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
831 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Subaru Forester, grouped by component category.
Buyer interpretation
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
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.
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.
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 is available on 467 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 13,263 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
831 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | IN APRIL 2019 LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER I GOT A ROCK CHIP ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ON A 45 MPH ROAD. THE AUTO GLASS REPAIR SHOP WAS ALREADY CLOSED SO I PLANNED TO GO THE NEXT DAY FOR REPAIR. I CAME OUT THE NEXT MORNING TO MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED HALFWAY ACROSS BEYOND REPAIR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. I'VE NEVER HAD A CHIP BECOME A CRACK WITHIN A DAY AND NEVER HAD ONE HALFWAY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I GOT THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED BUT WITHIN A FEW MONTHS I GOT A STARBURST CRACK FROM A ROCK ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE GLASS REPAIR SHOP WITHIN THE HOUR. THE FIX ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE AND WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK ONE DAY THE WINDSHIELD SPLIT ACROSS WITHOUT WARNING OR ANY PROGRESSION. MY SECOND NEW WINDSHIELD WAS INSTALLED LAST WEEK AND THIS MORNING I GOT A VERY SMALL ROCK CHIP ON A 30 MPH ROAD. BY THE TIME I DROVE LESS THAN 10 MINUTES HOME AND UNLOADED THE GROCERIES IT HAD STARTED TO CRACK. I WAS AT THE GLASS REPAIR SHOP WITHIN 2 HOURS RIGHT WHEN THEY OPENED TO HAVE THE CRACK REPAIRED BEFORE IT COULD SPLIT FURTHER. I FEAR WITH A REPAIR IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS ONE CRACKS TOO. IF SO, THAT WILL BE THREE NEW WINDSHIELDS IN LESS THAN 18 MONTHS WITH LESS THAN 22,000 MILES DRIVEN. NEITHER I OR MY INSURANCE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SUCH A WEAK PRODUCT THAT DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS AND FAILS TO MEET EVEN BASIC STANDARDS OF RESILIENCY AND QUALITY. THE INCONVENIENCE OF LITERALLY HAVING TO DROP EVERYTHING TO GET AN IMMEDIATE REPAIR ON ANY CHIP BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT WILL NOT EVEN LAST A FEW HOURS WITHOUT SPREADING. I'VE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A WINDSHIELD IN MY LIFE ON THESE VERY SAME ROADS. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PRODUCT OR IT'S A WAY TO EARN MORE MONEY ON OEM REPLACEMENTS SINCE WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE WITH THE EYESIGHT CAMERAS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 21,014 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED A CRACK FORMED ON THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED. LAST YEAR THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON I-45, DEALER TRIED TO FIX IT AND ENDED UP MAKING IT WORSE SO THEY OFFERED A FREE REPLACEMENT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,500 |
| Mar 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE REAR LIFT GATE HAS NOT OPENED AS COMMANDED BY THE KEY FOB AND/OR THE DASHBOARD CONTROL. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC OVERRIDE OR MANUAL LATCH. THIS ISSUE LEAVES YOU WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE REAR CARGO COMPARTMENT. ON EACH OCCASION, THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND IN PARK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I DROVE TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND PARKED IN THE PARKING GARAGE. WINDSHIELD WAS TOTALLY FINE. WHEN I WALKED BACK IN THE EVENING, I SAW IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD WITH NO OTHER APPARENT DAMAGE. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY THE ENTIRE TIME AND IT'S CLEAR THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL EVENT THAT CAUSED THE CRACK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,500 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY WINDSHIELD HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK THAT IS 18" LONG. IT APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE . I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED. DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR DRIVERS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD WAS STRUCK BY A ROCK IN THE BLACK AREA AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE DING IS TINY WITH NO SPIDERWEB CRACKS RADIATING FROM IT. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, A LARGE CRACK STARTED FROM THE DING AND WEND DOWN AND ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | ON THE MORNING OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2020, I WENT TO GET INTO MY PARKED 2019 SUBARU FORESTER AND NOTICED A HORIZONTAL CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK IS ROUGHLY 17 INCHES LONG ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I DROVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY THE DAY BEFORE, BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. THE CRACK APPEARS TO HAVE COME ABOUT WITHOUT CAUSE AND INHIBITS THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO CLEARLY SEE THE ROAD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,500 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER EXPERIENCED A TINY ROCK CHIP ON THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE OF WINDSHIELD FROM DEBRIS THAT WAS INITIALLY HARDILY NOTICEABLE UNTIL I REACHED HIGHWAY SPEED AND THE WINDSHIELD CHIP BEGAN TO GROW AND CRACK TO OVER 12" ACROSS THE LOWER LEFT PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,000 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I WENT OUTSIDE IN THE MORNING AND MY SUBARU HAD A HUGE CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO CAUSE THE CRACK. