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, Mar 3, 2021
6 MONTH OLD VEHICLE SUDDENLY HAVE CRACK ON WINDSHIELD. REPORTED THE ISSUE TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT IS DUE TO IMPACT - CAR IS PARKED UNDER A CARPORT, DID NOT AND/OR GOT HIT BY ANYTHING THE DAY BEFORE, AND HAVE 12 INCHES CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD THE DAY AFTER.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 2, 2021
I CAME OUT TO THE CAR AND THERE IS A LARGE FOOT LONG PLUS CRACK FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD UP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT DEVELOPED OUT OF NOWHERE.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 28, 2021
A CRACK GREATER THAN 12 INCHES ON THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOTED . THERE WAS NO INCIDENT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS CRACK.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 28, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED UNEXPECTEDLY FOR NO REASON. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY - PARKED, WHEN THIS OCCURRED, AND WILL BE EXPENSIVE ($1000+) TO FIX
Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 26, 2021
WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK. NO KNOWN EVEN SUCH AS A DEBRIS STRIKE WAS OCCURRED. CRACK WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 26, 2021
RETURNED TO MY CAR AFTER OVERNIGHT SITTING IN DRIVE WAY AND A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD APPEARED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. IT STARTED AT THE BASE, RAN UP ABOUT 5", TURNED TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE CAR AND SO FAR HAS RUN ABOUT 15" AND IS ADVANCING. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT. THE VEHICLE HAS 5069 MILES ON IT AS OF 02-26-21.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 25, 2021
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, MY WINDSHIELD MADE A POP NOISE AND A FOOT LONG CRACK APPEARED A FEW MINUTES LATER. THERE WAS NO OBJECT THAT HIT THE WINDSHIELD NOR ANY VISIBLE DEBRIS ON THE ROAD. SEE DASH CAM AT THE 9:26:11 MARK. HERE'S A LINK FOR THE VIDEO: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/FILE/D/1SEGZLHZPFQDE4BKXEEFA8G91NVKRS1DW/VIEW?USP=SHARING IMAGES: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/FILE/D/18O4P7W30SOPFFZM4Z4AMBEHMG5R8FDJ6/VIEW?USP=SHARING HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/FILE/D/1DPF2PZ0NEVRGJNXXBOL2ADYRYLMA_XFB/VIEW?USP=SHARING
Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2021
CAME OUTSIDE, TURNED THE CAR ON AND NOTICED A HUGE DOUBLE CRACK DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 20, 2021
LAST NIGHT ON 02/19/2021 I PARKED MY VEHICLE AT HOME IN THE DRIVEWAY, AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS FINE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, NOTHING HIT MY CAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING LAST NIGHT. THIS MORNING WHEN I WENT TO GO TO WORK, I NOTICED A LARGE CRACK THAT APPEARED, APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES IN LENGTH. THE CRACK HAD DEVELOPED APPARENTLY ON ITS OWN, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. THE CRACK CONTINUED TO SPREAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK OVER THE COURSE OF 30 MINUTES, AND IS NOW APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES IN LENGTH.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 11, 2021
CAME OUT ONE MORNING AND WINDSHIELD HAD A LARGE CRACK AND IT KEEPS GETTING LARGER.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 10, 2021
CRACKED WINDSHIELD. NO APPARENT REASON. HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR $1825.
Structure, Visibility/wiper, Feb 2, 2021
A LARGE FRACTURE ON THE WINDSHIELD APPEARED (ROUGHLY 16 INCHES LONG) WITH, IN MY OPINION, NO OBVIOUS IMPACT. I ONLY NOTICED THE FRACTURE AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP TO GET THE FRACTURE INSPECTED. THE SERVICE MANAGER RAN A BALL-POINT PEN ALONG THE FRACTURE AND FOUND A SMALL INDENTATION (LESS THAN 1/32 INCH DEEP) NEAR THE A PILLAR. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THIS INDICATED THE FRACTURE WAS DUE TO AN IMPACT AND NOT A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. CONSEQUENTLY, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE SINCE FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 1, 2021
PURCHASED A NEW SUBARU FORESTER SPORT MAY 25 2020, THE MORNING OF 1/22/2020 WE WOKE UP TO A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD FROM PASSENGER SIDE ALL THE WAY TO THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS. THE VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT AND VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. THE WEATHER WAS CERTAINLY NOT AN ISSUE AS IT DOES NOT GET BELOW FREEZING OFTEN (ESPCIALLY IN OUR GARAGE) IN THE SOUTHEAST THIS TIME OF YEAR. I WALKED OUT TO START THE CAR TO LET IT WARM UP BEFORE DRIVING AS I ALWAYS DO, WALKED BACK INSIDE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES THEN WALK OUT TO FIND A HUGE CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I DONT USE THE DEFROST OR HEAT, JUST THE HEATED SEATS, SO GLASS HEATING UP TO FAST COULDNT HAVE BEEN THE ISSUE; NOT THAT IT SHOULD BE AN ISSUE. HOWEVER I DID NOTICE A SMALL PIN PRICK OF A CHIP IN THE GLASS UPON FURTHER INSPECTION. THAT SAID, THIS GLASS IS FAR TOO FRAGILE AND IM ALREADY EXPECTING TO BE REPLACING IT AGAIN AS THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH SUBARU FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. $1500 TO REPLACE THE GLASS AND RE CALIBRATE EYESIGHT. EXPECTING INSURANCE PREMIUMS TO GO UP AT SOME POINT. THIS GLASS IS BEYOND DEFECTIVE, WEAK, AND WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN SOMETHING SLIGHTLY BIGGER HITS IT? I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING ONE OF THE SAFEST CARS ON THE MARKET...
