2019 Subaru Forester electrical problems
135 of the 833 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Forester name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 329 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database7 of the 135 reports a crash · 7 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2019: 16 · 2020: 11 · 2021: 18 · 2022: 41 · 2023: 25 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 4
Half of the 39 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 3,000 and 19,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
833 complaints in all about the 2019 Subaru Forester, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Subaru Forester electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Frequently the rear tail gate will not open. Sometimes I can continue to depress the button and it will release and then I can manually lift it. Then I press the close button and it will close
The homelink garage door opener does not function when the ignition is off. This could be a dangerous situation for a woman, driving into her garage, shutting off the engine, then getting out of the car to walk to the front of the garage where the wall button is located.
Automatic rear lift gate will not open (with either key fob or inside auto release). Beeps three times and still will not release. (this started on 12/15/19). Also, locks appear to have an electrical short (i.e. Sometimes they work, sometimes they won't).
Traveling on highway, approximately 60 MPH, tapped brakes and anti locks activated, immediately afterwards entire dashboard lit up with every warning light possible on the vehicle.
Since owning car since december 2018, I have noticed intermittently that the rear hatch will not open manually when I press the buttons in the back. Also sometimes it does not open when I press the button on left side of dashboard.
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications329 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- 12-269-25R Service bulletinAug 31, 2026
- This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- SubaruNet Announcement (C OtherAug 21, 2026
- This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
- 15-308-23R Service bulletinAug 20, 2026
- 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 version of the original bulletin.
The 3 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
B2A16 B112C B112E B2255 P2404 P2682 P0087 B2A20
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2019 Subaru Forester names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2019 Subaru Forester
Source: the same files- engine problems 111 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2019 Subaru Forester?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 135 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (16% of everything owners filed about it), and 329 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2019 Subaru Forester?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 3 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2019 Subaru Forester?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 9,565 miles; half of them between 3,000 and 19,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.