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2020 Subaru Forester

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Forester years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

272 reports with mileage · 328 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 252 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

26 crash reports8 fire reports13 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

107 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 2, 2021
Unknown Or Other

CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND IT WAS NOT HIT BY A STONE/DEBRIS. CAUSED IMPAIRED VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #11423195

Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Subaru Cracked Windshield

NHTSA ODI #11423041

Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Within a few months my 2020 Subaru forester windshield is riddled with multiple (4) chips and cracks. Being that I've driven the same roads with a different car for years with no issues, and my car only had 1,000 miles at the time of the crack and 3,000 during the second crack, I believe my windshield is faulty and prone to dama…

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Within a few months my 2020 Subaru forester windshield is riddled with multiple (4) chips and cracks. Being that I've driven the same roads with a different car for years with no issues, and my car only had 1,000 miles at the time of the crack and 3,000 during the second crack, I believe my windshield is faulty and prone to damage. There were no sound indications or objects hitting it, it cracked from the side and spread all the way across the windshield. I've gone through proper channels to no avail-- submitted a BBB claim with no answer and told my local Chico subaru dealership and they were no help.

NHTSA ODI #11419948

Mileage unknown · May 31, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - The original battery on our 2020 Subaru Forester died after some repairs related to getting rear ended. The battery died for the first time in March 2021, 8 months after we purchased the car with around 5500 miles on it. That bat…

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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - The original battery on our 2020 Subaru Forester died after some repairs related to getting rear ended. The battery died for the first time in March 2021, 8 months after we purchased the car with around 5500 miles on it. That battery was replaced with a brand new Subaru battery. The battery has died 3 times since being replaced. The current battery is available for inspection. In addition to the battery dying, we have recently noticed two situations where the rear hatch has not properly latched. I have a video of the rear hatch trying to latch and popping back open over and over again. I've only noticed this twice, but the first time I noticed this I realize we had been driving with the rear hatch open and our dog could have been put in serious risk if the rear hatch opened. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Issues with the battery dying multiple times puts me at risk of being stranded. The issue of the rear hatch means that anything that is placed in the rear of the vehicle may not be properly secured and could potentially fly out of the vehicle if the unlatched rear hatch opens while driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The original dead battery was initially identified by a body shop. The dealer was not able to find anything wrong with the vehicle upon first inspection, but we are going to take it in again. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle was inspected by a body shop (recommended by our insurance) and the dealer. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The only symptom we are able to routinely detect is a low voltage on our battery, which we believe indicates a parasitic draw.

NHTSA ODI #11419126

Mileage unknown · May 31, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Windshield cracked for no reason. I can not get dealer service department to answer the phone Subaru of Macon Ga. I parked my car and two hours I found the windshield cracked. I starts below the windshield wiper on passengers side and goes up and to the middle of the car. It is below the level of the hood of the car.

NHTSA ODI #11419077

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Windshield cracked without any impact from an object

NHTSA ODI #11417936

26,000 miles · May 13, 2021
Unknown Or Other

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH NO CAUSE. DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITH NO CARS AHEAD.

NHTSA ODI #11416413

25,000 miles · May 12, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

MULTIPLE DEAD BATTERIES OVER PAST YEAR. WHEN REAR LIFT GATE IS LEFT OPEN FOR LESS THEN AN HOUR WITH ALL LIGHTS INCLUDING INTERIOR OFF IT DRAINS BATTERY. 2019 LIFT GATE MODULE RECALLED DUE TO 'DARK DRAW' BUT DIDN'T INCLUDE EARLIER 2020 MODELS WHICH DID NOT HAVE NEW MODULE INCORPORATED YET. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO INCLUDE THE EARLY …

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MULTIPLE DEAD BATTERIES OVER PAST YEAR. WHEN REAR LIFT GATE IS LEFT OPEN FOR LESS THEN AN HOUR WITH ALL LIGHTS INCLUDING INTERIOR OFF IT DRAINS BATTERY. 2019 LIFT GATE MODULE RECALLED DUE TO 'DARK DRAW' BUT DIDN'T INCLUDE EARLIER 2020 MODELS WHICH DID NOT HAVE NEW MODULE INCORPORATED YET. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO INCLUDE THE EARLY 2020 MODELS IN RECALL. THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE AND IS A HAZARD TO BE LEFT STRANDED OVER SUCH AN EASY FIX THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE 2019 MODELS WITH THE RECALL ... MY CAR IS IN THAT 'GREY AREA' ONLY CAUSE IT IS NOT A 2019 BUT BEFORE THE FIX WAS ADDRESSED ON THE 2020 YEAR.

NHTSA ODI #11416301

14,000 miles · Apr 26, 2021
Unknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

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.

NHTSA ODI #11413958

9,984 miles · Apr 19, 2021
Unknown Or Other

MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. NO APPARENT CHIPS, OR DINGS. SEEMS TO COME FROM THE DEFROST AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD UNDER THE RUBBER GASKET.

NHTSA ODI #11412852

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Subaru Forester problems