2020 Subaru Forester

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, A HORIZONTAL CRACK FORMED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD AND SPREAD TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRACK OBSTRUCTED HER VISION WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF BEND (2060 NE HWY 20, BEND, OR 97701) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE REPAIRED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,500.

I PURCHASED A 2020 SUBARU FORRESTER ON 4-1-2020. 90% OF MY DRIVING IS ON SLOWING MOVING STREET TRAFFIC. ON 11-22-2020SIVER DOLLAR SIZED CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD, LOCATED ON THE VERY CENTER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE SECTION OF THE WINDSHIELD AND 3" ABOVE THE TOP OF THE ENGINE HOOD. I NEVER HEARD ANY ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND ON EXAMINATION OF THE CRACK, I COULD FIND FIND ANY INDENTATION OR CHIP THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE CRACK. ON 11-24-2020, I WENT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE REP, NAMED CORY, LOOKED AT IT AND COULD NOT FEEL OR ANY CRACK THAT WOULD HAVE A STARTED THE CRACK. CORY THEN WENT TO GET HIS SERVICE MANAGER. THE SERVICE MANAGER IMMEDIATELY GOT A PEN AND PUSHED AROUND ON THE CRACK UNTIL HE PUSHED HARD ENOUGH TO SHOW A LESS THAN A 1 MM INDENTATION. HE THEN INDICATED TO ME THAT THIS A OBVIOUS CRACK FROM A ROCK AND THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT MY INSURANCE AGENT AND PUT IN A CLAIM ON IT. WHEN I SHOWED HIM THE SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE CLASS ACTION SUIT ON WINDSHIELD FAILURES, HE IMMEDIATELY ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPLACEMENT AND SAID THAT THE BULLETIN CLEARLY SHOWED CRACKS WE A RESULT OF ROCK DAMAGE AND HAD NO APPARENT RELATIONSHIP TO A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. ALTHOUGH, HE SAID THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE 2 WINDSHIELDS WITHIN THE 2020 YTD. IF A OBJECT THAT WOULD ONLY INFLICT A LESS THAN 1MM INDENTATION, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE WINDSHIELD AND OTHER SAFETY DEVICES, IF THIS VEHICLE WERE INVOLVED IN A TRUE ACCIDENT OR HAD A SIZABLE PROJECTILE HIT THE VEHICLE. LASTLY, THIS ISN'T THE ON SUBARU I OWN. IN MY FAMILY WE HAVE AN 2015 OUTBACK, A 2017 LEGACY, 2019, CROSSTREK AND THE 2020 FORRESTER. SUBARU HAS ALWAYS JUMPED TO ACTION TO REPLACE OR REPAIR ANY SAFETY ITEMS. THIS REBUTTAL BY SUBARU ON THIS WINDSHIELD CRACK COMES AS A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT REGARDING SUBARU'S CLAIM TO SAFETY.

WINDSHIELD CRACKING: I HAVE 7K MILES ON MY 2020 FORESTER AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD TWICE ALREADY WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. THE FIRST TIME I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF I WAS HIT BY ANYTHING. I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND I PARKED IT IN MY DRIVEWAY. WHEN I CAME OUT AN HOUR LATER THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED LEFT TO RIGHT. THE SECOND TIME WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I WAS HIT BY A VERY SMALL PEBBLE THAT LEFT THE TINIEST OF NICKS - INITIALLY BARELY EVEN VISIBLE. WITHIN AN HOUR IT STRETCHED ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. I LIVE IN AZ - IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY. BUT ALL MY OTHER CARS OVER THE YEARS HAD LOTS OF TINY AND NOT-SO-TINY NICKS FROM SMALL ROCKS THAT NEVER SPREAD OUT AT ALL. THE WINDSHIELD ON MY PRIOR 2014 FORESTER WITH 90K MILES ON IT ONLY HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN 6 YEARS. IN BOTH CASES I WAS HIT BY LARGER PEPPLES THAT LEFT SIGNIFICANT (LIKE 1/2 INCH) SPIDER NICKS. I AM CONVINCED THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE 2020 FORESTER WINDSHIELD - MAYBE THE PITCH OR A MANUFACTURING/DESIGN ISSUE. BUT THIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND A REAL INCONVENIENCE. IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN SOON, I WILL TRADE IT IN. IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE I LOVE THIS VEHICLE OTHERWISE. MY COUSIN IN CA BTW HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD IN HIS 2019 FORESTER FOUR TIMES IN 17K MILES.

MY WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WITHIN THE FIRST 30 DAYS OF PURCHASING MY BRAND NEW 2020 SUBARU FORESTER WITH NOTHING IMPACTING IT. I WAS DRIVING WITH NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ON A WELL PAVED ROAD ON A ROUTE I HAVE DRIVEN FOR YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. NOW THERE IS A LARGE BREAK IN GLASS RUNNING ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF MY WINDSHIELD. I EVEN TOOK IT TO SUBARU AND A SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID HE COULD NOT FIND A PLACE OF IMPACT. WHEN I MAKE A TURN NOW I CAN HEAR THE GLASS BEING STRESSED FROM THE TURN.