2019 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 61owner reports
- 12,011median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Apr 3, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
136 of the 833 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 61 of those describe dead battery. Only windshield is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 61 reports
Dead battery on other Forester years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (58 reports), the alternator (4 reports) and the starter (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the electrical system covers the 2019 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 8,000 and 20,000 miles, from the 12 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2019 Subaru Forester that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts.This is an revised ...
Subaru Battery Drain Product Liability Litigation.
Battery Drain Class Action Settlement- Warranty Extension Training.
Announcement to Subaru Retailers regarding the preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit regarding battery drain in certain Subaru vehicles.
What owners wrote
“Vehicle will not start after it has rained or if auto shut down occurs while it is raining. Vehicle has to be jump started if raining. Might start if âdried outâ or left in dry conditions.”
Filed Sep 18, 2022
“Something drained my battery completely dead (to less than 1V) overnight. The car was locked and the key fob wasn't near the car. In fact I keep it in a Faraday bag. The battery is less than one year old.”
Filed Sep 14, 2022
“Car battery drained. Have had to call AAA twice. Have now purchased another battery and it failed to auto start when I attempted to cross the intersection.”
Filed Apr 26, 2022
“Driving vehicle in a busy intersection and all of a sudden the electrical power went out. Battery is completely drained.”
Filed Mar 10, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 61 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Windshield cracks or distorts 399 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 57 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 52 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 32 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 28 reports
- Windshield wipers stop working 27 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 26 reports