What 831 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Forester Wilderness

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.

NHTSA ODI 11664785

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

NHTSA ODI 11618179

The pneumatic manual liftgate rear door holders by HANI PRECISION CO are defective. From one day to the other, these stopped working for absolutely no reason. I am extremely concerned about having my skull crushed if the temporary stick I am using to hold it comes down when door is in use. I can no longer open the rear lift hatch door because these two pneumatic holders no longer work. My family have purchased at least 10 Subaru vehicles. Not ever have we ever have experienced this issue. The Subaru Forester was purchased in 2019 and current mileage 34,157. This is the second issue I have encountered with this car. The first was defective tires that required replacement after 15k miles. After having not one but two problems with this Subaru, I will NEVER purchase another vehicle from Subaru. They are providing DEFECTIVE parts despite the cars costing close to $30k. They have lost this customer for life.

NHTSA ODI 11526432

Moonroof Cracks in the same spot randomly. 4 times now. Same exact area. No impacts.

NHTSA ODI 11478820

The car has a power assisted hatchback. When it fails to latch, the power is completely drained from the car, and there is zero indication of this happening, until the next day when an attempt is made to start the car. We've been stranded twice in our car and twice on the road. It's all due to the robotics not getting a signal to stop trying to keep it open. We notified the dealer twice by April of 2021. The second time they replaced the battery and we failed to convince them that this was a symptom, not the cause per many TSBs. In March of 2022 we were traveling and the hatch failed to latch. It would beep all the time. We took it to another dealer in Baton Rouge, who ordered a latch back in Atlanta. We drove it hundreds of mails beeping. The electrical system failed the next morning - again. We got the car started, made it back to Atlanta, and had the latch replaced by a 3rd dealer. Our original dealer says we are not eligible for the replacement hardware/software fix in the robotics (as distinct from the latch) to stop parasitic draining unlike identical cars made in this year. We do not trust this car until it's fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11465745

The front windshield developed a crack for no reason.

NHTSA ODI 11461275

Car caught fire after a relatively slow (less than 35 mph) collision with a Chevrolet Tahoe. Other vehicle was driveable, my Subaru Forester caught fire.

NHTSA ODI 11459286

Small star chip on top driver's side, about 2 minutes after that. Large 16" crack appeared on passenger side

NHTSA ODI 11438641

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle in October 2019, five separate cracks had formed on the windshield due to various small debris hitting the windshield while driving at various speeds. On five separate occasions, the contact had taken the vehicle to the same independent mechanic who replaced the windshield each time. Despite each repair, the same failure would occur soon after replacement. Currently, the contact stated that there were two cracks on her windshield, one that had formed on the lower driver side of the windshield and another on the bottom side of the passenger’s side windshield. The contact stated that the cracks obstructed her view while driving. The contact stated that there were several dents on the hood. She had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed her that the dents were caused by acorns falling onto the hood. The contact was informed that the hood metal was very soft. She also mentioned that while driving at various speeds or even going through a car wash, the hood would wobble due to the wind and air would circulate through the hood. The dealer had been notified of the failure and informed her that they were unaware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11426601

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRUNK OPENED UP, LOCK IS TOTALLY NOT WORKING AND HAD TO DRIVE WITH A OPEN LATCH. THIS WAS REPLACED UNDER A RECALL AND STILL ITS BAD.

NHTSA ODI 11412789

SUBARU FORESTER 2019 MODEL CRACKED WINDSHIELD BY IT SELF.

NHTSA ODI 11386354

BACK HOOD LATCH STUCK AND WON'T OPEN

NHTSA ODI 11366276

CRACKED FRONT WINDSHIELD

NHTSA ODI 11342795

THE BACK LIFT GATE WILL RANDOMLY STOP OPENING. THIS HAS ONLY BEEN TESTED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, IN PARK WITH EITHER ENGINE RUNNING OR SHUT OFF. IT WILL SOUND 3 SHORT BEEP/TONES BUT WILL NOT FUNCTION APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE LIFT GATE BUTTON IS PUSHED IN EITHER THE INTERIOR CONTROL, THE KEY FOB CONTROL, OR THE ACTUAL BUTTON ON THE LIFT GATE. THE ONLY THING THAT FIXES THE ISSUE IS TO DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RECONNECT IT. THIS FIX IS TEMPORARY AND THE LIFT GATE WILL AGAIN HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN DISCUSSING WITH THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11319619

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE CRACK MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A ROCK. THE CONTACT STATED IT WAS NOT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,500.

