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2019 Subaru Forester: engine and transmission complaints

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
18%
145 of 833 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2019 Subaru Forester. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 18% of relevant complaints.

Better than 90% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
145
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
833
this model year
Fires reported
11
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
37 crashes · 21 injuries

Complaints by component

VISIBILITY/WIPER370 · 44%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER144 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM134 · 16%
ENGINE106 · 13%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE43 · 5%
POWER TRAIN38 · 5%

The years either side

2010
25%
53 of 262
2011
65%
73 of 147
2012
46%
38 of 105
2013
53%
32 of 77
2014
31%
104 of 403
2015
45%
226 of 613
2016
36%
111 of 411
2017
21%
89 of 584
2018
16%
63 of 493
2019
18%
145 of 833
2020
19%
110 of 598
2021
20%
41 of 207
2022
18%
15 of 97
2023
16%
10 of 73

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN03/31/2022CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the car wash waiting for his turn, the vehicle accelerated suddenly and unintendedly, and crashed into a concrete brick wall. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a whiplash, laceration on the left arm, muscle injuries in th…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING02/18/2026
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 elect…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE01/17/2026CRASH
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 h…

Three of 145 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (3)

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 ma…
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…
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…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2019 Subaru Forester

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.