This bulletin announces availability of a Vehicle Dynamics Control Module (VDC) reprogramming file to address DTC B2809 & B2C22.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Subaru Forester brakes problems
severe 13 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
5crashes
2injuries
What stands out
Among the 16 model years of Subaru Forester in our records for brakes problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
No new NHTSA brakes complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 7 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering brakes 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 provides diagnosis and procedure information to be applied when diagnosing potential fluid leaks on front and rear brake calipers. This information has been developed to reduce unnecessary brake caliper replacement.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Service Information bulletin announces instruction for application of additional lubrication between the brake caliper support and pad clips. This will prevent the pad from dragging due to corrosion buildup which may result in uneven or premature wear of the replacement brake pads. This additional instruction applies to all models with brake pads using the upper and lower pad clips and has been added to the brake pad installation procedures found in the related Service Manuals.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The Eyesight automatic collision avoidance system engages the brakes repeatedly without cause—misreading stationary objects, shadows, or vehicles not in the car's path. One owner described it slamming on the brakes while making a lane change in open traffic; another reported it braking hard on a sunny afternoon with no car within half a mile. The system cannot be permanently disabled and resets with every startup, forcing manual deactivation each time. Owners describe it as genuinely hazardous because sudden braking invites rear-end collisions in real-world traffic.
Complete brake failure has occurred in multiple vehicles—the pedal goes soft or unresponsive and the car either won't stop or lurches forward. One incident involved the vehicle accelerating to 80 mph with the pedal pressed, resulting in a crash, serious injury, and a totaled car. Another at 30 mph crashed into a lamppost. A third lost brakes while parking.
Manufacturing defects include brake pads shipped with extraneous crusty material adhered to the lining under 2,000 miles, and a thermo control valve that caused unintended brake engagement at highway speed, followed by engine stalling. The parking brake button's placement in the center console is a design problem—objects resting against it activate the brakes unexpectedly.
Airbags failed to deploy in at least two serious crashes. One owner's passenger-side occupancy sensor malfunctioned, indicating the bag was off when it should be live.
Same Subaru Forester brakes reports on nearby years: 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Eyesight pre-collision system nuisance braking
The Eyesight automatic collision avoidance system engages the brakes without legitimate cause—misidentifying stationary objects, shadows, or vehicles not in the vehicle's path as obstacles. Owners report the system cannot be permanently disabled and resets each startup, forcing manual deactivation. Multiple owners describe scenarios where the sudden braking created hazardous situations, potentially causing rear-end collisions.
When: Various speeds, including highway and city driving; one incident reported after less than 2,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes slam on without warning; System engages while vehicle is not in danger; Misidentifies objects like trash cans, cones, or parked vehicles as obstacles; System resets each time vehicle is started, requiring manual deactivation each time; Very strong braking force applied
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No permanent disable option offered; lawsuits against Subaru's Eyesight feature mentioned by owner
Complete brake failure during driving
Brake pedal loses all responsiveness while vehicle is in motion, leaving the driver unable to slow or stop. One incident resulted in catastrophic accident at 80 mph with serious injury; another at 30 mph resulted in collision. In both cases owners had difficulty stopping the vehicle despite pressing the brake pedal repeatedly.
When: Approximately 34,000 miles (incident #2); approximately 50,000 miles (incident #5); less than 5 years / under 50,000 miles (incident #4); various mileages (incident #6)
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal becomes unresponsive; Vehicle will not slow or stop despite depressing brake pedal; No warning lights in some cases; check engine light and red BRAKE warning in others; Vehicle may lurch forward unexpectedly or accelerate; Brakes may remain engaged even after stopping
Codes mentioned: Check engine light reported (incident #4)
Repairs/costs cited: One incident (#4) required replacement of thermo control valve, covered under warranty; incident #6 showed no fault on Subaru's diagnostic test despite crash; incidents #2, #5, #7 resulted in totaled vehicles
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Incident #2: Manufacturer sent field engineer, retrieved EDR data, claimed no vehicle malfunction found and impact not significant enough for airbag deployment
Defective brake pad material manufacturing defect
Right rear brake pads shipped with extraneous, crusted material adhered to the pad lining. Owner reported this under 2,000 miles on new vehicle. Material had a lava-like crusty texture and was clearly not normal brake pad composition. Dealership initially dismissed the defect as road dirt and returned vehicle without repair, despite owner providing photos and the actual defective material.
