Table 1 shows one common exterior lighting related problems of the 2019 Subaru Forester.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems |
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 electrical system became unstable, and the car stopped in traffic on 11/07/2025. Replaced battery following oem specs. In February 2026, symptoms reappeared with a new battery failing on 02/15/2026, resulting in all saftey systems failing in traffic when auto start/stop enages.
1. While the car is in motion (and under normal driving conditions) on highways, my front windshield has cracked 4x since taking delivery of new vehicle at the end of July 2019. Once the front windshield cracks, it continues to spread. During the process of paying for the vehicle, I was encouraged at every step to purchasing additional windshield coverage to cover the cost of replacing the front windshield in case it needed to be replaced due to the eyesight camera system. The windshield has cracked on the interstate, a state tollway, and a highway. 2. The blue temperature light turns on for five minutes or more when starting the vehicle. I have brought this to the attention of the dealership and they dismiss me saying that this is a normal condition of the car (which was not mentioned during the sales process) and to just wait until the blue temperature light goes out before driving the car. When taking the car back to the dealership for the replacement of the front windshield for 4th time, they finally listened to me and added checking the coolant to the list but it has been a fight to have this looked at. 3. While the car was in motion and with no other cars in front of me, to the side or behind me, the car pre-collision system activated and braked the car on its own. There was no pre-warning that the car was going to brake. 4. The car auto light on and off function does not fully turn on the car lights at night. 5. While the car is in motion and backing out of a parking space, I hear a big ka-thunk sound from the front left of the car. It doesn't matter which way the steering is being turned. Ordered the car in June 2019, was told that the car wouldn't be ready until mid-Aug. Due to the factory shutting down for a two week holiday in japan, received notice from the dealership that the car had been delivered much earlier than expected in July.