6.0

fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
6,150 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. disconnect cables from positive terminal on battery (1 reports)
  2. not sure (1 reports)
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2019 Subaru Forester:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad
problem #2

Oct 212019

Forester Touring 2.5L V4

  • CVT transmission
  • 12,000 miles

My audio system (sound coming out of speakers) stopped working. The dash unit continued to function normally, as if it was playing music from XSM or CD, but no sound. This happened three times - the first two times the system started working correctly after turning off the engine and letting it sit for a few minutes. The third time it happened, the problem persisted for days.

I tried all the work-arounds that I found on the web, but none of them worked. Finally, I decided to disconnect the battery (pulled the connector to the positive battery terminal), and let the car sit for at least 30 minutes. This worked, the unit is back to operating normally. I don't expect that this FIXED the problem, but Subaru service people at local dealership have no knowledge of the problem, so consider it a temporary fix.

- Octavio V., Las Cruces, US

problem #1

Jan 162019

Forester 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 245 miles

I picked this car up from the dealer in Connecticut on 01-02-2019. Within a couple of days, I discovered a problem with the "CarPlay" feature of the entertainment package. It would sometimes connect to my iphone while wired in through the USB and sometimes would not. I took it back to the dealer and they said it needed a software update which they performed. No improvement. Took it back in and they said that they could not duplicate the problem and did not have access to the same model iphone to test it. They also considered a problem with the USB cable. I changed cables, no dice. I have complained to dealers across the fruited plains in my travels and nobody can diagnose the problem or offer a solution.

The problem has gotten continuously worse. At times the stereo system has gone out entirely, no radio, no Bluetooth, no wired connection. I suggested a new unit and it was refused until finally a dealer in Scottsdale, AZ made it happen. I finally got a new stereo system installed and guess what. The same problem. Obviously it is a glitch in the system and not in the stereo. In the last 19 months I have put 65,000 miles on this vehicle with this intermittent problem an inconvenience and annoyance. Driving across the desert for 100s of miles is not as much fun without any sound. I can usually get it back after stopping for a short time and restarting the car. It is just a real pain.

Update from Apr 12, 2021: My car now has 80,000 miles on it and the stereo system has just gotten worse. It just switches between "CarPlay", bluetooth and radio randomly. I now listen to my downloaded books on an independent bluetooth speaker. But that means I cannot plug in my phone because it will start randomly deciding to pick up the phone on the car...

- Judd W., San Felipe, Mexico