IllustrationThe contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the windshield cracked without impact. The contact had the vehicle repaired however, shortly afterward the issue recurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,195.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
2400–25K
2325–50K
750–75K
275–100K
0100–150K
0150K+
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
What owners actually said
600 reportsWhile driving back home from Sacramento to San Diego, my windshield cracked for no reason and with time it increased. I am 100% sure that no pebble from road hit the windshield. I went to the dealership and they didn’t report me that windshield had defect but issued me a quote of approx $1900.
My car shut down while stopped at a traffic light. Several dashboard lights flashed or lit up, including the battery indicator, the EyeSight indicator said it was turned off, and many others I don’t know. It felt as if the battery had died. The car was in standby mode while stopped and the air conditioning was running. The car s…
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My car shut down while stopped at a traffic light. Several dashboard lights flashed or lit up, including the battery indicator, the EyeSight indicator said it was turned off, and many others I don’t know. It felt as if the battery had died. The car was in standby mode while stopped and the air conditioning was running. The car stalled and died when I took my foot off the brake to drive. The battery has died 6 times in the past year. If the door was ajar, the hatch left open, or the engine turned off while parked in drive, the battery was dead the next day. If it’s left overnight with the emergency flashers on, the battery is dead the next day. This is too many for a brand new car. I’ve already bought a brand new battery after the first one died. What do I have to do to keep the battery alive? I’m a Lyft driver, and thankful this issue didn’t leave a rider and me stranded many miles from home.
A small rock hit my windshield and seemed to crack it WAY more easily than it should have. I Was researching cost to replace it and found the information about the lawsuit and the fact that it applies to my year of Subaru. So I decided to file a complaint to be included in the lawsuit.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while attempting to park at a rest stop, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the vehicle ran into a stone wall. The front end of the vehicle was severely damaged. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The …
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The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while attempting to park at a rest stop, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the vehicle ran into a stone wall. The front end of the vehicle was severely damaged. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a sore neck as a result of the crash but medical attention was not required. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a body shop. The vehicle was not diagnosed but was in the process of being repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Windshield Repeated problem - windshield gets hit by a small rock and immediately cracks the whole windshield. It's becoming a regular replacement. I can't imagine if getting hit by something larger or being in an accident. Researching the problem, I found many others with the same experience.
Have a few chips in windshield. They happen very easily so I googled and found that it's a known issue with a lawsuit. I just bought the car on July 2.
I tried to unlock my car but the remote didnt work- I had to use the blank key inside the remote to get in the car. I couldn't start the car- my husband tried to jump it- that did not work- I called AAA they tried jumping it - that didnt work-- AAA told me the battery was good but totally out of charge 0%-- I called the subaru s…
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I tried to unlock my car but the remote didnt work- I had to use the blank key inside the remote to get in the car. I couldn't start the car- my husband tried to jump it- that did not work- I called AAA they tried jumping it - that didnt work-- AAA told me the battery was good but totally out of charge 0%-- I called the subaru salesman I bought the car from & he walked me thru alot of steps & we couldn't find anything wrong besides the battery!! he told me to have my husband try to give me a jump again & after 4 hours the car turned over! What caused it????? no idea??? the next day (7/5/21) I took it to an auto parts store & they tested it out- alternator-perfect--- battery @ 550 with the max 620--- today I read an article about Subaru batteries failing! well mine did for no apparent reason--- maybe they should all be recalled!! I missed my 1st day of vacation due to this!!
Windshield got broken after 9k miles.
The vehicle was parked for about 30 minutes. When returning to the vehicle, the windshield had a large crack. We contacted our insurance company and a repair was set up for 07/06/2021. Our deductible for the repair was $250. I have since read that the 2020 Forester is included in a recall for windshields on this model. My Subar…
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The vehicle was parked for about 30 minutes. When returning to the vehicle, the windshield had a large crack. We contacted our insurance company and a repair was set up for 07/06/2021. Our deductible for the repair was $250. I have since read that the 2020 Forester is included in a recall for windshields on this model. My Subaru dealer customer service stated it is not included in this recall. Can you please give some guidance in this matter?
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.