2019 Subaru Forester problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (370) · Electrical System (70) · Engine (45)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Forester model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
468 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Suspension:rear 2021-04-15 · campaign 21V263000 · 408,271 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
Risk: Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-21.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (Pcv) 2019-12-02 · campaign 19V856000 · 51,613 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the short block engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUW-08.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2019-02-06 · campaign 19V065000 · 10,417 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: None of the affected vehicles have been sold yet. Subaru has notified dealers and they will inspect the steering gearbox, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUC-88.
Service bulletins (577)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 577 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-11 · Wheels“wheel studs on my 2019 forester broke or stripped during a flat tire change. in xxx, studs on this vehicle broke after dealership service where the lug nuts were overtightened; the dealer replaced them at no charge. on xxx i had a flat tire on a rural road in [xxx]. when we removed the wheel, multiple studs snapped or had stripped threads. we were …”
2026-09-05 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“on 9/2/2016, my 2019 subaru forester was involved in a right-front collision. 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 treatmen…”
2026-08-21 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal · 80,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2019 subaru forester. 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. the contact was able to steer…”
2026-05-16 · Unknown Or Other“car swirving as if someone grabbed the steering and pulled right left quickly when applying breaks. first incident happened on interstate which nearly caused an accident. carriage makes a “clunk” sound when moving forward or backwards and you feel the cabin continue in motion when first stopping. when taken to subaru, “trailing arm” was not attach…”
2026-05-11 · Steering“i am reporting a serious safety issue involving my 2019 subaru forester related to failure of the electric power steering (eps) system. since april 21, 2026, i have been in communication with subaru of america regarding whether this issue is related to an existing safety recall (wuc-88). during this time, i provided detailed information about mult…”
2026-04-03 · Electrical System“we have replaced the battery twice and likely will need a third battery soon. i have learned that there is a known issue with the dcm trying to connect using 3g. this is causing a parasitic drain on the battery. the vehicle will fail to start. this has occurred many times over the last few years. we have just learned of the problem.…”
2026-03-13 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“dear national transportation safety board, i would like to bring a situation that happened to me while driving my 2019 subaru forester last saturday march 7th, 2026 at 10:40am. i was coming back to my house from an errand. while waiting for my garage door to go all the way up, my car suddenly accelerated forcefully and lunged through the garage…”
2026-03-10 · Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery:thermal Management:sensor/Thermostat · 60,000 mi“the contact owns a 2019 subaru forester. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with several unknown warning lights intermittently illuminated. the failure had occurred on several occasions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with thermal control valve failure. the v…”
2026-02-18 · Power Train“the electrical system fails, and the battery is not charging sufficiently. when the auto start/stop engages, the car does not restart in traffic. requested a battery test at the dealership in may 2025; was told it could not be done that day because it would require leaving the dealer service shop. eventually, the electrical system became unstable, …”
2026-02-02 · Tether, Lower Anchor (On Car Seat Or Vehicle)“pipa rx aire base latch system appeared to latch when it wasn’t secured to the anchor. i moved the base between vehicles. when reattaching the base, the right indicator clicked and turned green without actually being attached to the anchor. the seat felt secure, but shifted when i removed the carrier, which is when i realized it was not attached. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.