Visibility/wiper, Feb 1, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON-FOUND TODAY WHEN CAR WAS STATIONARY.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 31, 2021
WINDSHIELD CHIP AND BREAK REALLY EASY I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN A BODYSHOP FOR 20 YEARS AND EVER NEW SUBARU OWN I HAVE TALKED TO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING BUT THAT'S THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE BAD TO SAY ABOUT THE CARS
Visibility/wiper, Jan 30, 2021
CAR PURCHASED ON 1/25/21 FROM DEALER WITH 8700 MILES ON IT IN GOOD CONDITION. BY 1/30/21, ONE CRACK AND 3 CHIPS WERE DEVELOPING ON WINDSHIELD. DID NOT HAPPEN DURING DRIVING. WE HAVE PUT ABOUT 200 MILES ON IT. HAILED ON 1/29/21 BUT NO DAMAGE TO GLASS SUNROOF OR OTHER WINDOWS.CAR SPENDS MOST TIME PARKED IN LOT, NOT ON STREET.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 27, 2021
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON WITHIN MONTHS OF OWNING THE BRAND NEW CAR. THE CRACK SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY IN MY GARAGE OVER NIGHT, AND GRADUALLY GREW MUCH BIGGER OVER TIME.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jan 21, 2021
COMPLAINT NUMBER 11386410 WINDSHIELD REPLACED NOTED ON RECEIPT 'BROKEN DUE TO STRESS CRACK/DEFECT IN GLASS. NOTHING FROM THE ROAF HIT THE GLASS'
Visibility/wiper, Jan 20, 2021
WE BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW LAST YEAR, 2020 FORESTER SPORT. WOKE UP ONE DAY TO HAVING A CRACK OUT OF NOWHERE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD, NO IMPACT SIGN. CRACKED ALL THE WAY UP AND NOW WORKING TO THE SIDE. JUST A WEEK AGO WE HAD A LITTLE ROCK KICK UP FROM A TRUCK ON THE ROAD, NOT VERY BIG NOR GOING VERY FAST, YET IT CRACKED THE GLASS INSTANTLY & DRAMATICALLY YET AGAIN. THE WINDOW SEEMS TO BE EXTRA SENSITIVE AND NOT AS DURABLE AS NORMAL WINDSHIELD GLASS. THIS BECOMES A LARGE EXPENSIVE PROBLEM FOR OWNERS AS REPLACING THE GLASS COST $1000 DUE TO EYESIGHT CALIBRATION. WHEN IT'S BREAKING EVERY FEW MONTHS ON THE SLIGHTEST THINGS, IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT AND QUITE DANGEROUS. WE ARE DRIVING IT WITH BROKEN GLASS UNTIL SUBARU WILL FIX IT, AS THE REPAIR COSTS ARE JUST TOO HIGH AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!!
