Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On 9/11/2021, i was pulling into a vacant parking spot. I backed into an open area and applied the brakes and shifted from reverse to forward, The car accelerated full open, initially the brakes did not stop the car, I pulled to the left trying to avoid hitting the auto in front of me. I hit the auto on the left bumper, the car continued to race full open while my foot was on the brake, we moved forward five foot or so and then the car stopped. The air bags did not deploy. The auto that we hit was not occupied and there we no injuries. note; we have not yet made a police report but will soon, so the line is now marked no. we have looked on line and similar incidents have been reported going back 20 years' we are waiting for Monday to have the car towed from our house to ther repair shop, no estimates yet. but the entire front is pushed in.
On November 30th around 5:30 PM on [redacted] my wife struck and killed a 6 point buck. Thankfully a SC Highway officer was coming in the opposite direction saw the accident and aided my wife in getting out of the car as he had seen a fire in the engine compartment area. Shortly thereafter the car exploded and was engulfed in flames and totally destroyed. Neither the patrol officer nor the tow operator can remember an auto fire resulting from striking a deer.
On our way to a vacation in NJ, we were driving on the expressway and a deer jumped over the rail into the hood of the car. The car immediately started to smoke ( dark black). We got out of the car, retrieved two luggage bags, and the car burst into flames. All within 60 seconds of hitting the deer. About five years ago, same thing happened to my daughter driving a Subaru WRX.... Twice in the same family....no recall?
On December 30, 2021, I was driving on I-95 S around 4 pm about 1/2 a mile from exit 43B when my 2019 Subaru Forester with 64,000 miles stalled in the middle of the highway. I was going about Highway speed during rush hour 55-65 pmh when the check engine light came ON, the EyeSight feature light came ON, and the emergency Brake light came ON. Scariest moment in my life. The vehicle stalled, the steering got really stiff, and the vehicle started sputtering along probably at 2 mph. I managed to make my way to the breakdown lane and called Subaru Starlink Roadside Assistance. After towing the vehicle to the dealership, the diagnosis revealed that both tumble generators on the Air Intake Manifold failed and I also needed a fuel line replacement. …
My Subaru smelled like gas and caught on fire while I was driving to work less than 72 hours after it left the service department at the local Subaru dealership. Earlier that week I dropped the car off for service due to a check engine light and multiple other warning lights on the dashboard. The check engine light was determined to be due to a faulty thermo control valve (a known issue on several models of 2019-2021 Subarus). During that service appointment, the thermo control valve was replaced under warranty, the 60000 mile service, state inspection, and an oil change/tire rotation were completed. The morning of the incident, the car smelled like gas, but there were no warning lights on the dashboard and the temperature and gas gauges were all in range. …
My car is a 2019 suaru forester 54,268mi I was driving from Houston to Dallas on the freeway during a thunderstorm on [redacted] . I got off the freeway and was almost on the road near my house when my car engine suddenly died, I had no control of my car, my car engine would not start anymore. I had no problems with my car before. I towed it home the next day and had it checked with a scanner and it came up with about 25 check engine codes. 5/14/2025 Subaru dealer (ewing of plano) had it checked and had the thermo control valve replaced because it was bad. They had no previous notices or recalls. If my car had stopped in the middle of the freeway it could have been a major accident..other people's lives are important..please look into this issue
Driving home for 15 minutes. parked on left turn lane, slight incline. when traffic light turned green, i stepped on the gas and the engine stalled. I remember seeing "eyesight disabled" warning light come on. I put vehicle in park, shut it off, and turned engine back on. I was able to drive home. possible system failure - fuel system, auto/stop feature? yes, available to inspect safety - 5:30pm heavy traffic on 4 lane highway0. blocked traffic turning left. no where to pull over. have not taken vehicle to mechanic or been inspected. I saw no warning lights prior to vehicle stalling, or experienced any engine anomalies.
The engine cuts out and stalls while turning through an intersection (with danger of being rear ended) or driving through parking lots at low speed. The car will zoom forward right after that, usually while in a parking lot nearly hitting pedestrians on several occasions! This issue is a frequent occurrence becoming more dangerous the past 2 years. We have our car serviced at the Subaru dealership in Prescott, AZ and have told them about this. They tell us the same thing when we tell them what it does, they say "NO IT DOESN'T".
While driving, the car would occasionally experience deceleration despite pressing the gas pedal. It would suddenly pick up speed and continue normally. Moreover, the car stalled twice, and on both occasions, it wouldn't restart. The first time, it took a while to restart, and I initially suspected bad gasoline. The second time, it took about five minutes. Given these symptoms, I suspect that the fuel pump could be causing these issues.
This is a follow up from previous complaint 11525953 dated 6/8/2023. My subaru forester stalled again on 8/2 at an intersection after 15 minutes of driving, and then again on 10/4 at an intersection after 45 minutes of highway driving. There are no warning signals or any indication of engine problems. I replaced the air filter in June hoping that might solve the issue.
Fuel System complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2019 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2019 Subaru Forester, 3% of the model year's 834 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2019 Subaru Forester fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2019 Subaru Forester, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2019 Subaru Forester fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 4,000 miles, and 100% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 5 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.