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
600 reports, newest first.
Tires, Nov 13, 2022
I have had to replace the tire valve stems on ALL 4 tires. In addition, 1 of the replacement valve stems also had to replaced within 1 year when it was first replaced. All this within the first 3 years of owning the vehicle.
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Nov 12, 2022
Engine shuts off when coasting into a turn when car is moving at less than 5mph. Causes loss of steering. Will restart if gas pedal is pumped. Dealer can find no problem. Does not happen predictably and can not always be replicated. Very dangerous.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 5, 2022
Rock chip on windshield spread across whole windshield in 2 days. Had to pay $1200 to have it replaced with a third party windshield.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 3, 2022
Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. It is cracked from the passenger side to the middle of the vehicle. The car was parked when this occurred. There isn’t an object near the crack.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 1, 2022
1. Fragile windshield, easily get cracks on it. It is available for inspection upon request. 2. Could cause serious problem if the crakes are bigger and on the diver's side. 3. Not yet. But a lot other Subaru Forester owners have experienced the same problem. 4. Not yet. 5. No.
Power train, Nov 1, 2022
The other day, the check engine light came on & Eyesight was disabled. I take it to the nearest mechanic who tells me that the cooling fans are running too long at idle & this could drain the battery. He also tells me to watch for the engine overheating. The recently checked coolant level had dropped lower than the minimum. I take it to dealer who keeps it for day. Similar to the 2 other complaints, the fault is related to TSB-09-80-21R calling for replacement parts to be installed. Subaru did not do any recall but instead waited for the parts to fail. I have minimal heat & the engine runs cool a lot of the time which affects emissions. My gas mileage is getting worse. The part is on backorder with no estimated time of arrival. I was told to just keep driving it & to let them know if it starts to run rough. The dealer said there are a lot of other cars & drivers in this situation at the dealer’s service department.
Air bags, Oct 27, 2022, crash
On October 26th 2022 I was in a accident with a deer. It was a head on collision where my airbags deployed but the main windshield airbag didn't go off.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 26, 2022
This is about a problem of which your agency is already aware. Subaru of America has been aware of a defective Thermo Control Valve for almost a year (Part 21319AA010). The part was redesigned since the initial part was subject to extreme corrosion. The redesigned part has the same part number as the original part. Subaru did not do any recall but instead waited for the parts to fail. When it fails on a car with safety features (called "eyesight"), each and every safety feature is permanently disabled until the redesigned part is installed. In addition, the engine runs too cool and there is little or no cabin heat. My car has been on the lot of my local dealership for 2 months with no end in sight. My car is covered by the original warranty and an extended warranty. Managers at the dealership have told me that they have no idea when the part will arrive, that it may be many months and that there are many people already waiting for the part. A 6-page letter by me to the General Counsel of Subaru of America did not result in any direct response. By information and belief, this involves thousands of cars nationwide. By information and belief, dealerships are initially telling people the cars are still drivable despite the loss of all safety features since this what was initially told to me. I refused to accept the car in a defective unsafe condition. There may be thousands of cars being driven in which said safety features are fully disabled. Subaru claims the part has been on "back order" since March. By information and belief, based upon Subaru's own February 2022 service bulletin, it appears that the newly designed part is currently being installed on new cars at the factory thereby putting into question the "backorder" label. This analysis was enunciated in detail in my letter to Subaru of America's General Counsel and there was no response contesting that allegation. Your agency's investigation and intervention are immediately required.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated after starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D) or reverse(R). The contact stated that the engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine was “COLD” even after she had driven the vehicle approximately 30 minutes. The contact stated that the heater no longer worked as intended and only blew out cold air. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the thermostat coolant valve needed to be replaced. The contact was advised that the part needed for the repair was on a national back order. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Electrical system, Oct 17, 2022
Repeated experiences of battery going dead after simply opening and closing doors a few times a day for four days. Engine was not started in this time. All interior light were off and rear hatch remained closed. Safety risk is being stranded in rural locations, at times with no cell service. Local Subaru dealer indicated I needed an authorization code from a battery lawsuit settlement to look into it. Lawsuit doesn’t include my vehicle VIN and only reimburses cost for battery replacement and possibly towing, not a repair. Research into the problem has indicated that this “parasitic drain “ can be remedied by replacing the defective older PRG Module with the effective newer one. This should be covered by the warranty on a two year old car. Local dealer would only refer to the lawsuit for direction. Suspect they are “buying time” until warranty expires to avoid doing the appropriate repair. See attached file for example of correct repair from another Subaru owner.
