5.8

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
14,699 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2018 Subaru Forester accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

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2018 Subaru Forester Owner Comments (Page 4 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #71

Aug 172020

Forester

  • 29,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving my 2018 Subaru Forester on a highway at 70 mph, an 11.5" crack appeared in the windshield with no apparent cause of the damage. The crack extends from the edge of the glass horizontally. Close inspection revealed a chip about 3/8" from the edge of the windshield measuring no wider than 1/16". given the immediacy and the extent of the damage, I believe this is a sign of defective windshield material. I am also concerned that this crack will grow very quickly before I am able to get it repaired.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #70

Aug 132020

Forester

  • 43,000 miles
The windshield cracked as I was driving down a street. Nothing hit it. There were no other cars near me. The crack started at the outer edge of the windshield.

- Dover, NH, USA

problem #69

Jul 282020

Forester

  • 30,000 miles
Our 2018 Subaru Forester has been sitting in our driveway every day since March 2020 when the covid crisis kept us housebound. We make a few short trips around town per week. Just today (July 28, 2020) my wife noticed a big crack in the lower windshield on the passenger side. Then she noticed the same type of crack in the moonroof glass. We have barely been driving the car and would certainly have noticed if a pebble or other debris hit the windshield and moonroof so hard that the two cracks developed. (also there's no chance that a tree fell on it and we simply failed to notice.) we were about to take the car on a 9-hour road trip in two days but are concerned that further damage will occur and we will be stranded. Very disappointing.

- Charlottesville, VA, USA

problem #68

Jul 122020

Forester

  • 12,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving I heard a very loud bang and immediately saw the windshield was cracked. There was no traffic or vehicles in front of me on the local highway traveling at 55 mph. The bang startled me so bad I started to swerve into the other lane. When I reached my destination I was surprised to see how long the crack extended. I took the camera off the windshield to get pictures of the full extent of the crack.

- Falls Church, VA, USA

problem #67

Jul 082020

Forester 4-cyl

  • miles
Have had to replace windshield full replacements 3 times in 2 1/2 years. Usually a small rock kicked up from highway starts the chip and it spreads very quickly. I have had chip filled but it still cracks across the windshield so the whole windshield has to be replaced again.

- Pueblo, CO, USA

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problem #66

Jul 042020

Forester 4-cyl

  • 30,502 miles
Windshield cracked due to excessive heat. Car was sitting in driveway when I cam out in the morning a large crack from the passenger side near the body went across to the center of the vehicle my the rear view mirror

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #65

Jun 122020

Forester 4-cyl

  • 36,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The windshield cracked and broke without any noticeable other damage and without having been struck while in operation. There is now a large crack across the middle of the windshield. I would have just replaced the glass without further issue, but a friend who is also a Subaru owner experienced a strangely similar crack occurring without any other damage, and without any issues while operating the vehicle. It seems odd that the same issue would occur twice in a short span. I am wondering how many of the exact same issues have been reported to Subaru and whether they should have launched an investigation at this point. The car has had numerous other (smaller) quality issues for the duration of the time I have been driving it so I would also expect that this is not the first time Subaru has been notified of this particular issue. I do not have a photo of the crack with me presently but am more than happy to provide one if it will aid in this review. Thank you.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #64

Jul 132019

Forester

  • 11,000 miles
Windshield cracked in one spot, then the crack spread throughout the entire windshield. Had to get the entire windshield replaced.

- Reston, VA, USA

problem #63

Jun 122020

Forester

  • 16,243 miles
Windshield glass suddenly cracked on right side from the edge toward the left side. Crack is about 12" long. Windshield was not struck from rock or road debris. I noticed when I got in the car when stationary in the garage.

- Bixby, OK, USA

problem #62

Jul 182019

Forester 4-cyl

  • 12,345 miles
Windshield has easily cracked multiple times and is very expensive to fix.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #61

Apr 262020

Forester 4-cyl

  • 12,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After not driving my vehicle for 2 months due to covid I noticed I have a huge crack that grew by at least an inch a day whilst the car was in my garage. The crack started on the bottom black portion where it looks like it chipped (see photo) the windshield and has spidered from there. I have measured the crack daily with a chalk marker and the crack will soon be across the windshield.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #60

May 032020

Forester

  • miles
The windshield on my 2018 Subaru Forester had to be replaced on April 16, 2019 and August 13, 2019 due to rock strikes in the bottom or side of the windshield (the black section of the windshield closest to the metal. Today, May 3, 2020 a crack larger than 12 inches appeared. The crack began on the bottom of the windshield (again in the black section). I checked closely and there wasn't a rock strike. The crack spontaneously appeared.

- Kennesaw, GA, USA

problem #59

Apr 262020

Forester

  • 10,000 miles
2018 Subaru Forester, sitting at house undriven (stationary) for over a month due to stay at home order, developed a cracked windshield for no reason.

- Macomb, MI, USA

problem #58

Apr 272020

Forester

  • 34,500 miles
We have now had to replace the windshield twice. Both times, there was a crack originating from the bottom of the glass and coming up into the line of site. Both times, the crack occurred without an apparent rock hit or other issue. Both times, the crack was noticed after the car had been stationary with no apparent issues. The first time we took it to Subaru, who said it was probably a rock. I saw no evidence of a rock.

- Marquette, MI, USA

problem #57

Apr 242020

Forester

  • 8,990 miles
My car was sitting in the driveway and overnight a windshield crack of 8-12 inches appeared out of nowhere.

- Longmont, CO, USA

problem #56

Apr 102020

Forester

  • 27,000 miles
The windshield cracked, the crack is growing from bottom passenger side and up, heading mid shield towards driver. No logical reason for crack. No rock chip market, no accident.

- Rogers, MN, USA

problem #55

Apr 182020

Forester

  • 31,200 miles
Windshield cracked due to an unknown reason. 13" crack in the center of the windshield starting at the base. Vehicle was stationary. My only speculation is that snow covered the windshield during the night and the sun heated the interior of the vehicle in the morning causing an abrupt temperature stress on the glass. Defective windshield.

- Philipsburg, PW, USA

problem #54

Mar 012020

Forester

  • 18,402 miles
When I was driving on the highway, a small rock hit my windshield in the left corner (from the driver's perspective) of the windshield. Although the initial damage to the windshield was a small dent in the windshield (pictured below) the crack started spreading as we drove and reached over 2/3 of the windshield in length (also pictured below). It seems unreasonable that such a small dent should cause more than half of the windshield to crack. As a result, I think that the weak construction of the windshield is what caused this large damage to it. Although the crack isn't seeming to spread past its current length, it is still a concern that the windshield might break in half at some point in the future, especially during the winter or if another small rock were to hit it.

- Arvada, CO, USA

problem #53

Mar 262019

Forester

  • 5,000 miles
The windshield of my 2018 Forester spontaneously cracked eight months after purchase while driving on I-25 eight months after purchase. There was no collision or impact that caused the crack. I had the windshield replaced by safelite autoglass on March 26, 2019. The cost for replacement after insurance was $200.

- Cheyenne, WY, USA

problem #52

Apr 082019

Forester

  • 25,000 miles
The windshield cracked really quickly. Not normal.

- Denver, CO, USA

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