This bulletin announces a design change to the Power Rear Gate Drive (PRG) Unit to address rare concerns about a very slight drop immediately after the gate is fully open.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Subaru Forester body problems
severe Owners of the 2019 Subaru Forester have filed 18 NHTSA complaints about the body at roughly $1,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See body across all vehicles →
Complaints
18
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
| Model year | body complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 Forester | 17 |
| 2016 Forester | 6 |
| 2017 Forester | 12 |
| 2018 Forester | 10 |
| 2019 Forester (this page) | 18 |
| 2020 Forester | 13 |
| 2021 Forester | 3 |
1crash
1injury
What stands out
Of the 12 model years of Subaru Forester we track for body problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 18.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering body on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
"This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area for models listed. "
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin provides information on paint codes for vehicles in the 2026 line up.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin announces design changes made to the Power Rear Gate Drive (PRG) Unit to address concerns of the power rear gate being inoperative.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Bulletin announces diagnostic procedures to be followed when working with a Power Rear Gate (PRG).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2019 Foresters describe a range of body and structural defects that create real hazards. One owner experienced sudden unintended acceleration and complete brake failure while parking at low speed, forcing him to deliberately crash into a snowbank and trees to stop the vehicle—he narrowly avoided hitting another car and pedestrians. The manufacturer stated they'd examine the vehicle and retrieve black box data, with a 4-6 week investigation timeline.
Rear liftgate problems are widespread and persistent. Several owners report the electronic liftgate failing to open randomly, even after repeated dealership visits; the only temporary fix is disconnecting the battery, which customers describe as unacceptable as a permanent solution. Water exposure—from car washes and rain—triggers similar failures. Other owners report complete failure of the pneumatic manual door holders, leaving the hatch inoperable and creating a crushing hazard if the temporary support gives way. One owner noted the interior emergency release is hidden behind a panel requiring a screwdriver to access, with no warning or indication of its location—a genuine emergency egress problem.
Glass failures cluster: windshields crack spontaneously without impact or visible stress marks, sometimes at very low mileage. One occurred immediately after activating the heated windshield in cold weather on a vehicle with less than 200 miles. Multiple owners report the moonroof cracking repeatedly in the same location despite no impact. A trunk latch failed during highway driving and still malfunctions even after recall replacement. One owner received a replacement mirror that didn't match the vehicle's exterior color and was refused a replacement by the dealership.
Same Subaru Forester body reports on nearby years: 2017 · 2018 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration and brake failure
Engine revved uncontrollably and vehicle accelerated on its own while parking at low speed; brakes did not respond. Owner swerved into snowbank and trees to stop vehicle. Manufacturer stated they would examine vehicle and retrieve black box data to investigate cause; examination timeframe was 4-6 weeks.
When: While parking at ~5 mph
Symptoms owners cite: engine revving uncontrollably; vehicle accelerating without driver input; complete brake unresponsiveness; no control of acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Extensive front end damage, passenger door damage (front and back), roof rack damage. Repaired by dealer; insurance covered repairs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer to examine vehicle and retrieve black box data; 4-6 week investigation timeframe stated
Rear liftgate manual opening failure
Pneumatic manual liftgate rear door holders by HANI PRECISION CO stopped working without apparent cause, preventing rear hatch from opening. Owner using temporary stick to hold door. Occurred at 34,157 miles on a 2019 model.
When: 34,157 miles
Symptoms owners cite: liftgate will not open; pneumatic holders completely non-functional; fear of door collapse during use
Rear liftgate electronic function failure
Rear liftgate stops opening randomly when vehicle is stopped and in park, with either engine running or off. Pressing interior button, key fob button, or door button produces 3 short beeps but no function. Temporary fix is disconnecting positive battery cable for several minutes then reconnecting, but issue recurs. Dealership unable to duplicate the issue.
