2019 Subaru Forester Problems

In May 2025, I had the passenger-side mirror on my 2019 Subaru Forester replaced at a licensed Subaru dealership. I was told the replacement part would be factory-original and matched to the vehicle’s VIN, which specifies a dark metallic grey exterior. After the repair was completed, I noticed that the mirror casing was the wrong color — a visibly lighter grey than the rest of the car. While the mirror is functional and undamaged, the color mismatch may affect how other drivers perceive the vehicle, especially during lane changes or turns. In certain lighting or weather conditions, the inconsistency could potentially cause confusion or misinterpretation of the car’s shape or position. The dealership acknowledged that the wrong part color was used based on my VIN, but refused to replace it without full repayment. There were no warning lights or error messages associated with the issue. The part is still installed on the vehicle and available for inspection. I am reporting this as a consumer concern regarding improper VIN-matched component replacement, which may pose a minor but notable risk to the awareness and safety of other drivers.

See attached document for complaint.

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.

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 vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the thermal control valve needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

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 . I had to place in park and restart this has happened several times before and I’m kinda nervous and makes my wife nervous when stopping at lights or stop signs it might turn off in the middle of the intersection. When this occurrence happens all dash lights pop up … I checked engine with code reader after the incidents but it doesn’t give out any info on what could possibly be happening. I had the Dealership change the Thermo control module in 2025 but these occurrences has happened before and after the TCM replacement.Having the dealership check is like wasting my time and money because they aren’t able to pinpoint the cause without a code . There has to be a problem somewhere in the system it’s just that the dealership in Hawaii has no clue ..

Engine lost power and was misfiring while many warning symbols appeared on the dash. There was a divider separating the lanes. The car coasted to almost to a stop, but the engine chugged enough to slowly turn left at the first opening in the divider and just barely made it off the main road. The engine stopped. I restarted it several times. The engine was misfiring barely running. The electric brake was applied on its own. The car did not respond to moving the shift selector out of park, so the car was immobilized. I put the 4-way flashers on and called AAA. There seemed to be no way for me to move it out of park or release the electronic parking brake. AAA could not respond quickly and suggested I call the police to divert traffic around my car for safety which I did. The tow truck operator was able to disengage the wheels and was able to flatbed it to the nearest repair shop. This being Saturday 1/3/26 it wasn't until Tuesday the repair shop determined the car would not run long enough to provide a reliable diagnosis due to the multiple trouble codes coming up on the computer analysis. I had the car towed to the nearest Subaru dealership who replaced the thermos control valve under their warranty extension. The dealership said usually when this part fails it just triggers a check engine light and not the dangerous situation I experienced. I believe a recall to replace this part should be issued on all cars with this defective part as its failure can cause a dangerous situation without warning.

Engine lost power and was misfiring while many warning symbols appeared on the dash. There was a divider separating the lanes. The car coasted to almost to a stop, but the engine chugged enough to slowly turn left at the first opening in the divider and just barely made it off the main road. The engine stopped. I restarted it several times. The engine was misfiring barely running. The electric brake was applied on its own. The car did not respond to moving the shift selector out of park, so the car was immobilized. I put the 4-way flashers on and called AAA. There seemed to be no way for me to move it out of park or release the electronic parking brake. AAA could not respond quickly and suggested I call the police to divert traffic around my car for safety which I did. The tow truck operator was able to disengage the wheels and was able to flatbed it to the nearest repair shop. This being Saturday 1/3/26 it wasn't until Tuesday the repair shop determined the car would not run long enough to provide a reliable diagnosis due to the multiple trouble codes coming up on the computer analysis. I had the car towed to the nearest Subaru dealership who replaced the thermos control valve under their warranty extension. The dealership said usually when this part fails it just triggers a check engine light and not the dangerous situation I experienced. I believe a recall to replace this part should be issued on all cars with this defective part as its failure can cause a dangerous situation without warning.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, and the vehicle immediately decelerated to 56 MPH. The failure was intermittent but had occurred several times over 5 years. The contact had to manually turn off the Forward Collision Avoidance system to avoid the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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, and the car stopped in traffic on 11/07/2025. Replaced battery following OEM specs. In February 2026, symptoms reappeared with a new battery failing on 02/15/2026, resulting in all saftey systems failing in traffic when auto start/stop enages.

