IllustrationWINDSHIELD BROKE FOR NO REASON OUR CAR IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE
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.
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
2400–25K
2325–50K
750–75K
275–100K
0100–150K
0150K+
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
Visibility/wiper complaints
252 reportsDRIVING ON A ROAD GOING ABOUT 30, WET AROUND A CORNER A TRUCK PASSED ME GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY. KICKING UP A ROCK THAT HIT MY WINDSHIELD AND IT CRACKED INSTANTLY, MORE THAN HALFWAY TO THE PASSENGER SIDE
THERE IS A APPROXIMATELY 2 FT LONG WINDSHIELD CRACK EMANATING FROM THE LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE AND EXTENDING TOWARD THE CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING BUT TIME OF ORIGIN IS UNKNOWN. A TINY ROCK CHIP IS LOCATED A FEW INCHES FROM THE START OF THE CRACK AND SEEMS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LENGTH OF THE CRACK, B…
Read full complaint
THERE IS A APPROXIMATELY 2 FT LONG WINDSHIELD CRACK EMANATING FROM THE LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE AND EXTENDING TOWARD THE CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING BUT TIME OF ORIGIN IS UNKNOWN. A TINY ROCK CHIP IS LOCATED A FEW INCHES FROM THE START OF THE CRACK AND SEEMS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LENGTH OF THE CRACK, BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE WITH ROCK CHIPS.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED BY SMALL PEBBLE ON 3RD DAY OF LEASE OF CAR. DRIVING APPROX. 30MPH WHEN CAR GOING ONLY A LITTLE FASTER CHANGED LANES AND THREW PEBBLE. ON A PAVED ROAD.
FRONT WINDSHIELD ON DRIVERS SIDE, UPPER PORTION, CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON AN ON-RAMP TO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED BY INSURANCE ROUGHLY 5 WEEKS FROM PURCHASE. DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A LITTLE SNAP, THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK START TO FORM. GREW TO A LITTLE LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A QUARTER BEFORE MY INSURANCE HAD SOMEONE REPAIR IT 6 DAYS LATER
MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON JANUARY 14, 2020, WHICH WAS EXACTLY ONE MONTH AND ONE DAY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT REPAIRED YET SINCE I AM TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THE LAWSUIT AGAINST SUBARU, BUT I WANTED IT DOCUMENTED THAT I AM HAVING A WINDSHIELD ISSUE AS MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD.
2020 SUBARU FORESTER SPORT PURCHASED NEW 3.5 MONTHS AGO. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ALONG LOCAL HIGHWAY WHEN A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A 5 INCH CRACK FORMED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DRIVER SEAT. OVER THE NEXT 10 MINUTES, THE CRACK EXPANDED DOWNWARD INTO THE DRIVER LINE OF VIEW AND ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE CAR ANOTHER…
Read full complaint
2020 SUBARU FORESTER SPORT PURCHASED NEW 3.5 MONTHS AGO. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ALONG LOCAL HIGHWAY WHEN A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A 5 INCH CRACK FORMED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DRIVER SEAT. OVER THE NEXT 10 MINUTES, THE CRACK EXPANDED DOWNWARD INTO THE DRIVER LINE OF VIEW AND ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE CAR ANOTHER 10 INCHES. EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE OVERNIGHT, THE CRACK GREW ANOTHER 3 INCHES.
HAD VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH AND NOTICED A CRACK ON WINDSHIELD FROM TOP MIDDLE AT REARVIEW MIRROR LEVEL. CRACK WAS 10-12 INCHES BY END OF DAY. NEXT DAY NOTICE SMALL CHIP ON BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD. BY END OF SECOND DAY THAT CHIP EXPANDED TO14 INCH CRACK FROM BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD. NOW HAVE 12-14INCH CRACK FROM …
Read full complaint
HAD VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH AND NOTICED A CRACK ON WINDSHIELD FROM TOP MIDDLE AT REARVIEW MIRROR LEVEL. CRACK WAS 10-12 INCHES BY END OF DAY. NEXT DAY NOTICE SMALL CHIP ON BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD. BY END OF SECOND DAY THAT CHIP EXPANDED TO14 INCH CRACK FROM BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD. NOW HAVE 12-14INCH CRACK FROM TOP MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD AND 12-14INCH CRACK FROM BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD. I BELIEVE BOTH OF THESE CRACKS TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM SMALL ROCK STRIKES ON FREEWAY DRIVING, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM WHAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING AFTER DRIVING FOR LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON VEHICLE.
RETURNING FROM VT ON ROAD THAT I HAVE FREQUENTLY TRAVELLED WITH NO ISSUE. THIS TIME DRIVING MY 2 MONTH OLD 2020 SUBARU FORESTER SPORT ON I-95 AND I NOTICEO A SMALL DING ALMOST DEAD CENTER BOTTOM OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. I HAD HEARD COUPLE SMALL PINGS WHILE DRIVING, BUT NOTHING STRONG OR LOUD, AND WAS SUPRISED BY THE DING IN GLASS…
Read full complaint
RETURNING FROM VT ON ROAD THAT I HAVE FREQUENTLY TRAVELLED WITH NO ISSUE. THIS TIME DRIVING MY 2 MONTH OLD 2020 SUBARU FORESTER SPORT ON I-95 AND I NOTICEO A SMALL DING ALMOST DEAD CENTER BOTTOM OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. I HAD HEARD COUPLE SMALL PINGS WHILE DRIVING, BUT NOTHING STRONG OR LOUD, AND WAS SUPRISED BY THE DING IN GLASS. OVER REMAINING 2 HR DRIVE HOME, CHIP TURNS INTO ABOUT 5-6 INCH CRACK THAT RUNS UPWARD. NEXT MORNING CRACK IS OVER 10 INCHES. I WAS STRUCK BY THE INITIAL DING IN GLASS, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL AND INTENSE NOISE OF STONE HITTING THE GLASS. AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACK, EVEN IF I HAVE HAD WINDSHIELDS DINGED BY STONES ON HIGHWAY. STRUCK ME THAT THIS WAS UNUSUAL. A MONTH LATER, I BEGAN READING ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS ON 2020 SUBARU FORESTERS AND WONDER IF MY WINDSHIELD WAS ORIGINALLY DEFECENTIVE/WEAK.
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.