2020 Subaru Forester problems
Owners have filed 818 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Forester. Wipers, windshield & visibility is the most reported problem area, at 37% of complaints. After that come electrical system (13%) and engine (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 818 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 37% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 46 and 16
- Injuries and deaths
- 35 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 6,000 miles 329 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 277 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 34 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 12 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 329 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 6,000 miles. For wipers, windshield & visibility specifically, the median reported mileage is about 6,000 miles (188 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 46 complaints mention a crash; 16 complaints mention a fire; 35 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 29 model years of the Subaru Forester with enough data (786 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Automatic braking system failed and led to a front end collision immediately a fire broke out under the hood and accelerated into the car with in minutes using a tire iron the passenger door was forced opened Air bags deployed (3) and seat belt held
Eyesight pre-collision braking feature and pre-collision throttle management feature malfunctioned and caused the 2020 Forester to accelerate unexpectedly and lurch forward while I was manually braking and slowing to come to a complete stop behind two other vehicles stopped at a steady red light. See class action lawsuit Weston, et al. v. Subaru of America, Inc., et al. In US District Court Case No.
I have had my subaru forester 2020 for only 8 months and there is already a crack on my windshield from a small rock hitting my windshield. The rock was tiny and it created a 18in crack on my windshield.
Literally about a month after we bought the car, the windshield cracked and there was no real sign of impact. I waited a few months and eventually the crack spread across the whole windshield and impaired my vision so I pid my deductible and got it replaced with safelight.