2020 Subaru Forester
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 600 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 26 Forester model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 26 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 16 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: visibility/wiper
252 reports, newest first. Show all
Visibility/wiper, Jun 22, 2021
I received a small chip on my windshield that overnight has developed into several cracks that span the entire windshield. What should have been fixable by a professional windshield repair service will require the entire windshield to be replaced and eyesight system will need to be recalibrated.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 20, 2021
Windshield crack from unknown source, crack expanded while technician tried to repair. Required complete windshield replacement .
Visibility/wiper, Jun 8, 2021
On June 4, 2021 me and my famliy went for a 3 days road trip from Cirlce Pines Minnesota going to Duluth MN . The drive was approximately 2hrs plus. 12 mins. before we reached our destination the windshield suddenly showed a crack about 12 inches out from no where and blocks my visibility while driving. I went to my car dealer on 6/8/21 at Morries Subaru brooklyn park and asked for a replacement warranty but they denied it. 2020 forester windshields is so Dangerous because even a small rock will make it crack and blocks clear visibility while driving. This is happening to more and more subaru cars with eyesight technology. NHTSA should investigate if there is manufacturing defect or engineering defect with this windshield for a safer road and driving experience. I have a dashcam video of the said incident. I am more willing to submit it for your reference.
Visibility/wiper, May 31, 2021
Windshield cracks spontaneously. Driving on well maintained roads and brand new car has windshield damage that shows abnormal cracks with no or unknown cause or normal road conditions.
Visibility/wiper, May 22, 2021
Windshield cracked for no reason
Visibility/wiper, May 18, 2021
Driving at low speed heard a slight noise. Didn’t see any damage but the windshield cracked. Within about 2 minutes the crack spread approximately 3 inches. Within another couple minutes the crack extended vertically and then turned horizontally running another 10 inches. I have never had a crack occur and extend in this matter. Replacement and calibration of Isight technology according to satellite and the dealer costs are around 1900 dollars.
Visibility/wiper, May 13, 2021
I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2020 SUBARU FORESTER. I FIRST NOTICED A SMALL CRACK ON THE UPPER DRIVERS SIDE. I HAVE NOW SEEN MULTIPLE CRACKS THAT DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE AN ORIGINATION POINT OF IMPACT FROM AN OBJECT. ADDITIONALLY I HAVE A CRACK THAT IT FORMING IN THE AREA OF THE CAMERAS FOR THE EYESIGHT WHICH MAY LEAD TO DEGRADATION OR FAILURE OF THE EQUIPMENT TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE EVENT THAT CAUSED THE CRACKS IS UNKNOWN.
Visibility/wiper, May 10, 2021
1IN TO 2FT LONG CRACKS ARE BEING CREATED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AT THE SLIGHTEST IMPACT OF ANY SMALL PEBBLES. WINDSHIELD IS EXTREMELY EASILY COMPROMISED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN A SMALL PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD, INSTANTLY CREATING A 2FT LONG CRACK ACROSS IT. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS ALSO ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE IN MOTION, WHEN ANOTHER SMALL PEBBLE IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD, INSTANTLY CREATING A 1 INCH CRACK.
Visibility/wiper, May 7, 2021
MY WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING FROM THE TOP DOWN BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR NO APPARENT REASON, NO ROCK DENT , NO IMPACT , THE VEHICLE WAS IN MY WORK PARKING LOT AND I NOTICED THE CRACK UPON LEAVING WORK AT 4 PM, DROVE TO WORK AT 8 AM WAS DAYLIGHT AND NO VISIBLE CRACK NOTICED
Visibility/wiper, Lane departure, May 2, 2021
I JUST WALKED OUT TO MY CAR PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD I HAVEN'T HIT OR BEEN HIT BY ANYTHING THIS IS A NEW CAR HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A A YEAR YET DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WINDSHIELD WOULD CRACK SO BAD GOES FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD
Visibility/wiper, May 2, 2021
GIANT CRACK HAS APPEARED ON WINDSHIELD LESS THAT 12K MILES OF DRIVING. THERE IS A SMALL CHIP FROM A FEW DAYS AGO THAT HAS FORMED INTO A LARGER CRACK.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Apr 26, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED, STARTED BELOW WIPER IN THE MIDDLE OF GLASS, CRACK ABOUT 8 INCHES PERPENDICULAR TO THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR IN THE RAIN TURNED ON DEFROSTER AND SAW THE CRACK.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 18, 2021
I TRAVELLED TO WORK AND THE WINDSHIELD FORMED A CRACK ON THE UPPER LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD (DRIVER'S SIDE). IT STARTS AT THE CORNER AND PROCEEDS (SO FAR) TO BE 1.5 FEET LONG. THERE WERE NO ONCOMING VEHICLES OR VEHICLES THAT I WAS FOLLOWING. IT WAS A LEFT HAND TURN, LOW SPEED.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 9, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO NO APPARENT CAUSE - NO COLLISION, NO ROCK HITTING IT. IT SIMPLY APPEARED OVERNIGHT.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 7, 2021