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 . I had to place in park and restart this has happened several times before and I’m kinda nervous and makes my wife nervous when stopping at lights or stop signs it might turn off in the middle of the intersection. When this occurrence happens all dash lights pop up … I checked engine with code reader after the incidents but it doesn’t give out any info on what could possibly be happening. I had the Dealership change the Thermo control module in 2025 but these occurrences has happened before and after the TCM replacement.Having the dealership check is like wasting my time and money because they aren’t able to pinpoint the cause without a code . There has to be a problem somewhere in the system it’s just that the dealership in Hawaii has no clue ..

About a month ago while approaching a stop light turning green at a busy intersection, I was slowing into the left turning lane when my car just stopped. No avoidance, no alerts. I had a semi behind me who started pulling out around me in heavy traffic. I could use my flashers. I turned the car off, then on and it finally restarted. This is a 2019 Subaru Forester, original owner, only one incident - but it was definitely weird, and unsafe!

The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving on a main road at 30 MPH upon approaching a red light the contact attempted to slow down by depressing the brake pedal, however the vehicle would not slow down, the contact proceeded to swerve to the right and in the process crashed into a lamppost and power pole with the entire front end of the vehicle. There was property damage to both the lamppost and the power pole, and the vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The airbags were deployed. The vehicle was going 30 MPH at the time of the crash. The vehicle was towed to a local junk yard. 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. Medical treatment was required for the injuries. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

In May 2025, I had the passenger-side mirror on my 2019 Subaru Forester replaced at a licensed Subaru dealership. I was told the replacement part would be factory-original and matched to the vehicle’s VIN, which specifies a dark metallic grey exterior. After the repair was completed, I noticed that the mirror casing was the wrong color — a visibly lighter grey than the rest of the car. While the mirror is functional and undamaged, the color mismatch may affect how other drivers perceive the vehicle, especially during lane changes or turns. In certain lighting or weather conditions, the inconsistency could potentially cause confusion or misinterpretation of the car’s shape or position. The dealership acknowledged that the wrong part color was used based on my VIN, but refused to replace it without full repayment. There were no warning lights or error messages associated with the issue. The part is still installed on the vehicle and available for inspection. I am reporting this as a consumer concern regarding improper VIN-matched component replacement, which may pose a minor but notable risk to the awareness and safety of other drivers.

The power lift gate closes on people when trying to open it.

My Subaru smelled like gas and caught on fire while I was driving to work less than 72 hours after it left the service department at the local Subaru dealership. Earlier that week I dropped the car off for service due to a check engine light and multiple other warning lights on the dashboard. The check engine light was determined to be due to a faulty thermo control valve (a known issue on several models of 2019-2021 Subarus). During that service appointment, the thermo control valve was replaced under warranty, the 60000 mile service, state inspection, and an oil change/tire rotation were completed. The morning of the incident, the car smelled like gas, but there were no warning lights on the dashboard and the temperature and gas gauges were all in range. While looking for a safe place to pull over on the side of the road, the gas smell worsened, I heard a pop, the check engine light and every single other light on the dashboard lit up, it smelled like burning jet fuel, and the front of the car was smoking and there were flames, and all mechanical and electrical control of the vehicle was compromised. The car coasted to the side of the right lane. I was unable to operate the gear shift to put the car in park. I opened the driver’s side door, removed my seatbelt, grabbed my backpack, lunch bag, and phone, and exited the vehicle while it was still rolling. I ran around the back of the car to get onto the side walk. Flaming, melting pieces of plastic were coming off the bottom of the car. Flames and smoke were visible on the front hood of the car. I called 911 while the car continued to roll across several lanes onto the other side of the road. The burning car rolled and hit a guardrail on the opposite side of the road and continued to burn until the local Fire Department arrived on scene. Local police and the fire inspector wrote reports. My insurance declared the car a total loss. I have informed the local dealership and worked to get them access to the vehicle.

My car is a 2019 suaru forester 54,268mi I was driving from Houston to Dallas on the freeway during a thunderstorm on [XXX] [XXX]. I got off the freeway and was almost on the road near my house when my car engine suddenly died, I had no control of my car, my car engine would not start anymore. I had no problems with my car before. I towed it home the next day and had it checked with a scanner and it came up with about 25 check engine codes. 5/14/2025 Subaru dealer (ewing of plano) had it checked and had the thermo control valve replaced because it was bad. They had no previous notices or recalls. If my car had stopped in the middle of the freeway it could have been a major accident..other people's lives are important..please look into this issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving and merging onto the highway in the rain approximately 62 MPH, the contact’s vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle that was driving erratically. Due to the impact, the vehicle spun out of control approximately 3-4 times and the vehicle bounced off the concrete highway sound barrier. The vehicle continued to spin out of control and struck the barrier wall on the passenger’s side before coming to a stop. The contact stated that the rear driver’s axle fractured and ended up on top of the wheel, and the wheel was flat on the ground. 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. The contact and his wife both received CT scans that showed no signs of injuries. The other driver also spun out of control and struck the metal guardrail located in the middle of the highway. The contact stated that the other driver had not received medical attention at the scene. A Police Report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision yard where it remained. The insurance company had not inspected the vehicle; however, the contact expected that the vehicle would be deemed a total loss. The contact stated that the driver who caused the accident was cited by the Police for causing the crash. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,400.

I got in my vehicle after getting gas. I was on my way to Neosho, MO, hundreds of miles from home. Thes lights were all on and I couldn't get them to go off. I figured it was because my windshield was dirty. I turned my wipers on to find out one needed replaced. I paid $30 for 1 since I have an odd type of wipers and I had been to 3 auto stores to find it. The Eye Sight, brake, check engine, air bag, and lane assist lights never went off. Now they come on randomly and go off randomly. This causes all safety features to not work. No adaptive cruise control, nothing. I finally got them to go off somehow the day I came back home. I live nowhere near a Subaru dealer. It had no other effect on my vehicle as far as I could tell. Now when they come on. I pull over until they come back on or have to drive it home to sit.

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 multiple occurrences of EPS warning light activation and intermittent loss of steering assist while driving. A local repair shop also inspected the vehicle and confirmed EPS-related diagnostic trouble codes (including B2811 and C2512), which are consistent with known EPS issues. This information was shared with Subaru of America; however, I did not receive a clear or actionable response, and the case has been delayed without resolution. Initially, the issue was intermittent, with the EPS warning light turning on and off. However, since May 9, 2026, the EPS warning light has remained continuously ON, indicating that the condition has worsened. On May 11, 2026, I visited an authorized Subaru service center while the EPS warning light was actively ON. Despite the issue being clearly present, the dealership only took photos confirming the EPS warning light and did not perform any additional diagnostic testing or repair. They advised that the EPS rack needs replacement at an estimated cost of approximately $2,500, with the part currently on backorder and no clear repair timeline. I have already reported this visit and the current condition to Subaru of America and am still awaiting a response. This issue involves intermittent and now persistent loss of steering assist while driving, causing the steering wheel to become extremely stiff and difficult to control. This poses a significant safety risk. Given that the issue has been ongoing since April, has been confirmed by both a repair shop and a Subaru dealer, and remains unresolved, I believe this represents a safety defect that is not being properly addressed. Please review th

When stearing car it is hard to steal stering will not come back after rounding corners it's almost like there is no power steering sometimes it's there and next it's not

There was a front-end collision into a stone wall. It appears the driver seatbelt failed and ripped upon impact. The driver died as a result of injuries sustained. There was a front passenger in the vehicle as well who was belted. The seatbelt for the front passenger worked correctly. That passenger had serious injuries but survived the collision. This fatal collision was investigated by Hillsborough, NJ Police, case # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at 55 mph, the vehicle spun a couple of times, then crashed into the median wall. The median wall brought the vehicle to a complete stop. The contact's driver's side seatbelt did not lock the contact into her seat during impact, which caused injuries to the contact's right arm, wrist, and hand. No air bags deployed upon impact. The contact and passenger were transported by ambulance to the hospital. The passenger sustained injuries to her left foot and bruising to her chest from the passenger side seatbelt, locking her into her seat during impact. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and remained at the dealer, awaiting steering parts and cosmetic repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an inspector to investigate. The manufacturer informed the contact that the inspector found that the air bags and seatbelt were functioning properly. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact was informed by his wife that while driving over bumps in the roadway at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle, and the driver brief lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who discovered that the rear stabilizer bracket bolts had detached from the suspension and needed to be replaced. The contact discovered that prior to owning the vehicle, the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V263000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall was no longer applicable to the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The failure mileage was 102,911.

I have had multiple issues with my car for the past month. First, my rear right wheel has been making a fan-like sound when going above 35mph and it gets louder until 70mph. It is most likely the wheel bearings going out but, I only have around 50,000 miles on the car. This seems to be a common issue with Foresters. Secondly, my rear Harman Kardon speakers have stopped working. This also appears to be a recurring issue with Forester's, with both their standard and premium sound systems. Lastly, my engine check light turned on and shut off my adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, emergency braking, and rear automatic braking. I'm surprised that these issues are still happening to Subaru since they have been complained about by consumers for years.

