Complaint volume
593 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
593 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Subaru Forester, grouped by component category.
593 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, electrical system. 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, electrical system?
- 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 241
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 79
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 58
VISIBILITY 49
ENGINE 37
POWER TRAIN 15
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING 7
AIR BAGS 5
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5
593 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The thermo control valve on vehicle failed on 2020 Subaru Forester which is causing vehicle to loose acceleration, multiple errors codes displaying on the vehicle instrument dash panel and no heat in the vehicle (see attached photo for reference). The failure of this device could cause a vehicle fire depending on what position/ and or state the thermo valve failed in. There needs to be a manufacturer recall on this particular part as there is numerous amounts of complaints and issues. Subaru needs to make it right with the customer. we need to drive safe vehicles on the road. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The thermo control valve failed causing the coolant to run at full and not allowing the engine to reach proper temperature and the heating system to not provide heat, also it caused multiple safety systems to turn off including eye sight, emergency braking, rear auto brake, lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, traction control. the failure of this unit is a known issue to Subaru per their own service bulletin 09-80-21, while mine was not covered by Subaru's own warranty due to the mileage this vehicle is less than 5 years old, the repair costs will be $2000.00+ as quoted by the dealer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the hood was independently unlatched and opened. The light indicating that the hood was opened illuminated. The contact stated that he pulled to the shoulder of the road and closed the hood. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 36,000 |
| Mar 2024 | ENGINE | The Thermo Control Valve is faulty and renders the vehicle non-operative. There have been numerous instances in Subaru Foresters in the same make and year. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Thermo control sensor failed which will damage the motor if overheating dealer says it's going to cost me $1500 and it isn't covered under drivetrain warranty which is 5 years 60000 miles I have 27000 miles | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ENGINE | The Thermal Control Valve failed on my car and it’s only 3 years old. This is a common issue and is widely known within the forums. Subaru should recall these valves as they are failing prematurely. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ENGINE | I was at a red light when the engine shut off and the check engine and several other warning lights came on. After multiple tries I was finally able to restart the vehicle and drive it off the road. After taking it to the dealership the confirmed issue is the Thermal Control Valve. The dealership is requesting about $1600 to replace the faulty part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ENGINE | I stopped at a red light. The car's auto shutoff feature turned the car off for the fuel savings. When the light turned green and I went to go, the car tried to start and failed. I had to put it in park and start the car manually. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield cracked. During a week of sub-freezing temperatures in January, the windshield cracked from the base of the windshield to the to the center point of the windshield (see photo submitted). Note: the windshield had had a very minor chip in it at the base of the windshield before the crack occurred. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | On Sunday, [XXX] we were traveling in our 2020 Subaru Forester on a trip from Minnesota to Florida for a vacation. Not long into cross country trip we found ourselves stranded on the side of the highway uncertain about the ability of our vehicle to continue to due to a defective Thermo Control Valve failure. About 200 miles into our trip, while driving at highway speeds south of Rochester, MN the dashboard lit up. The check engine light was on, and other safety features were lit up on the dash as disabled (Eye-sight technology, lane assist, automatic vehicle collision braking). The heat would not work after this incident. We checked the owners manual, and then drove to an Auto-parts store to have a scan done to determine the error code. The code "P26A3 - Engine coolant bypass valve A Range/Performance" was indicated. In checking online we discovered that a Thermo Control Valve replacement was needed ASAP and to continue driving the vehicle could risk severe engine damage. Since it was a Sunday, and we were essentially stranded if we couldn't use the vehicle. We continued on, stopping and checking the engine periodically for overheating. We were able to get an appointment at Lou Fusz Subaru in St. Peters, MO on Monday afternoon and they replaced the Thermo Control Valve at a cost of $1,961.51. We were told that this wasn't under warranty due to the mileage on the vehicle (76,358 miles). In researching this issue online, we found that the Thermo Control Valve failure to be a common issue and certain year/model vehicles and Subaru should have recalled this part a long time ago (in our opinion). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | On 11/18/2023, as soon as I started the vehicle, put it in reverse and let off the brake to back down the driveway, the car made a loud unfamiliar noise (like bzzzzzt) and suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated on its own. Nothing worked, brakes, automatic gear shift, gas pedal, and steering were all disengaged. It was terrifying to me and I was worried about anyone or anything behind me. At the street corner the car turned somehow (I was trying to steer, but the vehicle was jostling wildly and the steering, brakes didn't work at all), ran over a high curb, knocked over a street sign, and took out the neighbor’s sprinkler system, and then came to a stop, dead! | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | 26,050 |