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY RIGHT UP IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE. THE CRACK RADIATED OUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD AND RENDERED THE EYE-SIGHT UNABLE TO WORK. INSURANCE STATE FARM CLAIM NUMBER IS 19-B151-3T0 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | TWO CRAKCS ON MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER WINDSHIELD. DON'T REMEMBER HOW IT HAPPENED JUST SAW IT ALL OF A SUDDEN, IMPAIR VERSION AND SAFETY. DEALER RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND HAVE THE EYE SIGHT SYSTEM READJUSTED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | WE HAVE A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER, PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN WITH THE EYESIGHT SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES FOR NO REASON, AND TURNING ON AND OFF AT RANDOM TIMES. THE MAJOR ISSUE HAS BEEN THE SLAMMED ON BRAKES WHEN THE ROAD AHEAD WAS CLEAR, JARRING ME AND PASSENGERS, MY WIFE LITERALLY HAD WHIPLASH AND A HEADACHE FROM THE EXTREME, UNEXPECTED BRAKING. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN A VEHICLE IN FROM OF US MADE A RIGHT TURN, ROAD AHEAD IS CLEAR, TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 35 MPH, SENSORS MUST BE PICKING UP THE CORNER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE AS WE APPROACH, LOCKING UP THE BRAKES, THINKING IT IS STILL IN FRONT OF US. ANOTHER INCIDENT, EYESIGHT SENSING AN EMPTY PAPER BAG BEING BLOWN ACROSS THE HIGHWAY, SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A REAR END COLLISION FROM A DRIVER BEHIND US IF THEY WERE FOLLOWING TO CLOSE, LIKE IS THE NORM IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. ANOTHER EVENT, A DOG RAN ACROSS THE FREEWAY, EYESIGHT NEVER ACTIVATED, I THOUGHT I HAD BRAKED AND CLEARED THE DOG, HE KEPT RUNNING, NO IMPACT, FOUND DAMAGE TO FRONT END UPON INSPECTION. ANOTHER ISSUE UNRELATED TO EYESIGHT, THE DEFROSTER BLOWER MOTOR DOES NOT RESPOND TO HIGH SETTING WHEN FIRST TURNED TO HIGH TO CLEAR WINDOW FOG, IT TAKES 3 TO 5 MINUTES BEFORE IT RAMPS UP TO HIGH SPEED. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF OUR SALESPERSON AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT OUR SUBARU DEALERSHIP, MAYBE BE A CALIBRATION ISSUE, PROGRAM ISSUE WITH THE EYESIGHT SENSORS, THEY REFUSED TO DOCUMENT ANYTHING I SHARED AND TOLD ME THEIR IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT. THERE IS NO MORE LOVE IN OUR SUBARU, AND NO CONCERN FOR SAFETY AT THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER 2019 SUBARU FORESTER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME EYESIGHT ISSUES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE WE LEASED THE VEHICLE OCTOBER 2018 TO RECENTLY ON 2/20/2020. I WAS INFORMED TO FILE THIS BY THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL WHILE FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SEEMED TO SPONTANEOUSLY CRACK WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE CRACK BEGAN IN THE LOWER MIDDLE PART OF THE WINDSHIELD AND SPREAD UPWARD ABOUT TEN INCHES. I ADVISED MY SUBARU DEALER OF THE ISSUED, AND THEY REFERRED ME TO SAFELITE AUTO GLASS, WHERE I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD AT MY OWN EXPENSE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER DEVELOPED MULTIPLE CHIPS ON WINDSHIELD IN JUST 7 MONTHS (4500 MILES). DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS DUE TO BAD ROADS/SALT ON THE ROAD. BUT I AM DRIVING MY OTHER VEHICLE (TOYOTA) ON THE SAME ROADS FOR PAST 5 YEARS, AND NOT A SINGLE CHIP/CRACK ON IT! THE PROBLEM IS DEFINITELY POOR QUALITY OF WINDSHIELD ON 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,500 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM ST. CLOUD SUBARU IN MINNESOTA, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A CHIP IN THE WINDSCREEN. WHEN I PICKED IT UP ON 1/3/20, I VISUALLY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS INDEED A CHIP THE SIZE OF PENNY IN THE WINDSCREEN. | Crash: No Fire: No | 26,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | BASE MODEL SUBARU FORESTER 2019, DRIVER EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHEN STARTING TO DRIVE FOLLOWING A GREEN LIGHT IN AN INTERCEPTION. DRIVER HAD TO USE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER (VEER TO THE LEFT) TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE IN THE FRONT OF IT. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT DRIVER ENGAGING THE GAS PADDLE. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATE, AND DRIVER HAD TO USE THE BREAK PADDLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED. THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION LASTED FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS. AFTER BREAKING TO A ZERO SPEED AT A RED LIGHT THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION RETURNED FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING BREAKING. UNINTENDED/SUDDEN ACCELERATION STARTED AFTER 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING AT 7:15AM, OUTSIDE TEMP OF 36F, HVAC ON, WHILE DRIVING A FLAT ROAD. TOTAL TRIP TIME: ABOUT 15 MINUTES. ABOUT SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENT, THE SAME DRIVER EXPERIENCED THE SAME SITUATION WITH THAT SAME VEHICLE. THE DRIVER BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY AND REPORTED TO SUBARU ABOUT THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE SERVICE TEAM AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE VEHICLE OWNER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED AND THUS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A LOG ENTRY IN SUBARU DATABASE ABOUT THIS SERVICE VISIT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Feb 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | INFORTAINMENT TOUCH SCREEN BECOME UNRESPONSIVE TIME TO TIME, CAUSING UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION TO OPERATE RADIO, NAVIGATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 26,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SMALL DIVOT IN THE LOWER LEFT SIDE CORNER OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD EXPANDED TO 13 INCH CRACK WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 14,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY 2019 SUBARU FORESTER EXPERIENCE A TINY CHIP ON THE WINDSHIELD FROM DEBRIS THAT WAS INITIALLY HARDILY NOTICEABLE UNTIL THE WINDSHIELD CHIP BEGAN TO GROW AND CRACK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WE HAD JUST PURCHASED OUR NEW 2019 SUBARU FORESTER IN LATE MARCH/EARLY APRIL 2019. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, WE TOOK A TRIP TO SPICER RESERVOIR IN CALIFORNIA FROM THE SF BAY AREA IN CALIFORNIA. ON OUR WAY BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF US. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, AND THERE WAS NO WIND. WE WE'RE DESCENDING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN ROADS. SUDDENLY, THE WINDSHIELD MADE A LOUD POP SOUND, AND CRACK STARTED EMERGING FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER AREA. THERE WAS NO ROCK OR IMPACT THAT STARTED THE CRACK. AGAIN, THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF US THAT COULD HAVE FLUNG DEBRIS AT US. WE THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS CAUSED BY A PRESSURE CHANGED? WE HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THE CRACK. THE CRACK CONTINUED TO CREATE A LARGE, ~2 FOOT LONG, QUESTION MARK-SHAPED CRACK INTO THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. WE INSPECTED THE CRACK AND THERE IS NO IMPACT MARK AT ALL, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE CRACK BEGAN BELOW THE BOTTOM SEAL OF THE WINDSHIELD. REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS WERE QUOTED IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. READING OTHER FORUM POSTS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT ISOLATED TO JUST OUR CAR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED | Crash: No Fire: No | 21,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SAT FEB 22 FORESTER DRIVEN TO GYM AND RETURNED HOME AT 2:20PM. PARKED IN ASSIGNED SPOT #32 IN UNDERGROUND SECURED PARKING. THERE WAS NOT A CRACK, DIVOT OROR ANY OTHER PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD. THE FORESTER REMAINED LOCKED AND PARKED UNTIL MON FEB 24, 2020 AT 6:30AM. IT WAS THEN I NOTICED A CRACK NEAR THE CENTER, BOTTOM. IT IS SHAPED LIKE A "7" AND IS ABOUT 10" LONG FROM END TO END. THERE IS NO OBJECT, MARK, DUST OR DEBRIS TO INDICATE ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. SEE PHOTOS | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,800 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WAS MERGING TO HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 35 MPH, WHEN SUDDENLY HEARD SOMETHING HITTING WINDSHIELD. SAW TINY DOT ON WINDSHIELD AND THE MAKING OF THE LINE ON IT THAT IT CRACKED. VEHICLE HAD UNDER 6000 MILES. BELIEVE THAT WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE. WENT TO DEALER TO HAVE IT REPLACED. NO COMPENSATION FROM SUBARU. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,229 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | FRONT WINDSHIELD ON OUR 2019 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED CRACKED IN 2 SEPARATE EVENTS WITHIN ONE MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. THE FIRST EVENT (FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACK) OCCURRED ON THE INITIAL DRIVE HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY (NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS) WHEN THE CRACK OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE CRACK BEGAN FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND STRETCHED TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. PHOTO ATTACHED. THE SECOND EVENT (FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACK) OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS LATER BEFORE THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY (NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS) WHEN THE CRACK OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE CRACK BEGAN FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD (MIDDLE) AND STRETCHED TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. PHOTO ATTACHED. AFTER THE SECOND EVENT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. INVOICE RECEIPT ATTACHED. IN MY OPINION, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD GRASS ON THIS VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE WINDSHIELD'S ON THIS PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL SHOULD BE FURTHER RESEARCHED. SOMETHING IS CLEARLY WRONG AND I'M SURE OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 280 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO REASON. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT DAMAGE OR CONTACT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE TOP MIDDLE TO CENTER OF WINDSHIELD AND PROCEEDED TO CRACK HORIZONTALLY TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND CRACK INITIATED OVERNIGHT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,000 |