AI Damage2019 Subaru Forester: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Subaru Forester filed 834 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and electrical system. The maker issued 494 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 834
- involving a crash
- 37
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 494
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 49% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 4 Forward collision avoidance 5% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 3% of all complaints
- Visibility: 406 complaints (49% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Electrical system: 134 complaints (16% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 286.
- Engine: 106 complaints (13% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 39.
- Forward collision avoidance: 43 complaints (5% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Powertrain: 38 complaints (5% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 44.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- CVTnamed in 3 complaints
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 834 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 406 | 0 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 134 | 7 | 286 |
| Engine | 106 | 7 | 39 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 43 | 3 | 6 |
| Powertrain | 38 | 5 | 44 |
| Vehicle speed control | 27 | 6 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 26 | 9 | 2 |
| Structure | 25 | 2 | 38 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 22 | 4 | 19 |
| Air bags | 17 | 11 | 4 |
| Lane departure | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| Steering | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Electronic stability control | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| Suspension | 6 | 1 | 13 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
During the collision, the driver's frontal airbag did not deploy. Actually none of the airbags deployed. As a result, the driver's chest and upper abdomen struck the steering wheel.And sustained significant bruising and other injuries and required evaluation and treatment at an emergency department.
The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH with the adaptive cruise control engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the engine revved loudly, the vehicle continued to accelerate and collided with the rear of a minivan.
While at a Stop as the engine turns off and awaits decompression of brake to turn on again vehicle moves forward bit, then the engine shuts down while in drive (stalls) had a vehicle hit me in rear but luckily I had my trailer hitch on because it saved me from body damage .
The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy upon impact or during the crash. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact and his wife were transported to the hospital and were both treated for whiplash, body pain, and pain to the head and neck. The contact also had a throbbing headache from the crash.
No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact was injured, and she was seated in the driver's seat. No one outside of the vehicle was reported to be injured. The contact sustained injuries to her chest, abdomen, and shins.
While driving, the engine stalled and many dash lights came on. The thermo control valve was the cause. There was no warning and fortunately I was able to park off of the roadway. The car was towed to the nearest Subaru dealership at a cost of $223.00.
Releasing the brake re-engages the starter to continue driving, however when I released the brake, the car’s electrical system went haywire and the car immediately rolled BACKWARDS, damaging the car behind me.
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle spun several times, causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle hit several power generator boxes while spinning.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 50 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Forester has 314 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 834, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines
- This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles
- "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs
DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circuit"
- This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and…
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc
(SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen 3.1 Head Unit used in the listed models and model years to (8) eight years / 150,000 miles to cover certain qualifying repairs to the…
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water…
This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area.This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water…
This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top…
This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the front strut mounts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on…
This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed.
NHTSA lists 494 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Subaru Forester?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 834. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (13%), windows, sunroof (5%), stalls while driving (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA lists 494 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Subaru Forester from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.