2019 Subaru Forester engine problems

Related recalls

• 19V856000 · 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, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.…

Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What owners report

• “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 o…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 01/17/2026 · crash

• “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 …”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 01/08/2026

• “I have reported this before but it never went anywhere. When at a red light or in a traffic slowdown, the car will activate the auto start/stop system. Three times in the past 2 days, the car would not turn back on and required me to turn the car off and back on again. You can imagine that this leaves me in a dangerous situation because the cars behind me see a green light and get ready to move, or they see traffic clearing up and they get ready to move. I am forced to turn my car off and back o…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 11/17/2025

• “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!”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 10/24/2025

• “Car has died 10+ times in the last 2 weeks. Will not hold a charge and it’s getting to the point that my car is dying in the middle of the road, during heavy traffic. That or the car will just not start unless jumped”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 09/24/2025

• “At a stop light, auto stop engaged. When foot put on gas, engine died and every warning light the car has appeared on the dash board. It took several tries, but I did get the car started again. Took to dealer who confirmed the incident and replaced the starter at 38, 126 miles. The fuel pump relay was also replaced. After this incident, the cancel auto stop/start button was used most of the time when driving the car. 10 months later, forgetting to engage the cancel button, and the auto st…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 09/09/2025

• “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 replace…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 08/20/2025 · fire

• “During severe stop/go, thick, holiday traffic on I-495 (DC Beltway), during daylight hours, once AGAIN (this has happened several times before), the auto engine shutoff feature catastrophically malfunctioned, turning the car off, and simultaneously, activated the entirety of the dashboard to flash on/off, causing nearly every indicator light to come on, and then had difficulty restarting. This has been brought to Subaru's attention multiple times and they essentially have washed their hands of …”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 05/25/2025

Unverified owner reports from NHTSA's public complaint database.

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