What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2020 Subaru Forester

Typical pattern

18% of complaints about the 2020 Subaru Forester came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2020 vehicle — around the middle of the 178 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 2.5 yr in service. The most-reported system is visibility / wipers (252 complaints), typically at 1.4 yr or about 5,000 miles.

Complaints
813
Median age at failure
2.5 yr
Median mileage
6,000 n=329
Crash / fire / tow
7.7% of reports
Safety recalls
0

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System
0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y
Visibility / wipers
252 reports · 5,000 mi
1.4 yr
0%
Other
107 reports · 6,000 mi
1.9 yr
4.7%
Electrical system
101 reports · 2,000 mi
3.7 yr
4%
Engine
79 reports · 35,600 mi
4.4 yr
7.6%
Collision avoidance
57 reports · 5,200 mi
3.8 yr
8.8%
Visibility
49 reports · 14,000 mi
1.8 yr
2%
Power train
32 reports · 500 mi
3.9 yr
3.1%
Lane departure
25 reports · 6,000 mi
3.8 yr
4%
Speed control
24 reports · 26,000 mi
3.4 yr
58.3%
Structure
15 reports · 6,874 mi
1.3 yr
6.7%

In owners’ own words

Other 75 mi 1 mo in service
I OWNED MY 2020 FORESTER FOR LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AND I GOT A CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET GOING LESS THAN 30 MILES PER HOUR. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING HIT MY WINDSHIELD, BUT HEARD A CRACK AND SAW THE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD.
Other 250 mi 3 mo in service
PURCHASED A 2020 SUBARU FORESTER SPORT. FIVE DAYS LATER, WOKE UP TO FIND A 2-3 FOOT LONG CRACK THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, STARTING AT THE VERY EDGE OF THE GLASS (THE BLACK PART). NO EVIDENCE OF ANY ROCKS, IMPACT, CHIPPING, ETC. - WHEN I TOOK IT TO BE REPLACED, THE DEALERSHIP AGREED BUT SAID 'UNFORTUNATELY SUBARU DOES NOT COVER GLASS'. I INFORMED THEM THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH SUBARU, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF. I HAD TO PAY $500 FOR A NEW WINDSHIELD ON A CAR I BOUGHT 5 DAYS PRIOR, WITH NOTHING CAUSING THE CRACK.
Other 5,300 mi 5 mo in service
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.
Visibility / wipers 800 mi 2 mo in service
WE VERY RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS 2020 FORESTER....LESS THAN 1000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND WHEN WE GOT IN IT THE NEXT MORNING THE WINDSHIELD HAD A SMALL CRACK IN IT! I HOPE THIS ISN'T A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME, ESPECIALLY AFTER READING THE POSTS ON HERE OF 2019 FORESTERS WITH WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO A WINDSHIELD REPAIR COMPANY AND HAD IT REPAIRED BEFORE THE CRACK GOT WORSE.

Other Forester model years

2025202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200620052004200320022001200019991998

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