IllustrationWINDSHIELD CRACK REALLY EASILY LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. MAYBE WE HIT A POT HOLE TOO HARD ON THE HIGHWAY OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT STARTED AT THE VERY EDGE. OEM WINDSHIELD SEEM TO BE VERY THIN CRACKED EASILY AND CRACK GOT BIGGER OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS HAD TO GET WINDSHIELD REPLACED OUT OF POCKET.
2019 Subaru Forester
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Forester years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
4010–25K
4525–50K
1350–75K
475–100K
5100–150K
0150K+
468 reports with mileage · 365 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 370 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 134 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 106 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
37 crash reports11 fire reports16 injury reports
Visibility/wiper complaints
370 reportsI HAVE HAD 2 WINDSHIELDS CRACK ON ME DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE CRACKS ARE VIOLENT AND SUDDEN. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY SUBARUS MANY MILES BUT THE 2019 FORESTER IS VERY SENSITIVE TO INHERENT STRESS IN THE GLASS
MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO COLD WEATHER, WHILE STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY, WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS CHIPS OR IMPACTS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ASK IF A REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED, AND WAS TOLD 'NOT A CHANCE. THAT JUST HAPPENS TO THOSE CARS.' UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, I'VE FOUND OTHER 2019 FORRESTER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME W…
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MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO COLD WEATHER, WHILE STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY, WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS CHIPS OR IMPACTS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ASK IF A REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED, AND WAS TOLD 'NOT A CHANCE. THAT JUST HAPPENS TO THOSE CARS.' UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, I'VE FOUND OTHER 2019 FORRESTER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS, AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME CUSTOMER SERVICE. A WINDSHIELD SHOULD NOT SPONTANEOUSLY CRACK JUST BECAUSE IT'S COLD OUTSIDE.
WHILE DRIVING AND STATIONARY. AT LEAST 4 CHIPS IN WINDSHIELD. 1 CRACK THAT OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE AT BETWEEN 55-65. INSURANCE FILLED INITIAL 2 CHIPS, BUT REFUSED TO FILL OTHERS OR REPAIR CRACK WITHOUT FILING A CLAIM THAT REQUIRES ME PAYING THE DEDUCTIBLE.
THE VEHICLE HAS 16000 MILES ON IT AND IVE HAD TO 2 WINDSHIELDS CRACK IN 3 MONTHS TIME. THE FIRST SPREAD WITHING 5 MINUTES. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED BY MY INSURANCE. THE SECOND HAPPENED TODAY AND MY INSURANCE WILL NOT PAY FOR. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO FAULT. BOTH CAUSED IN THE SAME LOCATION LOWER WINSHIELD, CAUSED BY MINOR HIG…
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THE VEHICLE HAS 16000 MILES ON IT AND IVE HAD TO 2 WINDSHIELDS CRACK IN 3 MONTHS TIME. THE FIRST SPREAD WITHING 5 MINUTES. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED BY MY INSURANCE. THE SECOND HAPPENED TODAY AND MY INSURANCE WILL NOT PAY FOR. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NO FAULT. BOTH CAUSED IN THE SAME LOCATION LOWER WINSHIELD, CAUSED BY MINOR HIGHWAY DEBRIS. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND NEVER HAD A WIND SHIELD SO WEAK! BOTH TIMES CAR WAS IN MOTION. I CAN PROVIDE PIC OF SECOND INCIDENT BUT THE FIRST WAS AT LEAST 14 INCHES WIDE AFTER SPREADING.
THERE WAS A MILDLY HOT DAY IN REVERE MA IN 10/24 ALMOST 80 AND GOT COLD AT NIGHT AROUND 40. NEXT DAY WE GET IN THE VEHICLE AND NOTICE SOMETHING LIKE A CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD BUT AT THE MOMENT WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST DIRT. IN 10/27 WE NOTICE THAT IT WAS A REAL CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN CLEANING THE …
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THERE WAS A MILDLY HOT DAY IN REVERE MA IN 10/24 ALMOST 80 AND GOT COLD AT NIGHT AROUND 40. NEXT DAY WE GET IN THE VEHICLE AND NOTICE SOMETHING LIKE A CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD BUT AT THE MOMENT WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST DIRT. IN 10/27 WE NOTICE THAT IT WAS A REAL CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN CLEANING THE VEHICLE, RIGHT WHERE THE DEFROSTER BLOWS. CRACK IS DEFINITELY NOT DUE FROM ROAD DEBRIS, NOT ROCK CHIPS AROUND THE CRACK AT ALL.