When: Random; issue recurs periodically
Symptoms owners cite: liftgate will not open; three short beeps when button pressed; no response to interior control, key fob, or door button
Repairs/costs cited: Temporary fix: disconnect and reconnect positive battery cable
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership states they cannot duplicate the issue
Rear liftgate failure after water exposure
Rear door stopped opening after car wash and again after light rain. Door will not open via key fob or door button even when car is unlocked. Holding door button until it switches from automatic to manual sometimes resets it, but this workaround worked only once out of two occurrences within one month.
When: After car wash and light rain exposure
Symptoms owners cite: liftgate will not open after water exposure; no response to key fob or door button; intermittent manual override effectiveness
Repairs/costs cited: Holding door button to switch from automatic to manual mode sometimes allows door opening
Inaccessible emergency manual liftgate release
Manual emergency release mechanism for interior rear hatch is located behind a small panel that requires a screwdriver to remove. No signage or indication reveals where the release is located. In an emergency situation requiring rear door use, occupants without knowledge of this panel's location and without a screwdriver would be unable to open the door.
When: Design issue present from manufacture
Symptoms owners cite: manual release mechanism inaccessible without tools; no warning or indication of release location; emergency egress risk
Windshield spontaneous cracking from heat
Windshield cracked while vehicle was parked after owner turned on heated windshield and heat in cold weather. Vehicle was 6 weeks old and had less than 200 miles. Auto glass technician found no impact point and documented absence of damage point on work order. Crack ran halfway up windshield from bottom.
When: 6 weeks old, <200 miles, after heated windshield activation in cold
Symptoms owners cite: windshield cracked without impact; crack originated from heating element; no visible impact point
Repairs/costs cited: Windshield was on backorder for 3 weeks before replacement installation
Windshield spontaneous cracking without impact
Multiple complaints of windshield cracking without visible impact or stress mark. One owner reported crack from center bottom upward approximately 15 inches in a circle with no stone mark or star mark, appearing to be factory defect. Another owner reported star chip appearing on driver's side top followed by large 16-inch crack on passenger side. Owner noted hearing of similar issues from others with same year/model.
When: Various; one complaint at ~6,500 miles
Symptoms owners cite: windshield cracks without impact damage; no stone or star marks visible; cracks of varying sizes (15-inch and 16-inch reported)
Repairs/costs cited: Windshield replacement required
Moonroof spontaneous cracking
Moonroof cracks in the same spot repeatedly. Owner reports this has happened 4 times now in the exact same area with no impacts.
When: Recurring over vehicle ownership period
Symptoms owners cite: moonroof cracks repeatedly in same spot; no impact damage; recurrent failure in identical location
Rear trunk latch failure
Trunk opened up while driving on highway. Lock completely non-functional; owner had to drive with open latch. Part was replaced under recall but issue persists.
When: During highway driving
Symptoms owners cite: trunk opens during driving; lock non-functional; latch will not secure
Repairs/costs cited: Latch replaced under recall
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Issue addressed under recall, but failure recurred
Passenger-side mirror color mismatch
Replacement passenger-side mirror installed at Subaru dealership in May 2025 came in wrong color—visibly lighter grey than the dark metallic grey exterior specified by vehicle VIN. Mirror is functional but color mismatch may affect other drivers' perception of vehicle shape and position during lane changes, and could cause confusion in certain lighting or weather conditions. Dealership acknowledged wrong part was installed based on VIN but refused replacement without full repayment. No warning lights or error messages.
When: After mirror replacement in May 2025
Symptoms owners cite: mirror casing wrong color; mismatch with vehicle exterior; potential visibility/perception issue for other drivers
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement mirror installed but color incorrect
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership acknowledged error but refused replacement without full repayment
Synthesized from 18 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had body trouble with your 2019 Subaru Forester?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2019 Subaru Forester?
It's a meaningful issue. 18 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,500.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Based on the 18 complaints filed, body issues most often appear around 14,959 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2019/Subaru/Forester.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.