2018 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 495 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 26 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 9 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJul 29, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Campaign 21V587000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationOct 3, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
Campaign 19V701000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresJul 10, 2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
Campaign 18V455000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: visibility/wiper
135 reports, newest first. Show all
Visibility/wiper, May 3, 2020
THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2018 SUBARU FORESTER HAD TO BE REPLACED ON APRIL 16, 2019 AND AUGUST 13, 2019 DUE TO ROCK STRIKES IN THE BOTTOM OR SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD (THE BLACK SECTION OF THE WINDSHIELD CLOSEST TO THE METAL. TODAY, MAY 3, 2020 A CRACK LARGER THAN 12 INCHES APPEARED. THE CRACK BEGAN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD (AGAIN IN THE BLACK SECTION). I CHECKED CLOSELY AND THERE WASN'T A ROCK STRIKE. THE CRACK SPONTANEOUSLY APPEARED.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 28, 2020
2018 SUBARU FORESTER, SITTING AT HOUSE UNDRIVEN (STATIONARY) FOR OVER A MONTH DUE TO STAY AT HOME ORDER, DEVELOPED A CRACKED WINDSHIELD FOR NO REASON.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 27, 2020
WE HAVE NOW HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD TWICE. BOTH TIMES, THERE WAS A CRACK ORIGINATING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE GLASS AND COMING UP INTO THE LINE OF SITE. BOTH TIMES, THE CRACK OCCURRED WITHOUT AN APPARENT ROCK HIT OR OTHER ISSUE. BOTH TIMES, THE CRACK WAS NOTICED AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN STATIONARY WITH NO APPARENT ISSUES. THE FIRST TIME WE TOOK IT TO SUBARU, WHO SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A ROCK. I SAW NO EVIDENCE OF A ROCK.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 25, 2020
MY CAR WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY AND OVERNIGHT A WINDSHIELD CRACK OF 8-12 INCHES APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 23, 2020
THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED, THE CRACK IS GROWING FROM BOTTOM PASSENGER SIDE AND UP, HEADING MID SHIELD TOWARDS DRIVER. NO LOGICAL REASON FOR CRACK. NO ROCK CHIP MARKET, NO ACCIDENT.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 20, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO AN UNKNOWN REASON. 13" CRACK IN THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD STARTING AT THE BASE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. MY ONLY SPECULATION IS THAT SNOW COVERED THE WINDSHIELD DURING THE NIGHT AND THE SUN HEATED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING CAUSING AN ABRUPT TEMPERATURE STRESS ON THE GLASS. DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 19, 2020
WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, A SMALL ROCK HIT MY WINDSHIELD IN THE LEFT CORNER (FROM THE DRIVER'S PERSPECTIVE) OF THE WINDSHIELD. ALTHOUGH THE INITIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD WAS A SMALL DENT IN THE WINDSHIELD (PICTURED BELOW) THE CRACK STARTED SPREADING AS WE DROVE AND REACHED OVER 2/3 OF THE WINDSHIELD IN LENGTH (ALSO PICTURED BELOW). IT SEEMS UNREASONABLE THAT SUCH A SMALL DENT SHOULD CAUSE MORE THAN HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK. AS A RESULT, I THINK THAT THE WEAK CONSTRUCTION OF THE WINDSHIELD IS WHAT CAUSED THIS LARGE DAMAGE TO IT. ALTHOUGH THE CRACK ISN'T SEEMING TO SPREAD PAST ITS CURRENT LENGTH, IT IS STILL A CONCERN THAT THE WINDSHIELD MIGHT BREAK IN HALF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE WINTER OR IF ANOTHER SMALL ROCK WERE TO HIT IT.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 14, 2020
THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2018 FORESTER SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED EIGHT MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE WHILE DRIVING ON I-25 EIGHT MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. THERE WAS NO COLLISION OR IMPACT THAT CAUSED THE CRACK. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED BY SAFELITE AUTOGLASS ON MARCH 26, 2019. THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT AFTER INSURANCE WAS $200.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 14, 2020
THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED REALLY QUICKLY. NOT NORMAL.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 14, 2020
CRACKED WINDSHIELD APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE DURING THE MONTH OF JULY 2019. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN MY GARAGE. NOTICED IT NEXT MORNING WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE. CAR NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD. NO ROCK OR HAIL WAS IN CONTACT WITH WINDSHIELD PRIOR DAY OR EVEN UP TO THIS DAY.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 14, 2020
WITHIN THE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP THE WINDSHEILD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IS WAS DUE TO A SMALL CHIP.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
I PURCHASED A 3 MONTH USED CERTIFIED 2018 SUBARU FORESTER XT FROM A DEALER. AFTER DRIVING FOR COMMUTING FOR A MONTH OR SO, I REALIZED THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT OR HOW IT HAPPENED BUT ONE DAY I SAW THE CRACK OUT OF NO WHERE.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
CRACKED WINDSHIELD WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE
Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
DRIVING DOWN THE STREET IN THE CITY MY WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY BROKE.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
WE RECENTLY BOUGHT THE CAR CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED AND LESS THAN A WEEK LATER THERE WAS A MYSTERIOUS CHIP OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD. NOTHING HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING TO CAUSE THIS CHIP, SO I BELIEVE IT HAPPENED WHILE STATIONARY.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 7, 2020
CRACKED WINDSHIELD FROM A TINY ROCK. CAME FROM A CAR GOING OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HIT DRIVERS SIDE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER AND RAN ALL OFF THE WAY ACROSS.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 1, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACK/CHIP. I NOTICED THIS WHILE AT A STOPLIGHT AND NOT IN MOTION. CHIP SEEMED TO APPEAR ON IT'S OWN. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE ON THESE MODEL FORESTERS, GLASS ISN'T UP TO PAR.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 26, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO ROCKS OR ANY FOREIGN OBJECTS THAT CAUSED THE CRACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ONCE FOR A SIMILAR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER A DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 24, 2020
UNKNOWN. I DROVE MY CAR BACK FROM A WEEKEND TRIP AND SAW NO DAMAGE DURING THAT TIME. I THEN PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND DID NOT DRIVE MY CAR AGAIN FOR 3 DAYS. WHEN I RETURNED TO DRIVE MY CAR, THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE PROPAGATED FROM DAMAGE FROM A PROJECTILE AND WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN I HAD DRIVEN MY CAR 3 DAYS EARLIER. BASED ON THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF THE CRACK, I HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 24, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2020
I WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY NO ONE WAS AROUND ME. I HEARD A SMALL PING. THE NEXT MORNING THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER SIDE. I HAVE NEVER HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK EVEN WITH MUCH MORE FORCE. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THE WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY SISTER WHO BOUGHT A NEW CROSSTREK.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO OBSERVABLE REASON AND WAS REPLACED
Visibility/wiper, Feb 22, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM PASSENGER EDGE TO MIDDLE OF DRIVERS SIDE. NOTHING HIT IT, IT JUST CRACKED WHILE IT WAS SITTING IN MY CARPORT
Visibility/wiper, Feb 22, 2020
CRACKED AND CHIPPED WINDSHIELD FOR NO APPARENT REASON. REPLACED 2-14-20
Visibility/wiper, Feb 17, 2020
DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. NO STONES OR ROCKS HIT IT. JUST STARTED CRACKING IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS FROM COLD WEATHER. SEEMED LIKE IT CRACKED WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS PUT ON IN COLD WEATHER. CRACKS EVERYWHERE.