I purchased my 2014 Forester in July 2013. I love the vehicle except for the design of the climate control dials which I consider to be a safety hazard because it is so difficult to ascertain at a glance what the current setting is for each function (heat/ac temp, fan speed, fan direction.) staring at the dial(s) or repeated glances takes the driver's attention off the road for too long, and therefore is absolutely a safety issue: Each round dial has a rubber grip surface that the user contacts. On the front face of the dial is a shiny chrome bezel ring. This ring is quite narrow and has 7 small, equidistant indentations around the radius. One of the indentations is yellow plastic, which indicates the setting. At a glance, the small yellow plastic indicator is very difficult to locate among the other six indentations. What the purpose is of the indentations is a mystery (some marketer wanted sparkle?) and why Subaru chose pale yellow against shiny chrome makes no sense. I have successfully altered my dials by putting a tiny drop of white fingernail polish on the black rubber grip directly above each yellow plastic indicator. Now, at a quick glance, I can easily see at what position each function dial is set. It's great. I feel much safer. I know this sounds like a small, unimportant problem, but it was a huge concern to me. I hope no Forester owner is involved in a crash because he/she took his/her eyes off the road for too long trying to figure out one or more of the climate control settings. The Forester might be a "top safety pick" but not on this. Thank you.

- Gunnison, CO, USA