2020 Subaru Forester

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.

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 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.

VEHICLE IGNITION IS OFF AND IN PARK. THE SAFETY ISSUE OCCURS WHEN THE REAR TAILGATE IS LEFT OPEN. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF LEAVING THE REAR TAILGATE OPEN, ALL THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TURN OFF CORRECTLY AS A PUBLISHED SAFETY FEATURE TO HELP PREVENT A DEAD BATTERY UPON DEPARTURE. THE USER THINKS EVERYTHING HAS SHUT OFF WHEN THE LIGHTS TURN OFF, HOWEVER, THE REAR TAILGATE ECU DOES NOT TURN OFF OR GO TO A LOW POWER STATE AFTER THE INITIAL 20 MINUTES CAUSING A HIGH DRAIN ON THE BATTERY. THE HATCH ECU CONTINUES TO DRAW IN EXCESS OF 4 AMPS WHILE THE HATCH IS LEFT OPEN, CAUSING A DEAD BATTERY IN AS LITTLE AS A FEW HOURS. THE USER CAN UNKNOWINGLY BE LEFT STRANDED WITH A DEAD BATTERY CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS OVERSIGHT AND ENGINEERING ERROR THAT WILL LIKELY LEAVE MANY PEOPLE UNKNOWINGLY STRANDED WITH A DEAD BATTERY.

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.