2019 Subaru Forester: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
831 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
831 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 118.71
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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 attached to vehicle. Car is currently being fixed at Subaru of Olympia.
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 t…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V856000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventil… |
| 19V065000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steerin… |
| 21V263000 | Suspension:Rear | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The re… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Visibility/Wiper (370 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 31/100, computed from 831 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Subaru Forester, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/12/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.