| Mar 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Thermo control valve is bad. Ask subaru to issue recall on 2019-2020 models. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle shuts off while driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I was driving to work and i was on the freeway and all of a sudden without a rock hitting my windshield, it started to crack. It might go bigger if i drive more and right now it is longer than 6 inches. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while at a complete stop, she noticed that there was a crack in the middle of the windshield. The contact stated that there was no external cause for the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 21,000 |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE | 1-16-24:car wouldn’t open and start; jump-started by AAA to dealer; dealer kept overnight & checked battery: said charge held, ready to go home. 1-30-24, 4 pm-ish: able to start n drive, but check engine& eyesight warning light came on- late in day, so didn’t drive to dealer. 1-31-24: car dead; jump-started by AAA again & drove to dealer. On 2-1-24, dealer sends a video & says replaced battery, but check engine light & eye sight warning light still on; investigated further & found there was a lot of water that had pooled under the passenger seat & caused some corrosion- I.e.: shorted out electrical system. I asked dealer to report to Subaru since this seemed like a car defect. 2-9-24- dealer says Subaru won’t repair it at their expense and it’s a 25 hour job & will cost a lot. Dealer wanted me to file a claim with my insurance, but car was not driven through rain, high water, or stored in a flooded garage or on a flooded street. The water in the car seems like a design defect on the part of Subaru. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | Started engine after parking and check engine light came on, eyesight disabled, and flashing “s”. Stopped driving and took vehicle to dealer. Diagnosed as thermo control unit. Told they didn’t have a loaner and was safe to drive for a few days. Has no heat and engine would not warm up. No safety systems. Retained 3 days later to dealer when loaner was available. Repaired under powertrain warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The thermal control valve stopped working. The car has <50K miles on it. The error also results in many/all of the safety systems being deactivated (no adaptive cruise control, no lane centering, no rear braking, etc.) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | My thermo value went bad on my 2020 Forrester with no symptoms or warning causing me to become stranded in the middle of an extremely busy road. This is seemingly known problem and I'm unsure why Subaru has not been more proactive with this knowledge, not allowing others to end up in the same dangerous situation I was left in. Also, even after having the thermo value replaced, I have no way of knowing if any permanent damage was caused to my engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | I started the car to make a trip to town to run some errands. When I cranked the engine the Check Engine light came on. The S for Sport Mode was flashing and a No Eyesight warning came on. Also SRS Side Airbag light came on to indicate it was not working. And another light came on showing a car going out of its lane, but I don't know if it was the Lane Keep Assist light or not. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | Driving my 2020 Subaru Forrester on 1/26/24, at night. Stopped at traffic light. Car started shaking, dash lights system lights came on. Turned off car and restarted. Car would not accelerate. Had towed to mechanic. Diagnosed as probable thermo regulator. Could not repair because part only available from Subaru. Called dealer who was not sympathetic or helpful. Told to bring in and leave. Would get to it when they could. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Check Engine light came on along with EyeSight, traction control and flashing [S] lights. Dealer confirmed that the thermo control valve failed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking system activated and applied the brakes. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where he smelled a burnt smell in the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine and brake warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the throttle body. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 35,600. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,600 |
| Jan 2024 | ENGINE | Got warning P2A63 that the Thermo Control Valve is shot around 63k miles. Apparently this is happening very often in Subaru's made between 2019 and 2022. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | POWER TRAIN | While accelerating to merge in the freeway the Thermo Control Valve malfunctioned, causing check engine light to come on which turned off all the safety features (lane assist off, precollision off, RAB and eyesight off) of my Subaru 2020 Forester Sport. I’ve researched the internet and shows it is a common issue. I brought it to a subaru dealership and was told it is not safe to drive the vehicle. Since I just passed 60k powertrain warranty (around 62k), it is not covered and had to pay over $3,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |