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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

600 reports
25,000 miles · May 12, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

MULTIPLE DEAD BATTERIES OVER PAST YEAR. WHEN REAR LIFT GATE IS LEFT OPEN FOR LESS THEN AN HOUR WITH ALL LIGHTS INCLUDING INTERIOR OFF IT DRAINS BATTERY. 2019 LIFT GATE MODULE RECALLED DUE TO 'DARK DRAW' BUT DIDN'T INCLUDE EARLIER 2020 MODELS WHICH DID NOT HAVE NEW MODULE INCORPORATED YET. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO INCLUDE THE EARLY …

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MULTIPLE DEAD BATTERIES OVER PAST YEAR. WHEN REAR LIFT GATE IS LEFT OPEN FOR LESS THEN AN HOUR WITH ALL LIGHTS INCLUDING INTERIOR OFF IT DRAINS BATTERY. 2019 LIFT GATE MODULE RECALLED DUE TO 'DARK DRAW' BUT DIDN'T INCLUDE EARLIER 2020 MODELS WHICH DID NOT HAVE NEW MODULE INCORPORATED YET. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO INCLUDE THE EARLY 2020 MODELS IN RECALL. THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE AND IS A HAZARD TO BE LEFT STRANDED OVER SUCH AN EASY FIX THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE 2019 MODELS WITH THE RECALL ... MY CAR IS IN THAT 'GREY AREA' ONLY CAUSE IT IS NOT A 2019 BUT BEFORE THE FIX WAS ADDRESSED ON THE 2020 YEAR.

NHTSA ODI #11416301

16,000 miles · May 10, 2021
Visibility/wiper

1IN TO 2FT LONG CRACKS ARE BEING CREATED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AT THE SLIGHTEST IMPACT OF ANY SMALL PEBBLES. WINDSHIELD IS EXTREMELY EASILY COMPROMISED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN A SMALL PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD, INSTANTLY CREATING A 2FT LONG CRACK ACROSS IT. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS ALSO ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE I…

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1IN TO 2FT LONG CRACKS ARE BEING CREATED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AT THE SLIGHTEST IMPACT OF ANY SMALL PEBBLES. WINDSHIELD IS EXTREMELY EASILY COMPROMISED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN A SMALL PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD, INSTANTLY CREATING A 2FT LONG CRACK ACROSS IT. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS ALSO ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE IN MOTION, WHEN ANOTHER SMALL PEBBLE IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD, INSTANTLY CREATING A 1 INCH CRACK.

NHTSA ODI #11415924

3,000 miles · May 10, 2021
Fuel/propulsion System

BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAS LESS THAN 5,000 MILES ON IT. THE LOW GAS INDICATOR IS LIMITED TO A BRIEF WARNING IN THE SCREEN BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. WE BOTH FIND THIS VERY EASY TO MISS AND THERE IS NO PERSISTENT VISUAL OR AUDITORY WARNING. RUNNING OUT OF GAS UNEXPECTEDLY IS AN EXTREME SAFETY…

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BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAS LESS THAN 5,000 MILES ON IT. THE LOW GAS INDICATOR IS LIMITED TO A BRIEF WARNING IN THE SCREEN BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. WE BOTH FIND THIS VERY EASY TO MISS AND THERE IS NO PERSISTENT VISUAL OR AUDITORY WARNING. RUNNING OUT OF GAS UNEXPECTEDLY IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD, WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED, BUT HAD TO PARK AT SOME RISK. NEITHER OF US CAN RECALL RUNNING OUT OF GAS IN OUR OTHER VEHICLES FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

NHTSA ODI #11415920

12,000 miles · May 7, 2021
Visibility/wiper

MY WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING FROM THE TOP DOWN BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR NO APPARENT REASON, NO ROCK DENT , NO IMPACT , THE VEHICLE WAS IN MY WORK PARKING LOT AND I NOTICED THE CRACK UPON LEAVING WORK AT 4 PM, DROVE TO WORK AT 8 AM WAS DAYLIGHT AND NO VISIBLE CRACK NOTICED

NHTSA ODI #11415519

10,348 miles · May 2, 2021
Lane DepartureVisibility/wiper

I JUST WALKED OUT TO MY CAR PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD I HAVEN'T HIT OR BEEN HIT BY ANYTHING THIS IS A NEW CAR HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A A YEAR YET DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WINDSHIELD WOULD CRACK SO BAD GOES FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD

NHTSA ODI #11414853

Mileage unknown · May 2, 2021
Visibility/wiper

GIANT CRACK HAS APPEARED ON WINDSHIELD LESS THAT 12K MILES OF DRIVING. THERE IS A SMALL CHIP FROM A FEW DAYS AGO THAT HAS FORMED INTO A LARGER CRACK.

NHTSA ODI #11414797

14,000 miles · Apr 26, 2021
Unknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper

WINDSHIELD CRACKED, STARTED BELOW WIPER IN THE MIDDLE OF GLASS, CRACK ABOUT 8 INCHES PERPENDICULAR TO THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR IN THE RAIN TURNED ON DEFROSTER AND SAW THE CRACK.

NHTSA ODI #11413958

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2021
Seats

I HAVE PHYSICAL BIPOLAR KNEE AND LEGS CROSS I M 5FT 11 AND WEIGHT 290LLBS. I BEEN CONTACT MOBILITYWORKS AND CAN THEY PUT SEAT JACKERS ANC EXTENSION SEAT BACK THEY CAN'T DO I M SO FRUSTRATING SEARCH SOMEONE HANDLE WELDING TO PUT MORE SEAT JACKERS AND I CANNOT TRADE BECAUSE LOST VALUE I M SO [XXX] ANGRY PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT H…

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I HAVE PHYSICAL BIPOLAR KNEE AND LEGS CROSS I M 5FT 11 AND WEIGHT 290LLBS. I BEEN CONTACT MOBILITYWORKS AND CAN THEY PUT SEAT JACKERS ANC EXTENSION SEAT BACK THEY CAN'T DO I M SO FRUSTRATING SEARCH SOMEONE HANDLE WELDING TO PUT MORE SEAT JACKERS AND I CANNOT TRADE BECAUSE LOST VALUE I M SO [XXX] ANGRY PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11413918

9,984 miles · Apr 19, 2021
Unknown Or Other

MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. NO APPARENT CHIPS, OR DINGS. SEEMS TO COME FROM THE DEFROST AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD UNDER THE RUBBER GASKET.

NHTSA ODI #11412852

10,085 miles · Apr 18, 2021
Visibility/wiper

I TRAVELLED TO WORK AND THE WINDSHIELD FORMED A CRACK ON THE UPPER LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD (DRIVER'S SIDE). IT STARTS AT THE CORNER AND PROCEEDS (SO FAR) TO BE 1.5 FEET LONG. THERE WERE NO ONCOMING VEHICLES OR VEHICLES THAT I WAS FOLLOWING. IT WAS A LEFT HAND TURN, LOW SPEED.

NHTSA ODI #11408611

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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