2019 Subaru Forester
Common Problems
Ranked from 454 federal NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls. Every problem links to the complaint IDs behind it.
11 Common Problems
Ordered by how often owners reported each one to NHTSA. The bar shows how common a problem is relative to the most-reported on this vehicle. Expand any problem to see the federal complaint IDs.
- 1
Windshield Cracking Without Impact
406complaintsHigh severityOtherWindshields crack without any apparent impact or cause, often occurring while parked or during normal driving conditions.
- 2
Engine stalling at idle
38complaintsMedium severityEngineThe engine stalls unexpectedly when idling, often due to issues with the stop-start system.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 19V856000
- 3
Engine Stall During Driving
36complaintsHigh severityEngineThe engine unexpectedly stalls during driving, often at high speeds, leading to potential accidents.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 19V856000
- 4
Windshield Cracking
15complaintsMedium severityOtherWindshields crack spontaneously without any apparent cause or impact, often appearing as spiderweb patterns.
- 5
Lane Keeping Assist Malfunction
9complaintsHigh severitySteeringLane keeping assist system malfunctions, preventing lane changes and causing random braking, posing safety risks.
Related recall: 19V065000
- 6
Windshield Cracking During Warm Weather
8complaintsHigh severityOtherWindshields spontaneously crack during warm weather without any known impact or damage, posing a severe safety risk.
- 7
Check Engine Light and Safety Features Disablement
5complaintsHigh severityElectricalThe check engine light illuminates, disabling safety features such as lane assist, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision warning.
$100–$250est. professional diagnosis · 1–2 hrs laborGet local quotes - 8
Automatic Engine Shutdown During Stop-Start Mode
3complaintsMedium severityEngineThe car intermittently shuts down during stop-start mode, requiring the driver to manually restart the engine, which can be dangerous.
$150–$900est. stop-start system diagnosis · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 19V856000
- 9
Windshield Replacement Backorder
3complaintsMedium severityOtherSubaru windshields for the 2019 Forester are backordered, causing delays in repairs and inconvenience.
- 10
Electrical System Failure During Driving
2complaintsHigh severityElectricalThe entire electrical system shuts off during driving, including power steering and emergency braking systems.
- 11
Forward Collision Avoidance System Failure
2complaintsMedium severityOtherThe forward collision avoidance system intermittently fails, causing unexpected deceleration and requiring manual intervention.
Other years & sources
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls. Problems are clustered and ranked from the complaint record; occurrence counts reflect corroborating complaints, not total incidence. Vehicle image is illustrative. Repair-cost figures are typical U.S. independent-shop ranges (parts + labor) for the class of repair shown — actual quotes vary by region, engine, and diagnosis; always confirm with a local shop.