This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
When I am idling at a stop sign or sitting in traffic and I have come to a full stop, the car's engine shuts down as a gas-saving feature. This is not the problem! The problem is that sometimes when this feature engages, when I lift my foot off the brake to start driving again, a shrill constant ringing sound starts and the engine won't power back on. There is an error message that comes on that says "eyesight disabled." When this happens, none of these factors (the ringing, the error message, the dead engine) stop until I put the car in park and power it down completely, then restart the engine. Then none of the symptoms are there anymore and the car drives normally. I have not noticed any consistency about when this problem does or does not happen - it occurs in all weather types, temperatures, times of day, slopes/flat roads. I sometimes go months without it happening, and other times it happens twice in several days. The only consistent thing is that it only happens when the car is at a full stop and the engine has shuddered off to save gas. I live in Chicago and almost exclusively drive short distances in the city, I hardly do any highway driving. This has happened maybe 20 times since I bought the car in February, 2023.
Since purchasing my vehicle in June of 2020, I have replaced the windshield every 6-7 months for spontaneously cracking. In April of 2023 I filed a claim with Subaru of America and was instructed to make an insurance claim and my deductible would be reimbursed. As of December 1, 2023 my windshield has cracked yet again. I have had a windshield inspection done every time it has been replace, no defects or rock chips were identified. This will be the 6th windshield I have had replaced.
Windshield spontaneously cracked from the base into the wiper area. There was no previously known damage. This impacts driver visibility and weakens the windshield. I have not had the windshield inspected by another party and did not observe any warnings. I have since learned online that this is an ongoing issue with some Subaru windshields.
Windshield spontaneously cracked from the base into the wiper area. There was no previously known damage. This impacts driver visibility and weakens the windshield. I have not had the windshield inspected by another party and did not observe any warnings. I have since learned online that this is an ongoing issue with some Subaru windshields.
Windshield on this Subaru Forester cracked severely shortly after purchasing the car. This happened in the driveway while parked. Nothing hit the glass.
Windshield cracked for no reason shortly after purchasing. Needs to be replaced. Quoted $1500 because self driving feature must also be adjusted when replacing windshield
Was driving at highway speeds (65 mph) and within the posted speed limit and a small, unidentifiably small object was kicked up by a car in the adjacent lane and hit the windshield, resulting in a small ding that immediately spread to a large crack across most of the windshield.
The windshield suddenly crack for no apparent reason. I inquire about this problem from the Subaru service department and I was told that its not covered by warranty. I found out from my own research that a lot of Forester owner have complain of the same issue.
For the 3rd time in less than 3 years my windshield crack from a small pebble hitting it. Either Subaru is making very thin windshield glass, or the material used is not sufficient to suppress small pebbles and causes the windshield to crack, often. The latest crack happened July 25, 2023 in the PM with a small 1/4 inch crack, by morning it had grown to over 2 feet. It seems to me there is a design flaw here.
(06/22) - Small pebble hits windshield and creates a "star-pattern" crack measuring 2.25 inches in diameter. Booked earliest appointment for windshield replacement on Tuesday 06/27. Have not touched windshield and have not driven vehicle as of this day. (06/24) - Waiting for windshield replacement appointment; star-pattern crack has extended aggressively overnight while parked under shaded carport (average temp 64 degrees), far beyond what is typical. As of 06/24 there are 2 long cracks extending in opposite directions measuring 9 inches above and 13 inches below original impact diameter. Please note that Subaru has had prior class action lawsuits filed for similar issues regarding brittle/unsafe windshields for Subaru Outback and Forester 2016-2020 models.
While driving, I heard a loud POP. I thought something hit the car, but I was not close behind another vehicle or road hazard. For about 15 minutes I thought no harm, no foul. Then suddenly, I saw a long, mostly horizontal crack from the bottom left and extending about 18" toward the center of the windshield. I called the Subaru dealer [where I bought the car] and was quoted $910 parts and $590 labor, but they were unable to give me a service appointment date at that time. I don't feel the car is safe to drive, so I am looking for a quicker repair from an independent windshield replacement shop. At the same time, I researched Subaru windshield cracks and found numerous reports of easily cracking Subaru windshields. It appears that if I replace one Subaru windshield with another Subaru windshield, I may just be waiting for another Subaru windshield crack in the future.
Windshield cracked in the bottom black area. This is a known problem for other model years. Subaru should issue a recall / fix for the 2020 Forester also.
The vehicle was parked in our driveway in Lafayette, CA on 5/16/2023. Outside temperature reached approximately 75 degrees. The windshield developed a spontaneous crack, horizontally spanning the driver's side edge to nearly the middle. No impact point can be observed along the crack line. The vehicle is available for inspection but has not yet been inspected by any authority. Vision may be blurred or compromised along the crack line, which should be deemed a safety issue. Numerous reports of windshield faults for 2019+ Subaru Foresters have been reported online, though Subaru continues to deny these claims.
My windshield has cracked - huge lines running across the windshield including the driver's side - three times in 2.5 years necessitating I pay out of pocket to replace the windshield each time. I will now need to get my fourth windshield in less than 3 years of having a brand new car. Though I have been told that it was "outside influence" such as a rock, I did not see or hear a rock hit the windshield. Not to mention I have owned many other cars and have never had to replace the windshield so many times. The latest windshield I replaced was less than a month ago and now I have to replace it again. There was a recall/class action lawsuit on previous years of the Subaru Forester and it is not clear or apparent that they have changed the windshield substantially enough that this issue has been resolved. It is dangerous and defective to have a windshield that has long cracks in it so frequently and consistently. My and my family's safety is at risk when it is difficult to see because of the huge cracks in the windshield, particularly at night or in inclement weather (i.e., rain storms). The problem has happened now 3 times in less than 3 years. A product that warrants so much replacement is defective in nature. I have called both the dealership and Subaru USA - who said that they did know that I was not the only one having these issues. The vehicle has been expected by experts at Safelite and I am taking it to the dealership for an inspection with this latest crack. But because they claim a rock hit it then I have to pay for the replacement - but when this happens with such frequency then how can the windshield not be defective? When this is not the standard for all other cars! And it is dangerous to have an unreliable windshield! No there were no warning messages.
The windshield cracked for no apparent reason. It-??s a 2 foot long crack, low on driver side. The crack appeared while the car sat parked in a garage. It wasn-??t there when the car was parked and was visible when we returned to drive the car. The windshield is so widely cracked, the risk is s sheet of glass will hurt the driver or passenger. We have not taken it to the dealer for repair yet The windshield cracked without warning or sufficient cause.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Chicago, IL, USA