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2019 Subaru Forester Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026

132Electrical System complaints
15.9%Of all 831 complaints
#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

VISIBILITY/WIPER370 · 44.5%
Unspecified / other144 · 17.3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM132 · 15.9%
ENGINE106 · 12.8%
POWER TRAIN37 · 4.5%

Share of the 831 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2019 Subaru Forester overview page.

What owners report

“THERE ARE ACTUALLY THREE ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE, AND POTENTIALLY THE MOST DANGEROUS, IS THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY SHUTTING ITSELF OFF - NOT…”NHTSA complaint 11270984 — filed 10/25/2019
“REAR LIFT GATE WILL NOT OPEN WITH FOB OR USING THE BUTTON WITHIN THE CAB.”NHTSA complaint 11266700 — filed 10/07/2019
“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…”NHTSA complaint 11258213 — filed 09/25/2019

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

1620191120201820213920222520231120249202532026

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2019 Subaru Forester have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2019 Subaru Forester: 132 of 831 complaints on file (15.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2019 Subaru Forester have in total?

831 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 35 involved a crash, 11 involved a fire, 20 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.