Complaint volume
589 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Subaru Forester Complaints
589 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Subaru Forester, grouped by component category.
589 Total complaints
25 Crash reports
7 Fire reports
13 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are visibility/wiper, unknown or other, visibility. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 25 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 13 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 272 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 10,312 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to visibility/wiper, unknown or other, visibility?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Subaru Forester?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Subaru Forester
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Subaru Forester complaints?
25 Crash
7 Fire
13 Injury
0 Fatality
23 Towed
10 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Subaru Forester complaint categories?
VISIBILITY/WIPER 234
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 67
VISIBILITY 49
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 44
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 15
ENGINE 15
POWER TRAIN 9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 8
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6
589 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED BY SMALL PEBBLE ON 3RD DAY OF LEASE OF CAR. DRIVING APPROX. 30MPH WHEN CAR GOING ONLY A LITTLE FASTER CHANGED LANES AND THREW PEBBLE. ON A PAVED ROAD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 500 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | FRONT WINDSHIELD ON DRIVERS SIDE, UPPER PORTION, CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON AN ON-RAMP TO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,700 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED BY INSURANCE ROUGHLY 5 WEEKS FROM PURCHASE. DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A LITTLE SNAP, THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK START TO FORM. GREW TO A LITTLE LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A QUARTER BEFORE MY INSURANCE HAD SOMEONE REPAIR IT 6 DAYS LATER | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,300 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON JANUARY 14, 2020, WHICH WAS EXACTLY ONE MONTH AND ONE DAY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT REPAIRED YET SINCE I AM TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THE LAWSUIT AGAINST SUBARU, BUT I WANTED IT DOCUMENTED THAT I AM HAVING A WINDSHIELD ISSUE AS MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,200 |
| Mar 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,900 |
| Mar 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,800 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WINDSHIELD KEEPS BREAKING. VEHICLE BOUGHT IN NOVEMBER 2019, HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE, AND IS NOW BROKEN AGAIN. BOTH TIMES, DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY A CRACK STARTS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,300 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | ON APPROXIMATELY 02/06/2020 I NOTICED A VERY SMALL CHIP IN MY WINDSHIELD. I ASSUMED IT WAS FROM A THROWN STONE, BUT I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT. ON 02/12/2020, I PARKED THE CAR IN A LONG TERM PARKING LOT NEAR DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. WHEN WE RETURNED ON 02/20/2020, THE SMALL CHIP HAD EXPANDED TO A FULL CRACK SPANNING FROM THE EDGE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE TO NEARLY THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN MOVED, OR EVEN STARTED. IT HAD SAT STATIONARY, IN THE OPEN AIR, IN THIS PARKING LOT WHILE WE WERE AWAY ON VACATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,900 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT WITH MY WINDSHIELD BEING HIT WITH A ROCK AND CRACKING. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED 1/18/2020 COMPLAINT #11300348. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED 2/22/2020. DRIVING ON I5 IN TACOMA, WA A ROCK FROM A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME STRUCK MY WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE LOWER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW ON 11/1/2019 AND NOW HAS TWO CRACKS IN IT. THE FIRST CRACK WAS ATTEMPTED TO BE REPAIRED BUT UNABLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,499 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WE NOTICED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD THAT SEEMED TO APPEAR OVERNIGHT. WE HAD NO MEMORY OF ANY SORT OF PEBBLE IMPACT. THERE WAS NO DIVOT IN THE WINDSHIELD AS FAR AS WE COULD SEE, JUST A CRACK OF ~ 3 INCHES NEAR THE LOWER CENTER OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 700 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE CRACK BEGAN ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT MIDWAY UP FROM THE VERY LEFT EDGE. I NOTICED IT WHEN I PARKED MY CAR AT MY MOTHERS HOUSE HAVING DRIVEN ONE HOUR TO GET TO HER HOUSE. IT WAS ABOUT A 3-4 INCH CRACK GOING HORIZONTALLY FROM THE EDGE. IN ONE WEEK IT IS NOW OVER A FOOT LONG. I DO NOT RECALL MY WINDSHIELD HAVING BEEN HIT BY A ROCK OR ANYTHING AND I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY DRIVER OF MY VEHICLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO LANE ROAD WITH ONE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND A CAR NEXT TO ME. WITHOUT HEARING ANY IMPACT OR SEEING ANY ROCKS, I NOTICED A CRACK IN THE BOTTOM, MIDDLE OF MY WINDSHIELD. IT WAS ABOUT 6 INCHES LONG WITH NO IMPACT MARK. THE CRACK CONTINUED TO EXPAND BEFORE GETTING FIXED 2 DAYS LATER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,900 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I NOTICED 4 SMALL CHIPS IN THE WINDSHIELD WHEN I WAS DRYING MY CAR OFF AFTER WASHING IT. I DO HALF MY DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND AM ASSUMING THE CHIPS ARE FROM DEBRIS BEING KICKED UP FROM THE VEHICLE'S IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE HEARD A FEW PINGS ON THE WINDSHIELD BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING AT THE TIMES IT HAPPENED UNTIL TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AFTER DRYING MY CAR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,940 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT SIDE. THIS OCCURRED WHEN VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY BUT WINDS WERE HEAVY IN THE AREA. ASSUMPTION IS A SMALL ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD AS I CAN SEE A MINUSCULE CHIP WHERE THE CRACK STARTS ON ONE SIDE. VEHICLE IS 3 MONTHS OLD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,500 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | OWNED NEW CAR LESS THAN A MONTH AND PASSANGER NOTICED CRACK ORIGINATING NEAR BOTTOM OF GLASS MIDDLE PASSANGER RIGHT SIDE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK GREW TO 8 INCHES THAT DAY. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF A STONE OR OBJECT HITTING AND THE LOCATION SEEMS UNLIKELY PLACE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 991 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SPONTANEOUS CRACK IN MOONROOF GLASS WHILE PARKED IN A GARAGE. LITTLE TO NO TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS AND NO MECHANICAL PRESSURE (DRIVING OR OPENING THE MOONROOF). | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD IS CHIPPING AND ONLY 8000 MILES ON THE CAR. DO NOT TELL ME THIS IS NORMAL I'VE OWNED TEN OTHER CARS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Feb 2020 | STRUCTURE | I WENT ON AN EXTENDED ROAD TRIP AND RECEIVED TWO CRACKS IN MY WINDSHIELD IN A SINGLE DAY. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL CARS IN MY LIFE, AND NEVER HAVE HAD A CAR WITH SUCH A SENSITIVE WINDSHIELD. I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK SO EASILY. I KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR OTHER SIMILAR YEAR SUBARU MODELS, SO I'M THINKING IT WASN'T A COINCIDENCE. BOTH CRACKS WERE RECEIVED ON A FREEWAY, MOVING AT 70MPH. BOTH OBJECTS WERE VERY SMALL IN SIZE, AND SHOULD HAVE RESULTED IN ONLY MINIMAL DAMAGE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,350 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | PURCHASED CAR NEW, LAST WEEK OF JANUARY 2020. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK I FOUND NUMEROUS SMALL CHIPS IN THE WINDSHIELD AND THERE WERE NO ROCKS THAT HAD STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING 45 MOH ON A TWO LANE ROAD A SMALL ROCK WAS KICKED FROM AN ONCOMIG CAR AND PUT A LARGE CHIP AND CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. I GOT THE CHIP AND CRACK REPAIRED FROM SAFELITE HOWEVER AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE NEW FORESTERS. MY PREVIOUS 08 SUBARUS WINDSHIELD NEVER HAD TO BE FIXED AND IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN OVER 180000 MILES. IT TOOK LARGE ROCKS AND JUST RECEIVED SMALL NICKS. I HAVE ONLY 1148 MILES ON THIS NEW CAR AND ALREADY HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPAIRED. SUBARU NEEDS TO STEP UP AND REVISE THE THICKNESS OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND IS UNSAFE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,148 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | ON 2/13/2020 MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED OVER 12 INCHES LONG IN A MATTER OF SECONDS WHILE IN MOTION ON A STREET. THERE WAS NO HIT SOUND. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE CLAIM A VERY SMALL RICK HIT THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING THE CRACK AND MANUFACTURER WARANTY WONT COVER. I CANT BELIEVE A TINY ROCK THAT BARELY HAS AN IMPACT POINT WILL HIT MY WINDSHIELD AND COURSE SUCH A BIG CRACK IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,200 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER |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| Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | TWO DAYS AGO, AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS, WE HAD A CRACK APPEAR AND GROW FROM THE TOP PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. ON OUR DRIVE YESTERDAY, THERE WAS ONE INCIDENT WHERE ICE CAME DOWN FROM A POWER LINE AND HIT THE CAR, BUT I'M POSITIVE WE WEREN'T HIT BY ANY ROCKS. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SKIN OF ICE OFF OF A POWER LINE, NOT A LARGE CHUNK OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. I LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND, AND EVERY VEHICLE ON THE ROADS HERE HAS TO DEAL WITH SIMILAR SITUATIONS AFTER EVERY WINTER STORM. WE DIDN'T SEE ANY CRACK RIGHT AWAY, BUT ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER NOTICED A 4" CRACK THAT HAS NOW GROWN TO ROUGHLY 16", AND IS RIGHT IN THE DRIVER'S FIELD OF VIEW. I'VE DONE SOME GOOGLING AND READING, AND I'M A LITTLE WORRIED AFTER READING ABOUT SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS (TONS AND TONS OF STORIES OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH MULTIPLE WINDSHIELDS, SPONTANEOUS CRACKS, CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS, ETC) I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I LEASED THE VEHICLE FROM, AND THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH WAS RUDE AND UNHELPFUL, BASICALLY TELLING ME THAT THESE THINGS HAPPEN IN NEW ENGLAND AND THAT IT WOULD COST $900-1500 TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND RE CALIBRATE EYESIGHT. HE SAID THAT ANYTIME SOMETHING IMPACTS THE WINDSHIELD THIS SHOULD BE EXPECTED, BUT I AM 100% CERTAIN THAT NO OTHER VEHICLE I'VE DRIVEN WOULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH A CRACKED WINDSHIELD IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. IT MAKES ME WORRY ABOUT HOW BRITTLE THE GLASS MUST BE IF IT CRACKED SO SOON AND SO EASILY. SEEING AS THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE I'M VERY UNSATISFIED WITH HOW THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF OUR LEASE HAVE GONE. WE HAVEN'T EVEN MADE OUR FIRST MONTHLY PAYMENT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY $1500/FILING AN INSURANCE CLAIM?! | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,700 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | FEBRUARY 5, 2020, JUST GOT IN THE CAR TO START DRIVING IT AND NOTICED THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO REASON STARTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM CENTER AND IS ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG ALREADY. IT WAS NOT THERE EARLIER IN THE DAY. IT JUST APPEARED SUDDENLY AND COULD NOT SEE ANY ROCK CHIP IN THE AREA. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,500 |