Vehicle speed control, Oct 6, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space and pressing the parking brake, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and accelerated forward. During the incident, the vehicle drove over a curb, hit a lamp post, and crashed into a parked vehicle. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was not towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 3, 2022
Vehicle was parked in a parking lot for approx 30 mins. Upon returning to the vehicle, the windscreen was found to have been cracked. Visibility is now obscured. This problem is known to Subaru, however they refuse to do anything about it. A class action lawsuit was filed in 2020 over the problem.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 2, 2022
Windshield cracked for no apparent reason from edge. Started to spread.
Electrical system, Sep 29, 2022
In less than 2 years of owning this car the battery failed putting me in a very dangerous situation. While standing in the middle of the road to make a turn into incoming traffic the car was off because of the auto stop-start system. As I released the brake and tried to accelerate to cross the intersection the car failed to restart automatically and stalled as if the battery did not have enough power. I had to place the car in parking and restart it again in the middle of the road. This happened multiple times. I took the car to the dealer and it was confirmed that the battery was bad and it was replaced. The new battery was good for sometime but lately it feels that it lacks power again, specially to restart when off from the auto start-stop system. This problem is very concerning as it can cause a major accident if unable to restart when expected.
Electrical system, Sep 27, 2022
Battery will not hold a charge. Battery frequently needs to be recharged. Bought a portable jumper, to ensure vehicle will start away from home where the battery would otherwise be charged in the garage.
Electrical system, Sep 26, 2022
I've owned this car for less than a week and already have to replace a battery that was said to be completely fine. It does not retain charge or replenish when parked.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 24, 2022
Windshield cracked rapidly (seconds) from left bottom to center of windshield beyond repair. Windshield did not have previous damage or was hit by foreign object, appears to be a stress crack. Local Subaru Dealer referred that this situation should be discussed with Subaru USA.
Service brakes, Sep 22, 2022
I have a 2020 subaru forester with low mileage. A few weeks ago, I started to move forward when the traffic light turned green. There is a car in front of me that started to move forward. There was another car perpendicular to my right. I started to apply the gas, and the car fought me and was appying the brakes. I saw no reason for the car to brake. This concerns me. I was on dry pavement in daylight. I fear if this had happened when the roads were covered with ice or snow, it could have caused me to spin out.
Other or unspecified, Sep 13, 2022
Windshield keeps cracking as if unable to withstand regular road conditions that other vehicles/windshields for vehicles with the same capabilities and from the same brand (but different models) can. Windshield for my vehicle has been replaced once but will need to be replaced again, each time with an oem part
Steering, Lane departure, Sep 13, 2022
Corrupted Driver Assist Software. Dashboard icons for hands on steering wheel, dynamic vehicle control, lane change control were flashing that systems were off, controls were turned off randomly. Vehicle was not tracking appropriately in its lane, steering was not acting correctly. Car at times acted as if it were being blown by a strong crosswind. Steering between lanes was not consistent. Icon warning that my hands were not on steering wheel when both my hands were on the steering wheel.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 10, 2022
Car window cracked while parked at work. Heard there was recalls from the internet was wondering if my car is in the classification of defective windshield
Visibility/wiper, Aug 29, 2022
My windshield cracked without any damage. While driving down the road one giant crack appeared out of nowhere.
Electrical system, Aug 27, 2022
2nd event - SOY based transmission wiring chewed. TWICE in two years. Car garaged, traps in garage. Our cost: about $1500. Time in shop - 3 months, due to "no parts".
Visibility/wiper, Aug 26, 2022
The SUV developed the long crack across its windshield (see attachment) while parked in garage. There was no impact to cause the disintegration. There was a minor "star" damage at the bottom of the windshield, approx. 3/4 - 1 inch wide, no ding, that had occurred some two weeks prior, that I was about to get repaired. The concern here is quality of the glass that is easily damaged and disintegrates without impact.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 25, 2022
My 3rd windshield needs to be replaced for cracking clear across. The first one shattered after a pine one fell from a tree and completely shattered the glass. Employer paid 1,000 (see pic)The next was hit by small pebbles and it instantly cracked one half of windshield. Insurance paid with 500 deductible. This time I heard a pop and a crack appeared from the bottom and continued to crack all the way across with several cracks starting from the original crack. An estimate of 1,000to fix it.