Visibility/wiper, Jan 16, 2021
THE WINDSHIELD ON THE 2020 SUBARU FORESTER IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AND FRAGILE. ROCK IMPACTS THAT WOULD HAVE LEFT NO MARK ON OTHER WINDSHIELDS LEAVE CHIPS. THIS MORNING, WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, WITHOUT A ROCK IMPACT, THE WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED; AN 18-INCH CRACK DEVELOPED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, STARTING WHERE THE GLASS MEETS THE VEHICLE, ABOUT HALFWAY UP THE GLASS. I HEARD A [POP] NOISE AND NOTICED THE CRACK SUDDENLY DEVELOPED; MY WIFE DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE UNTIL I POINTED IT OUT TO HER. I'VE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THAT THE GLASS IS CONSTRUCTED DIFFERENTLY IN ORDER FOR SUBARU'S MOTION SENSING SYSTEM "EYESIGHT" TO WORK PROPERLY. IF SUBARU CAN'T DEVELOP A MOTION SENSING SYSTEM WITHOUT SERIOUSLY COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD, THEY SHOULD NOT SELL CARS WITH THAT SYSTEM.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 11, 2021
FRONT WINDSHIELD HAD CRACK WHICH COMES BY ITSELF
Visibility/wiper, Jan 8, 2021
MY 2020 FORESTER DEVELOPED 2 CRACKS VERY SUDDENLY. NO IMPACTS, JUST 2 BIG CRACKS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM. I WALKED OUT FROM WORK AND FOUND ONE, AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE SECOND ONE HAD MAGICALLY APPEARED. I HAD TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED ENTIRELY. SUBARU INSISTED IT WAS BECAUSE OF IMPACTS TO THE GLASS AND WOULDN'T DO IT UNDER WARRANTY. THEY WANTED $1500 OUT OF POCKET AND FOR ME TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT VIA MY INSURANCE ON MY OWN. I WENT WITH OEM GLASS FROM SAFELITE, HOPING THAT PERFORMANCE WOULD BE BETTER THAN THE SUBARU GLASS. THE PEOPLE AT SAFELITE WARNED ME THIS LIKELY WOULDN'T BE THE CASE; THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ANGLE/DESIGN OF THE SUBARU FORESTER GLASS WAS FAULTY AND THAT THEY SEE A LOT OF FORESTERS IN THEIR SHOPS FOR WINDSHIELD CHIPS AND CRACKS EVERY WEEK. SURE ENOUGH, 5 MONTHS LATER A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHILE I WAS GOING ABOUT 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT INSTANTLY TURNED INTO A 5" CRACK THAT REACHED THE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I AM NOW HAVING MY SECOND FULL WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT WITHIN 6 MONTHS. I AM VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE WINDSHIELD ON MY FORESTER. I KNOW THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME I'M IN FOR A WINDSHIELD REPAIR, AS I LIVE IN A CITY AND DRIVE ON INTERSTATES WITH SEMI-TRUCKS; GETTING THE OCCASIONAL ROCK THROWN UP INTO THE WINDSHIELD IS INEVITABLE. I'VE NEVER DRIVEN A VEHICLE WITH SUCH FRAGILE GLASS.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 6, 2021
PURCHASED NEW 2020 FORRESTER WITH 25 MILES ON IT MAY 19, 2020. ON JULY 14 I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITH NO VEHICLES CLOSE BY, WHEN WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY POPPED AND CRACKED APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES ACROSS DRIVER VIEW. NO VISUAL CHIP OR OTHER DAMAGE, BUT CRACK MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR DRIVER TO SEE ESPECIALLY IN SUNLIGHT. CALLED SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THIS IS OFTEN A PROBLEM WITH THE "SMART" WINDSHIELD, AND WAS NOT FAULTY OR COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WINDSHIELD CONTINUED TO CRACK. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED WINDSHIELD AND CALIBRATED EYE SIGHT ON JULY 23 AT THE COST OF $1416.27. WE HAD GLASS COVERAGE WITH SAFECO INSURANCE, DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FILE INSURANCE CLAIM SO WE PAID FOR COST AND SUBMITTED CLAIM TO SAFECO. SAFECO EVENTUALLY PAID US IN SEPTEMBER AFTER MULTIPLE PHONE CONVERSATIONS AND QUESTIONS, INCLUDING WHETHER THE WINDSHIELD COULD HAVE BEEN FAULTY WHEN PURCHASED.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 6, 2021
FOR THE 2ND TIME IN A 30 DAY PERIOD I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR MY 2020 SUBARU FORESTER WINDSHIELD DUE TO A CRACK. THE CRACK HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 1) ON LOCAL ROADS WHEN A VERY SMALL PEBBLE STRUCK THE DRIVER-SIDE WINDSHIELD AND CRACKED IT. IN MY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A WINDSHIELD CRACK SO EASILY LIKE THIS WITH SUCH A SMALL PEBBLE HIT, AND IT HAPPENED 2X IN A 30 DAY PERIOD (DEC. 09, 2020 1ST REPAIR, AND JAN. 05, 2021 2ND CRACK). SOMETHING IS DEFECTIVE WITH THE STRENGTH AND INTEGRITY OF THIS MFG WINDSHIELD.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 5, 2021
I PURCHASED A 2019 SUBARU FORRESTER IN 2019. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING, ALONE ON A COUNTRY HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO WAY THERE WAS ANY IMPACT, SO I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE AND I HAD THE HEAT ON - MAYBE THE MIXING OF TEMPERATURES CAUSED IT TO CRACK. I HAD GEICO COVER THE NEW WINDSHIELD. I PURCHASED A 2020 FORRESTER IN JULY 2020, AND HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING IT. THE CAR WAS SITTING, ALONE, IN A PARKING RAMP THAT WAS COVERED AT MY HOUSE, WITH NOTHING AROUND IT. I WAS OUT OF MY CAR FOR MAYBE AN HOUR AND CAME BACK AND THE WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED AGAIN.