2020 Subaru Forester

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS SPOUSE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, A SMALL OBJECT HIT THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CAUSING A CRACK IN THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THE CONTACT CONTACTED SUBARU OF EL CAJON (900 ARNELE AVE, EL CAJON, CA 92020, (619) 440-0404) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT WINDSHIELD WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, IT WAS STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS MANUFACTURED WITH A THINNER GLASS AND IT WAS COMMON FOR FRACTURE TO OCCUR WITH LITTLE TO NO IMPACT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 4,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, AN UNKNOWN INSECT HIT THE LOWER DRIVER SIDE CORNER OF THE WINDSHIELD. AN HOUR LATER, A 14'' CRACK BEGAN TO FORM AT THE EXACT SPOT WHERE THE INSECT MADE IMPACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SUBARU OF ONTARIO (1195 AUTO CENTER DR, ONTARIO, CA 91761) WHERE AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE QUALITY OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS UNSAFE AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE AN INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,200.*BF*JB

I NOTICED A CHIP IN MY WINDSHIELD THAT SEEMED TO APPEAR OVERNIGHT IN MY GARAGE. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY SENT SOMEONE TO FILL IT THE NEXT DAY. WHEN HE CAME TO FILL THE CHIP, HE SAID THAT IT CRACKED AND SPREAD AFTER HE FILLED IT. I THEN NOTICED THERE ARE LITERALLY OVER 10 CHIPS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE WINDSHIELD NOT INCLUDING THAT ONE. I BOUGHT THIS FORESTER ON OCTOBER 31, 2019 BRAND NEW AND AM A VERY CAUTIOUS DRIVER. THERE IS NO WAY THERE SHOULD BE THIS MANY CHIPS IN MY WINDSHIELD AND FOR THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK FROM A CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN FILLING A VERY SMALL CHIP.

A CHANGE IN SOME 2019-2020 SUBARU MODELS CAUSES AN INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN OBD-II DEVICES AND THE SUBARU STARLINK SYSTEM (WHICH IS USED TO DISPATCH EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES). SUBARU SERVICE BULLETIN 15-257-19 11/11/2019 RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM, BUT DOES NOT OFFER A SOLUTION OTHER THAN TELL THE CUSTOMER NOT TO USE THE OBD-II DEVICE. SINCE THE STARLINK SYSTEM PRIOR TO MODEL YEAR 2019 WAS COMPATIBLE WITH OBD-II DEVICES, IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT A SUBARU INITIATED CHANGE IS CAUSING THIS INCOMPATIBILITY. AS STATED IN THE BULLETIN, IN ORDER TO AVOID HAVING THE CAR NOTIFY THE DEALER EVERY 3 DAYS OF THE PROBLEM, THEY HAVE CHANGED THE NOTIFICATIONS TO ONCE EVERY 10 DAYS. THIS IS NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM, BUT MERELY PUSHING IT DOWN THE ROAD. SOME CONSIDER STARLINK A SAFETY SYSTEM, AND PAY EXTRA TO HAVE IT AVAILABLE. COPY OF SERVICE BULLETIN ATTACHED. THIS IS A CONTINUING, REPEATED PROBLEM STARTING ON 3/11/2020 AND IS A CONTINUING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. FIRST DEALER SERVICE ON 3/17/2020 FOUND NO PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ISSUE HAD TEMPORARILY RESOLVED ITSELF. THE SERVICE BULLETIN WAS NOT FOUND BY THE OWNER UNTIL 4/2/2020 AFTER SEVERAL BACK AND FORTH EMAILS WITH SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE BEFORE THEN.