Owners have filed 833 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Forester over 8 years — 175 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Forester years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Rear, PCV system, and Electric power steering.
833
175
3
8
The complaints owners file most often name Visibility and wipers (370 of 833), then Electrical system (134) and Engine (106). Those filings include 37 that report a crash, 11 that report a fire, 16 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.
The 2018 Forester has 495 complaints, 65 per year, and the 2020 has 600 complaints, 136 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.
The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2019 Subaru Forester. How we count. Data as of .
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11
16
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"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…"
"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,…"
"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…"
"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…"
"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…"
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Subaru Forester SUV AWD | 5 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars |
Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.
| Trim | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forester all-wheel drive | 2.5L, 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S7) | All-wheel drive | 26 | 33 | 29 MPG | $2250 |
NHTSA safety recall 21V263000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: 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. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.
Owners have filed 833 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Forester over 8 years — 175 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Forester years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Rear, PCV system, and Electric power steering.
The complaints owners file most often name Visibility and wipers (370 of 833), then Electrical system (134) and Engine (106). Those filings include 37 that report a crash, 11 that report a fire, 16 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.
The 2018 Forester has 495 complaints, 65 per year, and the 2020 has 600 complaints, 136 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.
The 2019 Subaru Forester has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.
Owners have filed 833 complaints about the 2019 Subaru Forester with NHTSA.
EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Subaru Forester is 29 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.
0W-20 synthetic (2.5L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable)
NHTSA safety recall 19V007000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc.
3rd generation (SH) (2012-2013).