NHTSA ODI 11318295

I WAS PARKING AT A BUSY SKI CENTER, CAR IN DRIVE AS I WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO AN OPEN SPACE, CAR IN FIRST ROW OF VEHICLES FACING A SMALL ROAD. THE ROAD CONNECTS THE PARKING LOT WITH THE SKI SHOP . 5 MPH WOULD BE NORMAL SPEED ON THIS ROAD, WHERE PEDESTRIAN SKIERS WALK FROM THE LOT TO THE SKI SHOP. BEFORE I COULD STOP TO TURN OFF THE CAR, THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING CRAZILY, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. I WAS ABLE TO STEER ONTO THE ROAD, CAR ACCELERATING FASTER AND FASTER, NO BRAKES, NO CONTROL. THERE WAS A SMALL CAR DRIVING SLOWLY SOME DISTANCE AHEAD, AND I WAS GAINING ON IT FAST, A SPLIT SECOND AWAY FROM CRUSHING IT, SO I DELIBERATELY SWERVED INTO A SNOWBANK, HIT SOME TREES, AND THAT FINALLY STOPPED MY CAR. I WAS UNHURT. EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE AND PASSENGER DOOR DAMAGE FRONT AND BACK, AND ROOF RACK DAMAGE. POLICE CAME TO THE SCENE, CAR WAS TOWED BY FLATBED BACK TO THE DEALER. INSURANCE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. MANUFACTURER WILL EXAMINE THE VEHICLE THOROUGHLY, WILL REMOVE THE "BLACK BOX" TO FIND WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND LOSS OF BRAKES. THIS EXAMINATION MAY TAKE 4-6 WEEKS. SO FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED. I CANNOT ESTIMATE WHAT SPEED THE CAR REACHED ON ITS OWN.

NHTSA ODI 11310740

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. I PRESSED THE POWER REAR GATE OPEN BUTTON ON THE DRIVER SIDE DASH, BUT THE REAR GATE DIDN'T OPEN, AND THE CAR JUST BEEPED THREE TIMES. THE BEEPS WOULD HAPPEN EVERY TIME I TRIED TO PRESS THE GATE BUTTON ON THE CAR OR ON THE FAUB. I OPENED THE ACCESS PANEL AND MANUALLY OPENED THE DOOR, EXTENDING THE DOOR TO FULL HEIGHT. WHEN I PRESSED THE BUTTONS ON THE CAR, THE POWER GATE WOULD GO DOWN BUT WOULD SLAM SHUT AND THE CAR WOULD ISSUE A LONG BEEP. WHEN I PRESSED THE BUTTON EITHER ON THE CAR OR THE FAUB TO REOPEN THE REAR GATE, IT WOULDN'T BUDGE AND THE THREE BEEPS HAPPENED AGAIN. I THEN PRESSED THE BUTTONS ON THE CAR AND HELD THEM PASSED THE THREE BEEPS UNTIL THE GATE UNLOCKED AND I WAS ABLE TO LIFT IT OPEN. THE GATE CLOSED AGAIN WHEN I PRESSED THE LOCK/GATE CLOSE BUTTONS, SLAMMING SHUT AS BEFORE WITH THE LONG BEEP. NO MATTER WHAT I TRIED, I COULDN'T GET THE GATE TO OPEN ON ITS OWN ( WITH POWER). WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE REAR GATE WAS OPEN, BUT WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND STARTED TO DRIVE, THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY BEEPED UNTIL I STOPPED DRIVING AND PUT IT IN PARK. I TURNED IT OFF AND LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT DAY, I TRIED TO OPEN THE HATCH AS MENTIONED ABOVE AND IT STILL DID NOT OPEN, THOUGH I COULD MANUALLY OPEN IT IF I HELD THE BUTTONS DOWN BEYOND THE THREE BEEPS. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THE CAR ON, THOUGH, IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER I TRIED TO START THE CAR WITH THE PUSH BUTTON START, ALL THE ICONS BEGAN FLASHING AND CLICKING ON THE DASH AND CONTROL PANELS AND THE EYESIGHT FUNCTION WAS OFF AND THE CAR SAID TO CHECK VEHICLE FUNCTION, ALL WHILE FLASHING AND CLICKING. WHEN I PRESSED HE BUTTON START AGAIN IT ALL STOPPED. THE PARKING PEDAL SEEMED VERY STIFF AND WAS DIFFICULT TO PRESS AT ALL. THE CAR WOULD NOT START THROUGH STARLINK EITHER, SO NOW IT SITS IN MY PARKING LOT UNTIL I TOW IT TO A DEALER TOMORROW.