LOVE MY SUBARU FORESTER BUT HATE HOW MANY ROCK CHIPS I'VE GOTTEN IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. TOMORROW WILL BE MY 3RD WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT I GET TO CALL INTO MY INSURANCE NOT TO MENTION JUST THE TIME IT TAKES TO WAIT FOR A NEW ONE AND MAKING TIME TO GET IT PUT IN. I DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY LESS THAN 15 MINUTES AT A TIME AND MAYBE ONCE…
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LOVE MY SUBARU FORESTER BUT HATE HOW MANY ROCK CHIPS I'VE GOTTEN IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. TOMORROW WILL BE MY 3RD WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT I GET TO CALL INTO MY INSURANCE NOT TO MENTION JUST THE TIME IT TAKES TO WAIT FOR A NEW ONE AND MAKING TIME TO GET IT PUT IN. I DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY LESS THAN 15 MINUTES AT A TIME AND MAYBE ONCE A WEEK AND THE ONLY THING I THINK ABOUT WHILE DRIVING IS TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM SEMIS, TRUCKS AND TRAILERS TO TRY SAVE MYSELF SOME TIME AND MONEY AND NOT GET ANOTHER ROCK CHIP. I'VE HAD COUNTLESS ROCK CHIPS REPLACED IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS ALONG SIDE OF THE 2 WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS I'VE HAD SO FAR. ITS INSANE. TONIGHT I GOT A ROCK CHIP ALMOST THE SIZE OF A QUARTER WITH NO CAR AROUND EITHER FRONT OR BACK FOR AT LEAST 5 CAR LENGTHS! WITHIN 10 MINUTES ALMOST SPLIT HALF WAY ACROSS MY WINDSHIELD. ITS INSANE. SO NOW MY INSURANCE GETS TO REPLACE YET ANOTHER WINDSHIELD AND PAY FOR THE EYESIGHT TO BE RECALIBRATED, AGAIN. SUBARU SHOULD REALLY FIGURE THIS OUT OR AT LEAST BE WILLING TO REPLACE THEIR GLASS AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY BIG PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD A SMALL PEBBLE HIT MY WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT THE CREATE A SMALL CRACK. I HAD TO GET IT FILLED SINCE TO REPLACE TO WINDSHIELD WOULD REQUIRE CALIBRATING THE EYE SIGHT SENORS. OTHER NORMAL DERBIES HAVE HIT MY CAR ON THE ROADS TO AND HAS CAUSED ALOT OF SCRATCHING ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO B…
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WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD A SMALL PEBBLE HIT MY WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT THE CREATE A SMALL CRACK. I HAD TO GET IT FILLED SINCE TO REPLACE TO WINDSHIELD WOULD REQUIRE CALIBRATING THE EYE SIGHT SENORS. OTHER NORMAL DERBIES HAVE HIT MY CAR ON THE ROADS TO AND HAS CAUSED ALOT OF SCRATCHING ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO BE VERY THIN OR NOT THAT STRONG. WHEN THINGS TO DO HIT THE WINDSHIELD I DON'T GET THE SAME FEELING OF SAFETY I DO IN OTHER CARS. I GET THE FEELING THE WINDSHIELD WONT HOLD UP TO ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT BASED ON HOW FRAGILE IT FEELS AND SOUNDS WHEN THINGS HIT IT.
A CRACK HAS DEVELOPED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD. NO IMPACT OCCURRED WITH ANY OBJECT. INTERNET RESEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE IN TORQUE NEWS DATED 20 JUN 20 BY DENIS FLIERL.
SOMETHING WENT VERY WRONG IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE WINDSHIELD. WITHIN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS, I NOTICE VERY SMALL DEFECTS (SMALL, PINPOINT SIZED FRACTURES) IN THE WINDSHIELD. NOW, I HAVE A 20 INCH CRACK THAT GROWS 1 INCH EVERY DAY.
Official recalls
321V263000 · Suspension:rear
Apr 15, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-21.
19V856000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv)
Dec 2, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the short block engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUW-08.
19V065000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Feb 6, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: None of the affected vehicles have been sold yet. Subaru has notified dealers and they will inspect the steering gearbox, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUC-88.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.