I had a tire rotation at my Subaru dealer in 12/2024. Two weeks later I had a flat and could not break two lug nuts. Tire repair dealer found that the lug bolts had been stripped. I had the remaining lug bolts examined by the dealer and a 3rd was found stripped. All three had to be replaced. I underwent tire rotation on 12/11/2025 and dealer found a fourth lug bolt stripped which needed replacement. I was assured this was not the fault of the mechanics and was instead told that this was a manufacturer problem with the lug bolts. If this is true, there are a host of Subaru's out there with lug nuts that cannot be user removed to repair a flat. Although when stripped, the lug nuts are apparently firmly attached, does this represent a wheel / tire failure issue? Thanks for your attention.

Upon getting a flat tire on the front passenger side tire, two of the vehicles wheel studs and lug nuts were seized together and broke off when using hand tools to remove the lug nuts. The metal was extremely soft and broke off easily. All 5 lugs and nuts needed replacement.

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. Photo of latch system showing green and of manufacturer information is attached.

1) The seat is cracking on the drivers seat. The vehicle only has 64,000 miles on it. No word from Subaru. 2) Parking collision warning system works part of the time. Dangerous when the system does not detect a person or vehicle in the blind spot.

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, and the car stopped in traffic on 11/07/2025. Replaced battery following OEM specs. In February 2026, symptoms reappeared with a new battery failing on 02/15/2026, resulting in all saftey systems failing in traffic when auto start/stop enages.

1. WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION (AND UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS) ON HIGHWAYS, MY FRONT WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED 4X SINCE TAKING DELIVERY OF NEW VEHICLE AT THE END OF JULY 2019. ONCE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKS, IT CONTINUES TO SPREAD. DURING THE PROCESS OF PAYING FOR THE VEHICLE, I WAS ENCOURAGED AT EVERY STEP TO PURCHASING ADDITIONAL WINDSHIELD COVERAGE TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IN CASE IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE EYESIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM. THE WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED ON THE INTERSTATE, A STATE TOLLWAY, AND A HIGHWAY. 2. THE BLUE TEMPERATURE LIGHT TURNS ON FOR FIVE MINUTES OR MORE WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DISMISS ME SAYING THAT THIS IS A NORMAL CONDITION OF THE CAR (WHICH WAS NOT MENTIONED DURING THE SALES PROCESS) AND TO JUST WAIT UNTIL THE BLUE TEMPERATURE LIGHT GOES OUT BEFORE DRIVING THE CAR. WHEN TAKING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD FOR 4TH TIME, THEY FINALLY LISTENED TO ME AND ADDED CHECKING THE COOLANT TO THE LIST BUT IT HAS BEEN A FIGHT TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT. 3. WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND WITH NO OTHER CARS IN FRONT OF ME, TO THE SIDE OR BEHIND ME, THE CAR PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND BRAKED THE CAR ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO PRE-WARNING THAT THE CAR WAS GOING TO BRAKE. 4. THE CAR AUTO LIGHT ON AND OFF FUNCTION DOES NOT FULLY TURN ON THE CAR LIGHTS AT NIGHT. 5. WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, I HEAR A BIG KA-THUNK SOUND FROM THE FRONT LEFT OF THE CAR. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH WAY THE STEERING IS BEING TURNED. ORDERED THE CAR IN JUNE 2019, WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T BE READY UNTIL MID-AUG. DUE TO THE FACTORY SHUTTING DOWN FOR A TWO WEEK HOLIDAY IN JAPAN, RECEIVED NOTICE FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN DELIVERED MUCH EARLIER THAN EXPECTED IN JULY.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was in the park position in a parking space but was unsure if the shifter was in park when without warning, the vehicle rolled down a hill and crashed into a chain link fence and burial wall. No warning lights illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was needed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to schedule an appointment to have it diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated she turned on the vehicle, left it on, and exitto close the trunk, but after forcefully closing the trunk, the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact stated the gears were set on Park and the area was an inclined driveway. The contact stated the vehicle knocked her down but she was not injured nor needed to seek medical attention. The vehicle continued to roll into the woods and was detained by a tree stump. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an auto shop and was being serviced at the moment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.