NHTSA ODI 11308060

THE REAR DOOR ON THE FORRESTER SPORT DOES NOT OPEN. IT FIRST HAPPENED AFTER GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH, THE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN EVEN IF THE CAR IS UNLOCKED. NEITHER BY FOB OR DOOR BUTTON. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RECREATE PROBLEM HOWEVER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER A LIGHT RAIN. DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR CLAIMS ONLINE FOR THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL. ONLY FIX I HAVE IS HOLDING THE DOOR BUTTON UNTIL IT SWITCHES FROM AUTOMATIC TO MANUAL AND IT SEEMS TO RESET IT. HOWEVER THIS ONLY WORKED ONCE OUT OF THE 2 TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST MONTH.

NHTSA ODI 11300695

REAR HATCH WILL NOT OPEN. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RANDOM AND PERIODIC SINCE WE TOOK DELIVERY FROM DEALER AT END OF MAY, 2019. TODAY AFTER SHOPPING I TRIED TO PLACE ITEMS IN THE HATCH. IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I TRIED THE INSIDE BUTTON AND THE HANDLE ON THE HATCH, NEITHER WORKED. I LOADED THE ITEMS IN THE BACK SEAT, STARTED THE CAR THEN STARTED TO BACK OUT OF THE SPACE. AS VEHICLE TRAVELED IN REVERSE THERE WAS A NOISE LIKE A MOTOR AND THE HATCH OPENED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL SO FAR BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT OPENED WHILE IN MOTION

NHTSA ODI 11258213

MY 2019 FORESTER PREMIUM, 6 WEEKS OLD AND <200 MILES ON IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. IT WAS COLD OUT THAT NIGHT. WHEN I GOT INTO MY CAR I TURNED IN THE HEATED WINDSHIELD AND REGULAR HEAT IN THE CAR. MOMENTS LATER AND WHILE STILL PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE WINDSHIELD HEATING ELEMENT HALFWAY UP TO THE TOP. BROUGHT IT TO THE AUTO GLASS PLACE NEARBY, WHERE IT WAS NOTED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT NO IMPACT POINT WAS PRESENT. HE DOCUMENTED THIS ON MY WORK ORDER / RECEIPT. THE WINDSHIELD WAS ON BACKORDER FOR 3 WEEKS BUT WAS FINALLY INSTALLED.

NHTSA ODI 11252216

HAVE TAKEN MY BRAND NEW 2019 SUBARU FORESTER SPORT TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES IN 2 MONTHS REGARDING THE REAR HATCH NOT OPENING. THEY STATE TO RESET IT I NEED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND LET IT DISCHARGE, THEN CONNECT THE TERMINALS. THIS IS A HEADACHE AND A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE TO HAVE TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE LOADS OF ITEMS YOU NEED TO LOAD INTO THE VEHICLE. THIS IS DEFINITELY DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY SUBARU TO FIX. DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS ON A FLAT SURFACE OR IF IT IS AT AN INCLINE. THE REAR HATCH WILL GET STUCK AND CAN'T OPEN IT.

NHTSA ODI 11221719

STRANGE RATTLING NOISE AT THE REAR PASSENGER SEATBELT COMPARTMENT AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT. NOISE IS ONLY HEARD WHILE DRIVING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT OR SURFACES. NOT NORMAL FOR A 2-MONTH OLD VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11217293

I HAD THE NEW 2019 SUBARU FORESTER FOR NOT EVEN A MONTH YET, AND I HAVE BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR 5 TIMES REGARD OF POWER REAR GATE NOT OPENING AND CRACKED RIGHT REAR QUARTER GLASS, WHICH OF THE TWO I CONSIDERED MANUFACTURER DEFECTS, BUT THEY DENIED ON BOTH ISSUES BUT COULD NOT PROVIDE ME THE REASON AND PROPER WAY OF HOW THEY'RE GOING TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11207122

WINDSHIELD CRACKED ,BOTTOM CENTER UP ABOUT 15" CIRCLE .VEHICLE PARKED .NO STONE MARK OR STAR MARK. LOOKS LIKE FACTORY DEFECT. I'VE HEARD OF OTHERS DOING SAME.

NHTSA ODI 11180003

THE 2019 SUBARU FORESTER WITH THE ELECTRIC REAR DOOR, HAS AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE MANUAL RELEASE MECHANISM FOR THE INTERIOR REAR HATCH DOOR (THE 5TH DOOR AT THE REAR). A LITTLE PANEL HAS TO BE REMOVED USING A SCREW DRIVE TO ACCESS THE MANUAL RELEASE. THERE IS NO SIGN OR INDICATION THAT THE PARTICULAR PANEL HAS THE RELEASE BEHIND IT. IF FOR SOME REASON THERE IS AN EMERGENCY THAT NECESSITATES THE EMERGENCY USE OF THAT REAR DOOR, THE VICTIM WILL NEVER GET THE DOOR OPEN UNLESS (1) THEY KNOW OF THE PANEL AND (2) THEY HAVE A SCREW DRIVER WITH THEM!

NHTSA ODI 11171068