THE WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED
Visibility/wiper, Apr 7, 2021
A SMALL CHIP ON THE BLACK EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD OCCURRED THE END OF FEBRUARY, THEN IT TURNED INTO AN 18' LONG CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD WITHIN A FEW HOURS ON A ROAD TRIP.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Apr 5, 2021
WINDSHIELD LITERALLY CRACKED FROM ONE SIDE TO THE MIDDLE FROM A SMALL PEBBLE (THE FIRST PEBBLE I'VE HAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD). I JUST GOT THIS CAR, BARELY EVEN BROKEN IN AT 7,000 MILES. THE SAFETY FEATURES FROM EYESIGHT DON'T WORK PROPERLY AFTER THIS WHICH POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 31, 2021
A SMALL, APPROXIMATELY 3" CRACK APPEARED ON LOWER DRIVER SIDE OF WINDSHIELD WITH NO APPARENT IMPACT AT THAT TIME. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE CRACKED WAS NOTICED IN THE EVENING. CONTACTED SUBARU WHO DIRECTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR EVALUATION. WHILE WAITING FOR EVALUATION (SEVERAL WEEKS), THE CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW TO APPROXIMATELY 18". SUBARU DETERMINED AN IMPACT CAUSED THE CRACK, THOUGH THE ONLY POSSIBLE IMPACT SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/16" IN DIAMETER. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ONE MONTH PRIOR.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 30, 2021
VERY SMALL OBJECT HIT WINDSHIELD NEAR EDGE OF WINDSHIELD WHERE BLACK COAT AND CLEAR GLASS MEET. A ROUGHLY 12" CRACK IMMEDIATELY APPEARED. I WAS DRIVING ON A TOLLWAY WHEN THE OBJECT HIT THE GLASS.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 29, 2021
I RECEIVED A CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD MY 2020 SUBARU FORESTER ON OCTOBER 8, 2020. IT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. IT APPEARED SUDDENLY IN MY FIELD OF VIEW BUT I DIDN'T SEE OR EXPERIENCE ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD OR CAUSED THE CHIP. A PROFESSIONAL WINDSHIELD REPAIR COMPANY ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE CHIP THE NEXT DAY, BUT IN THE PROCESS, CAUSED A LARGE CRACK TO SPREAD ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD WAS THEN REPLACED AT A SUBARU DEALERSHIP ON 10/28/20. I HAVE ATTACHED A DOCUMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT WORK DONE. ON 12/22/20 A CHIP APPEARED ON THE NEW WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THEN ON 3/7/20 A LARGE CRACK IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION APPEARED AND SPREAD ACROSS MY FIELD OF VIEW. I HAVE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE CHIP AND THE LARGE CRACK ON THE NEWLY REPLACED WINDSHIELD. I WILL NOW NEED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD A SECOND TIME. THIS WILL BE MY 3RD WINDSHIELD ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT IS ONLY 1 YEAR OLD. EVEN WITH A NEW WINDSHIELD, FROM MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR, THE CHANCES OF MY FIELD OF VIEW BEING IMPACTED SUDDENLY BY CHIPS AND CRACKS WHILE DRIVING IS VERY HIGH. THE CAUSE OF THE CRACKS APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE GLASS USED BY SUBARU FOR THE WINDSHIELD.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 26, 2021
WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKED DOWN THE MIDDLE OUT OF THE BLUE. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING AN ON COMING LIGHT REFLECTED OF MY WINDSHIELD ODDLY. I LOOKED AT IT CLOSER AT A STOP TO SEE A CRACK STARTING FROM THE TOP OF THE GLASS GOING RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE EYESIGHT CAMERAS.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 25, 2021
CHIPS/CRACKS IN WINDOW. MULTIPLE SMALL CHIPS FROM PEBBLES/DEBRIS/SALT FROM SALT TRUCKS. A DIME SIZED CRACK THAT HAD TO BE SEALED AND FIXED. I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE ON HAND BUT IT WAS COVERED THROUGH GEICO INSURANCE AND FIXED THROUGH AUTO SAFE GLASS REPAIRS
Visibility/wiper, Mar 23, 2021
WINDSHIELD EXPERIENCED A VERY MINOR IMPACT FROM A SMALL PIECE OF GRAVEL, IMMEDIATELY RESULTING IN A SMALL CHIP. WITHIN 24 HOURS, THE CHIP HAD BECOME A LARGE CRACK THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD GLASS ON SUBARU FORESTER IS THIN AND BRITTLE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 17, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH JUST A SMALL ROCK HITTING IT. THERE IS NOW ANOTHER CRACK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT GOT THERE. THE WINDSHIELD SOUNDS VERY BRITTLE WHEN THE SMALLEST THING HITS IT. THE WINDSHIELDS ARE DEFECTIVE, I HAVE FRIENDS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE THE EYESIGHT TECHNOLOGY, SO REPLACEENT IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Mar 3, 2021
I BOUGHT THIS CAR 2 WEEKS AGO WITH 1,950 MILES AND MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH NO REASON. I DON'T KNOW WHY OR HOW THAT HAPPENED. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FIRST BECAUSE I HAVE A BROKEN WINDSHIELD AND SECOND BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT WINDSHIELD IS WEAK OR LACKING OF SAFETY.