NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
600 reportsMileage unknown · May 19, 2024
EngineForward Collision AvoidancePower Train
2020 SUBARU FORESTER JUST HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR. THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION CODE IS P26A3, WHICH IS A DEFECTIVE THERMOSTATIC CONTROL VALVE. THIS MALFUNCTION ALSO AFFECTS THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ADVANCED DRIVER ASSITANCE SYSTEMS SUCH AS: "EYESIGHT" BLIND SPOT MONITORING, LANE KEEP ASSIST, ETC. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 51,000 MILE…
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2020 SUBARU FORESTER JUST HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR. THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION CODE IS P26A3, WHICH IS A DEFECTIVE THERMOSTATIC CONTROL VALVE. THIS MALFUNCTION ALSO AFFECTS THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ADVANCED DRIVER ASSITANCE SYSTEMS SUCH AS: "EYESIGHT" BLIND SPOT MONITORING, LANE KEEP ASSIST, ETC. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 51,000 MILES ON IT.
NHTSA ODI #11589544
Mileage unknown · May 19, 2024
Visibility/wiper
On Monday, 5/13/24, I got in my car and there was a crack across the windshield that was not there earlier in the day. It seems to have spontaneously cracked for no known reason.
NHTSA ODI #11589535
Mileage unknown · May 16, 2024
Visibility/wiper
A crack in my windshield appeared during the 15 minutes my 2020 Subaru Forester was in parking lot while I was in a store. The ambient temperature was in the 70's, the car was facing away from the sun, and the windows were ventilating the inside. The crack starts at the passenger corner in the area of the defroster and runs all…
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A crack in my windshield appeared during the 15 minutes my 2020 Subaru Forester was in parking lot while I was in a store. The ambient temperature was in the 70's, the car was facing away from the sun, and the windows were ventilating the inside. The crack starts at the passenger corner in the area of the defroster and runs all the way from the weatherstripping at an angle and length that it is directly in the field of view of the passenger. On a few occasions while driving since the incident I have heard expansion type crack sounds.
NHTSA ODI #11589149
46,000 miles · May 15, 2024
Visibility
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 40–45 MPH in the rain, the lower left corner of the front windshield cracked without impact. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 46,00…
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The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 40–45 MPH in the rain, the lower left corner of the front windshield cracked without impact. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
NHTSA ODI #11588830
Mileage unknown · May 14, 2024
Seats
I bought a 2020 Subaru in March of 2020. I had reported an issue with the seat to the dealer Orange Coast Subaru and they had failed to diagnose or repair the issue. The issue was brought up to them several times and they only came to the car and looked quickly at the seat and told me it is fine without any in debt diagnostics. …
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I bought a 2020 Subaru in March of 2020. I had reported an issue with the seat to the dealer Orange Coast Subaru and they had failed to diagnose or repair the issue. The issue was brought up to them several times and they only came to the car and looked quickly at the seat and told me it is fine without any in debt diagnostics. Looking and sitting in a seat wasn't in any shape or form diagnostics of the seat. Nobody looked under the seat or did a inspection beyond just looking and seating on it. Over the years the seat became woobly, unstable, it has cracked. I went for another issue to another dealer this time, Timmons of Long Beach, and paid a diagnostics fee to be told the frame needs to be replaced and it is a safety issue and has to be done asap. I had reached out to Subaru who advised the car is out of warranty. I pointed back to that the issue was reported to them and they said if it was not diagnosed as a failure then then it is unrelated to the issue found now. The seat is unsafe and it can result to injuries to myself and my son. Subaru doesn't want to take responsibility for it. The car has never been in an accident.
NHTSA ODI #11588701
Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine
The thermo valve leaked into connector, causing engine to shut down abruptly to prevent overheating. This happened at 70 mph on interstate highway in traffic. Part was replaced with modified thermo valve later. Barely able to coast to narrow shoulder flanked by deep ditch, with vehicle very close to interstate traffic, so much s…
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The thermo valve leaked into connector, causing engine to shut down abruptly to prevent overheating. This happened at 70 mph on interstate highway in traffic. Part was replaced with modified thermo valve later. Barely able to coast to narrow shoulder flanked by deep ditch, with vehicle very close to interstate traffic, so much so that exit from vehicle ill-advised. After towing, vehicle was serviced by Subaru dealer. At time of part failure many warning lights & messages appeared, but not before the event.
NHTSA ODI #11585787
Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2024
EngineForward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure
I was driving to work and many of my warning lights suddenly came on. This includes my check engine light, my lane assist light, my auto collision braking, my eye sight disabled and my cool engine light keeps going on and off. My cabin heating also isn’t working. There is no reason for this happening other than my thermo control…
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I was driving to work and many of my warning lights suddenly came on. This includes my check engine light, my lane assist light, my auto collision braking, my eye sight disabled and my cool engine light keeps going on and off. My cabin heating also isn’t working. There is no reason for this happening other than my thermo control valve failing.
NHTSA ODI #11585614
Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2024
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure
Multiple dashboard lights are on including starlink, eyesight, check engine, thermostat, and a blinking s. A quick Google search shows that this exact combination is a known issue. Safety concern is that all the accident prevention systems are down leaving me at risk.
NHTSA ODI #11585603
Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2024
Forward Collision AvoidancePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
While driving temperature light, check engine light, all ADAS lights came on as inoperable (cameras, warning, ABS, BSD/RCTA), no heat (including defrost) available to defrost or for cabin. Appointment 3/13 replaced thermo control valve assembly , coolant bypass valve, intake gaskets, fuel line, coolant, total charges $2070. Luck…
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While driving temperature light, check engine light, all ADAS lights came on as inoperable (cameras, warning, ABS, BSD/RCTA), no heat (including defrost) available to defrost or for cabin. Appointment 3/13 replaced thermo control valve assembly , coolant bypass valve, intake gaskets, fuel line, coolant, total charges $2070. Luckily had extended warranty I bought, that I had to make a claim on. Dangerous to drive (no camera based safety features available, no defrost for the snowy weather, no emergency braking or other collision safety features on, this affected the entire 'eyesight' system). The engine also had no thermo control regulation during this time, affecting not just then, but possible future performance and early aging due to disregulation.
NHTSA ODI #11585356
Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2024
Visibility/wiper
The windshield developed a spontaneous crack, starting at the base of the right passenger windshield wiper and traveling in a line up toward the middle in a slanted line. There is no spike, no rock hit, nothing to have caused this. I believe it is a stress fracture as reported by others who have Subarus with eyesight technology.…
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The windshield developed a spontaneous crack, starting at the base of the right passenger windshield wiper and traveling in a line up toward the middle in a slanted line. There is no spike, no rock hit, nothing to have caused this. I believe it is a stress fracture as reported by others who have Subarus with eyesight technology. I have an appointment with the Subaru Dealer tomorrow morning. This appeared suddenly and must have happened overnight as it was not there yesterday but it was there when I got into the car this morning. The car was parked overnight.
NHTSA ODI #11585119