOTHING AT ALL. WEATHER FOR THE LAST WEEK HAS BEEN EXTREMELY MODERATE IN THE HIGH 60S FAHRENHEIT AND NO WIND AT ALL. THEN I WENT OUT TO MY CAR TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING AND INSTEAD FOUND A GIANT CRACK EXTENDING ACROSS HALF MY WINDSHIELD AND CURVING DOWN UNDER THE BOTTOM "SEALED" EDGE. THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE AS I HAVEN'T EVEN USED IT. EVEN BEFORE THE CURRENT IMMOBILITY, WITH A 7 MINUTE SUBURBAN COMMUTE THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH GOING ON WITH A CAR SUPPOSEDLY BUILT FOR TOUGH CONDITIONS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,650 |
| Apr 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN DC OF 2018. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAD A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES DATING BACK TO AS EARLY JUNE OF 2019. THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO GET SERVICED. MY FIRST RED FLAG. THEN THE BATTERY RANDOMLY DIED WHILE WAITING PARKED IN DECEMBER (TEMPERATURE THAT DAY WAS ABOVE FREEZING). AFTER THAT INSTANCE, I HAD SEVERAL MORE DEAD BATTERY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. FAST FORWARD TO 2 WEEKS AGO WHERE AGAIN MY BATTERY DIED, I GOT THE CAR JUMPED AND THE BATTERY KEPT DYING THE NEXT DAY. RECENTLY HAD A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED BY THE DEALER (TUESDAY) AND AGAIN THE BATTERY DIED THE NEXT TIME I WENT TO START THE VEHICLE! THE CAR ALSO HAS OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES REGARDING THE START/STOP FEATURE. I'VE HAD INSTANCES WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND I HAD TO MANUALLY RESTART IT. THE CRUISE CONTROL SPEED CONSTANTLY VARIES. THE CAR DOESN'T ALWAYS RECOGNIZE WHEN I PLUG IN MY PHONE. IT SEEMS THAT ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE CAR SIMPLY DON'T WORK AND ARE NOT RELIABLE. SUBARU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR ALLOWING THIS DEATH TRAP OF A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND A 2019 SUBARU FORRESTER TO ANYONE LOOKING TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT AN EXPENSIVE HEADACHE SINCE THE MOMENT I PURCHASED IT. THE IRONY OF IT ALL IS THAT I TRADED IN MY OLD 2014 SUBARU FORRSTOR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT HAD "ELECTRICAL ISSUES" ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND I WAS BETTER OFF GETTING A NEW CAR. ME, BEING NAIVE TRUSTED THEIR ADVICE AND DROVE OFF WITH THIS 2019 HUNK OF PROBLEMS. I HOPE THIS MESSAGE SERVES TO ANY PROSPECTIVE BUYER OF ANY SUBARU VEHICLE TO DO THEIR OWN HOMEWORK IN REGARDS TO WHAT THEY ARE PURCHASING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| Apr 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I DROVE TO A SHOPPING CENTER AND PARKED. AFTER A COUPLE HOURS, I RETURNED TO MY CAR, AND FOUND THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED FROM THE TOP PASSENGER SIDE DIAGONALLY ACROSS TO THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED BY SAFELITE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,200 |
| Mar 2020 | STRUCTURE | THE BACK LIFT GATE WILL RANDOMLY STOP OPENING. THIS HAS ONLY BEEN TESTED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, IN PARK WITH EITHER ENGINE RUNNING OR SHUT OFF. IT WILL SOUND 3 SHORT BEEP/TONES BUT WILL NOT FUNCTION APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE LIFT GATE BUTTON IS PUSHED IN EITHER THE INTERIOR CONTROL, THE KEY FOB CONTROL, OR THE ACTUAL BUTTON ON THE LIFT GATE. THE ONLY THING THAT FIXES THE ISSUE IS TO DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RECONNECT IT. THIS FIX IS TEMPORARY AND THE LIFT GATE WILL AGAIN HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN DISCUSSING WITH THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,500 |
| Mar 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | IN LESS THEN 18 MONTHS IVE HAD TO REPLACE MY FRONT WINDSHIELD 3 TIMES DUE TO CRACKS THAT GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD THAT I'VE GOTTEN WHILE DRIVING ON CITY FREEWAYS | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,093 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I LEFT MY CAR IN THE GARAGE PERFECT AND THE NEXT DAY I NOTICE THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. IT HAPPENED OVER NIGHT AND WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,700 |