IllustrationWINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING WHICH QUICKLY GREW TO 22 INCHES
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 reportsA UNKNOWN SMALL OBJECT HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHILE I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON A INTERSTATE FREEWAY WHICH CAUSED A LARGE CRACK. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 10,000 MILES ON IT.
I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR INFREQUENTLY IF AT ALL FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS AS THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN SHELTERING AT HOME - THIS IS PROBABLY THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STRESS ANY CAR HAS EVER BEEN PUT UNDER. THE LAST TIME I USED MY CAR WAS OVER A WEEK AGO AND OTHERWISE IT'S BEEN SITTING IN MY APARTMENT'S SMALL, OUTDOOR PARKING LOT DOING NOTHING AT…
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I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR INFREQUENTLY IF AT ALL FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS AS THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN SHELTERING AT HOME - THIS IS PROBABLY THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STRESS ANY CAR HAS EVER BEEN PUT UNDER. THE LAST TIME I USED MY CAR WAS OVER A WEEK AGO AND OTHERWISE IT'S BEEN SITTING IN MY APARTMENT'S SMALL, OUTDOOR PARKING LOT DOING NOTHING AT ALL. WEATHER FOR THE LAST WEEK HAS BEEN EXTREMELY MODERATE IN THE HIGH 60S FAHRENHEIT AND NO WIND AT ALL. THEN I WENT OUT TO MY CAR TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING AND INSTEAD FOUND A GIANT CRACK EXTENDING ACROSS HALF MY WINDSHIELD AND CURVING DOWN UNDER THE BOTTOM "SEALED" EDGE. THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE AS I HAVEN'T EVEN USED IT. EVEN BEFORE THE CURRENT IMMOBILITY, WITH A 7 MINUTE SUBURBAN COMMUTE THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH GOING ON WITH A CAR SUPPOSEDLY BUILT FOR TOUGH CONDITIONS.
I DROVE TO A SHOPPING CENTER AND PARKED. AFTER A COUPLE HOURS, I RETURNED TO MY CAR, AND FOUND THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED FROM THE TOP PASSENGER SIDE DIAGONALLY ACROSS TO THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED BY SAFELITE.
I LEFT MY CAR IN THE GARAGE PERFECT AND THE NEXT DAY I NOTICE THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. IT HAPPENED OVER NIGHT AND WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION.
MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SURFACE IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS OF BEING HIT WITH A SMALL ROCK IN THE CORNER OF MY BRAND NEW 2019 FORRESTER
AFTER DRIVING THE NEW 2019 SUBARU FORESTER FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I NOTICED LOTS OF CHIPS AND FINE SCRATCHES ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. AND NOW, AFTER DRIVING IT FOR LESS THAN 8 MONTHS, A 12'' CRACK APPEARS ON THE WINDSHIELD WITH THE CAR FULLY COVERED IN THE GARAGE. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME I NEED…
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AFTER DRIVING THE NEW 2019 SUBARU FORESTER FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I NOTICED LOTS OF CHIPS AND FINE SCRATCHES ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. AND NOW, AFTER DRIVING IT FOR LESS THAN 8 MONTHS, A 12'' CRACK APPEARS ON THE WINDSHIELD WITH THE CAR FULLY COVERED IN THE GARAGE. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME I NEED TO PAY ABOUT $1200 TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. I KNOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE LAWSUITS ON THIS ISSUE AND SUBARU OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS AS A COMMON ISSUE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.
I HAVE EXPERIENCED 2 CRACKS IN MY WINDSHIELD IN THE 1ST 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND LATER NOTICED THAT A CRACK APPEARED ON MY WINDSHIELD. IN OUR PREVIOUS 30 YEARS OF DRIVING, NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I HAVE EXPERIENCED ANY WINDSHIELD CRACKS AND WE BELIEVE …
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I HAVE EXPERIENCED 2 CRACKS IN MY WINDSHIELD IN THE 1ST 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND LATER NOTICED THAT A CRACK APPEARED ON MY WINDSHIELD. IN OUR PREVIOUS 30 YEARS OF DRIVING, NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I HAVE EXPERIENCED ANY WINDSHIELD CRACKS AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE WINDSHIELD PROVIDED WITH OUR 2019 SUBARU FORESTER (PURCHASED NEW) IS DEFECTIVE.
ROCK CRACKED WINDSHIELD, WHILE MOVING ON FREEWAY, DRIVERS SIDE. 2 DAYS LATER CRACK RAN ABOUT HALF WAY ACROSS WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF DRIVER. LARGE TRUCK SENT ROCK INTO WINDSHIELD, WHILE MOVING DOWN FREEWAY.
WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE AND EASILY DAMAGED. FIRST DAMAGED OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 24, 2019 WITH 4501 MILES DRIVEN. A SMALL PEBBLE STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN A SMALL STAR BURST CRACK WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. SECOND DAMAGED OCCURRED ON MARCH 15, 2020 WITH 8,651 MILES DRIVEN. A STRESS CRACK FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WI…
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WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE AND EASILY DAMAGED. FIRST DAMAGED OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 24, 2019 WITH 4501 MILES DRIVEN. A SMALL PEBBLE STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN A SMALL STAR BURST CRACK WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. SECOND DAMAGED OCCURRED ON MARCH 15, 2020 WITH 8,651 MILES DRIVEN. A STRESS CRACK FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD ORIGINATING RIGHT BELOW THE WIPER BLADE DEFROSTING HEATING ELEMENT. THE CRACK WAS NOT CAUSED BY ANY IMPACT. LATER IT WAS NOTICED AFTER THE CAR WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. REVIEWED MANY OTHER SUBARU CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME STRESS CRACK ORIGINATING FROM BELOW THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER HEATING ELEMENTS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THE 2019 SUBARU FORESTER SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR EITHER HAVING A STRUCTURAL DESIGN FAULT THAT CAUSES STRESS CRACKS TO FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GLASS OR THE GLASS IS VERY BRITTLE FROM MINOR STRIKES OR FLEXING.
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.