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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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 reports
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1,600 miles · Aug 18, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WHILE DRIVING I HAD A VERY TINY ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD(BARELY MADE A NOISE) WITHIN ABOUT 10 SECONDS THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED A GOOD 20 INCHES. AFTER STOPPING AND INSPECTING THE AREA I COULD ONLY FIND A PIN WHOLE AREA WHERE(?)MAYBE SOMETHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN FEB.2020 AND ABOUT A MONTH AFTER OWNING THE…

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WHILE DRIVING I HAD A VERY TINY ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD(BARELY MADE A NOISE) WITHIN ABOUT 10 SECONDS THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED A GOOD 20 INCHES. AFTER STOPPING AND INSPECTING THE AREA I COULD ONLY FIND A PIN WHOLE AREA WHERE(?)MAYBE SOMETHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN FEB.2020 AND ABOUT A MONTH AFTER OWNING THE CAR THE SALEMAN CALLED ME AND ACTUALLY TOLD ME THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING OR HEARING OF WINDSHILDS CRACKING AND SOME FOR NO REASON. MY DAUGHTER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD SEEN SEVERAL STATEMENTS FROM OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AND IT APPEARS THERE IS A CLASS ACTION AGAINST SUBARU.

NHTSA ODI #11350077

1,700 miles · Aug 3, 2020
Visibility/wiper

I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET IN TOWN TODAY, 8/3/2020 WHEN MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I WAS GOING 35MPH. IT CRACKED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN THE CENTER. I CALLED SUBARU IMMEDIATELY AND WAS INFORMED THAT WINDSHIELDS ARE NOT WARRANTIED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH 2020. I WAS G…

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I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET IN TOWN TODAY, 8/3/2020 WHEN MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I WAS GOING 35MPH. IT CRACKED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN THE CENTER. I CALLED SUBARU IMMEDIATELY AND WAS INFORMED THAT WINDSHIELDS ARE NOT WARRANTIED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH 2020. I WAS GIVEN WINDSHIELD REPAIR COMPANIES BY THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER. I REACHED OUT TO ONE COMPANY AND IM WAITING FOR THEM TO SCHEDULE A TIME AND DATE TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD. MY VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE SINCE THE CRACK IS DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD DIRECTLY AT EYE LEVEL.

NHTSA ODI #11343056

3,702 miles · Jul 21, 2020
Visibility/wiper

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN COVERED PARKING LOT OUT OF THE SUN. AIR TEMP HIGH 80S. THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK STARTING IN THE TOP MIDDLE DESCENDING TO THE MIDDLE WHERE IT CURVED TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.

NHTSA ODI #11340786

5,000 miles · Jul 20, 2020
Visibility/wiper

VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON THE STREET OVERNIGHT WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. NEXT MORNING THERE WAS A CRACK FROM THE EDGE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE TO ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE LENGTH OF THE WINDSHIELD. THERE IS NO IMPACT MARKING ON THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ODI #11340383

13,124 miles · Jul 15, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD ROCK CHIP. WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON I-90 OUTSIDE OF SEATTLE A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND IMMEDIATELY CRACKED IT. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT OF ROCK CHIPS TO THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD TWO CHIPS WITHIN A MONTH OF EACH ONE. I MADE AN INSURANCE CLAIM AFTER THE SECOND CHIP BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD SPLIT. THIS W…

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WINDSHIELD ROCK CHIP. WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON I-90 OUTSIDE OF SEATTLE A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND IMMEDIATELY CRACKED IT. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT OF ROCK CHIPS TO THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD TWO CHIPS WITHIN A MONTH OF EACH ONE. I MADE AN INSURANCE CLAIM AFTER THE SECOND CHIP BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD SPLIT. THIS WAS IN MARCH 2020. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED AND IS NOW CHIPPED ALREADY/ AGAIN. A COMPLAINT WILL ALSO BE FILED WITH SUBARU AS THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE WINDSHIELD HAS CHIPPED BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT WINDSHIELDS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD YET.

NHTSA ODI #11339580

3,600 miles · Jul 13, 2020
Visibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED 2 TIMES.

NHTSA ODI #11338987

6,100 miles · Jul 8, 2020
Visibility/wiper

DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY FROM A RELATIVES HOUSE, GOING APPROX 65 AND WAS HIT BY SOMETHING SMALL, COULD NOT VERIFY WHAT IT WAS, BUT PRESUME IT WAS A ROCK. UPON IMPACT, IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT, WHICH SCARED EVERYONE IN THE CAR. THE DAMAGE TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE WINDSHIELD WHERE IT LEFT A HUGE BASEBALL SIZE BREAK AND A SMAL…

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DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY FROM A RELATIVES HOUSE, GOING APPROX 65 AND WAS HIT BY SOMETHING SMALL, COULD NOT VERIFY WHAT IT WAS, BUT PRESUME IT WAS A ROCK. UPON IMPACT, IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT, WHICH SCARED EVERYONE IN THE CAR. THE DAMAGE TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE WINDSHIELD WHERE IT LEFT A HUGE BASEBALL SIZE BREAK AND A SMALLER BREAK ABOVE IT. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THIS WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN DAMAGED AND I PURCHASED NEW IN OCTOBER 2019. IT JUST TURNED 6000 MILES AS I JUST HAD THE 6K SERVICE DONE ON IT RECENTLY.

NHTSA ODI #11338200

3,500 miles · Jul 8, 2020
Visibility/wiper

ANOTHER CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS THE THIRD CHIP IN A MONTH PERIOD, LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON A BRAND NEW CAR. HAD TO HAVE THE CHIP AND LINE/RUN FIXED BY A CERTIFIED REPAIR PERSON WHO EVEN QUESTIONED WHY HE HAD FIXED THE VEHICLE NOW 3 TIMES! I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET TO THE GROCERY STORE, WHICH IS LESS THAN 5 MILES A…

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ANOTHER CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS THE THIRD CHIP IN A MONTH PERIOD, LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON A BRAND NEW CAR. HAD TO HAVE THE CHIP AND LINE/RUN FIXED BY A CERTIFIED REPAIR PERSON WHO EVEN QUESTIONED WHY HE HAD FIXED THE VEHICLE NOW 3 TIMES! I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET TO THE GROCERY STORE, WHICH IS LESS THAN 5 MILES AWAY ROUND TRIP AND THE CHIP HAPPENED. NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD, NO ROCKS, NOTHING.

NHTSA ODI #11338197

1,150 miles · Jul 8, 2020
Visibility/wiper

LARGE CHIP IN WINDSHIELD CAUSED BY NOTHING. THIS IS THE SECOND CHIP IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD THAT IS NOW CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO BECOME QUESTIONABLE. I CAME OUT TO THE CAR IN THE MORNING WHICH WAS GARAGED TO FIND A LARGE CHIP. THE CAR WAS NOT BEING DRIVEN, BUT WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE.

NHTSA ODI #11338196

1,100 miles · Jul 8, 2020
Visibility/wiper

ABNORMAL CHIP IN WINDSHIELD CAUSING A CRACK STARTING TO SPREAD. NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD THAT I RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPAIRED WITH DRILL/EPOXY FROM A CERTIFIED REPAIR PERSON THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A SIDE STREET FROM HOME.

NHTSA ODI #11338195

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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