When: Under 2,000 miles on new vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: Extremely loud squeal from right rear brakes; Defective material lodged between rotor and dust shield; Crusted material on brake pad lining with unusual texture
Repairs/costs cited: Owner kept defective material and photos; dealership initially refused to repair, claiming it was road dirt
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Takata recall mentioned by owner; dealership service failed to address defect on first visit
Thermo control valve malfunction causing brake engagement and stalling
Thermo control valve failure caused unintended brake engagement at highway speed (75 mph), check engine light illumination, and subsequent engine stalling. Vehicle became undriveable until parking brake was cycled several times to release brakes.
When: Under 5 years / under 50,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light illumination; Red BRAKE warning light on dashboard; Brakes engage while driving at highway speed; Engine does not start after initial shutdown; Brakes remain engaged even after engine restart; Engine sounds like it's working overtime
Repairs/costs cited: Thermo control valve replacement required; covered under warranty
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subaru dealership performed warranty repair at no cost
ABS warning light with loss of motive power and engine shutdown
ABS warning light illuminated and vehicle lost power while driving, causing engine to shut off. Auto start/stop function was disabled. After repair at dealership for hood sensor replacement, the same failure recurred.
When: Approximately 34,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: ABS warning light illuminated; Auto start/stop function disabled; Loss of motive power during driving; Engine shut off while driving; Failure recurred after initial repair
Codes mentioned: ABS warning light
Repairs/costs cited: Hood sensor replacement performed; failure recurred
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer was notified
Brake pedal sinks with unintended acceleration
Brake pedal becomes soft and sinks, while vehicle accelerates simultaneously. Requires extreme pressure on brake pedal to stop vehicle. Occurs multiple times, with no warning lights or dashboard indication.
When: Multiple occurrences; exact mileage not provided
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal sinks during braking; Vehicle accelerates while pressing brake; Requires extreme force on pedal to stop; No warning lights or dashboard alerts; Recurrent issue
Parking brake inadvertent activation
Parking brake button, located in center console storage area, was activated when items stored in the console (eye drops) applied pressure to the button. Caused sudden, hard braking while vehicle was in motion, resulting in a rear-end collision by following vehicle.
When: During normal driving
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden, abrupt braking; Parking brake button vulnerable to accidental activation from items in console; Hard, unexpected stop
Repairs/costs cited: $15,000 in damage to 2019 Subaru from resulting rear-end collision
Airbag non-deployment and sensor malfunction
In two separate serious incidents, airbags failed to deploy despite crashes severe enough to warrant deployment (80 mph crash into tree, 30 mph crash into lamppost and pole). In another incident, passenger-side airbag occupancy sensor indicated airbag was off when it should have been active for the driver.
When: During crashes at 80 mph (incident #2), 30 mph (incident #5), and 1 mph (incident #7)
Symptoms owners cite: Airbags fail to deploy during serious collisions; Passenger-side airbag sensor malfunction—indicates airbag off when it should be active; Occupancy sensor responds incorrectly to different passenger weights
Repairs/costs cited: Incident #6: Passenger airbag sensor would not activate for passenger under 100 lbs; activated normally for driver-weight person
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer in incident #2 claimed impact not significant enough for airbag deployment
Vehicle stalling and loss of power while driving
Vehicle shut off unexpectedly while driving, forcing owner to pull to the side of the road. Vehicle would not restart initially.
When: Approximately 22,000–34,000 miles depending on incident
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls while driving; Loss of engine power; Engine does not start immediately after shutdown
Repairs/costs cited: No diagnosis completed in some cases; manufacturer advised towing to dealership
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Takata recall, we recently purchased a 2019 Subaru forester from a Subaru dealer in berlin vermont. It developed an extremely loud squeal with under 2000 miles. This was a result of defective brake material on the right rear inner brake pad breaking loose from the brake pad and lodging between the rotor and dust shield. I took photos of said defect (kept the defective component) and brought the…
Had brakes 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 brakes problem on the 2019 Subaru Forester?
It's a meaningful issue. 13 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Based on the 13 complaints filed, brakes issues most often appear around 26,429 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 $450 for brakes 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 brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes 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.