2019 Subaru Forester: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 831 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
831
Complaints
3
Recalls
35
Crash reports
11
Fire reports
20
Injuries
48.9
Severity index
Severity index 48.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 123 2019 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2019 Subaru Forester ranks 63 of 123 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 49% of its model-year peers. See the full 2019 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 370 | 44.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 144 | 17.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 134 | 16.1% |
| ENGINE | 106 | 12.8% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 42 | 5.1% |
| POWER TRAIN | 38 | 4.6% |
| VISIBILITY | 38 | 4.6% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 26 | 3.1% |
The single most-reported system is VISIBILITY/WIPER, cited in 370 of 831 complaints (44.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 185 |
| 2020 | 203 |
| 2021 | 136 |
| 2022 | 116 |
| 2023 | 96 |
| 2024 | 52 |
| 2025 | 32 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 10 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V263000 | 15/04/2021 | SUSPENSION:REAR | 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. |
| 19V856000 | 02/12/2019 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV) | 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. |
| 19V065000 | 06/02/2019 | STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.